A couple of quickies.

Here is the next part of my outfit. The humble tee - none other than the basic tee pattern from Ottobre, 02-2006-01. It has a simple v neck..



.. which is so very modest. I can't help but think of my Burda and their plunging necklines and think that although geographically so close, (Finland and Germany) the magazines could not be further apart in aesthetic. Ottobre excels in the quotidian, whereas Burda is fashion forward. Ottobre is modest but if its a Burda pattern I know to lengthen the skirt and raise the neckline.



I also managed to whip up this apron as a thank you gift for a stranger who returned my car keys. I liked the idea of Simplicity 2824 because it allows you to alter the neck strap. This is handy if you have no idea what proportions the person you are making this gift for has. As you can see, the neck can be lengthened or shortened via D-rngs.



The pattern is from their "sewing for dummies" range. (cut your fabric using scissors, thread your machine before sewing, that kind of thing). It was so amusing to read something where NOTHING is taken for granted.

I was going to complete my outfit with a nice'n'nerdy cardigan. Then I saw it made up elsewhere and realised it was horrid. There's a very fine line with ugly - just get it slightly wrong and it doesn't work. So now I'm a little unsure about what my next step will be. Corduroy jacket? A spring parka? Waistcoat? Pullover?

Hmmmm.

Outfit October

Well hello again! I have just come back from a lovely holiday in Central Otago, where one of my sisters live. Before then, I had set my sewing goal for October to sew a complete outfit. The first part of the outfit I had in mind didn't work out. That's a short sentence without a long story behind it, maybe for another post.

In the meantime, using 2 purchases from my holiday down south as my inspiration, I came up with the first part of an alternate outfit. I bought this *cool* tooled leather bag for $3 from the Ranfurly women's Catholic league, open Wednesdays and Fridays only and closed for a generous lunch break on those days to boot.



The second part of my inspiration was a hilarious pair of arm warmers - something I had never seen before but I've been wearing them ever since. They solve the problem of how to breach the seasons with short sleeve wool knits - you use detachable sleeves! I bought these from the Naseby craft shop.



Well tooled leather and arm warmers are begging for super snuggly fabric. I immediately thought of corduroy, mainly because it is so much nicer to put on than denim. The nights down south were still cold, with frosts, and the inside temperature of the crib (holiday house) dropped to zero (celcius) when the sun went down. The only way to heat the house was with a log burner and the hot water was on a coal range wet back so we had to light that too if we wanted any warm water.

I haven't been so cold for many years, the northern climate totally softening me up. Thank goodness we came in spring.

The pattern is one I've made before Burda 09-2009-113. It's the pair of cords with the interesting slanted pocket design, which you can see in the corner here.



I put binding round the pockets



and used the same fabric for the waistband inner, fly extension and front pocket lining



Put it all together and you get the first variation of Outfit October





I leave you with this shop display from the Maniototo ceramics club. Someone down there really loves china ducks. I just love the way they have been festooned with ribbons.