Anchors Away Circle Skirt

Ahoy there!  I have been away this week but I am back and have lots to blog about!  First is my new make, my Anchors Away Circle Skirt!This skirt was inspired by the little anchor patch which I got a while ago along with a whole loads of others that I haven't used yet and I thought it was about time.

Iron-on from Patsy May

I drafted the circle skirt pattern myself using Casey's sewalong on Elegant Musings which was fab as I am not so good on the mathematics side of things.  (I made one before from jersey but we won't go there)  I added the white braid and iron on and a small gold button with a bent shank with another cute anchor on it.

Good zipper!

It fits me perfectly though next time I will make the waistband a little longer so that it overlaps a bit more for the button and buttonhole.  I had great fun wearing it out for cocktails and then again while shopping in London.  Get ready for picture overload!

At the natural history museum with a Tri-sarah-tops, gettit?

Smiling like the Cheshire cat after finding Beyond Retro!

This was for my boyfriend who is currently obsessed with 'Keeping Up Appearances.'  Onslow: ' Oh nice!'

Brompton Cemetary, one of the 'magnificent seven' of Victorian London graveyards

Me-Made-May 2012 - Final week (and 2 days)

I am late uploading this as I have been away but week four of MMM'12 didn't go so well for me as we had a bit of a heatwave in the UK and I don't have that many very hot weather makes, purely because we don't have that much hot weather!  So I only managed 3 days this week.  Pretty poor I know but I did get to wear my newly finished dress so that was a bonus.

24th May

Me Made - Pastel halter dress

This was my first ever me made item (excluding a fairy fancy dress outfit) and it is not that great hence the not very detailed photo!  The stripes on the bust are wonky, it was too large and has horrible folds where I didn't take it in properly and the seams aren't finished nicely but I still love wearing it as it was my first attempt at sewing clothing for myself.  I do like the pockets and the ribbon detail though.

27th May

Me Made - Banana Carousel Dress

First airing of this dress on a burning hot day where I wore LOTS of suncream and stole my Dad's panama hat to browse around a car boot and antique fair.  (I didn't buy anything though.)  I do love this dress and the fit is pretty good too :)

31st May

Me Made - Banana Carousel Dress

I wore it again for the last day of May as it is the only thing I finished this month but with a cardi as it had got cooler.  

Conclusion

I didn't manage every day of the whole month, the last 2 weeks were not great but I did wear more me made than I normally do and I did come up with some new outfit combos.  I didn't realise how many days I spend just in work uniforms and I would have to adjust the challenge for this if I do it again.  I tend to make things I can wear in cooler weather or can layer as I am more likely to get wear out of them and I have more dresses than seperates.  I actually had more items than I first thought and although there were a lot of repeats I did enjoy the challenge.  It has also helped me to get out of my sewing slump which is an unexpected bonus!

Banana Carousel Dress - Complete!

It's is finished!  This poor old dress has been languishing on my dress form for months as my sewing drive just tailed off.  Last week however I made a conscious effort to get back into it and gave myself a deadline of getting it finished before our little holiday to visit the parents.  I really am pleased with it, it really looks like my original doodle and it keeps some of the inspiration of the Modcloth dress even if it isn't exact.

Modcloth Inspiration Shot

I have kept the tabs, though bigger, and the piping and the pattern I used is really similar in the end, the main difference from the original being that it is more loose fitting in the bodice with gathers top and bottom rather than sewn in two pieces like the Modcloth one.  I am really happy with my fabric choices too.  It took so long to match the boarder print but I think this happy banana yellow is really good.

Back View

I bought the huge metal zip as I really wanted to do an exposed zipper as I have seen them around a lot and quite like them plus I think it adds a bit more 'cool factor' to what could be quite a girly dress.  I used the piping around the top of the boarder and on the back as I only had enough boarder fabric for the front of the dress and I think it needed the piping on the back to stop it looking plain.  Plus I had to take a huge chunk of fabric out of the back, I seem to have a very narrow back on this pattern and I took 3cm on each side (!) out to make sure the waist band was nice and fitted.

 Closeup of the easiest zip ever!

Sweet little strawberry buttons!

To make the skirt I just measured my boarder print that became the width and then I measured a dress I already had which was the length I wanted and that became my skirt!  It was very easy and it was the best way to use my boarder print, just to make a rectangle skirt and gather it at the waist band.  The piping round the boarder does make the skirt poof out a fair bit when I wear it but I am hoping it will tame down a bit once I have washed it and the piping softens a little.   

So what do you think?  I really like the circle neckline and I am sure I will use this pattern again.

Me-Made-May 2012 - Week 3

So I don't have many photos this week as my disk got corrupted and I lost some of them!   Grr!  I did wear me made though so you will have to take my word for it!

15th May

16th May

18th May

As you can see I heavily repeated outfits and I did wear me made all week, including a dress I hadn't worn yet which is very annoying that my camera failed.

Me-Made-May 2012 - Week 2

8th May

Me Made - Black Jersey Circles Dress (pre-blog)

Today I...tried to work out what was in my birthday parcel.

9th May

Me Made - Strawberry Blouse (pre-blog)

Ebayed Birthday Skirt and cardi

Today I...celebrated my birthday!  My package was a cake tin and utensils heehee!  I also got some sewing magazines from my sister and some buttons from the Something Borrowed team.

10th May

Me Made - Birdy skirt 

Ebayed cardi

Today I... had my hair cut!  It may not look like much but it has been very long for about a year so it feels very different now!

11th May

Me Made - Daisy Earrings

Today I...worked then went to guides so uniform all the way.  We made shoebox floats with lots of glitter and fried bananas to celebrate Brazil.

12th May

Me Made - Vintage Vogue Summer Dress

Ebayed cardi

Today I...basically just cleaned the house but I decided to wear this dress as it took me a long time to make and I don't wear it enough.  It was actually pretty comfy and with a cardi over I didn't worry about it slipping off my shoulders.

13th May

Me Made - Ditsy '70's Dress

Today I...didn't feel so well, so lazed about before dragging myself to work.  I wanted to try it with a top underneath so you get the full effect of the sleeves which get squished down under my cardis usually.  (This is actually a recreation of the outfit as I didn't take a picture on the day)

14th May

Med Made- Black Jersey Circles Dress (again!)

Today I...got let off work early so ate ice cream and watched 'Because I Said So.'  I quite like it with my raspberry tights.

Week 2 done!  I am finding it more difficult to make different outfits now, plus I have some items I need to repair before I can wear which is slowing me up.  How is everyone else getting on?

The Liebster Blog Award

I have been nominated by the wonderful Makings of an Urban Rustic for the Liebster Blog award!  Thank you so much!  This is only my second award and I do love getting them.  If you haven't visited the Urban Rustics blog you really should check out her May Ball Gown and the Buttonholed Betty dresses.  I love them!

 The rules for the bestowing of this award are as follows:

1.Thank the person who nominated you
2.Link back to the blogger who nominated you
3.Copy and paste the blog award on to your blog (that's the glowy twingly bit!)
5.Nominate and pass on the award to FIVE other bloggers who have less than 200 followers
6.Let them know the happy tidings by posting on their blog

I would like to nominate:

Kat at Petticoats and Peplums as she makes such lovely clothes and I really like seeing her baby bump progress (blogger babies are making my broody!)

The Girl with the Star Spangled Heart because I just love her dressing Downton series.

Beebee's Vintage Dress because her photos from MMM last year inspired me to enter it this year AND we share a birthday!  (I know you have just reached 200 followers but shhh I won't tell!)

Miss Rosie Beau I only recently discovered this blog, but I love the vintage goodies and her circle skirts.

Beaded Fae Designs because I just adore her blue and pink sleeping beauty dress, you have to see it!

Burda Style May 2012 Magazine Review

05/2012

The print on the front of this months mag really got me going.  I don't really like the dress but ooo pretty butterflies!  This issue has a lot of pastel colours which I totally love, I know they reckon it is 'in' at the moment but I don't care, I love ice cream shades!

Blouse 131 Skirt 130B

I must admit I got rather over excited when I saw this skirt.  I adore the pleated chiffon skirts that are about at the moment and have been trawling the internet to find fabric to make one, and you know what?  It is really hard to find pre-pleated fabric!  When I saw this I thought, yes! maybe Burda will have a way to sew it myself!  But no, they recommend buying the fabric then sending it to company that pleats it for you.  I cannot afford to do that, and for one skirt is seems a waste.  (So I caved and bought one on ebay for under £5!  I can't make one cheaper than that!)

Dress 127 C

 I have a thing for shirt dresses though I only have one shirt waist I made, this one seems a good candidate for the full on shirt style.  I love the cute little neckline and the rolled up sleeves and yes the styling has sucked me in and it might not look so great all buttoned up, but I don't care!

Dress 132

This looks like a skirt and top but it is actually a full dress!  This is the first time I  have seen a pattern for something like this and I think the outfit is really sweet.  I'm not sure I would wear it in such pale colours but the boat neck and the little skirt pleats make me really love it.

Blouse 127 B Skirt 119

The untucked blouse kind of hides this skirt but I love the minty green lace and I think it could be another wardrobe staple skirt pattern.  Burda is always good for skirts.

Tunic 107 A

Not my usual thing but for some reason I really like this wavy line tunic.  It could make a great mini-dress and is really different.

Dress 133

Oh gosh this might be my favourite thing in the whole magazine!  They have recreated a 1961 pattern, the lovely polka dot dress on the right with the bows on the shoulders!  The line drawing is a little different, it has a slightly more draped front neckline than the original but look at the back!  So gorgeous!  I do not like the pink velvet they used but this could really be a stunning dress.  I prefer the polka dots myself!  I really hope they do this more often.

Skirt 106 B

 Another thing I love it mustard.  My boyfriend hates it but I am drawn to mustard coloured clothing which is most probably why I like this skirt but I also think the drape and the waistband with the belt looks really pretty.

Skirt 118

Another cute skirt!  This one has some sweet little pleats and I like the waist band detail, although I think it could do with a button or two in front rather then the hook and eye, or dare I say it, velcro! that might have been used as it doesn't lie flat and I hate skirts that have bumpy bits right on my bumpy bit!

Dress 137

I have included this as it is a pretty perfect little wiggle dress pattern though it doesn't photograph well in black I think it could be pretty stunning in a bright red say.  Side note: who wears this for hanging out the washing?  She even collects eggs in another outfit!  The last time I collected eggs I wore wellies and got pooped on!

 

Corset Belt 126 Trousers 122 B

I have no problem with the trousers, though how she is planning on playing tennis in those heels I don't know, but that apron looking thing at her waist is a corset belt.  A what?  I have never heard of this before, perhaps is has passed me by, but it basically looks like she is wearing shorts over her trousers.  Not good.  I really don't understand it and cannot think of any outfit that it would look right with.

Hope you enjoyed, I really love this issue, and today is my birthday so I am extra happy!