Vacations have come to an end, but not the summer, which fortunately ends on september 21st. Which leaves me the chance to show what I’ve been up to since june, and also the hope that I’ll get to wear my new clothes a few times before the beginning of fall.
I changed a few things to my original plan, but mostly stuck to it, and I’m pretty proud of myself : I found myself travelling with a perfectly matching wardrobe, including my brand new home made garments. Despite the use of a plain and of a striped fabric, thic capsule wardrobe is mostly about gingham: I must be slightly more under Bardot’s influence than I am keen to admit.
The first step was these Ruby mini-shorts (maybe not the most flattering shot, but certainly the funnier). I’m very happy I went out of my comfort zone on this one : a few months ago, I would have been completely lost while reading the cryptic instructions. Fortune rewarded me with a matching hat on sale at my local supermarket. Good girl.
I also began sewing simple accessories this summer: this pretty Charlie bag is finished with a matching bias, and I fixed a matching picnic tablecloth. Did you notice the Crescent skirt? it’s lined!!!
This skirt hardly counts as a sewing project. I used it as a replacement of one of the dresses of my original plan. I had just finished the Crescent skirt and found it a little too complicated for me, so I just made this simple gathere rectangle. Nevertheless, it’s one of the garments I wear the most (especially to bike).
Let’s keep things simple : I dreamed about light, striped trousers, the kind you find as beach cover-ups, and the pattern I had already used for my menswear-inspired pyjamas did quite the trick.
Last but not least, the gingham yellow dress. I still think of the seersucker chevron dress, but I thought I needed more experience with bias before going freestyle with chevron effects. And I must admit I find the (self-drafted) sweetheart neckline, matching bias finishing and full skirt quite lovely. This project owes much to the sewing blogosphere, since I spotted the basic bodice on l’Atelier and downloaded the full skirt from Un carnet sans pages. And what’s more, it is the garment that finally triumphs over the Carlotta’s-dresses-always-end-as-a-failure curse: it is my first true dress!
