how to wear leopard print

She wears it so well. I've never worn leopard print (or, from memory, any animal print), but would totally wear this outfit. Just the perfect mix of print, comfort (note relaxed-fit knit pants, those boots), and style. That headband is so fantastic. Surely the best take on a Winter's hat.

And best of all, the leopard is faux.

a little less sugar

Okay, I feel better about this dress now I have slightly de-saccharinised (?) it by adding this red belt I made today. I was going for less Disney, and more Orla Kiely. Orla Kiely is my new favourite crush. Her clothes are wonderful, sort of modernised 60's housewife in full blooming colour. And some of the names of her garments, I mean Ditsy Clover Top?

Lucy wore this red belt with her smock dress this morning, and it also looks cool with the bubble dress (if you're one of those who bought either dress). I now feel compelled to make some belts for the shop, in some vivid block colours and also in Liberty prints. Such an easy way to change an outfit! A little project for the new year.

summer stitching

I'm frantically sewing (and drafting before sewing, far out) some summer clothes before leaving for Hawke's Bay at the end of next week. Some things lay unfinished, others get preferential treatment - I guess it depends whether the project is working out or playing up, if I may be honest. What I have finished are these new shorts of mine (high-waisted, yeah!) and a silk dress for Audrey. I sketched a dress possibly close to a year or two ago, which scallop detailing (elsewhere on the dress), as it's one of my all-time favourite details (my sister ribs me about this). Imagine my excitement when Chloe went scallop-heavy for their S2009RTW collection (though Chloe was far less excited to hear of Christopher Kane's scallops (to the point of almost pulling their collection, I read)).

To go with these shorts I'm also working on a short Liberty print singlet with the same hem detail as Audrey's dress. I want the singlet to finish just below true waist level, overlapping the waistband of the shorts ever so slightly. I mean, why wear high-waisted shorts if you're just going to go and cover them up (though they work that way too, albeit looking somewhat like standard shorts)?

Yeah, the shorts are quite short but I think you can get away with that when the waist is higher. Lends a different look over hipster/short length. Much like a mini skirt looking far better when the waist is higher. In my humble opinion, of course.

All these new projects are giving my new invisible zipper foot a run for its money. Who knew that new feet could bring so much joy!

say what you will

...about kids, but when they're sleeping I think they're about as close to perfection as one can be.

babywearing is magic

This is the most magical parent-child video I think I've ever seen. I kept hearing myself say 'oh my'. It's left a lovely, sweet feeling with me...

finito

For A, Pisa, Italy

All I can say is ph-ew. It may seem paltry to some, but an order of nine garments amongst single orders really throws me right now. And going down the made-to-order route means changing machine and overlocking thread almost every garment (not to mention mindset)!

It's a little challenging right now as Audrey has slept through a total of four times in the past two weeks (or whenever it was since I last wrote), meaning from the 10pm-ish feed through to 6am. It's something I guess. It, at least, shows she can do it. What I will not be doing for the forseeable future is drinking 2.5 glasses of champagne (getting giddy at a daytime 3rd birthday, which is about my lot these days) when nursing (not meaning at the same time, just nursing fullstop). Audrey slept fitfully that night, waking every 40 minutes to be resettled until I gave in and took her to bed with me. Peace was restored around 1am through to morning after shifting her back to her cot. So not worth it, even when the champagne is fancy fizz. I would have thought she could handle a curve-ball-food through at her at 9-10 months, but...obviously not. Oh how I miss Mexican food.

Open Letter to Silk

Oh you are are so lovely to touch, lovely to look at, but utter torture to sew with. Why must you make it so hard? You with all your slipperiness, you and all your finery. You masquerade as soft and gentle and delicate, but once under the foot of the machine you contort and slide and misbehave, making me want to hurriedly dismantle the sewing machine and throw it and you out the window into the pouring rain.

But now you have taken the shape of a dress, you have reverted back to your soft and gentle self again, and that brings me some relief. Peace even. And, as you may notice, Lucy is beside herself, as you turned out far more princessy than I imagined (or cared for), even in your unfinished state. I think a Liberty version will be a lot more pleasing to sew with. With perhaps a patent leather belt... Though I don't think Lucy will react quite the same way as she did when she saw this pink silk version.