Fabulous giveaways

There are 2 great giveaways that are worth having a look at soon;
The first is over at The Long and Winding Bobbin. This is a lovely giveaway of some patterns, some very pretty fabrics and a beautiful handbag.
As part of the giveaway she's asked entrants to post a picture of their current project. I figure that this is a chance to commit to finish one or two projects, so here they are. Number one is lining a suit I bought a while back, number 2 is Simplicity 3688, from which I'm making the skirt. This pattern calls for fusible interfacing on the waistband and this is the first time I've used it, so it'll be a learning experience for me.
I'm off work with a horrible cold at the moment, so if I can get myself off the sofa for long enough, I'll do an hour or so on these today. Wish me luck!

The second giveaway is from The Last Piece where Sarah is giving away packs of fabrics. They're such lovely designs, they're well worth looking at. I've been planning to make a quilt and I think that these prints would add a great splash of colour.

Self Sufficiency

Oh to live The Good Life (preferably with Felicity Kendle and Richard Briers).
I've been harvesting the fruits of my labours this afternoon and wonderful they are. The carrots went in the dinner before I could get a picture, but they are very sweet and whilst oddly shaped, just about perfect.

The rest of my goodies are still ripening, but they're nearly there. I just need another week of sunshine!

Hats and more hats

I've been on a bit of a hat buying spree of late. I now have a decent selection of winter hats, and I think I may even wear them this year. I always feel that winter hats are more 'acceptable' than summer hats, so for a self conscious hat fan like me, it's the perfect time to wear them.
I've already worn my knitted berets out on a couple of occasions and I'll be trying to wear them and some others in the coming weeks. I may even take some pictures for once! For now, here is my collection of hats modeled for your viewing pleasure...

Red beret - a recent purchase from Accessorize. Felty and lovely. I think red is going to be appearing in my wardrobe a lot this winter.

Green beret - a purchase from The Washerwoman and one of my more frequently worn hats.

Yellow beret - An older hat I bought on the highstreet, can't remember where though.

Cloche - Accessorize last year. Great for the winter because it keeps the wind off! Worked very well with my Louise Brooks bob I had last year but not sure it's going to look as good this year.

Astrakhan hat - A recent purchase from eBay. It's black Astrakhan with a fur trim. I reckon this is probably 50s, but I'm not really a hat expert. I think this goes nicely with the fur collar I bought some time back at a flea market and haven't had a chance to wear yet.

White fur - I bought this at Uni and have barely worn it since. It makes a bit of a statement and I'm not sure I know when is an appropriate time to wear it.

Brown net - An 80s does 40s hat, I think. The netting is too heavy to be vey old, and the felt is in too good condition as well. I am thinking about replacing the netting with something finer but am undecided. Millinery is not one of my strong suits. I picked this up at Vintage at Goodwood recently.

Black 50s - Another Goodwood buy. I'm pretty sure this is 50s, due to the shape and the obvious age of the felt. It's cute and understated and it really went well with the Butterick dress I made. It says 'new look' to me and as the dress is 1947, they belong together.

Floppy black - Another University purchase that I barely wear. I wanted to look like Liv Tyler. I don't.

Camel felt. A present from my mum who apparently wore this hat a lot in the late 70s. I've not worn this yet but I think I will.

Pill box. Another present, this one from my work colleagues. Not worn this one either yet, since I think it goes with a later style of dress than I normally wear.



Any brave regular hat wearers out there?  How do you work them into your every day outfits?

LMAO

In looking at halloween costume pictures, I came across this superheroine, the Blonde Phantom. She's shit. Just pathetic, but she does have a nice dress.

Mighty God King has an in-depth analysis of why she sucks so much. Awesomeness. Read it and weep at the sexism.

Today's outfit

I was going to post long and hard about Halloween today, since I've been thinking about it for 24hrs solidly. Sadly, I'm knackered, so you'll have to make do with a picture of me when I arrived home tonight.

I have discovered that;

1. My hair and makeup are best best before I leave the house in the morning.

2. The light is most flattering before I leave the house in the morning

3. It's easier to pose without my husband looking at me as though I'm mad

4. My cats only love me when they're hungry

As a result, I'm going to try to take my photos in the morning in the future, and keep my cats hungry. Their love will be mine, oh yes! Ahahahahahahahahahaha

Top - Zara

Cardigan & trousers - Marks and Spencer

Shoes - Poetic license

Wednesday is Vintage day

I often make an effort to wear something lovely and vintage on Wednesdays as my fabulous friend Jamie comes in. As Jamie has a vintage shop and impecable taste, I'm able to use her as a style barometer.

So, today I wore my new blouse and some highwaisted trousers in a vague attempt at a 30s look. Even though it made me 10 minutes late to work, I stopped to take a picture this morning! You can see I'm squinting because I'm still half asleep.

Blouse - Homemade (woot!)

Trousers, Gloves, Scarf - Marks and Spencer

Shoes - Clarks

I've also decided today that I'm going to venture out of Bristol for once (I know, I'm getting my vaccines) for Halloween. I'm going to attend 'Don't Dali with the Devil' at The Fox in Shoreditch, London.  

The dresscode is as follows;

Anything goes, as long as it's peculiar and old-fashioned! Victorian Steampunks, WWI soldiers and aviators, Cabaret Voltaire performers, Dadaists, surreal artists & their muses, elegant & otherworldly creatures. Vintage outfits from the 1920s to the 1960s are all welcome.

So, I need a costume! My first idea was Amy Johnson, the famous aviatrix. However, sheepskin lined jackets aren't really nightclub wear, so I'm thinking again.

Any ideas?

Drop waists are out, but otherwise most things go!

Highly recommended

Spitfire women - showed last night on BBC4

During World War Two, a remarkable band of female pilots fought against all odds for the right to aid the war effort. Without these Spitfire Women the war may never have been won.
These trailblazers were part of the Air Transport Auxillary, a thousand-strong organisation that delivered aircraft to the frontline RAF during Britain's darkest hours. Every day, responsibility fell on their shoulders to get the planes to the fighters which often pushed them into dangerous and even deadly situations.

Using interviews with the last few surviving veterans, archive footage and dramatic reconstruction, this documentary brings to life the forgotten story of the ATA. The resilience of these women in the face of open discrimination is one of the most inspiring and overlooked milestones in women's rights. Their story is one of courage, sexism and patriotism, but above all a story about women who want to break the confines of the world they live in and reach for the skies.

 This documentary included Amy Johnson, the first recorded equal pay for women, and some remarkable real life stories. I loved it! Watch it while you get the chance!