Primark for the win

As I mentioned in a previous post I happened to accidently do some shopping in Primark recently. I'm doing my best not to spend any money right now but I saw a variety of lovely clothes that I couldn't pass up. There's a distinct retro vibe on the high street at the moment, and I'm keen to capitalise on it! 

This skirt is a light rayon type fabric and comes in bang on knee length. It's light enough for parties and summer only sadly but I'm happy to wait to wear this. It''s got a great swish factor to it!

Pretty floaty blouse with tiny flowers all over, and gathered to the sleeves and waist. This is really soft and comfy and works well with high waisted trousers and smart skirts.

Cotton peasant top. Again, one for the summer but this was reduced to £5 so it'll sit in the cupboard happily till then. There's smocking around the neck and the waist and little gathered sleeves.

30s style pyjama/lounging set with high waist wide legged trousers and a kimono top. This will also have to be a summer outfit but it's pretty special and I couldn't turn it down!

And the piece de resistance - a tweed suit with a full circle skirt, mock waistcoat in the jacket and prettily puffed sleeves. I've had lots of comments about this suit - I think it's going to be a stock item for winter!

I think I'll be popping back in a few weeks to see their new winter stock as it comes in - I think we're in for a very vintage few months on the high street!

Night on the tiles

As I mentioned yesterday, I went out with some very lovely ladies for one or two drinks in Bristol this weekend.

It just so happened that, only hours before getting the invite, I had been passing through Primark (honestly - it runs between 2 streets) and accidentally started buying things. Many of these things are lovely and very, very vintage, but one of them was totally suitable for a night on the tiles.

This dress has a waist that comes to a point at the bust and cape like sleeves. The fabric really looks like vintage rayon too, and the self covered buttons are a lovely touch. I tried this on in a 10 and couldn't get it done up over my bust so went hunting for a 12...only to find a rail crammed with 50 of this dress, all in 8 and 10...like the skilled shopped I am though, I hunted until I found the only other dress in the shop, in 14. It's a little on the roomy side, but the cut of the dress disguises that well, and I'm chuffed to bits!

I threw on some 30s style hair and makeup stylings, packed my lippie and headed out!



After a couple of drinks, a game of foosball (turns out I suck at all sports, even pretent ones) and much laughter, we headed up Park Street and turned into a slightly dingy side road. One of the girls rang an annonymous looking doorbell and the door to another world opened before us...

Hyde and Co has to be Bristol's best kept secret. It's a prohibition themed bar (though in reality it's much more than this) and the whole place is decked out with quirky vintage items. Sadly it's too dark to get many good photos inside, but believe me, it's special.
It's been open for over a year and no one I know has ever heard of it, I'm stunned, and actually, pleased. It's mainly a cocktail bar, where no one stands (once the seats are full people get turned away) and you're served at the table by the cocktail waiters, decked out in tweed waistcoats and ties. They were very attentive and really knew their stuff, we felt very well looked after!

I'll leave the finer details out, as it's worth experiencing yourself, suffice it to say I spent my evening grinning like a loon! If you are looking for somewhere in Bristol to have a special drink, Hyde and Co is just abotu as special as it gets!

Tried and tested

You know those patterns that some bloggers can't help but use time and time again (I'm looking at you, Karen)? Well I finally have one of those myself!

The EvaDress 650 1934 blouse is, on the face of it, not very exciting. I think I struck gold, though, when I decided to try and turn the collar into a pussy bow, as I love my blue blouse and wear it to death. The pattern is simple enough to run up in a couple of hours, and also basic enough to withstand amateurish fiddling from the likes of me!

I had some cotton/silk mix left over from the Sew Weekly meet up that I was planning to use for a skirt, but decided it was just too light and have been wondering what to do with since. I figured that actually it'd make a good floaty blouse and thought what better than to use my EvaDress pattern to make a third version of my blue pussy bow blouse! This week I had a few hours spare, so set about sewing and this was the result!

As with the previous version, I simply lengthened the collar piece, sewing up the ends before attaching it to the neckline.

I also trimmed the neckline into a more gentle V, rather than keeping it as a slash as I had before. This gives less spare fabric under the bow when it's tied low on the chest.

There were two long shoulder darts in the front of the pattern, but I turned these into 4 pleats near the shoulder and I think it worked well!

Finally, I used my overlocker to finish the seams as I went for the first time, and I'm really chuffed with the results! I even changed the colour threads the overlocker was using. I feel very talented now!

I feel like I am sewing at a far more intermediate level now. Although the pattern is in no way challenging, I used a finer needle on my machine to avoid pulling the delicate fabric - something I've not bothered with before, I used a narrow hem foot for the sleeve hems and of course I was switching back and forwards between the overlocker and sewing machine. Add to this the 'as I went along' pattern alterations and I really felt on top of sewing this blouse like I don't think I have before. I'm really pleased with this, with the overlocking it really feels like my first professional piece.

Next on my list is a third skirt made from Simplicity 3688...maybe I can have a tried and tested week where I just wear the two patterns together all week?

More sewing chat

I managed to find time for an outfit post yesterday. I'm wearing the gathered skirt I made at new year and my trusty Marks and Spencer cardigan over a Marks and Spencer blouse. The belt is actually vintage, just about and was a hand-me-down from my Mum. I've realised that this blog has been mainly about my sewing of late so it's good to break up the monotony a little!

That said, I have more sewing related news! I managed to pop into the fabric shop in the centre of town before work. I only went in for a zip, but I saw this lovely heavy viscose while I was there. I love the pattern and the weight and feel of it is just lovely. It's so soft, it'll make a lovely dress.

 The flowers are so pretty.

I have this 1930s dress pattern from Past Patterns and I thought it would work nicely with this fabric. What do you think? Will it work?

In other news, I've nearly finished the Folkwear Glamour Girl dress, which I am very pleased about - it's been a pain in the arse since I started it and I'm not even very happy with the result - I think I'll be making a few adjustments and then writing it off as a house dress. I'll pop some pictures up in the next day or two if I can find the will to finish it.

Thanks for all the comments on the trousers, most of you seem reasonably in agreement over what the issue is and on the options for fixing it, so again, I'll make some alterations and post soon.

Finally, my Swing Dress sewalong pattern has finally arrived, so I'm going to make a start on that soon. I'm going to be quite a way behind but I want to get my other projects finished before I start! In addition, I want to overlock my swing dress - I think the crepe will fall apart otherwise - and so I need to get my overlocker fixed pronto. Watch this space!

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