Sheets, Shirts and Wardrobe Planning

This blog is a little late as I was recovering from the weekend. No drink was consumed, just the usual amount of running around like a headless chicken. Sprogzilla had a friend sleepover Saturday night- they were  really great to be honest- but I was too knackered yesterday to think about anything much bar some mindless iPad scrying. Well not totally "mind"-less, I spent a lot of time reading the Into Mind website which is all about personal style and wardrobe building prompted by the recent "Wardrobe Architect" posts on The Colleterie blog.

Those of you that know me in real life can stop laughing now as yes, I do resemble the Cat Lady from The Simpsons on most occasions (nor do I care) but recent changes in my day job mean that I am going to have to bite the bullet and start dressing like a sensible adult. However, I hate with a passion most of the baggy, shapeless tents that pass for plus-sized clothes, plus I don't want to look like a corporate Stepford Wife. Is it possible to retain a bit of individuality and still toe the party line? I am going to give it a good try.

I have cut out the pattern this week for Simplicity 2339. This pattern is one from their "Amazing Fit" range which has different sized pattern pieces for A, B, C and D-cups. All well and good but a bit of a non-event for me as I still have to do a 4-inch FBA over and above the biggest size, plus a broad back adjustment. I am really taking my time doing the flat-pattern alterations and am using both my Fast Fit book from Sandra Betzina and the "Sew Busted" Maria Alto DVD to help with the FBA and lowering the bust dart. And people ask why I never make myself anything!

I actually have muslin to make a muslin up in. I am taking this really seriously as I would like to have some smart, well-fitting shirts for a change and a TNT pattern would be nice. However, I am not sure that my fabric choices are serious. First off on the left I have a lovely vintage cotton sheet, the fabric is beautiful, and on the right is some quilting cotton "Flea Market Fancy" from Westminster Fibres that I bought in John Lewis. I am hankering after polka dot button plackets and collar/cuffs with these but might just play it safe. The quilting cotton is quite thin so I thought it would be OK for a shirt. I will get the final adjustments cut out tomorrow night. Hope that it fits after all the changes.

Excuse me Miss but your shirt is sheet. Well! There's no need to be rude.

I managed to get a half hour of wandering round the shops on Saturday and managed to pick up a couple of nice necklaces in a blue colourway. I bought a lot of vintage turquoise beads a couple of weeks ago and am looking to layer them up so need to add to the collection first. I love the colours and the owl is so cute.

Fashionable? I don't give a hoot.

Anyway, do you plan your wardobe? Is it a bit organic or set out with military precision? Do you ruthlessly cull the old and sick or just keep adding and still have nothing to wear (like me)?

Kxx

Grumpy and Umpty

The last couple of weeks I have been a bit tired and had a lot on at work, so today I am feeling a little bit cross for no real reason. I even ripped down the scarf I had knitted up over the weekend and it was almost done too. Grump, grump, grump!

Don't worry love, I am sure that the Sisters of Mercy will reform.

I managed to get in a quick trip to Knit and Stitch in the Colliergate in York on Friday where I bought a lovely pattern book for Louisa Harding Yarns called "Fade to Grey". Cue 80's soundtrack, and indeed the patterns do have a bit of a romantic, gothic feel. I was particularly taken by the lovely purple wrap on the front.


I also had time to pop round the corner to Ramshambles and bought a couple of balls of wool to knit up a couple of the neck warmers that I knitted for Sprog before Christmas. The pattern for these is so nice and it is free! My favourite kind of pattern. You can find it on the ""In the Loop" blog. The original pattern is in French but if you scroll down you can download it in English too. Several people at work have knitted these and get compliments every time they were them and people are always asking Sprog where she got her's from. It is knitted on 60cm/5mm circular needles and takes about 150m/100g of wool in an Aran weight so it is nice for using up odd balls and makes for a cheap knit.

I bought myself some Aire Valley Aran from West Yorkshire Spinners in a russet/blue grey variegated colourway shade 862"Autumn Mix". I also bought a ball of King Cole Riot Chunky in shade 650- a lovely mix of blues and grey that will suit Sprog down to the ground.

This is such lovely wool. Hope Sprogzilla likes it.

In case you are of a certain age and think that this post title seems vaguely familiar I will leave you with a short video from The Flumps, a fixture of my childhood lunchtime TV consumption when I came home from school for lunch. Because today I am also under a cloud.