So, urmm, I never thought this would happen! I really didn't like Coco by Tilly and The Buttons, when it was first released, and honestly saw very very few versions I liked. My sewing buddy Jayne, has made a few and I've loved all of hers, but she has a much more toned figure than me, I really didn't want to even consider what Coco might look like on my curves!



This weekend though, I received some gorgeous Ponte de Roma from a friend, and found myself wondering about Coco, and if I could make it work for me. I tried to talk myself out of it, but it was no use, that vintage 60's vibe was calling me.



I ordered the PDF yesterday afternoon, and within two hours I had taped the pattern together, cut out the dress and finished it!
I decided to cut the back piece to fit my high bust measurements, and the front to fit my full bust measurements. I was going to grade up only at the bust, but I wanted a loose comfy semi fitted look over my tummy and hips.
I wanted a comfy dress I could throw on and still feel put together if I needed to go anywhere. I think I got that.



I skipped the patch pockets, but now wish I'd added inseam pockets, because I do love pockets on a dress.
I'm not at all used to wearing so much solid colour, but trim didn't appeal, so I went for a simple vintage brooch at the collar.(actually it is a scarf clip)



I think there are dresses in my wardrobe that flatter me more than this, but I do like it, and I will wear it. I adore the funnel neck even if Woody keeps making comments about Star Trek. I feel certain my grandmother would have worn a similar style, I'm even convinced I can remember her wearing something very similar in blue.

As a teenager I wore a lot of black, I used to have long conversations with my Dad about how black came in so many shades that I didn't need any other colours in my wardrobe! Back then I owned one red dress and every time I wore it my Dad would tell me how much nicer I looked not wearing black.

Those teenage days are long gone and now I find that other than t shirts and cardigans my wardrobe contains almost no black. So, a few weeks ago when I checked my email late at night to find a message from Sam, at Ministry of Craft saying I should wear all black for the Vintage By The Sea event the next morning , I had a mild panic, but compromised with a grey circle skirt, black t shirt and cardigan. Sam later said she knew I wouldn't own any black!



Today I was again working with  Ministry of Craft at a Macmillan event in Stockport, again the dress code was all black, so I ran up this skirt especially.

I was intrigued by a post I'd recently read over at Petit Main Sauvage about a part circle skirt given more fullness by adding in panels that pleated into the width of the skirt. Using that idea I tried something similar using the same polyester crepe I'd used on my librarian dress.
The result is a very full skirt, with a fabulous swishy drape.



The skirt is finished with some vintage blue buttons that matched my teal blue tights (I just couldn't quite do all black!)





I will almost certainly try something like this again, it's a fun way to make a quick skirt that is equally fun to wear.

Several weeks ago I was gifted a few pieces of vintage fabric from a friend clearing out her loft. I really liked the way two of the fabrics looked together and thought they might make a nice bodice and skirt for another Emery dress. The results on the hanger were pretty nice.....



... On me though, probably the most unflattering dress ever! I was taking a risk using the floral fabric on a skirt, especially since I didn't have enough fabric to ideally place the pattern. The dress looked horrible on me! I did still like the bodice though, despite it's polyester almost overall quality which meant it wouldn't press, and the darts just refuse to lay nice and flat. I was pleased with my collar trim using large ric rac.



So, I set about unpicking the skirt and planned to replace the skirt with a full circle skirt using some polyester crepe I had bought from Minerva.



The full circle skirt worked much better, but polyester crepe does not like being pressed either and hemming it was not easy at all. I eventually decided to use bias binding to hem the skirt. I used a bright red printed satin bias from stash. Basically because it was all I had enough of, and I thought it'd be quite fun to have a colourful hem on the inside that only peeked out when I walked.



There is a lot I like about this dress, but I'm afraid to say there is also a lot I don't like. I don't like way the darts sit on the bodice, and I'm not entirely happy with the general finish. I'm also not really sure it suits me, I feel like it should, but I mostly feel quite fat and frumpy, when my aim was more "retro librarian".



I will wear it again, it's a comfy everyday kind of dress, and has a lovely swish when I walk, despite all of it's flaws it is still better than anything I might buy on the high street, and polyester crepe doesn't need ironing, it'll drip dry in a flash!

There has been little time for sewing lately. There was the decorating, children going back to school and Ernest starting school, and then this weekend we deposited India at University! The day is one we'll never forget, I'm sure her first day at University would've been memorable enough, but about 10 miles away from Nottingham, our car started to do some very odd things, the dashboard was lighting up with various warnings, and we practically limped the last 5 miles to the campus car park!
Thank heavens for the RAC, who turned up quickly, but couldn't fix the car, so we had to come home in a tow truck with our poor car towed behind. A very bumpy ride home!
All the chaos meant we didn't get the time to thoroughly settle India into her new halls; instead it was a case of hastily unpacking as much as possible before the tow truck arrived.



India has begun to settle in to her new home, and make friends, it's very quiet here without her, but we are so proud of her and happy for her to be doing the course she really wanted to do, at her first choice of University. She is doing Primary Education at Nottingham Trent.

Yesterday, I finally had some time in my shed to sew! The weather has been lovely lately, but yesterday felt colder than it has in a long while, turning my thoughts to my Autumn wardrobe. I bought this lovely printed viscose a few months ago, with intentions to make a summer dress, but I think the colours transfer nicely into Autumn, with the mustard and grey mixed in with the brighter blues and pinks.



I decided to make a skirt, I wanted something full and floaty, but something a bit more than a full circle skirt. So I cut out three full circle skirt pieces and made a simple wrap skirt . The viscose is horrible to sew with, and the waist stretched out lots, which worked out ok really, because the skirt wraps around me once and a half, giving lots of fullness and floatyness.
The tie belt has no interfacing and is very long, so it wraps twice around my waist and ties in a lovely big floppy bow.
A very girly skirt. Today I'm wearing it with a t shirt and leggings, but I think it will work just as well with tights,boots and a sweater once the weather cools more.
A quick and mostly satisfying make to take me into Autumn.

It's been a hectic few weeks, and not showing much sign of slowing down any time soon. I've had very little time out in my shed doing what I love best, and yes I am starting to get rather jumpy!
I'd been promising to decorate the boys bedroom for longer than I care to admit, and when Sid asked me earlier in the summer if I was actually ever going to do it, I was suitably guilty enough to get my paint pots and brushes out.
One of the reasons I was putting it off was knowing how hard it was going to be to cover the very bright colours that were already on the walls. Eden helped me, and I'm so glad she did. The ceiling took 5 coats of paint and the walls took 3. Ernest even came and helped a little.
The whole room was finished on the tightest of budgets. We bought paint from a local discount warehouse, and used pots found in the cellar for accent colours. (I mixed two different shades together.) The curtains were made using fabric from stash (and have yet to be lined.), I scrubbed the shabby old carpet by hand, gave the orange pine bunk beds a couple of coats of egg shell, (also left over paint from the cellar), and then rubbed them down for a budget shabby chic effect, and re purposed an old sheet of chipboard by painting it with left over chalkboard paint and getting Woody to screw it to the wall.
I did buy some new bedding,but also got a lampshade from the charity shop for less than £2.
My favourite part of the room are the Fairy Tales For Hope prints above their book shelves.


You can see Angus is most impressed with the noticeboard!

I have managed to squeeze a little sewing into the spare few minutes here and there ; when your teenage daughter needs something to wear in a hurry for her friends 18th, but has no money, it's time to go stash diving and run something up in a hurry. What better pattern to use than Laurel by Colette? I'd heard great things about this pattern, but honestly never considered making it for myself, it's a style that would simply not suit my curves! I jumped at the chance though to stitch one up for India, and what a great pattern! Goes together fast and easy. India loves it!


I used a piece of green polka dot and stripe satin I'd bought last year in Abakhan, positioning the stripe at the waist. I finished the neckline and sleeves with bias cut from the same fabric.


I'm almost tempted to make myself one with sleeves, and perhaps more shaping at the waist. I particularly love this modifaction, avaiailable as a free download .

Maybe, I'll get time to try it out soon. I hope so.