Road testing bits of the capsule

As I’m going along and putting the capsule together, I am also road testing by trying different pieces together. The overall look is really only a fiction until it actually works – if it works.

That’s why I allow myself the luxury of making mistakes. I mean, it can be brilliant in your head and on paper but not so good when it’s put together. And let’s face it, the name of the game is putting together a wardrobe that yields a maximum number of looks. So liking it is probably a pretty important part.

So far so good. Noting it is only early days, I am liking it.

The dropped shoulder sleeve of the Nexus blouse

Of course, I struggle with black. No surprises there. And I absolutely love the ivory linen so no surprises there either. But what is a surprise is just how beautiful this Nexus blouse is looking. I think the sleeve is just so pretty. I couldn’t stop looking at it 😄. I’ve constructed the rest of the blouse and only need to attach the sleeves and it will be finished – except for the buttonholes that will have to wait until I get home. As organised as I am, I forgot the buttonhole foot. Remember I am on holidays 😊

Evening walk in the rain – very relaxing

Tessuti Ruby

Anyway, back to the capsule, I am very pleased to say that I am happy with the black linen Pietra pants and matching Ruby top. I think both of these are great staples and I will get plenty of wear out of both. I would have perhaps liked the pants a little shorter but deliberately left them at a length that I like for work.

Look at the colour of this water 😊

Update on the capsule wardrobe

Next instalment- ivory linen

To say this weekend in Sydney has been hot 🥵 would be a gross injustice to what was actually a heatwave. It was the kind of weather where one struggles to be anywhere near the iron or the sewing machine. Of course I’m a sewing stalwart, not easily frightened by the weather so I gave it a good nudge. But sewing black linen pants was cruel. It took me back to my school days. My mother had told me that the nuns’ habits were made out of breathable fabric – the best quality – all natural fibres – and I remember sitting in the classroom sweltering, wondering how Sister Geraldine’s black habit could possibly be breathing? It might have been the best quality but I can tell you, Sister Geraldine was melting under all those natural fibres, made even worse by the fact that they were black.

Pietra pants

Hand sewing the hem was all I could manage

So I did a bit of hand sewing but nothing more. Instead I worked on my capsule wardrobe but tracing off and cutting out patterns.

If I hadn’t said it before I will say it now: there may be mistakes along the way but I’m ok with that. There has to be some trial and error. So to be honest, I’m not really sure about the ivory linen and I’ve gone with my gut. I love the look of it because I think it’s elegant but it also has a bit of a lingerie feel about it? I’m not sure.

But it’s definitely a neutral, it will definitely go with black, there was plenty on the Spotlight shelf and it was 40% off 👍. All good reasons. So this is what I’ve cut out so far.

I am going to make the long, gathered sleeve version, with the shirt tail. I think this will be lovely for work and will go well with pants or skirt.

Because the linen is a bit see through I’ve also modified and cut out an Ogden Cami. I figure I can wear that under the the Nexus Blouse (with a few buttons undone) if I need to. It will also go well the black linen Pietra pants that I am still hemming (and even if they were hemmed it’s way too hot to try them on – remember Sister Geraldine.)

Now this one is a bit of a gamble. I have just made the long skirt (midi length) in chocolate linen and I absolutely love it. So I’m going to make the top in the ivory linen but I have reservations about this. Incidentally, not the crop, the other one. I think it could be a bit of a non event but I’ll go with my first instincts.

So that just about sums up my cutting out day except that I left out the fact that I also prepared fabric to make bias binding 😊

Watch this space!

Little white linen dresses- turning a hobby into a business

Over the weekend I unpacked the last of my boxes. I had saved this one until last because I knew what was in the box and I wanted to give myself all the time I needed to wash these little dresses, and dry them in the sun on a day when there was a breeze. They’d been kept in storage for 20 plus years. They needed some TLC and to see the sun before I hung them up in my new sewing room.

I was looking forward to this exercise. I was also a bit nervous. I wasn’t really sure how they would have fared over that time. You see, I hadn’t gone to any pains to preserve them. They definitely hadn’t been put away in anything near ‘airtight’ so this was down to chance.

But sure enough, they washed and ironed like a dream (linen, after all) and they are in exactly the same condition as they were when I made them, all those years ago. And I was so pleased. These little dresses have a special place in my heart…..and my history. Not because they were my little girls’ dresses. No. These dresses were a collection, a range that I put together to start my own label. This was Charlie Grace.

Charlie Grace

I had wanted to create a children’s clothing label for as long as I can remember. Always. Forever. And I had dreamt about white linen baby dresses from the first time I ever sewed with linen, in my teens. I loved the indulgence of linen and the way it felt, folded, and breathed. I adored the crispness of the white and was in awe of the statement that this simple and natural fabric could make. I still feel that way that about linen.

And I loved little dresses. I was mesmerised by them. I still am. The more indulgent the better. I am a sucker for quality, detail and embellishment. My preference is for classic understatement but I also love ‘over the top’. the more layers on a tutu, the better. In my mind, the possibilities for little dresses were, and still are, endless

In starting my own label, my mind was crystal clear. I knew what I wanted. White linen and little dresses were the perfect pair. Impractical? Absolutely. I am driven by beauty so I didn’t care.

Getting started

Finally deciding to give it a go was, for me, probably one of the most energising decisions I had ever made. It was liberating. Empowering. It may not sound like a big deal but believe me, 20 years ago it was. Things were so different.

We didn’t have the access to markets and media that we do today. Copyright restrictions were much tougher and unless you bought in bulk, sourcing materials was difficult and expensive. If you wanted to sell at the markets you had to get a big clumsy machine from the bank, linked to a business account under a registered trade name. Of course you had to do all of this, face to face, with a teller after you had made an appointment. And then there were sew-in labels and swing tags. You had to buy them by the thousands.

So you see, taking this on, was a big deal. At the time I had 2 little ones, aged 4 and 1, and I worked part time.

Sourcing materials

Most of my fabric came from a place on the northern beaches that used to sell off cuts from fabrics that had been used by designers. They sold the most amazing pieces for practically nothing……..some I’ve still got in my stash. I bought a lot of linen of different weights and textures (pretty much all white but some navy). The one below was a favourite – a light linen with a little stripe woven into it.

Spotlight was competitive for both fabrics and notions and you didn’t need to buy in bulk. I spent many an hour in different Spotlights all over Sydney and was never disappointed. Spotlight had a good range, was never out of stock was always comfortable and easy with a pram. In those days it was pretty disorganised too…….so it wasn’t too stressful when your kids touched the buttons! This was how I came to love Spotlight.

As the owner of a registered business, I also had access to Charles Parsons (textile supplier to manufacturers). I loved the Charles Parsons part of the experience! It was too exciting talking about the qualities of different fabrics (on huge rolls) to the sales assistants and being taken seriously. Again, the requirement to buy in bulk was prohibitive but I didn’t let that stop me. In fact, the basis of my stash today, is quality fabric from Charles Parsons. And as Im writing this I’m thinking that I probably should keep that fact under my hat!

Constructing the garments

I drafted some of the patterns myself but the gorgeous gathered yoke and Peter Pan collar style, that features frequently, was a modified ?Style pattern. Thinking ‘copyright’, I modified that pattern by at least 50% ( this probably wasn’t ever necessary but I played by the rules -a dyed in the wool stickler for the rules, was I).

You can see I included embellishments on all the dresses and that I had a particular penchant for piping, and tucks. Ribbon also featured frequently as did hand embroidery and lace. I also loved a puff sleeve with detail and adored a cuff. I still love every one of these details today……nothing has changed in 20 years (except my reluctance to spend as much time on washing and ironing ….although I probably still would).

Marketing

Then there was the selling and marketing! Now remember, online shopping wasn’t a thing and social media didn’t exist. So if I wanted sell the dresses I had to market them through a distribution channel. This involved cold calling boutiques that sold children’s clothing or department stores like Myer (could have been Grace Bros in those days?) or David Jones.

I found this very challenging. Selling has never been in my DNA. Notwithstanding , I had actually got an appointment with a buyer at David Jones. Now she gave me the heads up before the interview that if I wanted to deal with David Jones, I would need to be able to guarantee a minimum supply of items, of her choosing. Looking at the range of handmade little dresses, with their hand embroidered embellishments, I knew that promising any sort of minimum was going to be a problem.

But I wasn’t defeated…… not quite. I changed tack. I decided to alter the style slightly and omit some of the embellishments to give me a better chance at finding someone who would be prepared to sew the garments en masse. It worked. I managed to source a woman who lived miles and miles away. She wasn’t very interested but in the end reluctantly agreed to sew me a few samples …..for a pretty penny.

Where did my dream go?

I can still remember that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I picked up the samples, weeks later. My little handmade linen pieces had turned into poorly constructed cheap looking, slightly wonky, manufactured dresses.

They had become something else. Somewhere in the transformation my passion died.

I cancelled my appointment with the buyer at David Jones and put the project on ‘hold’. Severe morning sickness helped me make that decision.

And now, 20 years later, I find my little dresses, as good as new. I still love them just as much, (maybe even more) and I marvel at the beauty and durability of linen….you cannot beat it.

For me, the dresses still incite passion and enthusiasm.

It ain’t over yet!

Jane xx

From Australia to London to buy fabric? Seriously?

Well…..yes and no. Sort of, but not really. This was our fabric tour of London and Shanghai….a tour all about fabric, haberdashery and sewing- not exactly a trip to  buy fabric….even though the two got a bit mixed up at times.

How did this come about?

Good question. Well, my friend Wendy and I sew…all the time…..and buy fabric……often….and talk sewing and dressmaking and patterns and Threads magazine and read blogs about sewing and follow other sewers on Instagram and meet for morning teas and lunches at fabric stores all over Sydney and go to craft fairs and compare notes on the episodes of The Great British Sewing Bee.

You get the picture.

Now Wendy is a seasoned traveller. Anyway, after her last trip to Asia, she said to me in passing (actually I think it was by text) , I was thinking,  wouldn’t it be great to do a fabric crawl of London? Well. I had never even contemplated anything nearly as fun as this …………..ever! It was like Christmas when you are a kid sort of excitement. I wasn’t even sure Wendy really meant it. But I was there. Done. And before I could even text back YES YES YES, Wendy had the flights sorted!

So we made a plan to meet every six weeks, at a fabric store somewhere (naturally) and nut out the details. I think we actually gave the Sydney fabric market a huge boost while we were planning the trip…….so that’s good for the economy!

What did we actually want to do there?

I’ll tell you. We were on a mission.  We were going to London to completely immerse ourselves in our craft. Fabric, patterns, haberdashery and everything else that is sewing related. We were unapologetic. This was an indulgence and we were hell bent on indulging ourselves every step of the way.

So to the itinerary. We pretty much left no stone unturned and made a list that included every sewing related place, thing or person we could think of. Lets’s see, there was Sew Over it London, the man outside Sainsbury’s (from Did you make That), Liberty of London, Goldhawk Rd, Savile Row, Walthamstow Markets, Greenwich Markets, MacCulloch and Wallis, the Button Queen etc etc etc.  If we’d heard of it, it was on the list!

The man outside Sainsbury’s

 

Then there was the other kind of fun. We knew we’d need some R and R after all that fabric shopping so we punctuated our ‘research’ days with more run of the mill entertainment like……………..

 

and

 

And then?  More ……hard…….

work!!

So did we enjoy it?

I’m going to go out on a limb here and speak for Wendy too. The answer is of course a resounding YES! We had a ball. We absolutely loved it. But what surprised me was that I loved it for reasons that I hadn’t really anticipated.

London

I absolutely loved London…..with a passion I didn’t know I had.  I mean, I’ve been there before but somehow this time it was different. Reflecting on what it was I loved,  I’d have to say it was the overall look and feel…..greyness (yes..the greyness), the tube, the colour of the Thames, the architecture, the traffic, the crowds, the mix, the fashion the busyness……the big city-ness of London. I just loved it. It was everything I had remembered but in such a compelling way. I somehow couldn’t get enough of it….and in a crazy sort of way it felt like home…….in a ‘where I belong’ sort of way.

Talking shop and learning

Do you have any idea how much fun it is to go for 2 whole weeks talking about everything ‘sewing and fabric’ and not have to wonder if you are getting boring? Can you imagine how liberating that is? OMG! We didn’t stop. we completely immersed ourselves in sewing heaven. Went for broke. We dined out every meal, (3 meals a day) had umpteen coffees and  drinks, walked thousands of kilometres and talked shop the whole time. Our enthusiasm didn’t wane for a second. And on the rare days that fatigue did get the better of us, we’d retire to our respective rooms for even more fun! Wendy would do her appliqué and I had my knitting! In my book, that’s pure indulgence.

Inspiration

I won’t lie, I came home with plenty of fabric. But I came home with even more inspiration…..truckloads. I couldn’t begin to explain the fuel that that trip poured into my soul.  Surrendering to one’s craft so completely is a rejuvenating and gratifying experience and I benefitted enormously from it. I am full of plans, ideas, and sketches. From a creative perspective, I feel light years ahead of where I was when I boarded the plane. I’m not sure what the plans actually are but I know there is a lot more scope for me to develop as a sewer. Technically, seeing, talking and reading have inspired me to focus more on process. I aspire to improving my technique.

Can you get fabric in London that you can’t get in Australia?

I am very loyal to my fabric shops. The range of fabrics and the service I receive from Tessuti, the Fabric Store, Remnant Warehouse and Pitt Trading  is way beyond what I will ever need to satisfy my creative sewing urges.

But London was different….for obvious reasons, namely the climate and population and perhaps even proximity to European suppliers. You can get everything you need in Australia or online. But the range of fabrics in London was mind boggling! Breathtaking even, particularly the Winter fabrics. I have never seen the likes of the ranges of wools, wool crepes and silks that I saw in London. It was staggering- truly a sight to behold. And then of course there was Liberty! It was an experience just standing in Liberty of London and drinking in the wall to wall shelves of Liberty prints.

what about Shanghai?

That is such another whole big story that I will deal with that separately

Would we do it again?

We would like to run tours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marimekko cosmetic purse

I had long ago decided (actually, decided and reiterated to myself many times), that I would not go on another holiday without  new toiletry and cosmetic purses. Now I have seen the most beautiful purses, just about everywhere I shop. I could have bought one or two, many times over. I’m a sucker for them and would even like to collect them because they are so gorgeous.

But in true seamstress/dressmaker fashion, I pick them up and say to myself I could make that….. for half the price…. and mine would be even prettier.

And of course I never do. So I just keep wheeling out the old tattered ones with the stuck zips and hope nobody sees them.

But not any more!!!! Get a load of my new Marimekko cosmetic purse! I love it! I absolutely love it!

I think it is the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. Marimekko on the outside AND on the inside if you please!

I have absolutely no doubt that I sound completely OTT but if you knew what I had been using for my make up, you would get me.

I found the pattern for this here and it was quick and simple. I omitted any stiffening or padding because the Marimekko has quite enough body. I lined the purse in the Marimekko water resistant fabric so I am happy that this will wash well.

You know, this was one project that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was so gratifying to have a completed project at the end of the sewing session. And the possibilities are endless so I’m pretty excited about the next one! Also a great idea for fetes, markets presents etc.

 

 

Knitting with rags- London inspiration

I have so much to say about our London/Shanghai fabric crawl……..too much, really ..not sure where to start. So I’ll start with this…knitting with rags. Well, not exactly rags, but the guts  is certainly fabric that is torn into rag strips.

This is so much fun because it is a creative exercise where the sky is the limit. Anything goes!

I started with a collection of white/cream braids and cottons. I think you can probably use anything really, as long as you can knit with it. I also bought 3 meters of light cotton fabric and tore it into rags one night in my hotel room (good time girl that I am…now you see why I had to travel with a fellow fabric diva…….normal people just don’t get it). I tied the rags together and rolled them into balls.

I bought size 10 mm needles, cast on about 40 stitches in rag and the rest is history! Seriously, I couldn’t wait to get back to my room each night to do a few more rows! It’s just fabulous……it looks fantastic. I think it will be a top……..just a shapeless boxy top that will look a million bucks.

Thats the plan anyway but I may need to do a bit of shaping further down the track. I’ll see.The only hitch that I can see is convincing the airline to let me take the needles on board the plane……..I think I could finish it between London and Sydney.

36 hours later

Well I’m home and the top’s not finished. The airline wasn’t thrilled about needles on the plane ….even though they are more like broomsticks than weapons. Never mind.

Anyway I’ll keep going and if it doesn’t work out, there is one family member who was very happy to see me, and may just be able to find a use for the balls of rags when she’s finished with the cotton. I just love her gall…casually lifted the treasure  out of my suitcase and took it for a chew!

 

 

Fabric tour- London and Shanghai

Well we’ve started. And our days are so busy I don’t really have time to blog. Or more precisely, I’m too tired to blog. 25000 plus steps on the Fitbit everyday and by the end of it, I’m fit for nothing other than sleep.  Above is the silk I bought in Shanghai. With Liberty of London next on the list, I picked up a couple of very pretty classics.

Today was Sew Over It, Clapham. This was up there with our ‘must visit’s and aside from the fact that we didn’t get to meet Lisa, it didn’t disappoint.

From the perspective of gaining inspiration, the Dover Street Markets were a find.

I will have to think long and hard before I put pen to paper on this one but suffice to say, the couture pieces were something else….well worth a look.

And speaking of inspiration, the Suzie Turner Couture fashion parade at the Savoy, over delivered.

But tonight, I will spare you the words…….I am too tired and tomorrow is going to be a big day fabric shopping! Goodnight.

The midnight blue silk formal gown

 

This is the silk formal gown that I made for my daughter.

It was a little bit of an eleventh hour job….only because I had to wait until she was home, so I could fit her. I knew what she wanted and I knew the colour so I was all ready.

I bought the silk from Studio Fabrics here in Sydney  and I have included the link because this shop is a ‘must visit’. I  hadn’t actually realised it was there but I’m so glad I found it because it is just beautiful. The fabrics were to die for and displayed so………..well, luxuriously. It was an  indulgent way to spend the lunch hour….spend being the operative word!

But the most impressive thing about this shop was the service. Now, I went in looking for ‘navy’ that was almost black. That was my mandate. It had to be dark dark navy or if I couldn’t get that, charcoal. But when I showed the girls in the shop a picture of the dress, and told them my daughter’s age, they insisted that I go for a lighter shade of navy….this is what they’re doing in Europe they said.  Well, I’m a ‘heart’ person. I never go with my head. I always know exactly what I want. So I had my doubts. I wanted dark navy. But the girls were emphatic. No, they said. Dark navy is so yesterday for a young person. It’s been done to death by mothers of the bride. Hmm. What to do. I always trust myself. But this wasn’t actually for me. So I did something very unusual. I trusted them.

And they were right!

The most challenging part of this dress was cutting it out.It was impossible to stabilise the silk sufficiently to cut around the cardboard pattern. A rotary cutter would have done the trick but alas…….no cutting board big enough. In the end I outlined the pattern in chalk and then cut it out….a much better idea.

But even drawing in chalk on the silk was challenging….it slipped all over the place and I did wonder how well I was actually following the grain.

But overall we were pleased with it. I’ve made the dress before but for this version, i replaced the spaghetti straps with a very fine satin covered cording. I used 8 meters in all so it could be wrapped around the waist and under the bust, to stabilise and embellish the dress. I made loops on the sides and waist through which the cording passed.

The ball was thoroughly enjoyable, I am told and the dress worked a treat!

Sandra Betzina and Deepak Chopra on the train

What do Deepak Chopra and Sandra Betzina have in common? A lot more than you’d think.

I realised this on the train.

You see, I’m trying to wean myself off technology. Not because I hate it. I don’t. I love it. But I hate that I love it because I think it steals me away from life. Sure. It connects me to the world. And I love that. I am inspired and stimulated. But too much stimulation is exhausting and sometimes I feel like I am living my life on speed.

So I’ve decided to ration my  phone time. The deal is, I can go for broke while I’m waiting for the bus, but it’s all over red rover once the bus arrives. I have promised myself that for  the whole of the bus and train trip, I will read………from something that is written on paper. ZERO PHONE for the whole trip!  Even if I don’t get a seat, I cannot use my phone……..(not even as a torch  should the lights go out in the tunnel)

And I feel  like a new woman! I really do! 

I’ve been reading Threads- the magazine – that’s my ‘something written on paper’. I am lucky enough to have scored a whole set of mags that span several years and I am just loving them.

Back to Deepak and Sandra.

On day 1 of the weaning myself off technology challenge, I got to the bus stop, pulled out my phone (hoping the bus would be late) and lo and behold if there wasn’t a Deepak Chopra article staring me in the face. What a stroke of luck!  And  you wouldn’t believe it,  the article was How to escape inner turmoil- you can read it here . Perfect timing. 

The general gist of the article is that mental calm and balance is our essential state and that the agitated mind naturally seeks to return to the calm state. We just have to help it along and  according to Chopra, one way to do this is to,

Limit your exposure to the 24-7 news cycle on TV and the Internet. There is no need to keep fueling the stress response.

 

Right.

So I’m on to something.

Good bye phone.

That simple.

Bring on the bus, the train and the  Threads magazine.

And then I read it! By Sandra Betzina and so beautifully said…………

Stop rushing, enjoy the process, use sewing for relaxation, rather than something you have to do.

And I was completely taken aback. This really resonated with me. Here I was sitting on the train, exhausted, trying to relax but struggling to even hold the magazine because my hands were so sore from the previous week’s sew-athon! And it struck me that I do not take the time to enjoy the process. I rush from garment to garment, multi tasking between machining, fitting, mending, darning, cutting out, hand sewing  etc etc etc etc etc…………the list is endless. And most of the time I’m doing it with a piece of technology at the ready so I can mentally start on the next project! It makes me tired just thinking about it. I totally over commit and sewing has become a chore.

To be fair, it has been an unusually  big sewing week . They’re not all like that. But I think there is a lot to be said for practising mindfulness while sewing and I am going to give it a shot. And I’m excited by the prospect of slowing it all down, taking more care and banishing deadlines.  I am going to treat sewing with more respect and focus on each step in the process as it unfolds. I will endeavour to enjoy the experience as much as the garment…..

………..after I’ve finished the 2 dresses, 3 jackets and 2 tops that I am making to take away with me in a couple of  weeks!!

The black Ponte dress – there’s a story

 

Fundamentally I’m pleased with this dress…sort of. But I have a few gripes-  mainly with the fabric. But there’s a story…….  starting with the pattern.

You see, this pattern promises the world but doesn’t really deliver. It did eventually but by a very backdoor route.  I’ve  made this dress before (long sleeved version) in a very light rayon and although it looked good, I was never really happy with the fit…..around the shoulder/sleeve region. There was something not right about it but I couldn’t work out what (that always happens to me). But because the pattern on the fabric was so bold, it looked ok and the sleeve/shoulder region wasn’t a focus.

Anyway, I wanted a little black dress (LBD). I’ve always wanted one. So this time, I made the long sleeved version in a black Ponte and was unrelenting in my efforts to get the fit right so I’d look like the model in the picture. I  unpicked and re did and unpicked again and was eventually pretty happy with the look.

Well, except for the sleeves. But overall, if I squinted, I could kid myself this was the quintessential  LBD Id been pining for……..until I caught a glimpse of  myself  in a bus window.  I reminded myself of someone from my past. Reality hit hard. This was no LBD

 

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But I didn’t give up. I wore it 3 more times with different accessories each time. Still no go. Time to bin…..not a feel good dress.

But before I threw it out, I cut the sleeves off. And miraculously, the dress was transformed! A whole different ball game.

I loved it because it’s comfortable, easy wear and perfect  for work. I could grab it from the wardrobe in the morning when its still dark and make it work. But here’s the rub (no pun intended). The Ponte has rubbed and pilled  badly. I am furious ….mostly with myself for not buying better quality fabric. I bought this fabric from Spotlight and I really thought it would be ok. But its not. After all that work, the dress just looks shabby.

At least I have a template. That’s some consolation because the dress is nigh unwearable. Now I’ll go and buy some decent Ponte. Interestingly, I buy a lot of linen from Spotlight and I have nothing but praise for it. But this Ponte is very poor quality.

Onwards and upwards…….another lesson learned in my ‘sewing’ life. Have  a good weekend.