Still seeing red

I've been on a t-shirt binge. I purchased Melie Purdie (absolutely the best quality) jersey in red, navy and khaki from Tessutis. Each colour was carefully selected to match skirts from my collection. So far I've finished the red one, which goes with absolutely everything, and the navy which I love with my silk sarong skirt. I'm still finishing the khaki which I plan to wear with a very unusual brown embroidered skirt I bought in Paris about four years ago. The t-shirts pictured are self drafted. For the khaki I'm using Vogue 8546.

Unfortunately the navy one is just a little bit tight - an incentive to shed those excess kilos I've been lugging about all winter.

Speaking of seeing red, I pulled the red dress out of the magic cupboard and I hate the top half more than ever. Toting up the cost of the fabric and realising that I will never wear it as it is, I am remaking it into something else, so watch this space.

The Missoni coat has been worn three times now. I absolutely love it. Last night I wore it over the red t-shirt and my vogue black skirt (which I've worn to death). It felt great to be wearing a complete ensemble made by me.

What's next? I need to make my daughters and husband (if he will let me...prefers the ragged hobo look) some clothes and then I will get on with my spring/summer wardrobe. Sydney is hot after November so I want lots of white and beige linen, cotton tees and dresses. I also need some special occasion dresses as my daughter is in her graduation year and there are a few gladrag functions to attend.

Colour me red

Here is the first of my new coloured items to wear with the Missoni coat or on their own. I plan to wear this outfit with my Kenneth Cole chocolate brown suede boots that I bought in NY a few years back. I also like it with the brass belt that I bought at the thrift shop recently for $8.

This dress is based on BWOF 07/08 106. I did not include the gathers in front or on the sleeves as the fabric is quite heavy.

The pattern is quite simple to construct, but I had MAJOR problems fitting it at the neckline and shoulders. I've come to the conclusion that I need to work out a standard neck and shoulders alternation for Burda patterns because inevitably if I cut to the bust size I need (size 42) the shoulder seam is about half way down my arm! I also took about 1 and a half inches off the slope of the shoulders. The fit is now quite good, but something about it screams home made.

Perhaps I'm just being overly critical because I had such a hard time making it. Even my machine wasn't cooperating. The twin needling didn't work (missing stitches in one row) so I sewed each row of stitches on the hem separately.

Budding designer

These are the products from Mini-Me's week at design school. We plan to make the green dress come summer using a silk screen. Given that she is only 13 years old, I think they are very good. Love the American flag dress... why not an Aussie flag!?

Coat of many colours

At last I can report that my Missoni cardigan is finished. What took me so long? The hem and rolled bands around the collar, front and sleeves are all hand finished. There is an acre of fabric in this garment. Then I decided to unpick the pockets and move them up higher on the garments. I'd used the pattern markings and forgot that I'm vertically challenged ... only 5'2'' (156cms)tall. Unfortunately, I did not have sufficient fabric to run the banding in the same direction on both sides of the front. Given how wild the patterning is it doesn't seem to matter.

I love this garment. It is so cosy to wear. BUT given my usual palette of blacks and greys I wonder if I will feel comfortable wearing it out. I keep thinking that Joseph (of the many coloured coat variety) was left in a pit in the wilderness because his brothers couldn't cope with that coat!

Nontheless I charge on with my colour cravings. I've bought two pieces of red and one of green to make two t-shirts and a dress to wear under my coat of many colours.

That dress and those boots

Mini me just arrived home totally inspired after her first day at a fashion design school holiday program. We couldn't resist posting another photo of the dress with those boots. She is definitely cultivating an individual sense of style.

Il mio Missoni non è rifinito e una distrazione

My Missoni is not finished and a distraction...

But as you can see from this sneak preview, I've made great progress on the cardigan. I still need to hem and prepare facing bands for the neckline and front. I've decided not to include buttons but to wear it as a more free-form garment with an open revere.

Meanwhile I took Mini-Me shopping for some new basics - t-shirts, leggings and a jacket. She loves Sass & Bide and wanted to show me a dress that she liked ($179 you've got to be joking!). Stupidly I told her I'd make it that afternoon. And I did! She is totally rapt. The dress doesn't look much on the mannequin but it looks great worn with her black legging and skull and roses gum boots. Well, she has the kind of quirky style that works on girls under 25.

Missoni Verde

***###***!!! Thats the sound of me unpicking for a third time! I have been working on a long cardigan jacket using wonderful Missoni wool knit from Tessutis. The picture uses the same pattern, but mine is "Verdi" which uses a rich palette of Autumn greens, rust and browns. This fabric cost a fortune, but I was smitten and had to have it.

The structure of the jacket is based on BWOF 04/08 125.

Given the knit fabric, I've made some changes to the neckline and front opening and have made my cardigan much longer. This pattern appealed because it allowed me to play with the directions of the stripes (a nod to Missoni) and to add contrast piping in burnt red wool to define the structure. It is the piping that created the fuss but it was worth doing. Hope to finish and post pictures of the garment this weekend.