Dreaming of San Francisco

Spring is very, very slowly coming to Helsingborg. I'm not in my most creative mood, and - like times before - I'm thinking a lot about life and what to do with it. We'll see. San Francisco and Monterey were totally amazing, partly because of the weather (about 15-20 degrees Celsius, crisp air and sunny, my favourite weather all time), partly because of all fun things we did - sea otters, national parks, shopping (fabric! vintage! food! shoes!), eating, walking - and partly because I was in such great company.

Returning home - while my company stayed in the sun - to a more than busy and stressful time at work and this weather haven't been easy. And I always find this time of year challenging - something about lack of energy.

I've been practicing my idea since last time - just do it! - on my creative work and it's turned out ok. I've made progress on the skirt. I've made progress on the statement-necklace I'm planning. But my heart haven't been it. Yesterday evening I thought I would cheer myself up and finally watch The Dressmaker with my favourite Kate Winslet. A great movie, the clothes are to die for and Kate is so good. But it's not exactly a cheer-you-up-movie, just sayin'...

Perhaps some looking at what I brought home from San Francisco can cheer up? I spent one intense day doing all my shopping, and started at Britex Fabrics when they opened. It wasn't cheap, the dollar-Swedish Krona-ratio is horrible, taxes are added upon the price seen - but it was very fun.

Britex houses four floors of fabrics and notions and I started on the fourth floor and worked myself down. And then up again - the remnants are on top. I bought some pressing tools that are hopeless to find in Sweden and always costs a fortune when you add shipping. A bit heavy to carry around all day - good thing I'm working out! (The needles didn't exactly add to the weight...)

Then I found my first fabric - a silk/cotton faille. I love a faille, and I absolutely love a silk/cotton. It's a dark green, perhaps a bit too dark for the summer dress I intend to make, but I think it'll be lovely all the same. It's about 1,6 meters and I payed $95 (821 SEK) for it.

Then I looked at a lot of silks and wools, and returned back to the remnants and some blue and green silks I'd been eyeing up before. I bought two of them and tried not to breathe while I handed over my credit card. There's not much of each, just over 1 metre, but will be enough for a dress without so much sleeves. One is an emerald green silk crêpe and the other a petrol blue silk faille (from France. A bit silly to buy it in USA, but I haven't seen this one in Paris.).

The green cost about $65 (565 SEK) which was a great price for one of the most stunning fabrics I've seen, but the faille was $119 (1030 SEK) and that's a lot of money. But I really liked it... It had been marked down from $175 per yard, and that's a whole other story.

Then I needed a break and had some gluten-free lunch in the shade - lovely!

I also found a vintage dress that suited me perfectly - the very nice owner of VerUnica (the neighbourhood, Hayes Valley was so nice!) called it a Cinderella-moment when I stepped out from the fitting room. And I have to agree... At $95 (826 SEK) it wasn't a bargain, but it's a really well made dress in great condition and I'll wear it a lot. The cut of the bodice is really special and something I'd like to try; either for a dress or a blouse.

It's interlined with silk organza (just as I thought I maybe should have done with the very simple little black dress!) and rayon binding along the hem and sleeves, and a lingerie guard on the shoulders as well.

I could easily have spent a whole day just looking at and trying on vintage. I visited most stores in the late afternoon and was a bit tired and also a bit aware of what I already bought. The selection was huge, and prices from moderate - like mine - to rather low - and then some really high for the really extravagant ones. And there was a lot of extravagant things!

A tiny thing more.... For the past year or so I've been looking for a cocktail ring and scanned thousands and thousands of rings on internet auction houses and Etsy but not finding The One. But I did in San Francisco, just a couple of minutes from the flat we rented. (Please ignore my very dry hands.)

The suitcase was half empty when I left Sweden, but it wasn't on the way back. Apart from the above, some shoes (2 pairs actually) and some food from Whole Foods. I love that place!

And then, back to real life. Harder than usual.

The Peacock Dress - an introduction

I'm very lucky to be invited to two weddings this summer; in June, one Saturday after another and with two totally different set of guests. That means I can wear the same dress, which I'm grateful for since this is going to be a crazy spring. I'm working full time for the first time in years since the project reaches one of its biggest milestones in - you guessed it! - June.

The fabric is already in my stash. 2.10 metres of the most glorious peacock blue silk I've ever laid my eyes - and hands - upon. It's a double satin, so equally shiny on both sides, with a lovely drape and weight and made in France for the couture house of Lanvin. I bought it last time in Paris, and it was love at first sight. And not crazy expensive either; 35 euro per metre. (I've bought worse since then, without even noticing it.)

All I have to do is figure out what I want to make of it. Oh, and make it.

It can't be something too structured (if I don't want an understructure out of steel) since I want to show off the beautiful drape, but at the same time, it's turned out that I'm not so fond of things with draping all over my front. So I thought maybe draping in the back instead but I really want to wear a proper bra. It should be knee-length and a rather fitted skirt - but I would like to add something special to it, a bit of a drama. And I want to take advantage of the double weave.

Most of the time, a fabric speaks to me and tells me what it want to become. For being a peacock, this one's been awfully quiet... I've looked at thousands of vintage patterns and dresses and contemporary patterns and dresses, and added and removed pictures from my Pinterest-board and at last, I'm on the final stretch.

Should I wear a head-piece? I need a bag. And a cover-up - June can be cold in Sweden (somewhere between 5 and 25 degrees Celsius...) As I said, something draped and a bit dramatic for the dress. A nice low cut draped bodice with some sort of train or flounce or drape for the skirt. I'm thinking it will be a combination of those patterns and designs that makes up my final peacock dress. There will be toiles...

For the bodice, I've already ordered Gertie's wiggle dress pattern, Butterick 5814. Modes Royale 1467 is so beautiful (without the strap across the chest) but the pattern is very rare; I've only found one copy that sold for $165 last year... But as you can see, I've found a picture of the pattern pieces so it is possible to draft my own version.

For the skirt, Advanced Pattern 41 has been highest on the list. But with a bit less fabric in the flounce... (Partly because I only have two metres...) The evening gown by Dior, modelled by Alla, is also an idea - but cocktail length. I'm uncertain of how it looks from behind, and if my fabric has enough bounce. I think the draping at the back of the Ceil Chapman dress that Laura Mae sewn suits my fabric better, and that happens to be very similar to the back of the Modes Royale dress. So perhaps try those three versions for the skirt...?

As I write, I realise that I've left the Burda pattern with the glorious back drape behind. It's beautiful, but I don't like the front (even though that can be changed) and as I said; I want to wear a bra.

It should take me about two weeks to make toiles of the two bodice-versions, including drafting and fitting and not much else to do during the weekends. And perhaps two weeks for the three versions of the skirt as well? I should be done with toiles and patterns by Easter, and begin construction of the real deal...

A trip to Lisbon - getting carried away by beautiful fabrics

A reason to go back to Lisbon might be the fabric store. Simply one of the best I've ever visited, and I have visited quite a few on my travels.

I had done my best to google fabric stores before I left but only found the one. Ouro Têxteis was mostly piles of cheap polyester, (like so many in Paris), but luckily, two other stores were close by (and right on one of the main shopping streets - unusual!) Casa Frazao and Londres Salão. Beautiful, (expensive) silk and wool from Italy and England. Since I was so high on good fabrics, it totally slipped my mind to take photos - both the first and the second time...

Anyway, the first time at Casa Frazao, I was assisted by a gentleman who didn't know any English. But, we managed to communicate in a weird mix of Portuguese (him), English (me), drawings (he), French (me) and smiles and gestures (both). I tried to explain what I wanted - luckily I was wearing a dress just like that, he made a drawing and did the math.

So I got this wonderful teal green Italian wool for a fitted dress with 3/4 sleeves. I bought 1,6 metres for €47 per metre... Not cheap, but I have never seen such beautiful wool either. It's a twill weave with a wonderful lustre.

I also got some samples for amazing lace to think about. I like the lower one the best, but at €80 / metre I would need a special project, and I couldn't think of one. After all, there are already some fabric for special fabrics in my stash. (Please read on and see if this wisdom continues.)

But I could buy other fabrics than lace... And since I didn't spend too much money on other things, I decided to go back. So on my final day, after my last, indulgent breakfast and some packing, I returned. This time, I got another assistant - just as much a gentleman as the previous one - but this one did speak English. Easier for both of us and probably more expensive for me. I went through book after book with samples, looked at some of them on the bolts, and then some more of the bolts, and when I left, I had plenty with me. Perhaps not the most planned fabric shopping I've done, and when I looked at the receipt just now I actually cringed.

But before we come to the cringe-worthy part, I started by looking at a lot of black cottons for a nice winter dress, but in the end, the wool crêpe was so much nicer than all the other cottons and wools combined. So another 1,6 metres for €47. I asked what materials he had for lining, and he had this mix (40% -60% in one or the other way) of acetate and cupro (best blend ever!), so I bought black for the new crêpe and a light teal for the wool I bought at my first visit. At €7 per metre it was a steal! (Perhaps I should have bought a couple of metres extra in black and white and then some?)

He also showed my a triacetate fabric (also know as acetate rayon, rayon viscose or viscose...), with a wonderful lustre and drape. He had it in all the colours of the rainbow but I quickly found this emerald-sea green and bought 1 metre for €39 intended for a blouse. It would probably make a lovely dress as well.

And then the final one, that just made me cringe. It's a lovely silk, perfect for a blouse so I only bought 1 metre. But I hadn't realised that it was €72... The pattern is some kind of orchids and almost zebra stripes and something green. I love the colours, and it feels both modern and classic, but not frumpy

That's without doubt my most expensive fabric ever, and I don't think it's the most beautiful fabric I've bought ever. Damn. Well, it really needs to become a good blouse... (As said above about the lace for €80, that I didn't buy although it was a Very Beautiful Fabric because I didn't have a project for it. I wouldn't have bought the silk either, if I had noticed the price. Well, you live and you learn. Don't get carried away in fabric stores!)

A jacket for Lisbon - sewing Vogue Vintage V2934

Obviously, I have a thing for new outer wear when going on vacation. The Dior-suit for Paris, the ruby red coat for London - and now a blue-grey cape-jacket. It wasn't planned at all; it wasn't even on my short list. I bought the pattern - Vogue Vintage Model V2934, an original design from 1950 - years ago at some sale, and then my sister bought some lovely wool in China, with the pattern in mind. And then I had it in my stash, and actually thought the wool would become a dress instead. Sometime.

On the Friday, I heard myself saying, "nah, I won't start another sewing project before Lisbon. The lace skirt is just finished, and there is so much going on at work." On the Sunday, I found myself making a toile, steaming the wool and adjusting the pattern. Ten days later it was done, something of a personal record for me. I wore it to work to see if I liked it enough to take to Lisbon - I did! - and so it went with me there. A bit too warm for some days, but I felt so chic and ladylike that I wore it anyway.

The wool is rather heavy, with a lovely sheen and nap, very much like the wool for my coat. Perhaps it's a seal skin as well? The lining is a slippery, ivory silk, that my sister also bought for me in China.

So let's take a closer look at the jacket or cape or cape-jacket. It's a really simple design - two front pieces and two back pieces. Centre back is not on the grain, which gives the lovely drape (and eats fabric). Darts very cleverly shapes the collar, and then cuffs to finish the shorter sleeves. Knowing that the amount of ease in contemporary patterns is a bit ridiculous, I cut a size small (even though they think that my waist measurement should be 10 centimetres less than I have) and the fit was perfect. I shortened both the sleeves and the cuffs 2 centimetres, and did the cuffs on the fold instead of with a facing - too much bulk.

I used horsehair canvas - as said in the instructions - as interfacing for the centre front and collar. I followed the instructions and cut the facing in wool, sewed it on, cursed it for quite some time and then removed it again. Reason one was the itchy wool next to my neck. Reason two was that the width of the facing and interfacing made the front part too stiff, and all the lovely intended drape over the bust area was lost - it just stood right out. I cut down the facings in the front, making them less wide.

Since I've already cut the lining, I cut the facings in the same silk, doubled it with silk organza, sewed it by machine to the lining and then fell stitched the whole piece to the wool (after prick stitching the edges).

I also did my very own version for closing - two loops and two rhinestone vintage buttons. A bit of a mess to close, but very beautiful.

The cape slash jacket has a tendency to fall backwards, perhaps because of the weight of the wool. I'm thinking about adding weights at the front hem. That would also stop it from blowing in the wind. I just need to find lead weights...

In Lisbon, I bought leather gloves to suit the short sleeves. (And then remembered that I found some suede long gloves at a second hand shop some time ago. Well, it can't hurt to have a choice can it?)

I'm actually thinking of making a second version. It would be lovely in some heavy silk; like faille or grosgrain like an evening coat. (Yes, I really, really need an evening coat, says the woman who has nothing to wear.)

Sewing in lace part one - planning, drafting and deciding

I've started working on my next sewing project - a pencil skirt in dark blue lace. Usually, I show you everything when I'm finished, but this time, I thought I'll write as I sew. We'll see how that goes. I have a clear deadline for this project - shortly after lunch, Saturday 2nd of October. I hope to finish another silk blouse as well - we'll definitely see how THAT goes.

First of all - the lace. I bought it as a remnant in Stockholm shortly before Christmas, and knew from the start that it would be turned into a pencil skirt. It's about the only thing possible to make - there was too little left for a dress or a wide skirt and it's too heavy for a blouse.

It took me a while just to find out what kind of lace I'm dealing with - according to the manufacturer's (Monterossi fabrics) Facebook-page it's a soutache lace. Makes sense, since it really is soutache on netting. The soutache is rather thick and heavy, so I think it'll be more difficult to handle than "ordinary" lace. How do you sew in it, and how to get invisible seams? It's not like a thinner lace, where you more easily can overlap. I spent an evening researching - books, Internet, playing with the lace and finally deciding that my best option is to remove the soutache from one part of the seam, and overlap the other, sew by hand and remove the netting afterwards.

I'll use a silk crêpe satin underneath the lace, and wrote out to several resources in Sweden and Britain to find the right colour match. The silks from Beckford silk and Borowick Fabrics (where I bought a lovely rayon grosgrain when I visited), and also some small samples from SidenCarlson in Stockholm, are amazing and I almost got too many options to choose from .

I didn't want black or dark blue as to really let the lace show, but I didn't like it with a too light background either. Here are the final three, and I've made up my mind a lot of times. But then I see them from a different angle or in a different light, and change my mind again. Satin is so tricky!

I know, the differences aren't huge... I'll pass on the one in the middle, so it's either the slightly lighter and bluer to the left or the slightly darker and greyer to the right. And I need to decide soon, so I can order it and have it shipped. (The samples arrived in no time, so I'm fairly confident I can have it by the end of the week if I just decide!)

I'll underline the silk with silk organza to give it some more stability and be able to carry the heavy lace. It will also make seam finishing, hemming and sewing all the darts so much easier. A wide Petersham ribbon will give support to the high waist (I hope! I am thinking about boning, but...)

Speaking of darts; I really liked the way both the double darts in the back and the split bust dart turned out on the sky blue dress, so I decided to make double darts in the front as well. At least in the silk parts, we'll see about the outer layer of lace.

I made a toile as usual, and after making some minor changes to the pattern, I spent an hour or so finding a good way to match the side seams - and most importantly the scallops at the bottom - and to find a good solution for the split in the back seam.

I put the lace over the front pattern piece, and marked centre front (in the middle of a scallop) and then where the side seams will be. Then I put the back pattern pieces under the lace, with the side seams starting at the same place on the scallop as where the front piece ends. Is that comprehensible? I also made some tweaking in the back pieces of the pattern to be able to get a nice seam line centre back. I do have a plan - let's hope it works out!

Now I'm going to have another look at the silk crêpe - brighter/bluer or darker/greyer? What do you think?

It's a dress!

I know! And it's not a two-year project that I finally finished; it's a dress from pattern to hemming in just two weeks (and that's rather impressive to be me)!

But most importantly, it's been fun. As you might have sensed during the spring; I haven't sewn, I've had a major wardrobe and style crisis, and also a bit of identity crisis - if I don't sew, what do I do?

But I do sew!

Anyway, the pattern is my own; the Ultimate Dress Pattern but let's say we're not quite there yet. There's still something about those sleeves. And I didn't make it in the Liberty fabric as planned, since I just couldn't decide on sleeve length, and neckline and lining or no lining and I went crazy with not being able to just do it, so I changed the fabric to this lovely sky blue cotton sateen (cotton satin?) that I bought last time in Paris. I did some project planning and started to cut. Oh well.

Since the last I sewed was the slippery fluid fabric from h*ll (also known as silk charmeuse and an absolutely a dream to wear) I thought it would be nice with a simple cotton. Ha. This was almost as fluid as the silk and didn't want to get cut at all. And for some reason, very difficult to mark. A bit hopeless to sew and press as well, and my, does it wrinkle! The fabric is a bit too drapey for the simple and rather structured design I chose; it would be better in a more stable fabric. I didn't think at all about combining the right pattern with the right fabric; I just thought cotton and summer. So next time. And some tweaks for the sleeves.

To get a really good fit I used double darts on the back and split bust darts as reminded by Did You Make That. The more seams, the better the fit. I finished the seams with rayon seam binding, a favourite of one of my favourite bloggers Laura Mae, but it was not my cup of tea. Perhaps it was more difficult because of the drapey fabric, but the amount of time and thread and it still looks a bit wonky... I didn't have enough seam binding for the inside of the sleeves, so I used one of my own preferred ways to finish a seam, the clean finished seam, also knows as the turned and stitched seam. (It happens to be one of Alison Smith's favourites as well, and she says it's perfect for vintage sewing and is very sturdy, making it suitable for children's clothes.)

But I did like seam binding in the armscyes, but sewed it by hand. I think it went almost as fast as with the machine, no harsh words were uttered and the result turned out so much nicer.

I supported the facings and the entire centre back seam with silk organza, and stabilised both shoulders and neckline (front and back) with twill tape.

The zipper is handpicked; both because I think it's the safest way to insert one(I've never had to insert a zipper more than once when I do it by hand. When I do it on machine there's always some little mess and I have to un-pick at least a bit.) and because I think pick stitches are so fun to sew. So that's what I used to understitch the facings as well.

As you can see above; double darts in the back, and the handpicked zip. When the dress was almost finished - just the hemming left - I remembered that I read about the couture way to sew a facing. I must remember that next time; I really don't like the standard way of sewing right against right side, flip over, notch and understitch. Now I need to remember that for my next dress.

The hem and sleeves are first clean finished and then hemmed by hand. And I even did a little arrowhead tack (or at least, my version of an arrowhead tack...) at the end of the slit with silk buttonhole twist.

I wore it the other day to work the other day and felt really good in it. Perhaps I was a bit generous with the ease, and I should have taken in a centimeter or two in the neckline back; it's gaping a bit. The fabric wrinkles when you wear it, but not as bad as I thought. (And of course I spilled some food - grilled chicken -  on it. I only do that when I wear a new dress. The grease is gone, but there's a light shadow from the water stain. Darn.)

(It's so fun with a tripod and remote to the camera!)

So what's next? I really must give some of my vintage dresses some love so I can wear them a bit more. And I have a baptism coming up in October and what better to wear than a dark blue pencil skirt in lace?

Slowly and with a couple of detours

Well, I'm slowly working my way back to sewing and blogging with a couple of detours. And some bronchitis.

But I did spend some time in Stockholm last week, and surprisingly enough I didn't spend any money on Simbra Siden. I did spend some, but worryingly little, at Ohlsons tyger. (Worryingly not because I-planned-to-spend-more-what-is-wrong-with-me but worryingly because under what circumstances was this fabric made when it only cost me 60 SEK per metre?)

The fabric is so far from what I normally buy, but for that price and 100% viscose I still thought it worth a chance. (I thought about Oonaballoona when I bought it but I think she would describe it as rather discreet...) I also bought some elastic thread - I thought of a dress (duh) that's easy to throw over your head when you're going to the beach or picking up some milk. Shirring in the back, something simple in the front, straps, and a skirt. Not too wide, I only bought 2 metres. But that's not first in line.

First in line is a dress from the Ultimate Dress Pattern. I ironed the fabric yesterday, despite the bronchitis, and also ironed the lining (after both fabrics been pre-washed of course). I went to Malmö a couple of weeks ago to drink champagne with a very dear friend, and made (another) detour to buy Bemberg lining, the Queen of linings (or so I've heard. I haven't used it yet.)

(I watched the Antiques Roadshow (BBC-version) while ironing. What you see (if you have super vision) is a painting of the then new queen Elizabeth II. The (female!) artist got a piece of her dress material to be able to paint it well, since the painting is based on a photograph (also taken by the artist). Isn't that amazing? A piece of the fabric of the dress the queen wore?)

I'm still going back and forth on the lining. I'll use the Liberty Cotton Tana Lawn that I imagine is very nice to have close to your skin. On the other hand, that requires more frequent washing, and since it's a rather fitted dress, also a lot more wear on the derrière. A lining, just slightly smaller than the main fabric, would handle that wear so the bum doesn't start to sag. (The bum of the dress, not mine.) But, once again, it is a summer dress and adding another layer, even if it is the Queen of linings, could make it less breezy to wear. I do need to decide soon. And decide on the neckline, both front and back.

Other detours have included a small re-design of my blog. I love the new fonts! And an over-all cleaner appearance. (I started considering Wordpress instead of Blogger since that seems to be what everyone is doing, but the more I read the more hesitant I become. It seems like quite a lot of work, both building it up and maintaining it. And I do love the simplicity of Blogger, compared to the dashboard of Wordpress which I've encountered on my posts for We Sew Retro. So I decided to stay where I am and just fix it up a bit. I hope you like it!)

Instead of buying new clothes in Stockholm, I bought a new perfume. It fits great in with my Pinterest boards of a luxurious and ladylike - Crème Brûlée from Laura Mercier. It's sweet, and there's lots of vanilla, without being too cute or too sweet or too girly - actually it's described as "decadent yet sophisticated". I love it.

Of course I drank champagne. And ate some duck (isn't that what you do on vacations?) And bought a book with taglines such as "like Kitchen Confidential but for tailoring" and "You'll never look at a suit in the same light again..." Dramatic, eh? I'll report back!

Today I finally got around to clean my new (vintage) nightstand that I bought at a flea market in Helsingör last weekend. I'm glad it wasn't any bigger, because it was perfectly enough to carry that one home through Helsingör, on the ferry and running to the bus to take me home. It fits so brilliantly in my bedroom that I hardly can believe it - fifty shades of green!

And, finally, what do you do when you're working on your comeback? Of course, you buy some new gadgets. I've felt the need for better photos on my garments - both sewing and vintage - but it's so damn hard. So this cute thing will help me hold my camera or phone, and another cute thing will be the remote (but the second cute thing didn't work so I'll need to exchange that). Then - outfit pictures here we come! (The only problem left is the object, i.e. me who never will be very photogenic.)

Well, I said there was a lot of detours. Now I really need to decide on those necklines. And give this bronchitis some rest.

The return

I've said it before. Inspiration can come from the strangest places. Last summer it was gluten free scones for a week in Bath, followed by a video on Charles James by Gertie.

This time it seems like it's Barbie that brings my sewing mojo back. And that is perhaps not as strange as it may sound - she's been the height of fashion for the past 50-60 years; I loved to dress her as a child (and teenager...) and have no problem "helping" my nieces with their Barbies. For her sixth birthday K will get the full aunt-experience: with sleepover, some food including Nutella and sewing a Barbie dress. Have you looked on Pinterest for sewing Barbie clothes? I warn you - what happened to me could happen to you. I found Matisse Fashion and Doll Patterns, and wow can this lady sew. And her style is impeccable! I don't want these clothes for Barbie - I WANT THEM FOR MYSELF.

So now I'm working on the Ultimate Dress Pattern.

As you can see on my new Pinterest board - Barbie's Vintage Wardrobe - the dresses are of a rather simple cut and construction, but in exquisite materials and colours. They would be easy to make by modifying a simple, slim (and well-fitting!) sheath with sleeves. So there's my ambition for this weekend - making the pattern and getting the perfect fit and then finally start with one of my many new glorious fabrics...

(Well maybe not starting with the real fabric this weekend; I also need to share my blouse with the world (since I'm sure everyone is just waiting for me to do so), return some shoes, do some accounting, and modify a dress stand so I can show off my Dior jacket at work. More on that another day.)

Spring is flying by

Ouch. Time flies. When I wrote the previous post I had a feeling that I would take a week or maybe two to re-group and get back on track. It's now been four and I don't know if I can say I am on that track.

However, it's not like I've been feeling bad - I've been feeling great! But all my thought, creativity and energy has been used for starting up a rather grand project at (my regular day-to-day) work. I'm simple not capable of being creative with dresses and fabrics after 10 hours at being creative with words and project management - and I do love the beginning of a new project!

But yesterday, I was back at some Stina P-activities, visiting Malmö vintage fair for the last time (you have found me there in 2012 (here and here), 2013 and 2014.) Last time because the organisers says it is their last - but maybe someone else takes over? I do hope so!

It took me about four minutes to decide on my first buy, a lovely vintage fabric. (Yeah, I really need more fabric since I've been sewing so much lately...)

A very pale green (sometimes a pale pink) shimmering satin weave acetate. It will make a lovely dress (of course).

The next trio took a bit more time. I tried it on, thought about it, was able to put it on hold for an hour, thought some more about it, called my sister ("you only regret what you don't buy"), thought for two minutes more and then bought the lot. A black silk faille 3/4-circle skirt that fits perfectly, a dark green and black 60's little number and an AMAZING French black silk faille dress with draping from the 50's and as close to couture that I have ever been.

Black always photographs so bad...

Lovely detail on the boat neck on the black-and-green one (and of course there are lingerie guards in the inside!).

And some details of the silk faille dress. The draping is interlined with silk organza, then the viscose lining and finally a firm cotton to hold the shape. The zipper is put in by hand, there are lovely gussets in the kimono sleeves and I actually don't think it's ever been worn. (Neither has the green one, part of the original tag was left.)

Elyane - Rue de la Paix, Paris. That is one fancy address! I can't find so much information, but it seems like they made lots of hats in the 1950's. And some very nice dresses.

So what else have I been up to these past weeks? Well, looking through my photos; eating a lot.

Chocolate for Easter. The pralines actually cost five times more than the hen...

Roasted sweet potatoes, fillet of pork and home made Bearnaise sauce. And cava. And season three of The Great British Sewing Bee. Neil is amazing - I hope he wins (I have two episodes left, so please, no spoilers!)

Enjoying spring, sun, being outdoors, some shrimp salad and the horizon that I love so much. Some days there is no question at all about why I live in this town... Also, trying to decide on the colour of my bedroom walls (I've only been trying since I moved in. In 2010...)

I think I've made my mind up - this lovely sea green shade actually goes very well with the more yellowish green of my screen.

I do hope that this is the beginning of getting back on my regular track. If not, please have patience with me!