Planning an Autumn suit

Even though I am facing a sewing dilemma, I need new garments for Autumn.

I am a suit person, but right now I am a stay-at-home mother with child and baby. Suits are not the best choice for me, pants and shirts, or tops, are more suitable.

Thinking a bit more:

• I need something convenient enough for my life as a stay-at-home mother.
• I need something versatile enough for the parisian autumn weather: cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon, sunny or rainy with a lot of changes during a single day, often windy.
• I need something versatile enough to pass for a suit, if I need one.
• I need something chic enough to fill my personal taste ;-)

Having a look at my pattern stash, I picked up this nice vintage suit (photo above). It's a suit, but...:

• I can sew a basic pant instead of the skirt. I will have a pant, a jacket and 2 or 3 shirts or tops: a perfect versatile ensemble.
• It's a pant and shirt ensemble with a jacket if the weather call for it.
• It can make a nice pantsuit if I select the fabrics carefully.
• It can be chic, no doubt, event though I don't exactly look like the lady on the package ;-)
• And at last, the jacket has no closure in front: nice for a still breastfeeding mother with bust size changing as the baby sucks or not during the day.

I have a medium-light brown chocolate wool fabric in my stash, perfect for the Autumn atmosphere. I can add some nice cotton prints or a more dressy fabric to make 2 or 3 shirts and scarfs. I am not sure what to use right now.

The photo above shows some flower print cottons. On the left a pink print, on the right perhaps a too light fabric for Autumn, at the bottom an inexpensive yellow and green print and, in the middle, the chocolate wool fabric.

The photo below shows some more dressy silk fabrics,. On the left, an incredible italian silk print (perhaps too large for this use), on the right a burnt silk that needs a lining and, in the middle, the chocolate wool fabric.

To have a ensemble that suits my needs, I will sew:

• The jacket.
• A basic pant (I can find it in my pattern stash).
• 2 shirts and scarfs in cotton or in a more dressy fabric.
• The top of the dress alone, probably made from the wool fabric, to wear as a top.

To be continued, of course...

The incredible story of hubby's shirt

I planned to sew a men shirt for DH for a (too ;-) long time.

I bought a pattern about one year before we got married, then I bought a sewing machine and ... sewed my own wedding dress. All DH got was a pocket square from my wedding dress fabric.

I cut the smallest size of the shirt pattern, and forgot it for about a year. I bought a shirt fabric, became mad for not finding back my pattern and in the end cut the most part of the shirt, except the left front, don't ask me why!

I tried to sew the shirt, but I never managed to had enough time: I always needed that other little thing so quick to sew. One and another one baby came and they grew up fast, DH is no longer growing so he can wait a little more...

When I tried to assemble the shirt, I wasn't able to find the pattern pieces and I didn't mark anything on the fabric pieces I had cut so long ago...

The collar appears to run too short for DH. The pattern has already been cut and I was unable to find most of the pattern pieces. By then, the pattern was out of print, and, once gain, I left this project sleeping for a while.

On a lucky day, I found this pattern on the internet in the perfect size for DH.

I cut the pattern in the biggest size this time (probably too much for DH, but who knows). I marked all the pieces of the pattern on a large leftover from my vintage shirt, except the left front: there was not enough fabric left for DH shirt! I never thought of this before choosing the fabric: DH is taller than me, what a surprise! ;-)

I picked up a soft yellow cotton fabric and a white and blue stripes cotton-linen blend fabric from my stash. DH chose the soft yellow cotton and left the white and blue stripes for me (I will show you what I made of it in a further post).

I was lucky enough to find matching soft yellow button from my grandmother stash.

Six months later the shirt was completed and DH was happy to wear it.

The verdict is : it runs too large everywhere, see photo above (DH is not drinking white wine, he is just holding my glass while I was taking the picture, at my sister-in-law's new house party).

Now I have to make another try, this time one size smaller.

To be continued, no doubt, but this project can run for months or years...

A cloudy Sunday afternoon

It was a cloudy day last Sunday. The children where playing with dolls, toy cars and other indoor games. Suddenly DD informs us that she DOES NEED some goodies for her doll: a washing machine and some clothes. DH and I decided to do something for her. The following photos show our efforts and the final results: please don't laugh... too much ;-)

Father and daughter assembling the doll washing machine: made of cardboard.

French lingerie on japanese doll ;-)

The cardboard washing machine completed.

A spring summer outfit: tunic and wrap skirt.

All the set made during the afternoon.

Breastfeeding: a sewing dilemma

Breastfeeding a growing baby causes a sewing dilemma. Let me explain a little bit more.

The facts:

• My tiny baby has grown into a two-year-old little boy, with an already strong personality.
• I still breastfeed him and I will probably continue for one year, maybe less, but not much more.
• My full-breastfeeding bust will return to normality in about one year.
• I have some so nice suit, blouse, dress (the list has no limit ;-) patterns to use.
• I have some perfect fashion fabrics to cut into a so nice suit, blouse, dress, and so on.

Dilemma:

• Should I cut into my so perfect fabric to sew this so nice suit, blouse, dress, just for a few months of use before my body changes again?
• Should I wait a little (possibly much longer)?

The photo above has been taken in an incredible garden: the botanical garden ("Orto Botanico") in Roma (Italy), where we went on vacation last July.

DH black jeans rescue

In the sewing world, we often talk about these special-occasion outfits we are so proud of, and that we wear only once or twice. It is far less often that we talk about all the other outfits we made, and we almost never talk about all that we have to repair or rescue.

Today I will share a little repair/rescue story.

My husband is hard with his clothes and especially with his pants.

Look at this poor RTW black jean (photo above):

• I hemmed it when DH bought it. After a lot of walking, the friction on the top of the shoes torn the fabric.
• The too thin fabric for the pocket lining has too much torn, and has already been fixed with pieces so many times.
• The heavy fabric on the inside of the waist shows some signs of wearing out.

DH love these pants, they fit him well and the fabric itself is still in good condition: it's time for some repair or a complete rescue!

I bought some of that little cotton ribon that French name "talonnette", I have no no clue about its name in English. I sewed it in place at the hem.

I unsewed some heavy cotton waist lining and pocket from on of DH's reformed summer light pair of jeans.

I resewed the waist and pocket in place, after cutting the old ones.

but I have done nothing yet for the back pockets and the inside of the waist.

Now that loved pair of jeans will start a new life and some months, perhaps years ;-) of use.

And DH will be happy.

A parisian promenade

I am back in Paris. Last week-end we simply took a stroll after the afternoon nap of my last one. Here are just some photos to share, no captions with them tonight.

I am back