OWOP - Days 5, 6 and 7

Second half of my week in One Week, One Pattern outfits, and a couple of lessons learned.

Day 5 (daytime): Still sewing lace in the studio...

I wore: Blue cotton shirting swing top, Del Forte jeans.  This is my least favourite of the swing tops, having never been worn since I made it last summer.  There's obviously a reason Dixie recommends only using a knit fabric for this pattern (armholes a little tight as the woven cotton has no stretch) and although I like the floral binding on the neck and cuffs, the blue striped cotton shirting makes me feel like a nurse (not the hot kind!).  Having said all that, I actually enjoyed wearing it more than I thought I would: it was comfortable enough and I liked the alternative-to-a-shirt feel of it.  I reckon I probably would repeat this make in a woven fabric -remembering to make the armholes a little bigger- to wear as a smart shirt-type top.

~

Day 5 (evening): A night of Motown classics with The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Crystals live at the o2 Arena baby!!

I wore: Possibly the best outfit I could have put together for such a wonderful night of retro soul!  Stripy swing top, Kung Fu Fighting wiggle skirt, Reiss belt, Agent Provocateur red pompom mules.  Favourite OWOP outfit so far.

~

Day 6: Hungover.  SIGNIFICANTLY hungover.  It seems sake, vodka and white rum do not mix well.  Comfort a must today.  

I wore: White viscose jersey swing top with red rose Liberty cotton binding, Uniqlo tartan men's trousers, vintage Budweiser belt, Puma sneakers.  When it comes to dressing down, this is my favourite type of outfit.  Reminds me of being a grungy teenager listening to The Smashing Pumpkins.

~

Day 7: Last day of OWOP!  Just as I started this week with the first swing top I'd made, so I ended with the most recent.

I wore: Dusty pink wool jersey swing top, houndstooth pencil skirt - the first of my McCalls's 5081 collection (I feel like I've been discussing this pattern almost as much as the swing top during this OWOP challenge having worn three versions of it this week... Double OWOP cred for me?), French Sole flats.  This is a look I'm really digging.  Typically a late 1950s maternity style, but I think that the elegance of the pencil skirt, softened by the swing top and worn with a simple pair of flats is just perfectly cute and easy, even for my busy day to day life.

One thing that this challenge has brought to my attention is that I'm clearly really into pencil skirts these days!  I began with my one swing top pattern, which given the amount I've made (six) and the incredible versatility of the pattern, was very easy to wear every day for a week.  But as a result of all this thoughtful outfit planning, I've ended up also wearing three of my four McCall's pencil skirts.  What's surprising about this is how easy they are to wear!  I'd always shunned my wiggle skirts by day thinking them far too impractical, saving them only for stylish evening occasions.  But it turns out that wiggle skirts during the day are actually fine, even for running around after a little boy, working in the studio and general errand-running.  

They just make all those things feel that little bit more glamourous.

Thank you Tilly for organising OWOP!  I for one, really enjoy the solidarity that comes with group challenges like this; now who's looking forward to Me-Made-May-'12??

OWOP - Days 1, 2, 3 and 4 (and a 6th Swing Top)

This last week here in London could not have given us days more beautiful to really make the most out of Tilly's One Week, One Pattern challenge.  My chosen pattern is Dixie DIY's Swing Top, which I have now made a grand total of six times.

Day 1: A super sunny Saturday in a somewhat Seventies outfit, hosting a little garden party to welcome in British Summertime. 

I wore: Stripy jersey swing top (first one ever made), Del Forte jeans, vintage Wonder Woman belt, Swedish Hasbeens clogs, Stella McCartney shades.

~

Day 2: Out and about in London, a deceptively chilly sunny day, so I was glad for my sixth and latest swing top made from a cosy ribbed wool jersey.

I wore: Dusty pink wool jersey swing top, Monkee Genes, Marc Jacobs flats.

~

Day 3: Monday in my studio, sun streaming in through the shutters, surrounded by Chantilly lace, Dupion silk and ivory organza... Hoping to infuse a wedding dress with dreams and ideals of love and companionship, health and happiness.

I wore: White viscose jersey swing top with blue floral cotton binding, Del Forte jeans, belt my Dad made for me, Swedish Hasbeens clogs.

~

Day 4: Early breakfast in Portobello with my StepDad, then back to the studio and the final fitting of the wedding dress with my Bride and her Mum (can you tell how much I'm itching to be able to talk about this in more detail??!).

I wore: Grey marl viscose jersey swing top with red paisley rayon binding, red crepe pencil skirt (made from McCall's 5081, which is fast becoming a contender for the next OWOP challenge...), Marc Jacobs flats.

So far I have been really enjoying this challenge; the swing tops already feature heavily in my day to day dressing, so I can't really call that aspect challenging, but what I have enjoyed most is the outfit planning and styling around one staple item.  This top is genius in its versatility; easy and comfortable enough to be dressed down for everyday running around, yet pretty and polished enough to tuck into one hell of a wiggle skirt and sequin heels for a look that will unite Carrie Bradshaw and Joan Holloway in fashion matrimony... Intrigued?  Stay tuned for OWOP Day 5's evening outfit...

OWOP - Count me in!

Tomorrow marks the official start date of Tilly's latest One Week One Pattern challenge, which will see sewists from around the globe wear the pieces they have made from one single pattern, every day for a week.  In Tilly's own words:

"It's about celebrating those sewing patterns that we love so much we use them again and again. Many of us have a special sewing pattern that is so wearable, practical, versatile, beautiful or for whatever reason it never gets time to gather dust on the shelf before we whip it out again. Personally I'm really interested to find out what other people's favourite patterns are. Plus the exercise may get us to reflect on how much we use the patterns in our stash, or what factors make a well-used pattern.

It's also an exercise in restyling what's essentially one style garment (or it may literally only be one garment that you've made), pushing the boundaries of its versatility by creating seven outfit variations out of it. Who needs more clothes when you can remix the ones you've already got?"

I had been on the fence as to whether or not to take part; I have a handful of patterns I have made 3-4 times, namely this pencil skirt, the Sorbetto tops, this 70s dress... But nothing that I could realistically wear every day for a week that would fit in with my life.  Pencil skirts too fancy (and restrictive!), Sorbetto's too summery, and 70s dresses too impractical.  So I had initially decided to opt out of the challenge... when I suddenly remembered my vast and ever expanding collection of swing tops, all made from Dixie DIY's great (and free!) pattern.  

So far I have made five of these tops, and I already wear them all the time.  This pattern is an absolute breeze to make up, and the resulting top is comfortable, flattering and versatile.  Which I think is really the aim of this exercise: identifying and celebrating the patterns which produce clothes that not only complement our lifestyles but make us want to make and wear them over and over again. 

In preparation for this challenge, and in anticipation of Britain's famously unpredictable climate, I am now going to quickly whip up a sixth swing top, this time in a dusty pink ribbed wool jersey.  Just in case it gets a bit chilly.