{mustard blouse}

 Time for part two of the Colette Spring Palette Challenge.

This is...or was going to be the Emily Variation blouse from Burda.

 

Only problem was that it turns out I didn't buy enough fabric for the voluminous sleeves.

I tried going back to the store to buy more, but they were all out of it in the same shade. That is when it is time to improvise.  So I used the same sleeve pattern as from my valentine frock (aka Burda's full skirted cut out bust dress).

Then when I tried it on for fitting, I was reminded that, while on a straighter figured girl that shirt would be just fine as is, on my hourglass form it looked like a tent...even after I took the waist sizing down like I usually do.  Much more fitting was required for me.  I think I ended up taking off about 5 addition inches off of the waist on this.  Makes a big difference.

 So there it is!  I finally have something in that elusive mustard yellow color.  I think it might still be fun to do something like a skirt in this color later on.  Less of a challenge to pull off since it isn't right next to the face, and it would look good with something like a sailor striped shirt....which I *still* need to post pictures of.  I'm so behind.

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{valentine frock}

Ah, Valentine's Day!  Everyone has their particular feelings about the day.  As someone still plenty in love, I was inclined to indulge in the day this year.

A dear friend got engaged recently enough, and his adorable bride-to-be made their engagement party a 'cheesy valentines' theme in which guests were required to wear red and/or pink to get in the door.  Well, that pretty much translated in my brain to her telling me to make a new dress.  I'm pretty sure that's what I heard her say.

Some time in the early 2000's (ish) I remember seeing a couple boutique shops in NY that seemed to have all of the clothes in the display in this fabric.  The cranberry, blue, and black prints appealed to me a great deal and I walked by each day, wiping away that bit of drool as I tried to pretend I didn't really want them.

So then, when I spotted this fabric at Dressew, there wasn't much I could do to prevent myself from purchasing some.

This pattern was one that I grabbed as soon as it appeared, and have been dying to try it out ever since.  The time finally came, but I didn't have enough of this fun fabric to make the longer, fuller skirt prescribed by the pattern, so I improvised with a half-circle skirt.  Perhaps for the best as, between the pattern and the weight of this fabric, that great big skirt might have been too heavy... both in look and feel.

I certainly intend to use this pattern again.  I will use the skirt as shown next time, but I will modify it in one other way.  The neckline is quite fun, but I will admit I feel afraid to lean forward at all for feat that it shows too much.  I think I will try leaving out the slit next time and just sewing that up all the way.  I think it would still be quite a fun line with it like that, too.

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{spring palette project challenge: the plan}

 So here is a rough idea of my plan for this little mini collection coming up.  Most of the fabric is designated toward specific projects, but I still want to leave myself a little wiggle room for this.

{another clutch purse}

{teal waves frock}

 

 {valentine frock}

 

{mustard blouse}

{grey shorts}

{spring palette challenge}

Well, hello again!  It has been a while.

You know the deal: life gets busy, I get sick, all of those type things.

I got behind in many areas, including reading up on the blogs that I follow, so I discovered that I'm about two weeks late for joining in on the Colette Patterns 'spring palette challenge'... but I'm going to do it anyways.

I've never challenged myself to something like this before, but I think it is a healthy amount for me to chew on right now.  The challenge consists of finding a color palette for inspiration and then to make a mini collection of clothes based around it.  So here is mine:

 

I guess I'll call this combo 'picnic'.  It makes me think of the end of Spring as things head towards Summer, but most of all it makes me think of sunshine and NO RAIN.  Vancouver has been remarkably fortunate over the past week that way.  After enough rain and grey skies to make me start feeling grumpy, the skies have become sunny and clear.  I love it.  I hope it stays that way for as long as possible.  This makes me think I'll have reason to wear this mini collection sooner than I would have anticipated.

I hope some Spring sunshine is heading your way too, wherever you are.