23. Dressed for the Morning

In my days off - like today - rather than change immediately and become efficient, I like to lounge and linger. This photo was straight off bed, no hair, no make-up, heck - not even coffee!













Several years ago it was fashionable to have a long belted cardigan. That year I found a blue knit silk wrap cardigan on sale and bought is to be my summer robe.

 I love my morning robe - it is pretty with dressy details such as puff sleeves and eyelet, it doesn't look too 'private' and the light silk knit is ideal for the warm season.

Today I paired it with a grey boat neck tee and plaid shirting pajama bottoms.

Which have all the right details - button placket, matching flower fabric waistband, elastic and a drawstring. Needless to say, those were bought in New York. I haven't seen anything that cute this side of the pond, ever. (Night gowns and all jersey pajamas are the mainstream here.)

Whereas my house mules are so over the top I sometimes wonder... I am not a flashy person and that silvery shiny leather is not me. (Or is it?) The leather is soft, the last is a pleasure, and the square toes make them look more like a shoe than a slipper. I love the detailing - why can't I find shoes like that?

This was my look this morning - now neatly folded away. The day has begun!

gown: In Wear (2008)
pajama pants: Macy's (2009)
tee: Banana Republic (2005)
slippers: Lina, bought in Finland (2011)

linking with: Visible Monday

22. A Denim Make-Over

You'll notice I have moved, and my mirror image no longer has a clean background. I will have to work on that... In the meantime, I thought I'd show a nice summery outfit. It has been pretty warm here lately, and this outfit is both easy and good enough for "town".
Skirt is a recent make,  and if you are visiting for the how-to, please scroll down.

skirt: me-made 2013
top: Liz Claiborne 2006
belt: H&M 2002
shoes: Vagabond 2009

Some close-ups of my favorite parts as the main photo is so grainy:

 I love the cross-hatch pattern and inky blue of the top, and the unabashed hippie vibe of the belt.

These babouche flats are a dream. They are comfy and pretty - I especially like the reverse applique.




Now for the Refashion Part:

Stonewashed denim may be in again...

... but this 90's full skirt certainly isn't!
It was good lightweight chambray, so I grabbed it. It was a full circle with some hideous netting flounce underneath.

 

I removed the lining and the flounce, opened up the seams and spread it out. It was huge. Large enough to be making something substantial with it.

I took the Marcy Tilton V  pattern. As it is a tunic, I folded away the tops and used just the bottom parts to create a skirt. I love Marcy Tilton for her shapes, her patterns always have a twist.

I am not fond of pale denim. When the skirt was finished, I threw it into a dye bath. I wanted a dark indigo but ended up with a medium blue. Well, sometimes you can't have it all...
The skirt has been previously shown with different tops and accessories in posts #15 and 16.

I am very happy with the skirt, it cost me all of 1€  in material plus the dye (and several hours worth of work).

linking with:
Refashion First Friday
Recycled Fashion
Visible Monday
Mix-It
Me-Made-Mittwoch

21. Cherchez la femme

Oh SIA! What a wonderful inspiration this week, a flowery lady by Colette Calascione.



Such luscious florals are hard to come by (and they certainly don't live in my wardrobe), but will you look at this!

Last time I lived in Vienna I purchased a small painting from a wonderful Finnish artist. It has followed me all these years and withstood several moves between countries and continents.

I walked by a store front last week and thought something looked very familiar. And indeed it was. She has turned her art into fabrics and clothing. Fabrics are printed from her artwork and come in silk, rayon and cotton. One word: luscious!

Inside the store looks just as nice. Artwork and clothing everywhere. I won't bore you with interior shots, take a look at her web gallery if you're interested). Needless to say, there was a lot to see. I fell in love with this little number.

A caftan of sorts, made of silk. I already saw myself wearing it as a morning robe.

Hi SIA, here's my interpretation of the lovely Colette Calascione flower lady:

Hard to tell where the lady ends and the flowers start - just like in the original.

The story goes on. The caftan didn't come home with me, but got some printed cotton sateen instead. Which will become a jacket - you'll see.

In case you are in Vienna, why not pay a visit.

Linking with:
Visible Monday
Mix-it
Style Imitating Art

20. Freezing in red and brown

It's freezing again. There hasn't been much summer yet, I see some people wearing their winter coats (fake fur looks so wrong in May) or tights and boots. I refuse to wear winter garb anymore, there will be a long winter to do just that.
Instead I grabbed some darker colors and a bit heavier materials. Everything is cotton, but just thicker. (Yes, those are bare legs. I refuse tights in summer.) At home I wear woolly socks and wrap myself in a blankie, that's how cold it is.

skirt: Flare (Stockholm 2010)
tee: Pimkie (Wien 2013)
cardi: a recent remake
shoes: Gabor (2010)

A close-up on the beautiful patterns that work surprisingly well together:

I love the earrings, they are a recent acquisition from etsy. This is how I wear my florals!

It's funny to think that next week this time I'll be working. I'm cramming for last exams (Monday Tuesday) and then off I go. I am not particularly looking forward to my new job, but a girl's got to eat...it's one of the realities in life.

19. aqua and clay

I just finished a hand dyed, hand crocheted piece and am very happy with it (for change).

 

Pattern is from The Happy Hooker Crochet Book, jacket is called Short 'n Sweet. (link to ravelry)

 

I made it longer, both sleeves and body, but I think it still lives up to its name.

Pattern was superbly well written and easy, all straight pieces. Yarn was a pleasure to work with. Lace weight with a nice hand. Can be machine-washed, too. And the whole jacket weighs 75g / less than 3 oz. Now that's something!

I paired it with pieces you can see in the earlier post. No surprises there! Clay colored tee and shoes. Clay - my new love. Not grey... clay!

linking with:
me-made-Mittwoch
mix-it

18. subversive - so not

It's Style Imitating Art-time again. The picture was lovely, full of sweet colors. But if you look closely, you can see a subversive, menacing element in there. It has a hint of ugly going-ons under the beautiful surface.

 
I tried, I really did. I would have loved to interpret this more literal, but these kind of colors are not part of my wardrobe. I own softer, similar tones in small doses: wrapped silk necklace, a leather ring, a bag, the deep turq of the skirt.

I went to uni like this and thought myself really very stylish. Necklace was maybe a bit over the top, you don't see a lot of jewelry on students - but this lecture was mostly "grown-ups" so I felt safe.

 The ring I left home, though, that was too much for school.

skirt: thrifted (2010)
tee: zero (2013)
cardigan: no name (2013)
shoes: Medicus via Deichmann (2013)
bag: Brooklyn (2005)
leather ring: Vienna (2013)
silk wrapped necklace (2012)

linking with:
Visible Monday
Style Imitating Art

17. Disappointment

I have been showing only successful garments till now. But not everything turns out to my liking. Like this blouse. Heavens above! I look like my own granny! (Just as grumpy and no make-up, tee-hee.)

 I fell in love with a pretty blouse pattern in a recent Burda magazine (4/2013 #119), found a lovely fabric for it:

 measured, traced, reinforced, sewed, finished ... you know, the whole shpiel.

Just to find out that I grossly misjudged my shape and my coloring and the result is both ill-fitting and blah. Material is rayon, so it won't even take dye it very well.

Lesson learned? Maybe none. I still like the fabric and would like to reuse it, but maybe best in combination with some dark fabrics.
Or would you have any other creative ideas?

On another note, you may have noticed that I now have an Etsy storefront. Go visit it if you are in search of vintage sewing materials, fabrics by the yard or cut pieces, ribbons and notions, wool yarn and other undefined goodies. Mostly vintage Austrian, the way I like to mix things, sweet Alpine, classic and retro at the same time.

linking with:
me-made-Mittwoch
Mix-it