Style Inspiration #1: Lace-y Looks for my Pendrell Blouse

Not content with just one sewalong in January, I am also joining Tasia's Pendrell Blouse Sewalong!

I plan on making 2-blouses.
1: The ruffle sleeve version (View B) in a dark-dark navy blue viscose/cotton blend with little white flowers printed on it.
2: A sleeveless version (View C).

I had planned on only making one blouse, however these pictures crossed my path this week and convinced me otherwise  (well if I'm gonna make one, why not save myself some time in the long run re: cutting and make two instead hehe). I will make myself a muslin/fitting toile in order to tweak fit as I suspect I shall need a) a full-bust adjustment (FBA) to the pattern, and b) to make the sleeves/ruffles longer (or do I mean deeper/wider - well I know what I mean anywho?).

And, in my recent February 2011 issue of InStyle Magazine (UK Edition) I saw this lovely PREEN S/S 2011 dress.

I also, then saw this cream & black lace dress by NEXT (a UK high street store).

I'm loving the contrasting colours - almost monochromatic, however if it were white instead of cream I think it might be far too likely to get dirty for work wear!.

IIRC I have some cream lace hidden in a bag in my *loft, and I have some nice black cotton that I could use to underline my **top.

Oooooh... new thought, new thought! Maybe later on I could make a lace skirt (underlined in black again with a black waistband - as per the Next dress above) to match? A top and skirt would be far more versatile wardrobe wise for me than a dress alone (yay!) I've already made (but not blogged) a blue 'n' white striped seersucker cotton skirt last summer using Gertie's tutorial for "Making a Full gathered Skirt" (Part 1, Part 2) - I will use it again for the skirt :)

There are more pictures from other sew-alongers in the Sewaholic Pattern Flickr Group Pool to enjoy too :)

*Well... when you run out of room in the spare bedroom the fabric stash has gotta go somewhere ;)

**Is it called a top or a blouse when it's sleeveless? I err towards top, a blouse feels more formal (via the addition of sleeves) ergo to my mind sleeveless = top :D!

A New Blog, A New Year, and Finally, My First Blog Post!

I’ve been promising myself since June/July of last year (so give or take a good 6 months) that I would finally start posting on my blog. I’d even sorted out a lovely banner image for myself, added in widgets, links to interesting websites I like etc., but still I felt either too shy/ nervous/ apprehensive/ lazy [please delete as you see applicable ;)] to actually post something.

Hence, in the parlance of Peter I remained a S.W.O.B. (Sewists Without Blogs), or as I preferred to term it a SWAUOB or SWABB (sewist with an un-opened blog / sewist with a blank blog) :D!

Following the encouragement of the lovely Tanit-Isis (she of the Lady (Grey) in Red Club) and enthused by the lovely and interesting writings of people like Adey, Casey, Elaine, Gertie, Juebejue, Karen, Karin, Kathleen, Melissa, Miss Celie, Novita, Patty, Peter, Sewiknittoo, Shelley, Sunni, Tasia, Tilly, Zoe (all of which quite frankly make up part of a long and ever growing list of regular and addictive daily reading on my laptop) I have taken the plunge and made my first post.

Hopefully, this will be a place for me to document my personal trials and tribulations of sewing feats 'n' failures, my triumphs and troubles alike. I have my fingers crossed that I shall have the strength of character to feel able to write of the good, the bad and the ugly in equal measure.

Reading through so many of the projects and thoughts of other sewing enthusiasts, it is clear to me that they have felt the benefits of being able to measure their developing skills, and their growing (or occasionally waning!) love affair with their stictched creations. But, always it seems to make for an enjoyable journey and one worth travelling the distance. I hope that the sewing journey brings to me as much joy and positive experiences as I have seen shared openly by others across the web (and across the globe), I'm ready to take things a step stitch at a time. Wish me luck please :) !