Hello lovelies!

Todays post is a slight departure from normal. However I’ve got some very exciting news to share! If you already follow me on Instagram, you will well be aware of the upcoming party, but for those who are not, I’d like to share this with you today.

International Anna Party

I’ve spoken previously about the wonderful friendships I have made over the past year, in particular my dearest Elle and Ute. My friendship with these amazing women has not only resulted in late night/early morning conversations, sewing support and the general joys that come with friendships. It has also meant that two very special dresses (here and here) have come to be, and that more than usual they are original and steeped in friendship loveliness. I can not wear them without being cheerfully reminded of how they came to be and who they they have intricate ties to.

International Friends! Pips – Ute – Elle

So. The three of us wanted to celebrate our friendship, and as it just so happens, Ms Elle is celebrating a birthday shortly. But how were we to celebrate across continents and timezones, and have dresses and tea and festivities? After much discussion, emailing and some wizard planning on Elle’s part, we decided upon the International Anna Party. To celebrate Elle’s birthday and the beautiful sewing community that I am so blessed to be a part of,  you are formally invited to join us for the #internationalannaparty

The festivities are being held on Instagram, so if you don’t have an account yet but have been thinking of joining, now might be the time! I’ve only seen kindness and fabulous sewing in this little corner of the internet. Plus, there are gifts to be given as part of our celebrations.

Pop over to Elle’s blog lauralovespugs@blogspot.co.uk for some of the finest terms and conditions you will ever  have the pleasure of reading.

If you’ve been thinking of making your own Anna, now is the time. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have made 16 Anna dresses (14 reside and have conversations with each other in my wardrobe, two have made the long journey to Berlin) and on a cost per use basis of the pattern, I think I’m coming up trumps!I can’t deny that there may be more Anna’s in my future, queue concern, however as I have not yet required an intervention thus far, I think I’m ok. Although I do need to invest in some new hangers…

Here is a little Anna inspiration for you, if your wondering how you can work the pattern.

Berlin Anna Dress

Vintage Anna Dress

Vintage Anna

Too Tight Anna (Berlin Now)

Gothic Anna

Gothic Anna with Split

Vintage Anna at the Beach

Look forward to seeing you all at the party.

Curtsey

I feel so blessed to have made such gorgeous friends of late.

The English Dress – Marbella

I met Elle around a year ago during the 2014 round of Me Made May through Instagram and since then we have become firm friends. In the way of international friendship triangles she is also linked to my dear friend Ute, who gifted Elle a present for Secret Valentine 2015 (I gifted Ute). Ute also sent me the fabric for my Berlin dress. The three of us are now officially sewing sisters, our knowledge shared and our friendship growing, with parcels being sent to and fro across the great divide.

The English Dress: Marbella – The Berlin Dress: Anna

One day, the three of us will meet up at a little cafe over earl grey tea and cake (followed by gin and blueberries) and talk about the wonders of sewing, and friendship and worldly events. Until then there are ways and means of keeping in touch and maintaining our friendship. Keep an eye our for our Anna Party coming up in July hosted by all three of us to celebrate Elle’s birthday. All the Anna’s are coming out to play!

The English Dress – Marbella – The Parcel

Elle was kind enough to send me this beautiful fabric, along with yummy pig/pug faces, a heirloom piece of lace and my beloved headscarf which I can not wear enough.

The English Dress – Marbella, Beautiful Pockets

The English Dress – Marbella – Bodice Detail

It’s a stunning piece of fabric with saturated colours that reflect my colour palate. No filter required. Deep burgundy, pinks and greens printed on a beautiful linenish cotton fabric, it needed to be sewn into something special. I would normally reach for the Anna at this stage however I am trying to extend my dress collection. And I’m so glad that I did.

The English Dress – Marbella

I choose the Marbella dress from Itch to Stitch. I’ve been looking at this pattern for some time, I love the design lines, the boatneck and the tulip skirt. And excellent pockets. It’s also a great silhouette to let the fabric shine.

The English Dress – Marbella

There is the option to partially or fully line the dress, I choose the latter and made the extravagant decision to line in sand-washed silk after petting some at a local fabric store. The colour was a perfect match and I think that once silk has been used for lining, poly just can’t be entertained as an alternative. Usually I line my dresses with cotton which has proven to be comfortable and easy to wash. With the wisdom of the seamstress who sold me the silk, I hand-washed it in wool mix before cutting. This technically means I can hand wash the entire dress when I need to. So I can pass on the dry cleaning this time.

The English Dress – Marbella

In terms of construction notes, some other seamstresses noted that some of the width needed to be taken out of the back of the dress. I reduced each of the back darts (both bodice and skirt) by 2cm at the waist and also took an extra 1cm out of each side of the centre back seam. I also graded out the skirt width from the hip to hem to the next size up as I find tulip skirts need a little more space at the hem line to accommodate my long stride. The fit was then perfect.

The English Dress – Marbella

The PDF was a dream to put together. It also has a couple of rather innovative and interesting features that all the PDF’s should embrace. You can turn off “layers” on the pdf for sizing which allows you to print just the one size (or multiples if you want to grade between). So when tracing it reduces the risk of marking the wrong lines.

The English Dress – Marbella

You can also select your cup size for the bodice (between A – D) so the need for a SBA or FBA for many may be avoided. I used the B cup and it fit perfectly across the bust.

I would recommend making a toile before cutting into your precious fabric. I was able to make my adjustments by fitting on myself and sticking myself with pins and transfer them to my traced pattern, which resulted in a beautifully fitted dress.

The English Dress – Marbella

The fabric was beautiful to sew, with just a little bit of fraying. Using a gentle hand and a good press, it came together beautifully with the silk.

I first wore this to see the Doug Anthony All Stars. I laughed so much that I got a stitch in my shoulder. I didn’t even know that was possible! Paul, Tim and Flacco were as politically incorrect, foul mouthed and poignant as ever. Feminist poetry remains a strength and age, disability and broken bones has not taken the edge off their sharp tongues. This is my favourite. It’s also not representative of their normal material.

Marbella Dress off to see DAAS

I also managed to eek a Sorbetto top out of the remnants, again lined in silk. Such happiness!

Sorbetto Top

Do you get to share your love of fabric across the oceans?

Curtsey,

Photos by Bruce. Fabric gifted from Elle. Tights from Wolford. Shoes from Camper, boots by Duckfeet. Hair flower from Gardens of Whimsey.

Vintage Anna Dress

I stumbled across this fabric 2-3 years ago at an old stone and mortar mill beside the Barwon River. A beautiful old bluestone building full of vintage fabrics, antique quilts and the lovely Jen. Sadly the physical space is not longer, after being bought out by foreign investors. Luckily Jen still runs A Piece of Cloth online and has set up a wonderful home studio which I’ve had the honour of visiting.

Vintage Anna Dress

The bodice is hand block printed cotton from the 1930’s and the skirt is a sheer Edwardian from 1900’s, both in immaculate condition. When I purchased them, I had no idea what form they would take, my only thought at the time was that I couldn’t leave them behind.

Vintage Anna Dress

They sat nestled together in my stash for a considerable period, coming out occasionally for a special viewing and then returned to fold.

Vintage Anna Dress

One day in December 2013 I was feeling overwhelmed and sad, so I reached for my favourite fabrics again and on this occasion I decided that in order to shift my mood I needed to create something special. So many times I’d tried to match each piece with other pieces but they never seemed to coordinate with anything other than each other.

Vintage Anna Dress

I was able to piece the Anna bodice with a few inches of scraps to spare. Stitched and hung on the wall with the Edwardian fabric pinned as the skirt, I stood and admired the potential outcome.

Vintage Anna Dress

I tried to use as much hand work as possible in order to preserve the delicate fabric and to honour its age and history.

The skirt is simply three gently gathered rectangles leaving no waste. All seams were french seamed, with satin bias on the neckline and waist seam. And my first hand picked zip! I followed Tasia’s tutorial here. I remember it was 47 degrees in the middle of a 6 day heat wave when the zip was picked, no air-conditioning but much satisfaction when it was completed.

Vintage Anna Dress – Russian Tea Leaf Reading

This dress is a firm favourite, not only for its age and beauty but also because creation its enabled me to channel my sorrow on a miserable day and make something that is both pleasing to my eye and suitable for frolicking in the forest. 

It’s also a reminder to me that whilst I can’t control how I’m perceived by people, I can create pieces that are unique to me and make me happy to be who I am. I like for my clothing to have meaning and memory.

Vintage Anna Dress

I also feel like a faerie when I wear this dress. All I need is some gossamer wings…

Vintage Anna Dress

Curtsey.

Vintage Anna Dress

Vintage Anna Dress

Vintage Anna Dress

Pips xxx

Photos by Tash and Bruce. Fabric purchased from A Piece of Cloth. Shoes from Camper. Tights from Wolford. Flower pins from Gardens of Whimsey.

(Note that the photos in the forest are from a year ago when photos were taken for a project that has yet to come to fruition and my hair was wild and auburn. Additional photos taken at a family lunch two weeks ago.)

Berlin Anna Dress

Friendship  is a wonderful thing.

Berlin Anna Dress

Someone once told me that if you can count five really good friends then you are doing exceeding well. This day I can count four. The number sometimes fluctuates but the baseline remains the same. Today it looks to be going up!  Making friends as an adult seems so much more difficult than when we were younger. Add into the mix some long standing health issues* and a good dose of quirkiness, I often find myself isolated from the general population and excluded because I just don’t fit in. I know, sad face, but it’s true.

Berlin Anna Dress – Wind Swept Style

In the past year since creating this space, I have encountered many like minded sprites, some might even say bosom buddies. I have been delighted to discover blogs and instagram accounts that inspire me, had conversations with seamstresses and seamsters across the world about all things stitchy and participated in some international gift giving that have delighted me both in the giving and the receiving.

Berlin Anna Dress

In February I joined in the Secret Valentine Exchange and was given Ute as my Valentine. She organised the project along with Sanaei, and there was much international love posted across the seas. At the time I recall asking Bruce if had any objection to my making a valentines gift for a woman I’d never met in Germany to celebrate the love of craftiness and if he felt a little weird about it. He replied that as long as he didn’t have to pay for it, there was no concerns. Love for all!

Berlin Anna Dress

Through this, I have made firm friends with Elle and Ute (we created a lovely little international triangle, Ute made a Secret Valentines gift for Elle).

Berlin Anna Dress

Ute was kind enough to send me some fabric that she saw at the market that she felt was autumnal me. It is a beautiful Japanese lawn in the most perfect colours. There was squeals and shouts of delight upon its arrival.

Berlin Anna Dress

I’d not so long ago decided to abandon the Anna pattern, considering I now have nine in my wardrobe and there are other dress patterns waiting to be explored. However as soon as I opened the parcel, it was decided. There is plenty time for retirement in future years.

Berlin Anna Dress

Straightforward construction and sizing, self made bias binding for the neck line and french seamed throughout. I could make this dress in my nocturnal slumber.

International friendship. Pen pals. Bosom buddies. Happiness. Wonderful. Joy.

Berlin Anna Dress – Partial Curtsy

Curtsey.

Pips xxx

Photos by Bruce. Flower crown from Gardens Of Whimsey. Shoes from Duck Feet. Tights by Wolford. Scenery by Portarlington. Cardigan by Parjie (Audrey in Unst).

* The antibiotics are still kicking my ME/CFS. Underlying bacterial infection, inflammation of the immune system that can’t be seen. Who knows? At this stage it doesn’t matter. I’m improving every day. Welcome me back to life.

Me Made May.

When Seamstresses and Seamsters across the globe take over the Instagram with images proudly displaying their incredible talent for creating wearable pieces of art.

At last count, over 284 citizens of the world had signed up here, including myself:

‘I, Pips from thegirlinateacup.com, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’15. I endeavour to wear me-made each and every day for the duration of May 2015’

A quick perusal of the wardrobe means I don’t think there should be any issues, however I really need to work on my night attire (thinking 1920’s lounge this week) and the scanties.

You can see my daily photo’s here or search #MeMadeMay2015.

So dust off the good mirror, and fingers crossed the lighting is favourable.

Curtsey

Pips xxx

Davie Dress

Hello lovely, beautiful Autumn! What a stunning time of year.

Davie Dress

There is something about the scent of the breeze and the sunlight though century old trees in the gardens which leaves me feeling positively giddy. It’s that, or a side effect of the antibiotics I’m on. Either way I’m deliriously happy and for the first time in a very long time feel an energy that has been misplaced for much too long.

Davie Dress

Whilst I’m currently not acquiring any new patterns/fabrics I did make a sly exception for the new Davie dress from Sewaholic. An unusually timed afternoon delivery of Art Gallery fabric from fabric.com and Sew Squirrel, had three boys running up to my room with a box unashamedly marked FABRIC in neon, and a sly comment from Bruce that perhaps my self imposed ban had been breached. I chose not to acknowledge directly, mentioned I hadn’t bought fabric since September last year (apart from the Liberty that was 1/3 funded by a gift voucher) and declared it a minor slip up ; ).

Davie Dress

Firstly, the fabric. I don’t often sew with knits, let alone drapey jerseys, so I was a little miffed (love that word) when laying it out that the grain line was in no way running the direction in which it was supposed to. No matter how I manipulated it, it was running off at at least 25%  off from the salvage line. I’ve not come across this before, but was reassured by a number of seamstresses on insta that it is not uncommon.

Davie Dress

I persisted, thinking that if it wasn’t wearable I could make it my new nighty, however it turns out that jersey is incredibly forgiving and I now have a beautiful Easter dress. I think if this was a woven it would have ended up in the quilting pile.

Davie Dress – Pools of Fabric

I cut a straight size 8, and didn’t add my usual 2.5cm at the waist. This was a) because the lengthen/shorten lines were not marked on the pattern and it would require some thinking and measuring on my part to place my line across the four pattern pieces and b) because there isn’t a seam across the waistline I thought the extra length would not be missed. Luckily with laziness and a little foresight (critical thinking and I have not the time to consider this!) it all worked out. I also omitted the key hole given the fabric was so busy (thanks for the advice Ms E!).

Davie Dress

Some notes on the pattern. I think I could definitely go down a size next time. The photos show excess fabric pooling at the back. I’ll most likely send it through the overlocker to bring in some of the seams. I sewed View A with the cap sleeve and additional length. It has a lovely flare at the bottom which picks up nicely in the breeze.The shaping as always is perfect for Pips.

Davie Dress

I overlocked all my seems and overlocked and turned once the hem and arm holes. I really liked the finish on the neck. Using a woven bias, it stops the neckline stretching out and gives it a really stable shape. I happened upon some Hello Kitty Liberty bias I made last year in my stash which was perfect. Total machine sewing time was about 40 minutes! And after I checked that the fabric was behaving itself in dress form, I even ventured out on Saturday to pick up some top stitching thread.

Davie Dress

So the verdict is I love it! I wore it today, and as Ned Flanders once put it so succinctly: “It’s like I’m wearing nothing at all”. He really does know his fashion speak.

Davie Dress

The dress also sits nicely over my Granville shirt, so next I plan to make View C in a stable black ponte. With the shorter sleeve and skirt length and some top stitching, it should replace my currentRTW winter dress.

Davie Dress – Out Takes!

I talked Bruce into dragging my favourite chair outside for the photos but I seemed to suffer from the sun glare. 5 minutes in the sun, and my skin starts to bubble (literally!). My recent drivers licence has me looking positively vampiric. I wish I had’ve dyed my hair, worn black lace and dark lipstick that day. The goth in me shall never move on!

Curtsey.

Pips xxx

Photos by Bruce. Tea cup gifted from Parjie and R from a deceased estate. Tights from Wolford. Shoes from Duck Feet. Locket from Den Supply Co. Hair pieces from Gardens of Whimsey.

Never one to waste an opportunity (or to embarrass my children), Bruce helped with shooting two outfits on Sunday at the botanical gardens.

Oakridge Blouse

A quick change at the fountain with a wiggle and a close call of a child falling into the water, I transformed into my new favourite shirt and jean combination. (This was done bottom first, then top, with squeals from children that they were horrified and scarred for life. I’ve made a note in their “things to talk to my doctor about when I’m older” which records all the information they will need for future discussions with their health professionals. The list gets longer every week…).

Oakridge Blouse

Again, this fabric was purchased in the fabric frenzy of September 2014 from The Drapery. It is the softest, silkiest cotton with autumnal colours and is an absolute delight to wear. Art Gallery design the most delightful prints that are playful and still suited to those over the age of 10. Although there is nothing wrong dressing like a 4-10 year old. I indulge all the time.

Oakridge Blouse – Hair in Motion

The Oakridge blouse is the second shirt pattern released by Sewaholic, with a simpler silhouette than the Granville and the option of a pussy bow or bias to finish the neck line. I didn’t quite have enough fabric so cut my sleeves shorter. Perfect length for this season.

Oakridge Blouse

It has the lovely shaping that defines the waist and flares out gently at the hips. Perfect Pipsie shape. Again, it came together with such ease. This one came together very quickly when compared to the Granville shirt due to no collar or plackets.

Oakridge Blouse – Pussies Bow

And the colours on the fabric. Just beautiful.

Oakridge Blouse

I was given the vintage parasol from my dear god mother, M. Perfect for an Autumn turn around the park. I might have to make a set of 1930’s beach pyjamas as beautifully created as Leimomi from the Dreamstress. Beach pyjama envy!

Botanical Gardens

I highly recommend this pattern (and the fabric). I feel as though I’m moving out of the “looks like me made” into the “higher end purchase” clothes. Admirers are now asking “Did you buy that at Tinky or make it?” which is lovely because they curate Australian and European fashion that I adore.

Curtsey.

Pips

Photos by Bruce. Bag by A Seated Craft. Jeans by Citizens of Humanity (Tinky). Vintage parasol gifted from favourite god mother.

My, it has been a hard week. Is anyone else out there feeling the same?

International Women’s Day

I’ve been going backwards, distinctively different from my normal sideways, so am in energy conservation mode to try and limit the impact my fatigue has. It means I focus on the things that give me most joy and I direct my little energy to where I’m most happy, which is with my three boys and sewing.

B1, B2 and Me (Bonus Frisbee)

Late yesterday afternoon we ventured out to the local botanical garden which was in full bloom. The weather held that beautiful autumnal feel that was light and breezy and mild, and the bees were busy going about their work.

Moss Skirt and Belcarra Blouse

I made another Belcarra blouse from the Sewaholic collection. Using vintage Liberty fabric that was generously handed down to me from a dear friends mother, I added in some chambray and then stitched a sashiko design using left over from thread in the shape of a tiny pocket.

Tiny Pocket, Belcarra Blouse

The Liberty cotton feels like silk and is so gorgeous. There is no sign of it’s age which I guesstimate is around 30 years. All the Liberty, all the time ladies (and gents)!

Moss Skirt and Belcarra Blouse

I also made my first Moss skirt from Grainline Studio. The fabric is a Japanese spotted linen purchased during the fabric frenzy of September 2014 from the Drapery. This skirt is quite the deviation from my normal long and flowing maxi skirts but I adore it!

Moss Skirt and Belcarra Blouse

My first ever full fly went in with some serious concentration, following this tutorial and instructions on the pattern. I’m not convinced I understood how it all fell into place, but it turned out perfectly. (I’ve no idea how one pocket went in sideways! Fear not it all appears well from the front view, and my hands are not disadvantaged. My sewing isn’t always perfect).

Moss Skirt and Belcarra Blouse – the Inside Story

I was a little cross with myself when the zip tab came off and I found myself stuck in the skirt with only an ungainly way out (over the head with lots of wiggles which provided much amusement to my family. Luckily no one had a camera readily available). The second time I made sure that the zip tab remained securely attached to the zip.

Moss Skirt and Belcarra Blouse

I lined the Moss skirt band and pockets with fabric from the blouse. Everyone should have insides as pretty as the outsides.

Moss Skirt and Belcarra Blouse

There is something special about the shift from dry, overwhelming heat to the gentle playfulness that I feel in Autumn. I feel a collective sigh of relief as the transition of seasons provides a cool change in the southern hemisphere and hints of spring in the north.

Moss Skirt and Belcarra Blouse

Curtsey, and may the bees continue their work without fear of extinction.

The Bee

Pips xxx

Photos by Bruce and Pips, photo bombing by B1 and b2. Shoes purchased from Duck Feet.