:: verypurpleperson :: - Part 11

What we were doing last weekend

March 8th, 2010 | life

Cheap, fun, and hair everywhere!

Hats and brooches

March 5th, 2010 | making other stuff

A friend of mine just got an operation done on her head. She had to have all all her long hair shaved and stayed a long time in the hospital. I decided to make her a hat, hopefully it will cheer her up. Initially I wanted to knit a cap, but apparently my knitting and crochet skill has gone back to zero, so I made her a fabric hat instead.

Sometime ago I’ve made these denim hats from the book ‘Idea Hat Recipe’, so I looked for other patterns in it. The concept of the book is hats that inspired by cakes, a weird concept but the hats are indeed pretty cute. The pattern that I chose is called Macaron thé russe, which is actually a cap with tilted down brim. The fabric is linen with printed cotton for the lining.

Note about the pattern: I didn’t add seam allowances to the pattern as it seemed big, then I sewed it with 0.8 cm allowance. At the end, the hat still needed some elastics sewed at the back to make it fit.

I added a detachable brooch from some lace, fabric scraps, and buttons. Actually I wanted to make a flower brooch, but then changed it to this simple and easy round brooch. Or maybe I was just lazy.

Then I tried putting it on. The hat was looking okay, but suddenly I didn’t think it would be the right hat for my friend. There is no way I could give this hat to her! What was I thinking? etc. So I decided to make another hat. I don’t know, sometimes I get freaked out like that. Making things for other people is frightening, I’m always afraid that they wouldn’t like it.

I went back to the same book and chose Mousse de pêche, a rectangle-based hat with folded brim. The fabric was the same as the first hat, with different pattern of print for the lining.

Note about the pattern: I didn’t add seam allowance to the pattern and it turned out too small! So I unpicked the stitches and sewed it again with smaller allowance, about 0.5 cm. It fits okay, but next time I should add seam allowance to it.

The brooch was made with the same method as the first one. Despite looking a bit complicated, sewing a hat is actually much quicker than sewing a top or a dress. I finished both hats in just a few hours, making the brooches took longer than the hat! I put on the second hat and this time I approved it. It doesn’t mean that the first hat is worse than the second, it just doesn’t feel right.

My friends and I went to visit her today and she liked the hat! She said she would wear it to go to a nearby department store. I’m very happy now, not only because she liked the hat, but also because she looked very strong and happy. The operation has affected her vision so she couldn’t drive any more, she said that next time we should go to places by bike together. She’s such a strong woman!

Patterns are from the book ‘Idea Hat Recipe’.

Fashion treasure

March 2nd, 2010 | life

Sidra & me, Tokyo 2009

Do you have a fashion treasure? This coat is one of mine. It used to belong to my mother, she bought it in a small shop in France more than thirty years ago when she and my father went for a trip around Europe.

The coat is unlined blue and white purl knit, the white pattern is consisted of white chains inserted between. It also has a a pair of big pockets, perfect for the cold hands, and thick mother-of-pearl buttons.

Once my mother was back from the trip, the coat had no use in the tropical climate of Indonesia except for becoming a dress-up play thing for her children. I used to play hide and seek in her wardrobe, sitting between all the dresses and coats.

Since I was big enough to wear it, I acquired the coat and it has now become my daily wear in Tokyo winter time. There is a special feeling when wearing a vintage item, especially the one that you’ve grown with. A nostalgic and familiar feeling, and strangely secure feeling.

I especially love this picture of my parents in Germany. My mother wore the signature coat over a print green dress. On her hands is a beautiful crocodile skin handbag with golden buckle. That’s a pair of of red knee-length boots on her feet!

And look at my father! Why don’t men dress like that any more? He had on a three-piece suit with perfect crease along his pants. His big tie is peeking above the waistcoat and the jacket has one button casually opened to show a peek of his belt buckle.

Picture perfect.

Mother & Father, Germany 1976

Room shoes

March 1st, 2010 | making other stuff

A pair of room shoes that I made yesterday. The pattern is Woman room shoes (size 5-10) pdf pattern bought from ithinksew for $5. Besides the multi sizes, the pattern also comes with 9 pages of clear step-by-step photo tutorials and I got to download 5 more free patterns with every purchase. Yay!

The outer fabric is cotton and the lining is Indonesian batik, both are scraps from my previous projects. I sewed a pair of thick felt soles so it would feel more like shoes instead of socks. The size 6 that I chose turned out a bit too big for me. It looks fine with socks on but next time I’ll make it in size 5.

PS: here’s a glamorous behind the scene picture that my husband took (-.-)

behind the scene

Bib dress

February 25th, 2010 | womenswear

This very pretty embroidered cotton was found in a local fabric store, but unfortunately it was only in a small piece. So I planned to make a bib dress with it, combining it with this denim-like blue cotton/linen fabric. I was ready to draft a pattern myself when I found this Wenlan blouse pattern in Burdastyle, the pattern is actually for a blouse and the recommended fabric is flowy materials like chiffon and silk. My blue fabric is a bit stiff, but I think I can use this pattern for my dress, so I went ahead and bought the pattern for $7.99.

And it is indeed a good pattern! I omitted the tie collar (which was impossible anyway with the stiff fabric) and lengthened the pattern to make a dress. The embroidered cotton is a bit thin, so I lined it with plain cotton in broken white. The neckline was finished with bias binding, so were both of the armholes. I also added a pair of hidden pockets on the side seams because all dresses should have pockets!

The stiff fabric makes the dress really looks different than the original. I especially like the sleeves, they stuck out like a pair of shoulder pads or mini wings. Love this bib dress! I’m thinking of using the pattern again to make other dress in absolutely different kind of fabric.

And have I told you how I love my new sewing machine? I will tell you again, I love my new sewing machine! It sewed this dress like a dream, I finished it in just a few hours.