My dear sister-in-law S gave to me a length of precious “Outback Wife” barkcloth for my birthday… soooo thrilling to finally get a piece of this gorgeousness for myself! I’ve bought other designs of this once or twice before as gifts for others but never for myself for some strange reason, I know not why … Because, oh my gosh this stuff is just so lovely, sews up like an absolute DREAM!! I’m in love! I’m seriously thinking about sneaking out to Calico and Ivy and buying more! For meeeee!
I turned to my ol’ reliable, tried and true,Vogue 1247 for the skirt… my copy of this is now a little bit tattered, not surprisingly since this latest is version number 23, ahem. I just counted, and wow, that’s a shock, even to me! Yes, I really do need to move onto a new pattern… A lot of my V1247’s have been straight, sans pockets, because to be honest, although the pockets in this design are really cool I actually don’t really use them all that much. Very occasionally for my phone and keys and it’s very rare I shove my actual hands in them.. I worry about distorting the lines of the skirt and contributing to premature pocket sag. And if there’s one thing NO ONE needs in their life, it’s premature pocket sag, am I right? Quelle horreur!
But for old times’ sake, I put the pockets in this version.
I über-carefully cut my pieces so the print matches up practically everywhere, along both horizontal skirt seams, and as well the centre back seam, and even the waistband seams matches as well as it is able. This took only a little bit of frowning and sighing, and moving my pattern pieces around more times than the most diligent of sleight-of-hand operatives, but it’s always a worthwhile thing to do, I reckon. Otherwise, the not-matching pattern would probably bother me forever.
At the same time as I was making my skirt, I happened to notice in my stash two lengths of very thin jersey knit that I’d bought at the Fabric Store in Melbourne during one of my trips over there with Mum and Cassie, one a bottle green and the other in deep teal blue; both an absolute perfect match for the skirt! It was meant to be!! I quickly whipped up (k-tchaaaaah!) two long sleeved Nettie tees. These are practically identical to each other, narrow neckline bands and wide sleeve and bottom bands.
It’s so funny to me, looking at these pictures. See, S actually gave this fabric to me back in early June, yes, it was a very early birthday present! and I made the skirt and two tees up straight away, like within a week. And took the pictures of the tees on Bessie, though it was too cold to actually wear them at the time… then a few months later, early September to be exact, I took the wearing-with-black tights-and-boots pictures. And did precisely nothing with those pictures, either. As it happens, I’ve been in a bit of a funk over the past few months, feeling a little intimidated, like I’m just not capable or good enough, almost on the point of giving it up entirely. Generally speaking, it’s been taking me a looooong time to write a blog post lately, like almost as long as to make a little dress for myself. And so I’ve just been feeling… less inclined, and oh so lazy about it, to be honest; even though I want to write.
Anyway; yesterday, it was a perfectly beautiful day and we went out walking at the beach, and I wore the whole lot of them, the skirt and both the tops too. Meaning, in my funny weird little world, a blog post must transpire. Eeeek! Quick sticks!! so I gave myself a bit of a pep talk. Just lay it out there. With minimal fiddling. Just spill, organically. I mean apart from spelling. I am as it happens, the biggest spelling nazi imaginable. I roll my eyes on the regular, at the newspaper, at advertisements on instagram; at all the offending “your”s instead of “you’re”s and so on. I’m sooo judgemental, the absolute worst, in fact! But, I’m getting off track… where was I? Ah yes, writing without pause. Letting the words flow, flying from my fingertips, of their own volition. That’s what this is. Stream of consciousness blogging, for better or worse. Well, that’s what blogging is supposed to be, right? It’s supposed to be a personal journey? Just me, being me? SO! I hereby free myself of further worrying, right now. Begone, thy treacherous feelings of inadequacy!! Vamoose! Whooooosh!!! And; this house, is clean *… I hope!
* … name that movie 
Details:
both tees; based on Closet Case patterns Nettie, thin cotton jersey
Skirt; Vogue 1247, in Outback Wife barkcloth
Tights; made by me, details here
Boots; Roberto del Carlo, from Zomp boutique
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