All the Inspiration

I do love TMS family but choosing my inspiration for this month was so/sew easy. Michelle from That Black Chic consistently inspires me with her bold use of colour and ability to mix and match patterns.

I also love that her looks are sassy, feminine and edgy without being revealing. She also has such a gorgeous daughter who does a lot of her modelling and clearly rocks everything Michelle makes for her!

I think it was the rum punch dress that made me really want to have more fun with mixing patterns and embracing bolder colour (I’ve always loved colour). I tried to paste the picture in here to no avail… sorry team but the link is there.

So this month, inspired by Michelle, I’ve made 2 items – one is a make over of a garment I was given and the other is a super simple (and not entirely successful!) skirt.

I was at a fabric shop that was closing down, with my sister, when I spied this beautiful yellow lace and hot pink silk satin. She convinced me to make a skirt with it.

I love this fabric and the colour combo heaps, but I’m not 100% on the way it sits when I’m not holding it out… I also may have made it slightly long I think which drabs it down a bit as well…

I will persevere with it though, maybe playing around with the styling will help too. If I really can’t live with it, it wouldn’t be too hard to change as it’s essentially just 2 panels gathered onto an elastic waistband. (I probably made the waistband a bit lose too, I’m terrified of a too-tight waist and major muffin top/spillage over the top)… suggestions?

The top is one I was given from a friend but it was rather too tight around the arms and over the bust. So I decided to play around with it. I have a bit of a goal to do more pattern on pattern at the moment so I thought this would be a risk-free way to have a play.

I unpicked the side seams and replaced them with some fun wide elastic I’d picked up at creative junk (a local shop full of weird and wonderful offcasts of random stuff) and then I chopped the lower back and replaced it with some leftovers from my daisy skirt.

I’m quite pleased with the final result. Still pretty simple but a little more fun and a good way to play around with patterns.

I have a few other projects on the go at present but having moved back to our home (!!!!! wahoo!!!!) this week I think I probably need to spend several hours sorting out my little sewing room before I manage to complete much else.

My 7-year-old took these photos for me… so, this is how I look when you are 7! 😉

Thanks Michelle for your inspiration, for your fearless use of colour and your ability to mix prints like an absolute boss. I love your work – keep it coming!!

Until IPM that would be peace out from me!

love you more than a perfectly fitted waistband xxx