Later, Winter!

Readers, I have big news.
This morning I wore a dress for at least two whole hours before running back to the bedroom for a sweater and tights. Thrilling stuff, right? I knew I had to have something good to make up for my recent lack of posts...

Things have been quiet here on the blog, but busy enough on the store front. As excited as I am for Spring to finally arrive in my hemisphere, I'm also vaguely nervous about my first Fall/Christmas season. There's a likely chance that sales will halt altogether, but for now I'd rather keep positive and prepare for an influx of international sales!

I have been experimenting with a bunch of new designs and ideas lately, but it's always the gloves that end up the most satisfying. This pair is my current favourite colour combination. There's just something about bright orange with cool grey lately.

Originally I wanted to do something a little more complex with the colour-work, but the simplicity of this pair just kind of works. Available here as of today :)

In other knitting news, I finally decided on yarn to make the long-awaited chunky sweater of my dreams. This lovely blue wool/nylon blend yarn was reclaimed from an old sweater and then washed and re-skeined. It's from an awesome Etsy store called Kitty's Curiosity, and is such an affordable way to buy an entire sweaters worth of nice wool. I can't wait to get started!



The weather is only just starting to change, but I couldn't be more ready to say goodbye to August! Have you started making creative plans for the new season?

Beautiful Finds - Etsy Eyecandy

Vintage Justin Roper ankle boots from NowVintage - Oregon, United States. I love the deep burgundy colour!

Beautiful ombre resin necklace in forest green. Handmade by Beauty Spot, Ukraine.

Gorgeous Czech glass beads in caramel, from Zoe & Bruno. Victoria, Australia. Seriously check out this store - I have never seen beads look so delicious!

Hand-carved wooden hair/shawl pin by The Ancient Muse, Turkey. I just discovered this store, and if you're looking for interesting things to do with your hair, it's amazing!

Happy Monday everyone!

Apologies for being MIA of late - on top of uni work and knitting new orders I've been doing a little bit of event management. Can't wait to fill you in on the details :D

I'll have plenty to post about once the fun part begins - preparing decorations!

A Striped Knit Dress - With Sparkles!

I bought this organic cotton jersey a few months back, after seeing this knit dress from Madewell (no longer available). I have been loving the combination of horizontal and vertical stripes for a while now, and there's nothing better than a looming essay on rhetorical criticism to motivate me to sew!

Warning: Despite my sad hair day, this is a pretty picture-heavy post. This dress is that awesome!

If you have been reading this blog a little while, you might recognise the bodice from my blue striped top. The unexpectedly trusty Simplicity 9427 was a pretty perfect candidate for this dress style.

I cut the size XS, stopping at the waist-line, plus taking a slice out of the center back and a decent amount from the side seams to account for stretch. As happy as I am with the result, I sort of wish I had stayed true to my inspiration and straightened the front side seams. 

Next time I guess!

All seams and top-stitching were done using a ballpoint needle and zig-zag stitch on my regular machine. I used a strip of elastic to gather the skirt pieces before attaching them to the bodice. This means that the waist seam is extra flexible when pulling the dress on and off. PJ level comfort!

The jersey is pretty lightweight, so it's going to be awesome in Summer. For now, though, it goes nicely with tights and a cardigan!

Because the fabric is so thin, I decided to line the bodice for a bit more structure and opacity. The back panel is lined with self-fabric, and was literally the only stripe-matching required for this dress! I lined the front pieces using a soft and slightly thicker cream knit from my scrap pile. 

The greatest thing about this jersey is near invisible in the above photos, so here are some gratuitous close ups. Gold sparkles!

If you want to get your hands on some of this gold striped organic cotton jersey, it's still available via The Remnant Warehouse (AU & NZ). I'm hoping to scrounge a casual top out of my leftovers!

Lining a knit garment is not something I have done before, but with careful pinning it was pretty straightforward. The result is beautiful. I love the clean neckline and the way it makes the whole dress feel more secure. I'm positive that it will last longer too. 

Have you ever lined a knit garment (the Moneta dress, perhaps)? I'd love to hear what you think!

Happy Sunday!

Beautiful Finds - Etsy Eyecandy

Botanical themed ceramic buttons by Back Bay Pottery - CA, United States.
Have you ever seen buttons so gorgeous?! If anyone happens to buy a set, pretty please show me what you do with them!



These beautiful oak wood coasters would be so perfect on a painted coffee table. Handmade by Les Domoy - Moscow, Russia.



I just love the mint and gold combination of this multi-strand leather bracelet. Handmade by Aimee Glucina - Auckland, New Zealand.



I just recently stumbled across the wonderful prints by Sam Georgieff of Poor Dog Farm, United States. His store is filled to the brim with beautiful ink and watercolour artworks - many featuring adorable animals wearing hats, like this "dapper manatee"!


Hope everyone has been having a lovely week :)
I'm looking forward to some sunny weather over the weekend - there is a new dress longing to be photographed!