AT SEA- FASHION: SUNDE-OUTFIT

  The weather is getting cooler, so I must dress warmer. It feels like I have been wearing dresses all summer long, so now it is time to slip into a pair of pants again.

  The root of this outfit is the t-shirt. It is a shirt I got from a boat dealer, from whom we bought our boat nearly two years ago, and which has been lying in my dresser ever since. We are very satisfied with the boat, Sunde, and the shirt is made of quality material, so I decided to make it wearable. Why waste perfectly good material, no matter the commercial side to it?!

Basic t-shirt and stretchy jersey pants. Comfy, yipee! Here I go with blue again, but what can I do? It is the perfect color for a seaside holiday.  =)

This photoshoot was so much fun! I wish to be able to jump like this still in my sixties, and to maintain my childish enthusiasm even way beyond. Time will tell... 

Here is the before-picture of the shirt. An ordinary, boxy men´s shirt. Soooooo unflattering for women!

But when fitted for me, I feel good in it. Thank goodness for sewing machines!

When making this new, fitted version of the shirt, I cut the old one into pieces, following the seamlines. Front and back pieces, and the sleeves, apart. Then simply placed my old reliable t-shirt pattern pieces on top of the fabric and re-cut it. The neckline had to be made over, and I found this old grey rib-jersey from my stash to use in neatening the edge. I stitched in medium grey for contrast, because the shirt was quite dark as it was. It definitely needed something to brighten it up.

Here is shown the original sleeve edge I was able to take granted for when assemblying the new sleeves. To add to the brightening up of the look, I sew a couple of off-white buttons on both sleeves.

Hail the sea! Usually I always make the top lighter than the bottom, but now I could not select the top color myself, and had to go with the best possible option to pair with in the bottom.

Just as with the shirt, I worked a topstitch on with the same color in the pants. A nice little matching detail in both, top and bottom.

The leg hems are tapered with a strip of the same fabric as the pants are made of. This is a very casual look, and it works well for keeping insects and vegetation, like hay, out. Also it makes it quick and easy to pull on a pair of rubber boots, which I need quite often at our cabin. 

  The wheel-of-the-year rolls on, but we keep on mini-vacationing at our summer cabin. It has become a place of peace and serenity for us. A place where we can forget about the everyday life, bills, work, taxes, insurance policies, global warming, wars, and even dirty laundry! A true getaway, a safe haven.


  P.S. In the same manner as this t-shirt for myself, I have previously made a Sunde-t-shirt for my boy too.

FREEDOM FASHION:THE MAKEUP

  My Freedom fashion is probably the most needed and used collection in my life nowadays. Besides being a stay-at-home mom for now (and wearing lots of Pure Home-fashion as well) I´m often running errands and need to grab an easy-to-wear outfit. That outfit needs a matching makeup, and it so happens that I have come to this conclusion:

As fresh and bare-faced as possible, with focus on the eyes. The idea is to look healthy and clean by nature, without any extra effort. As if I was naturally perfect, but totally oblivious of it. (Ha-ha, far from the truth, but what can I do...!)

On the skin I only added transparent mattefying finishing powder to maintain the natural, shower-fresh feeling. On the cheeks I dusted some peachy pink blush, to give a healthy glow. I´m in the process of letting my eyebrows get a bit thicker, on "brow rehab", to look even more natural and let the brows give more frame and character to my face.

On the eyelids I applied matte off-white eyeshadow on the inner half, and no darker shade anywhere. The idea is to brighten up the eyes unnoticeably. I also added off-white eyeliner to the inner rim of the lower lid for the same reason. It immediately loses the tiredness from my face (which of course I do not even have =) but still the effect is awesome).  The only thing that may be noticeable to the observing eye is the black liquid eyeliner I used, sparingly, to make the eyes pop out of the otherwise bland face. To the lips I applied a thin coat of subtle cool pink lipstick.

  At this time of year I am at my most tanned, even though I do not sunbathe or try to tan. But the sun works it´s magic no matter. As it does on my hair too! It remains too blonde for my taste, despite my attempts of coloring it a bit darker. So this look is quite different now than what it is, say, in February.
   Nonetheless the basics stay the same, and I can run my errands looking like this year-round. I´m convinced that this is such a classic look, that I will not have to be embarrased 10-15 years from now, looking back old pictures. A proof that fashions and trends come and go, but style is forever!

TUESDAY OUTFIT FOR A GIRL

    This second look for my little one-year-old I call "The Modern Classic". I took a classic look, a striped basic t-shirt and pants, and gave it a little twist to make it more interesting.

   Tuesday is a good day, but not the most fun day of the week. On Tuesdays I am is still focused on work/school/daycare for the week, and want to keep it more tamed and "professional" (obviously a one-year-old doesn´t have to be professional, but I´m speaking in general  =). It is not yet time to let loose, but still enjoy life and beauty.

It is too easy to go too boyish with this look. So I chose a mint-and-grey striped fabric for the shirt to go along with the "jeans". At a glance it looks very classic and casual.

With a closer look the detail pops out: a silvery double necklace. A very usual accessory, but not yet for one-year-olds, right? All girls deserve a little bling-bling.  =)

I thought of a clever trick to make it possible for my girl to wear a necklace without tearing it apart: sewing it right onto the shirt, loop by loop. By hand of course. A little more time consuming, but worth every minute!

The pants look like blue jeans, but are made of soft and stretchy jersey. A rubber band at the top makes sure they are totally comfortable to wear, and she can do all the stunts she wants to without clothes restricting her movement.

To bind the top and bottom together stylewise, I used mint green thread for top-stitching, and added silver bows to the leg hems. It is simply awesome when the top and bottom are in tune with each other, creating a harmonious whole.

  Now in reality I certainly do not mean that this outfit will be worn only on Tuesdays. I just used the weekdays as a base to which to build different characteristics and moods.
  With kids it is not possible to make a Sabbat-related wardrobe and be environmentally conscious. They grow out of their clothes before the next time around, so the lifespan of a piece would only be about six weeks, instead of years like with us grown ups. That´s why the color scheme of this Tuesday Outfit has nothing to do with my usual palette of Lughnasadh we´re living through right now.

FREEDOM FASHION: SILLY LITTLE NECKLACE

  This necklace came out of the blue, when I saw the bag of alphabetical beads in a craft store the other day.

A subtle piece of jewelry that doesn´t draw much attention, but which completes an otherwise plain look. Until now I have not cared much for these types of necklaces or bracelets, but since this one doesn´t say my name, it is fine.

At a closer look it shows some color too. I´ve had the glass beads in my drawer for some years, and now, finally, they found their place.

Silver and black are the core colors of my Freedom Collection, so you see why I just had to get them? I wired the beads with an elastic cord, so the whole thing is easy to slip on.

  The project is totally easy, cheap, and fun to do with kids (and suits both boys and girls)!

SATURDAY OUTFIT FOR A GIRL

  Comfortable clothing is often ugly, even for children. I strolled around the mall some time ago, trying to find cute and comfy clothes for my girl to wear, and came home empty-handed. Well I did get her a pack of socks, but that doesn´t count.  =)

  As if I didn´t have my hands full sewing the perfect garderobe for myself, piece by piece, I grabbed a pencil and pen, and started to sketch. What are her/my needs and likes? How to create enough variety? What kind of clothes are easy to wear in everyday life? So many questions, so many choices.

  This is the first outfit for a Saturday at home, full of fun, play, and family time.

For Lughnasadh, soft yellow and warm medium-brown, combined, hit the nail.

Although the nights are becoming dark again (the brown), the days are still light, sunny, and warm (the yellow).

We can still enjoy the butterflies fluttering around us, reminding us that even though Lughnasadh starts the autumn, the weather is still lovely and fit even for them. So let´s enjoy every moment of warmth and sunshine!

I "drive" a standard Singer, with not many nifty features. This shirt, however, yelled for a decorative stitch in contrast color to give detail. This is actually the first time I ever used this stitch, and I must say I am impressed by the outlook and the way it worked on the fabric (didn´t stretch it at all!). Apparently old dogs do learn new tricks after all...  =)

The pants are made with the same pattern as the overalls I made earlier (which have become a favorite by the way, yey!). They are loose and totally comfy to wear.

The material is stretchy but firm, just right for kids´ pants. The color is quite gloomy, so I used yellow thread in sewing. It brightens up the look and also binds the two pieces together.

As a final touch I added yo-yos to the other leg hem to add girlishness. They almost look like flowers - food for the butterfly on the shirt!

  Both of these pieces are easy and made with a very basic pattern (to be exact, from Ottobre design 04/08).  Other patterns can naturally be used just as easily.

WATERLILIES

  Beauty makes life sweeter. Besides trying to do my little share, I also enjoy thoroughly the beauty already existing around me. Especially nature´s offerings. Like these breathtaking waterlilies I let my eyes feast upon the other day:

I´m speachless.

GIRL´S OVERALLS

  Overalls are a terribly clever piece of clothing for toddlers. Here is a pair I just made for my one-year-old girl, for outside play:

 

These pants will stay on, no matter how wild her swing gets! Overalls are not a privilege for boys only. They can be made suitable for girls just as well. This is only one, and probably the most classic way, to do it. Still using the good old denim (which here is a leftover piece I found in my drawers) as material, but adding girly details to it. The letter "N" is the center piece, and others add up to the whole, making it balanced.

I hand-stitched the pinkish thread on to create a more home-made feeling, and also a little ragdoll-vibe perhaps. I prefer little girls living the life of a relaxed ragdoll, instead of the perfection-oriented life of a Barbie. Concentrating too much on oneself rules out other dimensions of life. So pretty, but not perfect, is my goal.

Two sets of snap fasteners is an easy way to prolong the pants´  lifespan.

The waist is simple, with only an elastic band, so I added some decorative buttons just for looks.

No back pockets, they are too boyish for this look. Instead other interesting details are offered to please the eye and draw attention.

Buttons are both pretty and functional, they keep the straps in place.

Well thought of from top to toe: the leg bottoms are tapered with stretchy jersey to keep the dirt out, and the fabric from dragging the ground.

  Happy playtime my love!

P.S. The pattern I used to make the pants was from Ottobre Magazine 4/08 (so it probably is difficult to get by now). But you can use any regular sweatpant pattern you can get your hands on, to make these. Only add the missing pieces by casually estimating the measures. It doesn´t have to be so perfect!  =)
   I simply added the patch and the shoulder straps on by approximately eyeballing, and then sketching them straight onto the fabric.

ANTS

  The other night it felt like I was in Hitchcock`s The Birds.

I was innocently enjoying the last rays of the setting sun...

 ...when all of a sudden I was surrounded by hundreds of flying ants!

 They were coming from and swirling all over the place, and it felt uncomfortable, to express it mildly. They got on my clothes, skin, face, and hair.

I´m no biologist at National Geographic, but these creatures were definitely ants of some sort. I suppose they are the new generation of future queens, migrating in masses to new lands waiting to be conquered.

There must have been at least a hundred of them on me by the time I was finished taking pictures (stupid me, why do I need to stick my face into everything...?) !

  Luckily I did not get bitten or stung, not even once! Apparently queens don´t hurt their kind... =)
  No matter how unpleasant the experience, I know they are an important part of this world, and have a job to do. So I gently shrugged them off me, and moved my lazy queen butt inside and went to bed.

 

EATING PLAN FOR LUGHNASADH

  Japan and macrobiotic eating were the sources of inspiration when I made my eating plan for Lughnasadh. All streamlined Nelland-style to match my liking. 
  The main focus is on cutting down sugar, which is pretty much my last bad habit.

 

 
    Check it out here!