Strange hobbies

I tend to go through phases - sometimes really long ones - where I just can't bring myself to buy clothes. I love clothes, I love looking at magazines and online and in catalogues and in second hand stores and on etsy and pinterest and - well you get the picture! I like looking in stores too, but even if I find something I like I usually end up thinking "meh, I'd rather sew a dress myself", at least right now.

It's not always less expensive to sew my own, but on the other hand I can be choosier about fabric. And I really do enjoy the process of sewing, choosing a pattern and fabric, cutting it out, fixing all the little details. I suppose I just like spending the time sewing, and have a few things slowly, rather than have lots of clothes quickly.

But time! Boy does it take time. Especially the last few weeks, my school schedule has been really demanding. I started a dress, the perfect fall dress, ages ago, by the time I finish it'll be winter! Today, for example, I sewed and hemmed the sleeves but now I think I have to cut out new ones and start over because I don't like how the plaid matches, or rather doesn't match.

Oh well, it'll be great when I finally finish!

Building a wardrobe

On Thursday I saw Julia Biel at the Stockholm Jazz Festival. It was an amazing concert and extra fun because I had a press ticket - I'll be talking about it in my radio show on wednesday so more on that later.

Getting ready to go though, I discovered an big hole in my wardrobe: I have nothing to wear for an evening out that's not either very casual or quite dressed up. What does one wear to a jazz club, or any concert for that matter where adult people are? My wardrobe right now is very collegiate (hey, if you're going to be a student, milk it I say!), with lots of nice-casual things for day and dresses for dinners and balls. I should edit that to say very Uppsala-collegiate, I think there's more dressing up here than a lot of other schools.

I really like the idea of having a 'complete' wardrobe - of course it would never be completely complete but I like working towards having something for every occassion (the same something works multiple times of course) rather than having tons of clothes and nothing to wear. One of my hobbies is really thinking about clothes, thinking about wardrobe staples and building up "the compleat wardrobe".

So not only did I see a great concert, and go to Stockholm, but I also get to start thinking about the next addition to my wardrobe: What does one wear for a weeknight concert (or theatre visit) in the city? 

fantasy outfits for autumn

As you might know, I'm a Canadian transplant to Sweden. I've been here for a year now and I love almost everything about it. Almost! The one thing I don't like is that my sewing has suffered since I've been here. I have a great sewing machine, a Husqvarna from the '60s, but I have not figured out the fine art of fabric shopping a la Sweden. Fabric is sooooo much more expensive here! I have a fantasy of going to Canada for two weeks with an empty suitcase and spending the whole time sewing and eating Canadian pizza and doughnuts (another thing I miss).

This whole year I've only sewn one blouse, a dress, and a pair of shorts. To satisfy my sewing itch I spend a loooooooot of time on Etsy looking at patterns and imagining what I want to make. Here's a look at some "perfect outfits" I've put together recently.

 I've been admiring this pattern for ages. Oddly enough I ran into a friend a few weeks ago and she was wearing exactly this outfit! (the blouse and red slacks). This confirmed that it looks equally good in real life.  Find it here if you want to snatch it from my fingers.

Summer is very emphatically over and the only thing that could possibly help me to cope with/enjoy fall is the introduction of a Pendleton into my wardrobe. Failing that I could use this pattern to make my own knock-off. From wearevintagesewing's etsy store.

This versatile shirt pattern would work with my fantasy-Pendleton and I love the sweater trims! Imagine how great they'd be for all those sweaters I always imagine myself knitting! It's here.

Speaking of knitting sweaters...

I adore this fair isle! Knitting sweaters actually seems like a more economical prospect here than in Canada, actually - I'm always finding wool on sale - but my slow knitting skills and total lack of stick-to-itiveness when it comes to big projects means this one will almost certainly remain in the realm of fantasy.

Sigh. A girl can dream...

Have you been sewing much recently? What's your fantasy outfit of the moment?

lounge

I took the life-affirming decision this morning that even a girl with a thesis to write can have a lazy Sunday now and then. I'm not sure I can call this a conscious decision. When I saw that I'd slept in almost two hours past my dutifully set alarm, I took it as a sign and kept my pyjamas on, lounged around and listened to Radio Deluxe with John Pizarelli, the jazz guitarist, and Jessica Molaskey.

I sewed these a while ago from a vintage pattern. They have this beautiful yoke and little puffy bloomers.

Yesterday I dried my white laundry in the sun. There's no feeling like sleeping in fresh pyjamas in a freshly-aired bed. These ones make me feel like I fell asleep in the 60s and just woke up, which is a sensation I like to cultivate whenever possible.

Sorbet shades

I am definitely going through a pastel phase. My Lisa Frank-loving inner eight year old is ecstatic.

Belt: ESI.
Shorts and t-shirt: Gina Tricot.

♥