Hey Ho, Let's Sew!

 

One of my Xmas presents from Liz was a "cowgirl chic" McCall's Historic Costume pattern which came  with the offer of some free sewing lessons. Whilst eating our Xmas dinner a few hours later I decided that the vintage Indian block printed throw I was using as a tablecloth would be the perfect for one of the garments. 

Last Wednesday, after playing around with the pieces, Liz & I decided that the blouse would led itself perfectly to the pattern placement on the throw. Although I can sew, I'm not all that confident when it comes to scary things like cuffs and button holes so it was brilliant having Liz talk me through each step. We started sewing at 11am and despite numerous breaks for tea, cake, lunch and cat fuss, by 4pm I had a wearable (and gorgeous) garment! 

I considered waiting until we'd made the complete outfit before wearing the blouse but at the end of the day, I'm just too impatient!

On Friday, for a morning of charity shopping, I wore it with a vintage 1970s Phool midi skirt and my black suede knee-high boots.

 

On Monday, for a brisk walk to the Lidl lockers, I wore it with a 1970s India Imports of Rhode Island maxi skirt, leather cowboy boots, a vintage sheepskin gilet and my burgundy fedora.

And today, for an early morning swim, breakfast in 'Spoons and a look around the charity shops, I combined it with a vintage Anokhi maxi skirt, my Clarks platforms, a Y2K Moroccan leather belt and a olive cord baker boy cap bought from the Monsoon sale using some loyalty vouchers (making it almost free!) 

In the mood for some Cowgirl inspiration, I've been rewatching Godless on Netflix. Set in 1884, a young outlaw on the run from his vengeful mentor winds up in a small New Mexico town populated almost entirely by women. I know we both loved it the first time we watched it but had forgotten just how much we loved it.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring, amongst others, Jack O'Connell (SAS Rogue Heroes), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Wolf Hall) and the divine Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), it's absolutely magnificent, kick-ass women, a superb script and cinematically gorgeous...and some fabulous block-printed cotton blouses!  

It was slim pickings in the charity shops this week although Jon did find himself a cable knit wool jumper and a cool chores jacket. I found a 1980s mustard bejewelled jacket, a vintage sequinned capelet with bugle bead tassels, a 1980s silk-lined cocktail jacket with a sequin and pearl encrusted paisley design and this 100% linen midi dress from uber-posh label, Poetry which I found online retailing at £179 - I love it but it drowns me...

This hand-blown Bristol blue glass vase (£2.99) to add to our ever-growing collection of Mid-Century studio glass. 

I also picked up a couple of books from Cancer UK's 2 for £1 shelf and read Catherine Flynn's What Was Lost in an afternoon. Set in a Birmingham shopping centre over a twenty year period, Lisa, a disillusioned record shop assistant and Kurt, a sleep-deprived security guard, unite to find Kate, a missing junior detective. Is it a thriller, a ghost story, a wickedly comic satire on our consumerist society or something inbetween? A genre defying work of genius that had me guessing to the very last page. I bloody loved it.

I started The Familiars last night, a gripping piece of witch-lit from the award winning English writer of gothic fiction, Stacey Halls. 

I've used another of my vintage block printed throws to make the skirt but although I've made loads of skirts in the past, I'm completely stumped by some of these instructions. Liz.....help!

 

I've got some exciting plans for later this week, I'll report back very soon!