Blouse, Buster, and Knitting

It's been a busy week. My tutoring job is picking up and I have several new students. With my wrists feeling better I've also be going for knit nights with my friend again. Of course now I work evenings so they have become knit mornings. I must come up with a cuter name then just "morning knitting"... any suggestions?

I've also been sewing a bunch of new stuff for the shop, which will hopefully be posted in a week or two. Somehow I managed to find a little bit of time to sew myself something too. This blouse has been on my "to-sew" list for ages. The fabric is a very light poly-cotton blend which doesn't wrinkle, making it the perfect blouse for to wear to work. I dressed it up a little for knit morning with a hat and skirt/vest combo.  

(I'm squinting since the sun was ridiculously bright!)

Outfit Details

Skirt, Blouse, and Earrings - All made by me!

Vest - Thrifted

Hat - Icings

Blouse close-up. The purple buttons I used are vintage. (I'm knitting a blanket square if anyone was wondering)

The 1940's Blouse Pattern

 Like my new pillow?

Yup, I now have a Buster Keaton pillow. Isn't it awesome? Want to know what's even cooler? I made it myself! I'm stupidly proud of this pillow but I love it so much. I used inkodye and a printed transparency of Buster. This was my "test project", and I have a bunch of other inkodye projects planned. I just adore the effect and it's really easy to do! 

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

That's All.

Knitting

My wrists are finally improving and I've been able to knit a little bit again. It seems my wrist problem is linked to my posture, so if I fix my posture knitting should be fine! I can't tell you how overjoyed I am. The thought of never knitting again was terribly depressing, and what would have become of my rather large yarn stash?! Anyways, I have started a new sweater project on circular needles (less stress on my wrists) and have been browsing knitting pattern books. 

One book I came across in my search was this book from 1908 put out by Columbia Yarns. There are a range of great patterns in this book. These are a couple of my favourites:

You can flip through the book below or use the menu bar below it to open it into a large view. 

I've never actually knitted a pattern from before 1920, but I may have to give one a try. I love knitting from vintage patterns. Any other knitters into vintage patterns? What is the oldest pattern you've worked from?

That's All.

Spinning

Another beautiful Sunday afternoon! I worked a lot of tutoring hours this week, so it was great to kick back this weekend and relax a bit. I spent most of the weekend doing some sewing for me and going out for a coffee in the afternoon. For my usual Sunday jaunt, I wore my go-to grey skirt and a light pink sweater. The sweater was bought a couple years ago at an antique shop. I've seen an almost identical sweater pattern from the 1940s, but I think this sweater was handknit much later. The yarn seems to suggest maybe 80's/90s? Hard to say, but either way it was a steal for $6. 

Speaking of yarn, guess what I've been doing lately? No, not knitting. I'm working on getting my poor wrists fixed, but knitting is still off-limits for a while. Instead I've been making yarn with the spinning wheel my dad made me for Christmas. I have it perfectly adjusted now and it works like a dream. 

Isn't she pretty?

I have some merino/silk blend I'm spinning at the moment. It is the most beautiful mix of blues, purples, and silver. If you want to see the wheel in action, I took a few second video of me demonstrating it. The lighting and sound are a bit off in the video I'm afraid. It's really not that loud in person. 

I do love my little spinning wheel. I can't wait to make something from my homespun yarn.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

That's All.

Sunny Sundays

It was a glorious day outside today. The sun was shining and the air was at least less cold than it has been. I spent today as I spend most Sundays: driving through the countryside to get to one of my favourite little coffee shops. I threw off my coat when we got back to snap a few quick outfit photos.

My sewing machine just came home after a week at the repair shop. After more than 2 weeks without being able to sew, I was just itching to make something. I chose this pattern from the blog well-suited. It's based off of a 1950's blouse and is super comfy. The pattern is simple and satisfyingly quick to make. I loved how easy it was to sew, even with the finicky blue jersey I chose. 

I paired my new blouse with a skirt I made several years ago (with two petticoats underneath it for a bit of volume). The necklace used to belong to my grandmother and is made from polished stones.

This warm weather has me even more excited for spring. I'm hoping to get back into shape and have a bunch of all-day hikes planned. I may have to sew myself a cute backpack to bring snacks and picnic lunches in. Now I just need to find some cute woodland fabric...

That's All.

How to be an Actor (1926)

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Apparently that's all there is to it. I love the "passion" expression. 

Ties

Hello everyone. It seems like a while since I last posted although it's only been a little over a week (are you sure it hasn't been a month?!). The last week or so has been rather rough. My sweet little kitty was very sick and the vet thought her kidneys were failing. Thankfully, all her blood tests came back fine. The vet now thinks maybe she is just getting dehydrated because of her thyroid problem. We have her on fluids and she seems to be doing quite well.

On a lighter note, I've also been busy with my new tutoring job. It's going quite well so far, and I'm enjoying it more than I expected. I really enjoy doing high-school math (especially calculus). University sort of ruined math for me but now I'm falling back in love with the subject.

As a tutor, I feel the need to dress "smart". This means the ties are back! Wearing a necktie always makes me feel more intelligent. A lot of women's blouses do not button up high enough to work with a tie, so sometimes I safety-pin the top closed. This weekend I went for a more casual look and just loosely looped the tie around my neck. It was the perfect outfit for a ramble through the countryside followed by a latte in a quirky independent coffee shop.

Outfit Details:

Tie and Sweater-Vintage

"Knickers"- Made by me

Tights- Winners

Shoes- The Bay

Sunglasses- Zehrs

Everything else- been in my closet too many years to remember

I'm thinking with my new job I may treat myself to some new clothing. I've been so busy making stuff for other people, I haven't made anything for myself in ages. Some new blouses and skirts are on my "must-make" list, and I may go on a $20 "shopping spree" in Value Village for things I can't make myself (namely sweaters due to my injured wrist). 

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

That's All.

Missing November

It's been snowing like crazy here! I just got a new job at a tutoring centre and was supposed to have my first day yesterday but had to stay home due to the weather. Which makes tonight my first night so wish me luck!

I've been so busy sewing (new garments are now in my shop!) that I haven't been getting dressed up much lately. Luckily, I have some outfit shots from November that I had forgotten about. I was going for a 1930s vibe that day. 

Outfit Details:

Grey Skirt: Made by me

Faux Fur Stole: Also made by me (click here for a tutorial)

Sweater: Thrifted

Hat: Zellers (from when there still was a Zellers...)

These pictures make me reminiscent for when there was only a dusting of snow on the ground. I love snow, but there is just too much on the ground to allow me to go for walks anymore. I miss my daily walk in the woods.

What's the weather like where you are? Anyone else buried in snow?

That's All.

Compromises on Bobbed Hair (1924)

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Well, it's certainly "different".....