19 Mar 2013

tablecloth top - vintage fashion


There is a certain security in planning. The perfect parchment has been chosen. It's untarnished surface begging for immaculate A+ worthy letters.  Your head tilts to admire the ruler like straightness of your prose and you dot a stray "i" with accomplishment as if you're adding the last flourish to a Botticelli. 

I revel in the perfect "to do" list favouring lolly coloured felt pens and headings encased in frothy cumulonimbus clouds. There's the "to email/call", the "to do", "to buy".  Items completed are crossed off and often a zesty tick is marked beside them. This weekly art form however hides a multitude of sins as too often the planning overshadows the doing.

Embarking on this new year and all the wonders and tumult it will be bring I have endeavoured to let go of the plan somewhat and embrace more of the do. The plan is still kept on a leash these days albeit a longer one now but the do sits proudly on my lap happily being fed morsels of my thoughts and most importantly - my time.

With dreams to fill my wardrobe with vintage and handmade treasures I have deviated from the fabric store perusing, the pattern book marking and that great foe of the do - the plan.  Vintage patterns have been snaffled up still bearing their old Coles price gun tag for 50cents and drapey tablecloths, sheets and household furnishings of yore have been collected. Lavender scented and fresh from the sun they have been cut up and transformed anew. Their cost is minimal and the planning even less so but the rewards have been far greater than those ambitious projects that more often than not spend their time languishing beneath a hot pink cloud.  Tucked away in that perfect kind of notebook they never see the light of day nor are ever bestowed with that school mistress tick.

Steph x

I have been bold with my sewing lately and have stepped away from the security of store bought patterns. Ginormous vintage kaftans have been purchased and reborn as floaty maxis, vintage patterns and wisps of this and that have made blouses and shorts. A cut here, a dart there and a liberal dash of "what's the worst that can happen?" has helped to fill my wardrobe with pieces I love for next to nothing. This post is the first in a series of vintage fashion revamps where I've made tutorials of things I've upcycled. I'd love for you to join me on this thrifty adventure.

I have been trying so very hard to copy this pattern and upload it here to share with all of you. Fingers crossed!

21 comments:

  1. It's beautiful Steph, I love it and I can't wait to see your other revamps.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous! I hope you succeed with the upload.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Absolutely gorgeous Steph! When do you find the time to make such beautiful things. You must write a post about how you manage your time (with little ones in tow), I'd love to know your tips and tricks :) Melinda x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Steph, you could wear a paper bag and look stunning. You are gorgeous on the inside and out. This is a. Beautiful up cycle. Well done xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, that top is very lovely and so are you in it! I would love to give this top a go! Seems it might suit all us ladies! xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fabulous (and beautiful) transformation.

    Nina x

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are a truly beautiful woman, Steph. I admire the things you're able to create! xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love it. It turned out so cute.
    I have so many vintage patterns I need to start using.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I was just searching the web for dress patterns the other day! I want to try my hand at more sewing!
    Ellen xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a gorgeous creation Steph..it looks lovely on.
    I have a few thrifted tablecloths here bought for the purpose of repurposing them but so far I've been too afraid to cut into them.
    x

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love it! I hope you manage to upload the pattern...
    Snowy greetings from Stockholm, Sweden.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow! That looks amazing - so brave to think out of the box.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Absolutely lovely! I love the design. I can tell I am going to get very inspired by your blog. :o) New follower. :o)

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is my goal! I've just done a huge closet purge and am hoping to embark on a year of no spending but rather making something new when I want it, entirely from thrifted fabrics. I am a very beginning sewer though so am starting small with a few projects before I am confident enough to do this. A few articles that have inspired me... http://bemorewithless.com/mini-missions/ and http://pinkronnie.com/tag/the-happy-closet/

    ReplyDelete
  15. a gorgeous creation Steph! That pattern no doubt will get such a workout and the thriftyness of it all is such a bonus. Yes, less in the planning, more in the doing. I love your approach and philosophy dear friend! (and that gorgeous red lippy!) can't wait for more in this series xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love love love! You super clever girl! I can feel a crafternoon coming on.
    Soph xx

    ReplyDelete
  17. Stunning. Well done. You look beautiful modeling it too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is so beautiful, and you look beautiful wearing it :)

    ReplyDelete

Your words brighten my day! Thank-you so much for joining me on my adventure. x