The Ugly Duckling – Dress

I finally finished one of my bigger projects during the last weeks: The Duck Dress (aka. the ugly duckling because it was so obvious).

It all began with this cute duck fabric, cotton, to be precisely. I happened to own the perfect shade of thread for it and so I started thinking of a sun-frock, something light to wear at the lakes in summer, something to take off easily without zippers or buttons, something like a blue sky, light and full of promises for a great day.

I used a pattern I had altered for my baroque / rococo inspired jacket (which I showed here ages ago, but maybe you remember…?), added a skirt, some ruffles and a sash and started to sew.

This is the result:

It turned out quite well if you ask me, cute, feminine yet maidenly, a little bit vintage, a little bit Rockabilly and even a wee bit Alice (just imagine a white apron worn over it ^^).

I’m eagerly waiting for warmer days now to take pictures of it when worn. Maybe it will be when Jules comes over for a visit at the end of the month…

Grey Buttons, Grey Clothes

Grey is a wonderful colour. There are so many shades of grey, light and dark, brown and black, warm and cold, green and blue. My bathing suit needed new buttons, so I used those that I had left over from a pair of shorts that I had to throw away (but not without rescuing the parts that could still be of use!). I like the result. Maybe I should make a matching patch for the right hip, featuring a sea monster…?

Yesterday evening at 11 P.M. I went to the movies with Bambi to see the no-so-new-anymore Sherlock Holmes film. We had planned this long before the exams but due to my illness at least I had no chance to go and as my flat mate is a gentleman he didn’t go either.
The film itself was really nice. I could go on for hours about how I loved the setting and the (grey!) costumes and the witty quarrels between Holmes and Watson and Watson’s dog Gladstone and the detailed fighting scenes including Holmes’ declarations, but I won’t. But I think I’ll get me the DVD.

I still have a small ball of grey wool left that I’ve spun. I think about turning it to a crochet necklace-scarflet-hybrid like these, from Mademoiselle Chaos & Sister Infinity.
At the moment the wool is being steamed over a cauldron in the hedge kitchen for straightening (hand-spun, unplied wool tends to curl and twist), with a little wild rose oil added to the water. I don’t know what effect this may cause or if will do anything at all but I thought it was worth a try.