Sweetheart top

I've finally finished another top! I used up the rest of the material from my dress (and ran out so there is a small white panel at the back). It's a strapless top with an elasticated back which actually does hold it up. Today was the perfect way to wear it. I think it has been the most beautiful day of the year so far.

Nature was clearly pleased. While my sister was taking a photo, a robin landed on the branch right next to me, although you can't really see it in the photo. Our cherry tree is blossoming. It's like little fluffy clouds are softening the spiky twigs.

I also thought I would include a beautiful photo of my penguin costume. It's so comfy! Although I know I shouldn't really wear it all the time. I plan to do a 5k sponsored run in it this summer. Hopefully I'll manage it. Really there aren't any penguins where we're going, but it's pretty hard to get hold of a polar bear costume.

I've got Etsy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Charlottegold?ref=pr_shop

Come and check it out

I'll be using any money I manage to raise from it to fund my stay in icy Svalbard this summer. For more information check out http://www.bses.org.uk/ or ask me.

Collages

Some of my inspirations

 Photos are mostly from vogue

An amazing image from an ancient National Geographic bought at a car boot sale.



Peonies

Peonies are my favourite flowers. I don't think photos do them justice. I love the way the petals are balled together tight as babies fists. I think they are the essence of nature.

My first dress

I bought this gingham material back in the summer. I think it harks back to previous childhood days when we used to make lavender bags with it. Originally I intended to make a top with it, inspired by Christopher Kane's summer 10 collection, which I loved. But instead I made the coffee date dress, at first only the top, but later the skirt too.

 I really love how it falls and I found it much easier to make than I thought I would. However I somehow managed to get the two sides of the dress out by about a centimeter by the zip which looks quite weird. The ruffles also stick up quite a bit. It is suggested that you sew them down, but I quite like the flounce they have at the moment.

I feel very much like a housewife-to-be when wearing it, much like the ladies that inspired Mona Lisa Smile, which I think this photo emulates perfectly. (Photo from UncleEddies blog I think.. ) All I need is a string of pearls and flawless make-up, and I would have blueberry jam and muffins for tea.

Please comment with any tips or suggestions you have, and thanks for reading.

My first top

My first ever attempt at an item of clothing. I absolutely love it. So it doesn't fit too well... I used poppers because we have drawers full of them for some reason (I think they were inherited from my great grandma, and all the packets have really pretty old designs on them) Anyway I couldn't quite place them right. But I do really love poppers. I don't think we use them enough on clothes, and they make a fantastic sound, although they are a bit fiddly.

I made a vest top because they're what I wear the most, and it appeared quite simple, although I did somehow manage to miss out a pattern piece on the back. I think it's quite airy and I really can't wait to wear it on a (hot) summer's day and run through a meadow. I'm getting a bit sick of the cold, which is funny because I'm going to be spending my summer in a subzero environment.

Patterns are often so hard to wear. I'm never really sure about them, and it's always a bit tempting to wear every single piece of clothing with a pattern on it, and make an enormous melee. They're a great way to make an outfit interesting, but sometimes they look just plain weird. The shapes in the pattern of my shirt are a bit like kidneys. The top reminds of a photo I took of rose sweets in Florence. I wish I had bought some of those sweets because they look delicious, although I doubt I would ever have been able to bring myself to actually eat them.

Blizzarded ramble

The other day I did a walk in the snow. It was a sponsored walk to raise money for my trip to Svalbard in 2011. And yes, I picked probably one of the snowiest and coldest days I remember. Good practice. Sadly we couldn't get a train anywhere, so we ended up walking alongside the Thames.

However, it led to some of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen in London. These were taken around the nearest park, a sunny childhood haunt, here almost unrecogniseable to me. We couldn't even see the other side of the Thames.

I really enjoyed the walk for the sake of it, but I hope it will also help me somewhat towards my target of £3000. Sure.

I love how these photos look almost black and white. Frosty, frosty.

For some strange, irrelevant reason, it reminds me of Voices in the Park, by Anthony Browne.