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Friday 11 September 2015

The muslin that travelled the continent


Peaceful, quiet setting for a photo shoot, right? Not exactly. The minute I brought out the tripod all hell broke loose in paradise. Here I'm standing under a walnut tree with a noisy squirrel above my head, and an over excited dog in hunting mode running in circles around me. The squirrel was firing nuts like canon balls, the dog pumped up the barking volume to deafening heights. My options were either accessorize the outfit with a helmet and hearing protection or call it a day. Guess what. The outfit wasn't that special to begin with!

The shirt is a Deer and Doe Plantain, my first short sleeved version. I recently bought a piece of digital printed fabric with a print with a large repeat. Before cutting it I wanted to make sure the pattern placement would work, with a nice line of flowers around the hem, the best colours near my face and a smaller print at the sleeves.



Did you ever pick up a piece of fabric from the leftover bin to do some tests and unexpectly ended up with what became your most worn garment of the season? Although my test garment needed some tweaks before cutting the pansies, it was a wearable muslin. What's more, it was in my suitcase all summer when I was travelling around Europe!




Here it is in Scotland, perfectly matching the floral decor. I'm not sure what special effect makes it look like a rodent had a go at my neckband?  Errr, rodents becoming a theme in this post ;)
Speaking of the neckband, I shortened it a little compared to my previous Plantain. Bad move, cause I don't like the U-shape, and it's even pulling the shoulders inwards.
In Scotland the shirt was used a layering piece, worked fine with a black cardigan.

Later this summer we went on a roadtrip to Prague and Slovakia. Sadly, or not, there are no pictures available of me cycling through the Slovakian countryside on days with temperatures rising as high as 38 Celsius, but I did and I wore this shirt.

More proof of the cosmopolitan allure of this shirt: the German edition, with Schnitzel und Bier!




As this was my last of summer sewing, the pansies will have to wait. I cleared out my sewing room, went on a autumn fabric shopping spree and am so ready for the new season!

I'll end with some pictures of Slovakia, a beautiful country well worth a visit!


Tvrdosovce
Devin castle

Bratislava
An der schonen blauen Donau

I hope you all had a good summer (or winter) and are full of brand new sewing plans for the upcoming season. Happy sewing!

15 comments:

  1. This is a lovely top and I can see why it got so much wear during your holiday. Can't wait to see the pansy fabric made up. It's just gorgeous.

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    1. Thanks! I put the pansy fabric on the spring stack so it may take a while....

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks, Kathy. I usually prefer more dressy garments, but it worked fine for the holidays!

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  3. Your photos are gorgeous, and your top is lovely, you look beautiful!

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    1. Thanks, Linda! For me pictures are the best souvenirs!

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  4. Beautiful photos - and I like the top too! I think I prefer that to the pansies but I'll wait to see it made up.

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    1. That pansy fabric is actually quite over the top. I only pictured a small part of the print but there's also some leopard print (weird combination) and more exotic florals on display. I'll think a bit longer about pattern placement ;)

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  5. Sitting here picturing your little dog barking at and chasing a squirrel who is hurling nuts at him has made my morning. I love little dogs with such ambition and spirit. As for your top, it is gorgeous and it's vibrant colours really suit you. The remnant bin at any fabric shop is a magnet for me and usually I find some treasure which will turn into a favourite piece of clothing. I will look forward to seeing the beautiful pansy fabric made up and your Autumn projects completed. Now I must head to my sewing room and start on my summer wardrobe.

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    1. Can't wait to see your summer sewing! I love the change of seasons and the new patterns and fabrics. Right now I want to sew all things purple or warm and fluffy!

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  6. Looks lovely on. I love the plaintain pattern. It's a great fit for me. I love the scoop.

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    1. So do I! I don't know why I ruined the scoop this time as it looks fine in my other Plantains. What was I thinking when I tightened the neckband??

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  7. Don't you just love garments like this top - they are not perfect, so you are not scared of wearing them. Looks good. We very nearly bumped into each other - on my holiday recently, I also visited Prague :).

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    1. O! That would have been fun!!! Imagine talking about sewing on the Charles Bridge :) It was my first time in Prague and I really want to go back for a longer visit.

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  8. Haha, that was the only picture where I wasn't out of focus :))

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