Tuesday 31 December 2013

Highlights, Lowlights, Obesession & Bra-less

Happy New Year!

We did our Highlights and Lowlights of 2013, it seems very short this last year - very busy, a lot of experimenting, set backs and successes. I am happy to let go of 13 and stand tall for 14.

I had to post this new, old project again, sorry about that. But the bra issue is a very important one to me and I think I might have solved it, but I cannot promise not to continue to experiment in this matter. 

No impact fashion means that I do not feel what I am wearing. The first time I noticed the opposite was when I felt sick of wearing jeans as they squeezed my tummy. Not only that but I found the seams bulky and painful on the body. I could continue with shoes and so on... My conclusion is I do not want to feel anything I am wearing at all. Fashion should gently sculpt around me and support my body if required and look good, preferably in an organic Cotton or Bamboo Jersey.

So the bra saga needed to be continued, as the last one, the bratank could not maintain position while exercising. To solve this is quite a task as I still refuse to use an elastic band to hold the position. I tried darts but apart from not doing anything they disturb the simpleness and do not add to good looks.

So this approach is completely different. The straps are cut in an angle and I subtracted the darts that would be in the front on the sides and additionally also on the back which gives this Hand stitched bra-less a strong V-shape. The length is the middle way between bra and bratank, long enough to include strong movement. 
The V acts as elastic band as the slight tension helps keeping the position. Still only one seam at the back, I decided to fold the hem over instead of adding it in form of a strip of Jersey.

Much more sophisticated but also simpler than all versions prior to this one, this bra-less is in test phase and feels perfect. As I said, I might not end my bra journey here but this is it for this Year.

Happy New Year, thanks for reading, supporting and participating.
Peace.



Saturday 21 December 2013

New & Merry

An early Christmas Treat and Best Wishes!

The Year is almost over and I am very excited what the New one will bring. It seems already busy and full of challenges. But this is for a new blog post.

For now I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


I thought it is time to treat myself to a new Yoga Mat after 15 years. It seems it starts a whole new chapter.

Peace.

Thursday 19 December 2013

Bob and the hooded Tunic

I probably should be stressing about ...

It is all a bit hectic and busy. If I could I would be on a sunny warm island, watching the kids dig in the sand right now. 

Off school, Birthdays, Christmas and little parties are making december an interesting month. I am very busy but not very christmas-y so I just do all I need to do and try to take one step at the time. Before diving into some child-minding days I had one working day to myself and was very successful.

I avoided to get to town to get the fabric that I had in mind. So instead of using a fleece and creating a winter tunic that includes a hoodie to warm my head instead of a hat I found some very nice wool-mix in midnight blue in one of my boxes. I don't know why hoodies are on my mind at the moment but I guess it is the desire to hibernate and some japanese influence.


I can wear this lighter version with layers and probably all year round. The hood is disguised in a scarf and still warms my head in this freezing weather. This Hand stitched Tunic is made out of one piece and the hood. Slightly V-shaped is leaves enough room for layers. Off to test it I still might venture to get some fleece for a second one, after the holidays. 

I really love projects that go fast and are simple but still have nice details. I guess when the kids are both in school that will change. Working on the model I was thinking for ages that a wrist pin cushion would be handy, as I do not want to have to get another scan in case I swallow a pin. So I was searching for DIY ones. Also handmade pin cushions crossed my search and I was about to get one when I remembered another idea I had. 

I can get quite annoyed that things take so much time. 
The kids have grown out of babyhood and I got rid of a lot of things but kept the best of. Either to find a baby that I could give it to or ebay but as a lot in my life it just stood there in a bag on the landing prepared to be dealt with. And today I was glad I did not give it away. I found what I was looking for. An early learning sock for newborns, with a rattle in form of a bug. And voila, 10 minutes later I had my wrist pin cushion, Bob.






I cut the rattle out, put a bit of plastic on the bottom as protection from pins and sew it back together. The sock I just cut off into a wrist band and sew the seam down to secure it. 
The kids obviously want it now I have it on me. But it is mine!!!

Friday 13 December 2013

Namaste Ringo Starr

The rain stopped for a minute


One day I will look back and think How did we do all this?

Kids seriously changed my life. I am not sure how other parents do it and whether kids get pressed into their life or parents give up their life for the kids. Or is there a secret of how to do it? In our case it is two self-employed parents obsessed with their work sharing this pleasure of raising two little boys and this can take funny routes. While we keep arguing about our working time the boys began to copy us and say they are busy working now or ask us to print out the pictures they have just taken. It is a dance to meet everybody's needs. And then one day they are both off to school and I will miss the chaos and my working days might seem endlessly long until they are back home.

I guess it is the end of the year that makes me pensive. I am waiting for some new fabric to test and to finish the collection with, meanwhile I finish orders and presents. 

Yesterday I took all my energy to drag us to a photo shooting. It was in my head and needed to get out. But it rained. The solution was a warehouse with a roof, so the photos could still be taken. Nice location, but the picture in my head was a different one and this morning it did not rain. The car was available, so we packed the two kids and the camera and took off to school. While one was playing in school the other one was screaming in the car, a lorry in his hands watching me warming up to do some sun salutations. Time is precious, so half warmed up I posed barefoot in front of Ringo Starr's Birth House. 

It is not a nice area to walk on your own or to walk at all but I love those abandoned streets. I am not spending my time scouting around Liverpool but I do hope we will take more photos at interesting locations like this. 

Sneak Preview: Hand stitched Yoga Pants, Tank Top and Tunic

Sunday 8 December 2013

Au Revoir Bra

French Movie

The days are too short! I am not talking about the season or the weather but lately I love to distract myself with movies. This winter obsession started living on a Remote Island. I am still sort of remote and feel drawn to french movies at the moment. I might have improved my french but it also makes more sense to me to watch a french movie. The last one was not really typical also because it did have a relatively good ending. It was all about Coco Chanel and although I might recognize her style I have not been familiar with how she started in fashion. One sentence in the movie was quite accurate to what I am working on at the moment, something like Don't you want to breathe? 

I am still holding my breath once in a while and I often find myself adjusting a breathing pattern. I am currently also trying to stop coughing as I remember having pulled a muscle which is very painful and I am about to repeat this. And then I keep finding discussions about bra yes or no online and whether the support would be actually greater without one. 

All personal stuff and I guess there are preferences. Since nursing children is part of my past I started questioning the comfort of bras and also developed a Yoga Bra which is very comfortable. But as I am spoiling myself with comfort I have to move on to higher comfort. The result of the last week's impressions is this Hand Stitched Bratank. It is made of Organic Bamboo/Cotton Jersey which contains a small percentage of elastane and is very very nice to wear. The stretch is strong enough to support but gentle enough not to feel wrapped up. The Bratank is in test phase and I will see whether this is it or I still need to watch more french movies. 

Can I ever watch too many?




Tuesday 3 December 2013

Funny dance around new Patterns

Anti...climax

Good that I can still laugh about myself.
 

It has been weeks now. First I transferred the chosen garments of my first collection onto pattern paper, then I had to let go of them and they were transported to London. And after some weeks they made it to the graders and also back. And finally they came by train back to Liverpool last weekend. 

When I heard they would be back I got very excited, it felt like a victory. But somehow it started scaring me and that's where I am glad that I can laugh. Maybe because it felt like a massive project from start to end, maybe to let go of a whole year of hard work, maybe the step to the next level, whatever it was, it is gone now and I am ready to move on. And it feels really good to use them. 

This collection is available now and just waiting to be put in my shop. It is a Hand stitched long sleeve Yoga Tunic, a short long sleeve Top, a comfortable Top and Tank Top and the Yoga pants in all sizes and different colors.

Sunday 1 December 2013

Merry Sparkly Woolly Top

Happy Advent!

I am still in denial. I cannot believe where time has gone. 

My body and head are still bathing in warm sunshine while I am shopping for Christmas presents in the freezing cold. The shop that provides it all is the local fabric shop and I found what I was looking for. But Christmas also means making myself presents. Actually especially at Christmas time I find the most exquisite gifts for myself.

This one is a small cut-off of sparkly woolly midnight blue fabric and I did not hesitate to get it! And as I am practicing offline-ness it is already ready to wear! It is quite airy but very warming and it has a very decent sparkly thread that blinks once in a while.... 

Now which Christmas Party should I take it out to? 
Ok, there is still more to do this year, a lot more. Another thing that is in my head but maybe there is one at least!