Which new Simplicity patterns I would buy (if I had the money)

Simplicity released some new patterns and I after some disappointing collections the last months, I am really excited about this one. There are some very nice pieces and more important, patterns I would make and wear.

Simplicity 8073

I would not make this as a dress for everyday wear, but to wear while working in the garden (when we hopefully have one soon). It would look really cute with a nice shirt underneath.

Simplicity 8058

I saw this a while ago and instantly fell in love. Probably I would only make the trousers. I am not much of a pants girl, but sometimes I like to wear some. And my wardrobe is a bit sparse in this category.

Simplicity 8086

Yeah, I like the patterns by Cynthia Rowley (I already own some). And yeah, it is back to the roots with this cute dress. But I think this pattern would make great everyday dresses.

Simplicity 8085

This is the first vintage pattern in a while I could see me really making. It looks like a wrap dress one can actually wear. I was not so satisfied with the Butterick Walk-Away Dress, but liked the Vogue (8788) one. So I think this would make a nice wrap-dress for me, too. The short version would be great for garden work.

New Hair Color

I finally had the courage to change my hair color. I like my natural hair color, but sometimes it can be a bit boring. And I wanted to have red hair since I was a teenager. And now that I have a hairdresser in the family it was time to risk it.

What should I say, I was really nervous, but I love the outcome. The red will be a bit more vibrant with each coloring, but I think it looks so pretty now. Maybe now people will stop staring at me, because I am so pale.

Oh and by the way, can you believe that tomorrow will be the little one's second birthday? How time flies!

My first Nettie

Of course I had to hop on the bandwagon and make a Nettie. The pattern is really fast forward and was a quick make. Or it could have been, if my twin needle was not a total jerk and refused to work properly. So the seam finishes took as long as the rest of the sewing, especially the neck finish.

I like the outcome, but it is not the most comfortable dress to wear. I made the wide neckline, which looks really cool (and reminds me of my ballet leotards), but it is a pain to wear, especially with a toddler to look after. I wore the dress for a birthday party and it was okay, but I don't see myself wearing this as an everyday dress.

But all in all, Nettie is a great pattern. I already made another version with a high neckline and a big fail version. Can't wait to share these with you!

Dress - self-made

Tights - local shop

Shoes - Tamaris

Earrings - self-made

Read: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

So I admit it, up until now there was only one novel by Miss Austen that I liked, Pride and Prejudice (but to make things better it is one of my all-time favorites). I tried Emma (my first Austen in English) and Sense and Sensibility and found both so utterly boring, that I stopped reading Austen novels (except of course for P and P).

But since I have my kindle I was tempted with free books and decided to give Miss Austen another try. So October last year I started Northanger Abbey. It took me quite a while to finish it (thank you Goodreads that you remind me how slow I read nowadays), but surprisingly I really liked it. There were not too many characters to remember and I could follow the story quite well (despite reading it in English again, yes I was ambitious or stupid or both). I really liked the main character. And I liked the love story. That they get to know each other before they decide to marry and that they complement each other so well. I really don't know why this novel is not more popular. Maybe because it is not so exciting and quieter. No big misunderstandings and quarrels. I admit it is also not so funny like P and P, but even Jane Austen thought P and P was her best novel. I can't argue with that!

So if you like some old-fashioned entertainment, maybe you should try Northanger Abbey. I really enjoyed it.

Snow White Dress (New Look 6262)

Last summer I made New Look 6262 again (and there are still some that wait to be shown here). I love this pattern. It is so easy and quick to sew. But I have to say, this is my favorite version. I love this dress and sometimes I could wear it every day. It is so comfortable and I adore the print. The reactions are really awesome too.

This time I made the version with sleeves and shortened the skirt.

This is also a great dress to combine. Thanks to the many colors I can wear it with a lot of things from my wardrobe. For summer I wore it most often with my yellow sun jellies.

Dress - self-made

Hairbow - Claires

Red shoes - JustFab

Apple Bag - Bodyline

Yellow shoes - Sun Jellies 

Yellow Bag - Sun Jellies

A bit more mint

Summer is long over, but I wanted to show you two more outfits with my mint 60s dress set.

I really like this blouse. I found it some years ago at H&M for a really good price and it is so summery and light weight. And it looks good with most of my skirts (especially the vintage ones).

Blouse - H&M
Skirt - selfmade
Socks - Topshop
Shoes - Ebay
Flower - Belle Blossom



Last summer it was really hot here and this was the perfect outfit. And I love my jelly shoes. They are so comfy.

Top - selfmade
Shorts - C&A
Shoes - Sunjellies
Bag - C&A
Flowers - Topshop

Fox Costume (Simplicity 1351)

Today the little one had his first Fasching (carnival) at kindergarten (he was sick last year and I was lucky, that I did not even think about making a costume, because I was sick the most time too). The decision for a costume was easy. Fortunately for me, the little one had no preferences yet. And when I found Simplicity 1351 the choice was made.

The pattern was really easy to make. The fabric behaved very well, although it was a bit thick sometimes. The only change I made was to rework the hood, because in the pattern they underline it with a cushion to make the head bigger, but I knew that the little one would not wear this.

I was really glad this morning when the little one changed into the custom without any fuss. He even liked it so much, that he wore it for the way home and till he had to go to bed. What surprised me most, that he also liked to wear the hood and tried to put it on himself. He was such a cute little fox today!