[ click for a larger view. ]

Being the silly girl I am, I realized (after a few gentle promptings from the comments) that I forgot to post not only what fabric I made the pinafore in, but also the pattern details! I declare: I’m not usually this forgetful when it comes to sewing posts! lol. So for those curious about these things, read on…

The pattern is a late 1930s (judging from the design) Hollywood pattern I found on Ebay recently (number 1758 if anyone is interested). I really liked the versatility of the piece (sundress or pinafore) and the blouse or jacket pattern included too (yay for options!). Plus it said it was a “sew simple design” (in small print, near the bottom), which appealed to me. lol. The belt, however, was not included in the pattern, but was a simple 1″ wide affair I sewed up and added some buckram to for stiffening. The fabric is a lovely, dark purple cotton twill I purchased from Denver Fabrics earlier this year. I had been holding on to it for just this project, and finally got to cutting it out!

Hope that answers a the couple of questions about this project… Thank you all so much for your sweet enthusiasm about my sewing musings and ramblings! It is so fun to be a bit geeky about sewing… lol!

[ 01. wool plaid circle skirt, 02. made to order halter dress, 03. navy bow skirt. ]

I would like to offer a welcome to one of the newest of my sponsors: Jennifer Lauren! You may remember her from an interview I posted a bit back. She has recently opened a lovely Etsy shop, purveying a range of delightful skirts and frocks, and has expanded to include a few vintage inspired tops as well. She was kind enough to give me a little background into why she started her shop and what inspires her designs: “I officially opened my Etsy shop in August this year after about a year of thinking ‘I should open a shop!’. My designs are born from a passion for 30’s to 50’s vintage clothing and the way those styles flatter all body shapes and sizes.” Her shop is stocked with a range of sizes, but she also offer custom sizes for her sweet designs.

[ 04. mustard skirt with flower, 05. pink wool circle skirt with pockets. ]

Don’t you just love the beautiful fabrics, buts and pieces she incorporates into her work? (The adorable sailor skirt is catching my eye!) She uses a wide array of vintage textiles and notions that have been upcycled. It’s such a charming way to recycle and reuse old things!

Be sure to drop by her shop and also visit her blog where she often posts shop updates (as well as delightful outfits she wears)!

[ a little sewing something that has me preoccupied. ]

Um… so this is obviously not the post of knitting progress! I got a little side tracked with a sewing project instead. One of the pieces on my fall wardrobe plan, in fact! It took a couple evenings of earnest sewing, but it was a pleasantly simple and quickish pinafore to whip up.

[ love the cross-over straps. ]

Although I made it primarily as a pinafore (or jumper) to be worn over blouses and shirts, the pattern indicates it can also be worn as a sundress. Considering the weather is still quite warm here, I decided to model it as a sundress. I’m fairly pleased with how this turned out: it was one of those projects that was a bit of an experiment. I generally do not gravitate towards designs that have such a pronounced, horizontal line across the hip area. It emphasizes what I don’t want to draw attention to! lol. Although I won’t be rushing out to replace my wardrobe with yoked skirts, this is a nice change to the usual styles that populate my wardrobe!

[ front and side views. ]

[ details. ]

Oh, and all the fabric I ordered came today! I’m quite excited, but not sure whether to start on the red dress or the floral one first… Decisions!

[ click for a larger view. ]

Excuse the lack of an exciting post today–I’m decidedly having one of those days. So rather than berate myself over the fact that I forgot to take pictures yesterday (when it was sunny!) of a project nearing the exciting stage of completion and neglect to post anything, here are some pictures that have caught my fancy of late!

[ click for a larger view. ]

What has been inspiring you, friends? Please do share–I’m always curious to know what is sparking your imagination!

Tomorrow, hopefully, there will be a knitting progress post! Much excitement!

Anyway, on to the topic you’re most interested in, right? lol. The winner of the Autumn Giveaway! Please give a round of congratulations to…

[ be sure to drop by Andi's stylish blog! ]

Thank you everyone who entered–it was so fun to read all your comments! I really love doing giveaways; I’m dreaming up some ideas for one around the New Year. One a season sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?

Hope you all are having a splendid Monday! I’m off to catch up on my to-do list…