Tag Archives: blouse

Merry Mekko

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Top: DIY York Top with Marimekko fabric

Skirt: Modcloth

Shoes: Edward Meller

I was paging back through my old posts to see the last time I blogged one of these York tops, and was staggered to discover that I hadn’t yet!

Some months ago, a sewing buddy of mine sacrificed one of her Sundays to come over and teach me how to do a full-bust adjustment. I’m still getting the hang of doing them by myself, but the original pattern that she helped me draft – the Seamwork York – has had a very good workout – I’ve made four different versions in a variety of fabrics, including this gorgeous Marimekko linen.

The fabric cost a good $70 which was pretty spendy for yardage, but cheap compared to ready-made Marimekko clothing. I love the bold patterns and colours, and they’re fairly difficult to find in plus sizes or in fabric, so I figured it would be an investment.

The York top is designed to be boxy, and normally I would have had to cut a few sizes larger to make sure it fit the Rack of Doom. With a full bust adjustment I can wear the smaller size, and the result is a boxy shape without being swamped.

I hemmed it fairly short – partly so I didn’t have to buy so much fabric, but also because I wanted to play up that boxy cropped shape. As a result it doesn’t tuck in very well, but I actually quite like how it looks with this full skirt from Modcloth.

Remixed Mustard

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Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou FrouBlouse: Modcloth

Skirt (remixed): Asos – Similar here

Cardigan: Paper Scissors – Similar here

Shoes: Chie Mihara

My guy and I spent the past four days soaking up the sunshine in (still frankly very chilly) Perth, and arrived back on Melbourne’s coldest day for two years. It’s been a fairly brisk winter, all things considered, and I’m feeling pretty good about past-me’s decision to buy present-me a new winter jacket that’s made of wool, has a hood, and zips up the front (I got this one. It’s magnificent).

I’ve taken some shifts in a lovely local independent bookshop, helping to manage their children’s section while I get back on my feet. It’s actually been really nice to find myself back in bookselling after all these years: comfortable, like coming home. I’ve re-introduced a bit of colour and whimsy into my wardrobe again now that I’m not in an office environment doing business-y things and being a professional boss-lady.

For a while now I’ve been looking for another mustard skirt made of a better quality fabric that my much-loved Breathtaking Tiger Lilies skirt. This one popped up in Asos’ “premium” range but sold out while I was still vacillating over the purchase. Fortunately a lovely reader let me know on Twitter that she’d spotted it in a 16, so I snapped it up thinking I might be able to do something with the fabric if it didn’t fit.

It didn’t of course. Not even close, really, but it was an easy fix to unpick the waistband and loosen the pleats enough to widen it for my girth, and the result’s a winter-take on my favourite skirt. It also looks great with grey tights (I’ve been wearing these, from Sonsee, pretty much around the clock).