I mentioned in my Broome Dreaming post that I made a few things to take to Broome – just because I could!
New things coming up then!
I made Mark a new shirt from some fabric salvaged from the local recycling centre. It was a ball of screwed up scrap when I picked it up, but it felt nice and I thought it might make good pockets. By the time it was washed and pressed Mark had laid claim to it and I had just enough to make him a short sleeved shirt using the Ottobre Four Fellows pattern previously made for him.
It turned out to be a linen/cotton blend and he wore it everywhere, including on the flight to Broome. In the photo above he’s in the lounge waiting for the flight, and below he’s lolling on our verandah teaming it most attractively with his bathers!
Everything he wore in Broome was made by me, which pleased me enormously. The beautiful cup is one of several bought in Stockholm and Mark made papier maché travel cases for them so we can throw them in our suitcase. We really enjoy having nice cups when we travel.
I really enjoyed wearing my Stitch Sisters kaftan and was even complimented on it by a sales assistant in a pearl shop – I didn’t mention that I’d made it. It also went well with the hat I made last summer.
I made some new Megan Nielsen Flints from some gorgeous blue linen, which I had teamed with my Dress like Frida outfits, and they proved to be both comfortable and practical. I did narrow them down a smidge and lengthened them as I look terrible in cropped trousers.
I teamed them with a new little cropped top that I was alerted to by my friend, Hélène (@hportemanteau). It is the Jily top from Ready to Sew. There are a couple of versions, one with a tie, but I had decided to go with the simple version first. I do feel as though it’s a little baggy at the bottom (I know it’s supposed to be), so might grade it down next time. It is, however, a really lovely pattern that sews together beautifully and I really like the all in one facing which gives a lovely finish.
By the way, those animals are not kangaroos but wallabies, which are smaller. They are quite tame and pop up like meerkats if you get too close. They have very pointed little faces and are obviously very efficient at keeping the grass down.
I wore this outfit to the Sun Picture Gardens and teamed it with my Hitofude cardigan, which I love when the weather is teetering on the edge of chilly; it is a beautiful knitting pattern.
I made a new bikini. The top is a modified Orange Lingerie Boylston bra, and the bottoms were made from my swimsuit pattern block, developed at a patternmaking class with Workspace Fashion and Design School. I made three different pairs, all of which teamed with the bra, but didn’t match it. They are a long way from the bikini bottoms I used to wear as a teenager, when we got thrown off the beach regularly because the sides measured less than 2 inches! I think back to those beach inspectors whose job it was to measure us all…
I made a little half-circle skirt out of one of the pieces of lycra, adding a wide band with a tie, and wore this when walking from our room to the pool and back. It was fabulous and I think I need more of these.
I’ve got goggles in my hand because we did laps every morning before anyone else arrived. This meant we were dodging the automatic pool cleaner but it was much better than making a spectacle of ourselves.
Sometime ago I shared some lovely crinkled linen on Instagram that I had bought at Potters, but my problem was what to make with it. It has no drape and the crinkles mean that it basically can’t be pressed. I tucked it away knowing that one day I would find a pattern that would be appropriate, and sure enough I found my first ever copy of La Maison Victor in the local newsagents. I’ve never seen it there before and was thrilled. On the cover (Issue 3, 2018) was an outfit in double denim – a top in denim means that top that requires no drape – and that magazine was mine! It is the Oslo top and here is a line drawing of the details. I really like that back detail.
It was the perfect thing to wear on the short flight to Broome, and it even coordinated with my suitcase! I had my lovely purple Filatura di Crosa poncho hand knitted in cashmere and silk. It rolls into nothing but is warm and I can snuggle into it and take it on and off with no drama.
In the airport lounge and the princess seams can clearly be seen in this photo.
and the back detail in this one. 
When I laundered this top all those crinkles reappeared with a vengeance, so I gave it a steam to make the facings and bands lay flat and left the rest. The fabric still creases though – I suppose it is linen!
All my underwear is, naturally, made by me and I decided to make this little set from some cotton knit from the op shop – I got 3 metres for a dollar, so this is not the last you’ve seen of this fabric! Again, it’s the Boylston bra with an as yet unreleased pattern for the undies. I did have a moment with this bra when I had finished it and discovered that I had sewn the straps into the armscyes! Much unpicking, a bit of fudging, a lot of swearing, and it’s completely wearable and comfortable – phew!
I did take some clothes from my wardrobe; my beloved Jalie pull on jeans, both long and short versions, my Marimekko tunic, and of course, my silk stitch sisters kaftan, in which I cavorted in the ocean and then immediately wore out to dinner – so classy!
I did have one other new make with me, but I can’t show it just yet. Stay tuned!