I am an Autumn – what are you? Know what I mean? If you were around in the 80’s you might remember Carole Jackson’s book “Colour Me Beautiful”, or her book for men “Colour For Men”. I became slightly obsessed with this book.
I tagged along with Mum the day she went and had her colours done – waited outside in the car for an hour or two! They took one look at me and told me I was, like Mum an Autumn. She carried that little packed of swatches in her handbag for years – wonder if you still have it Mum?
I love that we still discuss whether this colour or that, is right for us. I bought a “lovely” pastel apricot skirt and jacket on the strength of it. I took it with a grain of salt when I started wearing black all the time – since then to now! But I do like to whip out a nice red, or a forest green, a lime or even an olive green, and I love kelly green. And kingfisher blue. But I feel depressed when I wear brown. And cream just doesn’t feel right. I did have a very pale yellow cardi for a while. Orange is fun – in small amounts but not all over. And my Dad used to hate the rust dressing gown Mum wore for about 20 years. It’s not science.
If you are interested – you might find this book at your local opshop/charity/goodwill shop. If you read it you can determine your own colours – it’s fun. I know now that I should not wear Grey, Pink, Aqua, Purple – and yet most of my friends are winters and they look amazing in these colours.
Have you had your colours “done”?
My 40’s Sailor Style Pants are from Retrospect in Sydney’s Newtown
I hear its been updated – my friend told me she is a Clear Spring with Flair! What ever that is. A funny piece on the subject here
So when I heard about the Sew Weekly Autumn palette I knew I would have no trouble pulling something for it from the stash. This silk is a a rather recent addition and just cost a few dollars at a church fair that I frequent – I don’t love the print and all the yellow but I thought it would be a shame not to try and use this silk.
I also recently purchased this necklace which is 1940’s Celluloid Autumn Leaves – how perfect! Ebay again!
I seriously ran out of time to finish this garment. Since I’ve been back at work – I have not put much time in to sewing as I have had very stiff shoulders and a sore neck. I think the 6 weeks I had off I did a lot of sewing and it just caught up. I have had a couple of massages and even tried cupping (like Gwyneth Paltrow) at my local Chinese massage therapy place. You should see my back – it’s like the biggest outbreak of polka dot bruises ever.
I used New Look pattern 3691 which was very easy. I pleated this up and staystitched the neckline, leaving the arm holes unfinished. I threw some bias binding on the neck and it slipped and slid around, fine silk does that.
I think this silk is fairly old – probably from the 60’s – silk is vulnerable to light, heat and microbes. If you iron it on too high a heat setting, it may show no signs of damage at the time – but in time – the fabric will just perish and come apart.
So I was all ready for my photos outside in front of the Bougainvillea bush when the neighbour’s gardener turned up and started mowing next door – I was too embarrassed to go outside and get all posey, so I put another load of washing in the machine and rip, went the armhole!
Ah well, glad I didn’t waste my time finishing it beautifully, just to have it rip while I was wearing it at work! I have scrunched it up in a bag and will donate it and other fabric scraps to my local Preschool – where it will live on in the children’s artworks!
Quiet Vintage Sewing 