Peapods: made by me

Photos

I slipped in an extra creative new year resolution (as well as my photography one) to make four things I could wear this month. Well I have done two already! :D In the last year or so I have been a bit lame about buying new clothes as the priority has been mortgage/travel etc and I wanted to start the year with some new things.

The idea for this top was the result of a small think I had about what I really wanted to wear and what my current favourite clothes are like. I made it in red and white plaid (a nice inherited piece of heavy-ish cotton that may well have been a quilt cover in Japan in the 1970s) and also in indigo blue and white cotton cut from an inherited yukata. I had some qualms about cutting up the yukata because I am always afraid when using up my inherited fabric that someone will tell me it was really valuable or something after I have chopped it up. However I have a whole load of these yukatas and this one was the least posh looking and was worn around the neck. This way I get some use out of it too. The two of us do not need about six or so yukatas.

To make it I measured and pinned the fabric around me (yes I kept accidentally poking myself with the pins) then I took it off and ironed everything so the seams were laid the right way and the pleats were folded correctly. Then I whizzed the whole lot through the sewing machine.

Each one took me about two hours. It would have taken me much less time (maybe an hour each, what with all the measuring and pinning) but I was watching Gosford Park during the first one and The Other Boleyn Girl with the second and so kept getting distracted. I took the red photos at my friend's house on Saturday night and the blue photo today (it is a bit crushed from wearing it to work), but I thought if I waited around for a better picture (maybe one that shows the straps!) it might be a while :)

All-in-all a success I think! I am looking forward to trying out some other styles too.

Comments

awesome! for the past year i've resolved to revamp some of my old clothes up too, but i just haven't gotten around to it...so you are a real inspiration! i'd love to see what yours look like with the straps when you get around to it ^^

Posted by: elisabetha | January 06, 2009 at 05:29 AM

Thank you! I will try and take a better picture at some point :) I didn't realise that my hair was covering the straps in all the quick snaps I took of the tops until I went to edit them. I guess forward over the shoulders is the way I like to wear my hair :D

Posted by: alice | January 06, 2009 at 08:46 AM