Print fabric for SWAP

Having bought my green boots, I thought of this stash fabric, and how it could bring the green and copper boots in to work with the cream / peach / burnt orange /rust / brown SWAP.

New boots

I just ordered these boots with my Christmas money, I have no real idea what I will wear with them, but I just fell in love with them with the catalogue came out in the Autumn, and now they are in the sale and I had some money to spend so ta-da!

Not quite sure what impact this will have on my SWAP if any. It does bring to mind some emerald green and copper print blouse fabric I have in the stash.
So many possibilities and only 3 short months arrrrrgh!

PR Knock off Contest

Pattern review has a Designer Knock off contest running in January and February, so I thought I would take the pictured top from Betty Jackson and recreate it using Simplicity 4095. I have some peach coloured knit I plan to use.

New Look 6943 Waistcoat

The New Look 6943 Waistcoat is completed. This is a old pattern from the early 1990s but the style seems to be back in again.
I sewed a size 16, but as you can see of the shot of me wearing it, it seems to be a bit big. I think the easiest way to alter it would be to cut the side seams down a little, and I hope to get to that quite soon.
I finished this over a week ago, but with getting ready for Christmas I have not had time to photograph and review.
I've currently also mislaid the pattern envelope but when I find it I will update the entry so you can see the pattern.
I will make this again in a smaller size for the 2008 Timmel SWAP, probably in bitter chocolate or maybe coral wool.

The waistcoat is made with dark charcoal pinstripe menswear fabric - scraps from the cropped pants - and as well as being lined in silver shimmer lining, the back in made from lining too (due to lack of fabric). Although I cut tabs out of lining, I didn't like the texture once it was fused to the interfacing, and suddenly remembered the dark grey ribbon remnant, and used that instead for the back tie.

Jacket Length

When I sorted through my fabrics to see what matches what (and stuff that matches in the evening doesn't in daylight :-( ) I found some rust print home dec fabric which I think I will make into a sample longer jacket to see how it works on me.
I'm away with work 2 days this week so can't see doing a lot of actual sewing, just dreaming....

Here's the Vogue 2939 wardrobe which I am also going to make. The jacket, blouse and pants are the most useful to me I think as the skirt and dress lengths would be hard for me to wear without alteration (ie making them longer) but maybe that would mess with the whole proportions thing?

Also one or two blouses from New Look 6513, and another blouse from a vintage pattern, plus a little waistcoat and another pair of pants - I nearly have a plan!

Simplicity 4699 for SWAP Contest

With the burnt orange cord in mind I have been through my patterns again, and came across this wardrobe pattern Simplicity 4699. It even lists pinwale corduroy as one of the recommended fabrics for the jacket, which seems like a good hint that the jacket might work OK with the fabric.

I am also trying to think more Spring, because my earlier ideas were all rather Autumn/Winter biased, and I want these clothes to be wearable for the Timmel SWAP contest which runs from Jan 2008 until April 2008.
Much as I love the long jackets for their thigh covering abilities, I am leaning towards the shorter jacket here as I think its easier to wear with both pants and skirts.

The SWAP requires - 1 jacket, 4 bottoms (pants or skirts) and 6 tops. 2 of the tops need to be more complex shirt/blouse style but the others can be simple knit tees. This year three of the garments need to be sewn from the same wardrobe pattern.
All the tops need to be able to be worn with all the tops and everything has to be OK with the jacket.

My palette is burnt orange, rust, ivory and brown.