Annabel Vita

Hello!

I don’t quite know why I haven’t posted for a week. Actually, that’s a lie. I do know why. I have become totally and utterly obsessed with dressmaking. It’s all I think about at the moment. And when I’m not actually working on it, I am researching all over the internet: understitching, stay stitching, yokes, plackets, invisible hems, fbas, etc etc. It’s a sickness right now! And I still haven’t finished a dress! My cambie is not a triumph due to fit issues so to keep my spirits up,  I’ve put it aside for a little while and am working on this amazing fit dress – that has different sizes for different cup sizes. Could be genius, could be a disaster. I’m using a very lightweight denim.

I did complete a wearable garment! Say hello to my Colette Sorbetto! It’s got some funky issues (the fabric wouldn’t iron, the bias tape is waaay too solid so it gives it a weird shape and it’s riddled with problems like raw edges in the wrong place and scrunched up bias tape), but obviously I love it beyond all measure and reason.

Plus, this cost about £2 to make thanks to some £1/metre fabric (thanks Brixton market!) and 25p/metre bias tape (thanks market in town!) and a totally free pattern. I’ve already bought some better fabric and more obedient bias tape to make my next one. I’m aiming for something I can wear in public (one of the major problems with this top is right at the back of the neck so it’s really visible).

Anyway, none of that is what this post is about! I thought I’d share some updated pictures of our printer’s tray, that I took before sewing took a hold of my brain! This is also something I love beyond all measure and reason. We bought in on holiday in France way back when we lived in one bedroom in a shared house and I love letting the things inside it grow organically as we fill it with trinkets and treasures. This time I added some origami paper from muji (also seen here) to the back of some of the squares to help with the patchwork quilt effect.

Here are some pictures of my favourite bits and pieces.

I quite often buy Mr V miniature plastic dogs. One day he’ll give in and let me get a real one! (He wants one more than me, he’s also just more sensible about the fact we live in a flat in the middle of town and aren’t quite ready for a dog yet). The St Bernard on top of the printer’s tray is a fave – look at his happy face!

My dad gave me the miniature magnifying glass (with little cloth case) when i was a child (how hipster would it be to wear it around my neck?). I loved it because it made me feel like Harriet the Spy. Wicket (the ewok figure) was in my stocking from Mr V.

How cool is this box of pins I found at a car boot sale? They don’t make them like they used to! (The pins themselves are gorgeous, black and very fine.)

More sewing supplies masquerading as decor! Cute button from the V&A, cute button cards from… hmm. Can’t remember! Maybe a brocante?

Swedish matches in a beautiful box, bought at this lovely shop in Holland.

Souvenirs from Paris! You can’t go to Paris without buying a tacky Eiffel tower keyring (trust me, I’ve really tried!). This one moonlights as a Christmas tree decoration. The mini vinegar bottle is from the marché aux puces (it took me about half an hour to choose – look at the selection!)

Hopefully I’ll be back to being a better blogger once my head isn’t full of dreamy dresses! To keep up with my thinking on dressmaking, you can follow this pinterest board (it’s, uh, recommended by StyleList) (I KNOW!)

What are you obsessed with lately?

PS. Here’s how the printer’s tray looked at our old flat.