Elena Cresci

Archive for June 2010

Summer Essentials Item No. 1 : FERTIG!

June 30, 2010 Blog No comments

Hurrah! After much technical difficulties the photos are here! As I mentioned way back, my first Summer Essentials project was Simplicity 2591 in a velvet flocked fabric.

Shortly after finishing this dress, myself and my lovely friends Martha and Cora went to Ogmore Castle to do a mini-photoshoot! It was such fun. Countless ANTM jokes were made on my part (“SMIZE CORA SMIZE!”) as well as jokes about changing in the open air (“NOBODY LOOK AT LENNAAAARD!!”), so needless to say my tummy was aching somewhat from all the giggles!

It was an interesting experience actually having my clothes photographed properly. Before now, I’ve gone the whole self timer route before using my dearly departed Sally as a model, so I’ve always envied those who either have one of those fun remote things on their cameras or a willing volunteer to take their photos for them! Furthermore, clothes come alive when they’re on people. They’re meant to be worn, they’re meant to be loved, they’re meant to be used! I particularly enjoyed seeing Cora wear the dress as she climbed all over Ogmore Castle! She also looked pretty damn awesome in the dress.

As for the pattern itself; it was a dream to put together. I initially cut it out in a Size 14 but found upon initially basting it together that a 12 was a far better fit! The way in which the dress is pieced together – with the outside pocket parts forming a part of the bust – really pleases me, I love the way that it hangs. And the pockets! Oh the pockets! I used some scrap cotton as the pocket lining – a tip I picked up from Zoe. It’s also the feature which has been commented on the most; people think that it adds a certain charm to the dress because it kind of peeks out sometimes when you’re sat down in it.

I’m really really proud of how I did with the zipper this time!

So enough about the dress, and more about the fabulous photos by Martha and the fabulous model that is Cora! Here are some others from the shoot :

Fun fact : I can fly!

Sadly I didn’t make the red dress Cora is wearing or the one I’m wearing in the flying (FLYING I TELL YOU) picture, but I’m planning on taking a fair few of my handmade clothes next time so we can catch them in action! I also hope Martha creates a website soon; so go on readers, tell her how lovely the photos are and how we want to see more!

Here’s a photo of the dress on its first ever outing, as I marvel at some gorgeous fabric. Clearly made a mistake not snapping that beauty up!

COME ON DEUTSCHLAND

June 27, 2010 Blog No comments

I’ll be shouting for Deutschland in half an hour! Come on my German babes, Italy are out and you’re my only hope!

Exciting Stuff!

June 24, 2010 Blog No comments

I’m really sorry for the lack of project updates lately, things have not been going well for me in the technological department! However, I have some good news! A friend of mine has decided to take up photography, so I’m taking advantage of that and ‘hired’ her as my photographer! I have completed my first Summer Essentials item which shall be photographed tomorrow as well as my Summer Ball dress… finally! Really quite excited to have someone taking the photos for me!

I have a Germany shaped hole in my heart

June 20, 2010 Blog No comments

*sigh*

Don’t get me wrong. I adore Wales – I love how we’re never in the World Cup so everyone supports ‘Anyone But England’, I’m loving the weather right now and I especially love occasionally hearing a bit of Welsh while walking through Cardiff town centre… but my goodness, I miss Germany terribly. Family and friends time has been great, but I’m really feeling a bit of the old Heimweh* right now.

Part of it may be that I’m being a little bit lazy now I’m at home and have far too much time to overthink things. Perhaps it’s also a case of reality hitting me, hard, since I’ve arrived back in Wales. A lot of people I started Swansea University with are leaving and heading either to their respective home towns or to completely different places where they’ll embark on their ‘grown up’ life. It’s made me realise that I need to make some decisions about where I want to be this time next year, whereas this time last year I knew that I’d be in Germany in a few months.

What a depressing post this is turning out to be!! Any of you just back from a Year Abroad and feeling the effects?

*That would be homesickness. Even though Germany’s not my mother country, I feel that’s an appropriate word.

Breaking the silence

June 13, 2010 Blog 3 comments

My oh my, what a week it has been. I made a much anticipated return to the Sea of Swan this week, and it’s been fantastic. It made missing Germany so much easier! I won’t lie though, much drunken debauchery was involved, but so were many many pub lunches, living room dancing, the realisation that the popular music in the UK is quite different to Germany, the Glee finale, Jitsu, FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE LIVE, and of course… seeing all those people I’d missed this past year!

So with all that, obviously there hasn’t been much room for sewing, but never fear! I’m still going ahead with the planned Summer Essentials Sew Along!

So, project number 1 on my incredibly vague list was described as ‘a cute cap sleeved dress’. In fact, this is a project that has been on my list for a while, so I’ve had the pattern and the fabric ready for some time now.

Truthfully, if I hadn’t had this fabric picked out for a few months now, I probably would have chosen something floral (there’s a surprise) and lighter in weight to make it more of a Summer item. However, I do think that this will be a dress that’ll suit a British Summer well – for every sweltering day we enjoy, there will always be those windy/rainy/not so sunny days that we spend ages complaining about! So why not brighten up such days with a pretty dress? Not to mention that this will be a good dress for those late September days.

Speaking of September, I forgot to post something last time round :

‘I, Len of Can’t Say Strawberry sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-September. I endeavour to wear only handmade and refashioned items of clothing every day for the duration of September 2010′.

Eep! I may have to change my pledge if I don’t get enough sewing done this Summer, but for now I’ll remain optimistic. The only concern I have at this moment in time is how exercising will ruin my pledge… I think I could whip up some simple vest tops and the like for running and that, but I certainly don’t have enough time to whip up a gi (what I wear to Karate and Jiu Jitsu). Any other pledgers having trouble on that front?

Last but not least, I did promise I’d show you what I made for the Summer Ball… well, I don’t have enough photos just yet, but here’s an ‘in-action’ shot to whet your appetite…

Summer sewing projects

June 6, 2010 Blog No comments

I’ve been sewing properly for about a year now; this time last year I made the Marie skirt using a sewing machine properly for the first time after it had lain untouched for years. The reason I began sewing was because last Summer, like this Summer, I didn’t have a job, and needed something that could occupy my time before heading to Germany. It’s been a hefty challenge, but I’d like to up the ante some.

So, like my fellow Brit bloggers Tilly and Zoe, I’m planning on participating in the Summer Essentials Sew Along organised by the talented Ali. Here’s the challenge:

"…the Summer Essentials Sew-Along asks participants to sew five(-ish) warm-weather friendly pieces by August(-ish), ‘cause wouldn’t you rather spend August looking fabulous in your homemade threads? The goal: Stock your closet with quality summer basics. The benefit: A group of sewers who will encourage and inspire you…"

Sounds good to me! As I’m heading to Swansea this week and still need to pack (argh!) here’s a really really vague list of what I’m planning to do :

A cute cap sleeved dress.
Some sort of skirt.
Shorts, probably the Ruby pattern from BurdaStyle.
Some sort of loose jersey top – batwing or cowl neck or something… (I told you it would be a very vague list!)
Either a loose cardigan of some sort or… a very ambitious warm weather suitable blazer!

Clearly these are all subject to change when I have time to sit down and think through my pattern and fabric stash as money is quite low here! This is a very timely challenge as I’m planning on participating in Self-Stitched-September and it would be nice to have five extra items to add to my self-sewn wardrobe!

I haven’t been completely inactive these past few weeks however – good old Viktoria’s last project was my Swansea Summer Ball dress, which I’ll do a post when I have lovely photos of it in action!

Goodbye Deutschland, you’ve been fabelhaft

June 4, 2010 Blog No comments

I can’t believe it. My year abroad has come to an end! Is it bad that I miss Germany a little already? It’s been six months since I was last in the U.K; Gordon Brown was still Prime Minister, the snow was being a pain in the arse and the frustrated statuses about dissertations on Facebook hadn’t quite started yet. It feels as though those six months have gone past in the blink of an eye, in fact, it doesn’t feel so long ago since I was standing in Cologne Hauptbahnhof meeting the other assistants for the first time.

Right now I’m adjusting to the language change around me; clearly not as difficult a task as I’m switching to my native English instead of to the really-not-native German, but I’m still saying ‘Danke’, ‘bitte’ and ‘Hallo!’ to anyone I interact with. It’s weird to hear English all around me! Not to mention that I keep expecting to see my favourite bakery haunts and Bratwursts on offer in the train station. When I picked up my train tickets, I searched for the option to print my journey itinerary and of course found none, because I’m not dealing with Deutsche Bahn anymore! No instances of anyone noticing my newly acquired German stare… yet.

Now I’ve been home just under a week, it’s crazy how quickly you can settle into your old routine. As for what’s in store for me this Summer, well that mostly depends on whether or not I’ll get a job! For now I’m enjoying the gorgeous weather and looking forward to Swansea on Sunday. It feels good to be back.