Vintage Winter Dressing; Velvet

Here in Sydney winter is beginning to set in. It is not yet coats and scarves weather, but we are heading there. I have been playing around with my winter wardrobe the last few weeks and it is so much fun. Besides loving the cold weather, I love dressing in layers, and playing around with textures, fabrics, colours and accessories in a way that you really an't do in summer. I wore an outfit the other week that i know I will be able to wear again when it gets colder, but with a different coat and necklace will look completely different.
I have decided to document a lot of my winter outfits for the blog.
My winter dressing staples are as follows:

• purple and teal green colours, though this year i am playing around a bit with red and earth tones
• woolen skirts
• velvets and textures
• coloured stockings
• pashmina scarves
• coats; especially my crushed purple velvet  

Today I got my braces off after 17 months. I had clear ones, and I never felt they impacted my appearance or how I felt about myself, but getting them off made me ten times more confident. I got home and changed immediately into a pencil skirt out of my jeans, and then decided I needed to do something with my hair. I followed Bethany's excellent tutorial and I feel this is the start of my getting a grip on how to do my hair.
 It's amazing how a nice outfit can make you feel fantastic

Blouse; opshop
Jacket; Fletcher Jones, opshop
Skirt; opshop
Headscarf; Mum
Necklace; Grandma
Earrings; taken from Mum's room
Boots; opshop

Sew Dolly Clackett

Hello again, I have been very quiet on the blogging front. Life has been rather busy, but there is a slight sewing backlog i have not gotten around to blogging yet.

Frist up, the Dolly Clackett dress

I  finished my Sew Dolly Clackett dress just in time! Roisin's blog was one of the first i started reading, and she kept on insisting to me in the comments that I did indeed need to buy By Hand London's Anna dress. And oh, I am glad I did. This is my second rendition, the first can be seeMn  here.
When the sew along was announced I knew I had to do an Anna mash up, the perfect Roisin dress. The fabric, which is a daisy print ended up being another op shop doona cover, I think I am becoming rather adept at finding them.

I chose a gathered skirt, and after a very unsuccessful attempt pulling up threads I found this great tutorial. This will be how I gather fabric from now on. Easy, and great results.

I ut the skirt rectangles at 30" long, and gave it a 2" hem. I am very happy with the length.

Congratualtions on your upcoming wedding Roisin, and thankyou for your wonderful sewing inspiration.

Pattern: By Hand London, Anna
Size: 8/12
Adjustments: No adjustment to bodice; replaced pattern skirt with gathered skirt made out of rectangles
Notions: 22inch dark blue invisible zipp
Wear With: red cardigan. I think this is more of a summer dress. I am wearing it today, but after this it might need to be packed away over the colder months
Make Again: Oh yes, this is becoming a TNT pattern for me. I have so many more ideas. Button backed Anna's have been dancing through my head