3 x Green = 3 Fab Outfits

New Look Pattern 6000 with light green and white striped suiting

My favourite colour is without a doubt green. I don't know why it is my favourite colour but I always receive a compliment when wearing green and who doesn't feel great after receiving a compliment right. So when my Nan gave me some green fabric on my last visit, I couldn't wait to get to work on a new outfit or two. The fabric was bit too bright for a dress in one colour though so welcome panels and block colours in a lovely A-Line Pattern dress. I have used this pattern for so many dresses, the red one the flower one and quite a few more. The great thing about the pattern is that it’s not too snug and flows nicely over the body, flattering your figure. If you look carefully the light green suiting fabric has a thin white stripe running through it, which helps break up the brighter green. So for the rest of the lighter green fabric I made a more snugger dress (New Look Pattern 6000) but still flattering with the pleats in the front, so if you do have a bit of a tummy, it’s quite good in masking it. I saw a similar dress in a boutique for close to £200-00, mine cost me a day and £10-00, it’s also lined with stretch lining. So for a smart office look, with nude shoes and walking tall with good posture, I know my outfit looks great. And for a more casual look as always a A-Line skirt can never go wrong, so a good use for the remaining bright green fabric, which flatters and looks great dressed up with heels or down with flats.

So find your favourite complimenting colour and get wearing it.

Tips for the house and your savings, plus a fab dress

I first started blogging as friends were always saying I should share my helpful hints for around the home and budgeting and although I've probably mentioned them before it was a long time ago so here are some handy tips.

1. If you cans of tuna fish that are stinking out your bin, put the can in separate plastic bag and place in the freezer until rubbish day.
2. Use fruit and vegetable peel as compost for the garden. Keep a sealable bucket outside and fill it with your off cuttings, you'll be doing your bit for the environment too.
3. If you don't have a garden and the off cuttings seam to always find a way to leak through the bin bag, also put them in the freezer until rubbish day.
4.  Need to pick up little bits from a table cloth or threads after you have finished sewing, use a lint brush, I use mine for everything.
5. If your lipstick is a shade too dark, lighten it with some foundation or cover stick. My current 24 hour lipstick is a bit pale and pinky so I brown gloss on top of the lipstick and seal it in with the 24 hour balm, the lip gloss stays on a long time and it is a great shade.
6. Best way to cut a pineapple or melon…Cut the pineapple/melons into rounds, then peel each round with a knife, I usually cut a V shape into each round so I can easily start, then cut the rounds up into pieces.
7. Drying your clothes inside and find they are taking a while to dry or are drying with wet patches, that is probably because there is not enough air flowing through them, if possible hang them over two bars on clothes dryer or put them on a hanger and hang the hanger on the clothes dryer, this will also save on the ironing.
8. Yellow nails from wearing nail polish for prolonged lengths of time, dip your hands in some lemon juice (remember to test a finger first to make sure you are not allergic) and remember your nails need to breath, take your nail polish off at night and repaint in the morning or better yet give them a whole day to breath.
9.  Going to a picnic, take a cheap shower curtain (you can get them for a £1 in the Pound Store) with to put under your blanket, a lot less cleaning and shaking will be needed for the blanket.
10. Have too many items lining around but not enough space, get a box that doubles as a little table. I keep my weights in one in the lounge which doubles as table and as I don't have space for a shoe rack I keep my everyday shoes in another one that doubles as a seat to sit on when you first walk in to sit on and take your shoes off.

Some budget tips

1. It is that time of year again when new ISA's (Investment Saving Accounts that are tax free) are rolled out. Even though the interest rates are a lot lower especially if you don't have oodles of cash, it’s still worth it. Remember you can have a new ISA each year so whatever you have saved in previous years in an ISA is still tax free. . If your ISA was on a special rate last year look to see if you can transfer it into your new ISA. Last year’s rate has probably dropped and you won't be earning much interest. But as in all things it depends on your circumstances. I found that Cheshire Bank’s Poppy ISA had the highest interest rate for starting with a balance under a £1000-00 but you cannot transfer in previous ISA’s. So I compared this with a few more and considering the value of my current ISA it would be best to leave it where it is and try transfer it in next year. Check out Martin's Money Tips for more advice.
2. Shop around, use voucher codes and websites. Grocery shops are getting more and more competitive as the belts tighten. Tesco now also gives you a voucher back like Sainsbury’s if your shop would have been cheaper at one of the other main grocers.
3. Save money on electricity by switching off if you don't need it on. I.e. leave a room, switch off the light, switch the TV off at the power switch and all other such devices don't leave them in idle position. Not using a cell phone charger, unplug it, it still uses small amounts of energy while just lying there plugged in. You'll not only be saving some pennies in the long run but helping the environment too by saving power.
4. Think about this, you turn on the hot water tap to wash your hands, but by the time you are finished the water is not warm, all you have done is used power to start warming the water but as you turned if off as quickly as you turned it on you have just wasted power, rather use the cold tap.
5.  How much money do you spend on bottle water, depending of course on where you live if you are lucky enough to drink the water out of the tap make your own bottle water by filling a bottle with water. You will again not only save money but also help the environment with there being less water bottles lying around.

Before I go if you are not watching the Great British Sewing Bee on BBC, then get watching. This is one of my favourite dresses that I have made. I received the Pattern Simplicity K2588 free with the Sewing Magazine and as I already had the material all I had to buy was the lace, so I think in total it cost me a rainy day and all of £4-00 to make.  I used a stretch material and it fitted much better.  I'm bias but I think the red adds that little something extra...

Make up wonders of BB Cream and Foundation

When I was younger I was embarrassed of my freckles this led to me wearing copious amounts of foundation on my face or as we called it base. As I grew older and became more accepting of my freckles I also realised that the goo I was putting on my face was not doing my skin any good, not to mention that I struggled to find a colour to match my pale complexion and was prone to outbreaks. I'm also one for a natural complexion preferring to have an all natural foundation aka glowing skin, which was the greatest advantage when I stopped wearing foundation. Fast forward about 10 years though and call it age or its just in my head, my face looks a bit drab to what I would prefer so on a foundation hunt I went. Foundation has of course evolved dramatically over the years with technology it is now super light, contains SPF and other vitamins. So I settled on Maybeline Eraser. For those days when my skin needs a little pick me up, The Eraser is a perfect with an anti aging formula containing SPF 18, goji berries and collagen.  
Then came BB cream which has also evolved a lot since it first hit the shelves last year..Of course I was delighted to be able to find Garnier's BB Cream was not only light on the skin and suited my complexion but contained SPF20 and came in a combination to oily skin formula.  The choices are endless.   So now when I look in the mirror and think my face looks a bit blotchy or uneven BB cream to the rescue or if it just needs a little bit of cheer up I use my Maybeline Eraser Foundation and if I’m lucky to have a good natural glow with no blemishes, just some blusher to the cheeks.  As I seem to be a little bit behind on the make up front I enjoy reading the Small Things Blog, Kate has some great tips and I've learnt about products I did not even know exisited before, make-up really has evolved.
To stop my new found make up collection falling all around my handbag I've made a cute little make-up bag. The thing about make up bags are they are super easy to make and can make for a great first time sewing project. Check youcanmakethis.com for a great pattern.

And before I go a hint of my next sewing project for myself:)

Happy sewing.

Pretty Flower Dress and some pink for Spring

Well I hope everyone has had a blessed Easter. Easter in England occurs in the Spring which seems to be in hibernation this year due to a high pressure system from Siberia.....brrr is an understatement. Five years in London and not taking my regular trip to South Africa in January has indeed made this a very long winter. I though have decided that I am bored with all the blacks and greys so I brightened up my wardrobe, who says you can't wear springier clothes when it’s still chilly out. My latest sewing project is a combination of Simplicity Pattern K2444 and New Look (NL) Pattern 6141. The combination sprung from a big oops I made with NL 6141. I bought some lovely pink material when on holiday in South Africa in November and proceeded to cut it out for this dress, I was surprised to see a lot of material left over but didn't think anything of it.  I decided to use the rest of the material to cheer up my blacks and quickly make a pink A-Line Skirt. The skirt looks fab and brings some cheer to the cold weather and drab skies. I sat down the next week-end to make my dress. I did the top part no problems, came to do the skirt and oops, I had forgotten to cut out the back of the skirt, no wonder I had enough for the A-Line Skirt.  Thanks to the great technology we have these days I was able to Whatsapp my mom a picture and she was able to get me some more material. Not risking the post so the next one home has a package to bring back.

Oops this is going to be a bit drafty

It will look better once finished, skit pinned on at the moment

Chilly Spring Dressing, looks fab with some pback stockings and shoe boots.

 
 I used my last lot of material bought in South Africa, a brown viscose with blue flowers on it for the combination.  My idea from the start with this material was a dress I could wear with my causal brown boots in spring if it was a bit nippy and right through to autumn. The Simplicity pattern needed just over 2m of material and I only had a 1.5m and so my improvising began. I pinned the top part of K2444 onto Emma (my sewing model). I was lucky to already have the bottom part of NL6141 cut out and so I pinned the bottom skirt piece of NL6141 to the top of K2444. I then added some length to the skirt as the NL6141 top was longer, fiddled with the pleats a bit and cut a seam in the back and Bob's your uncle.   The darts in the top of the dress are really flattering and feminine and the many options with belts really do accentuate the waist and nip it in nicely. Though I have opted for the non belt option.  The pleats make the dress even more flattering around the middle and thighs, not to mention the way it doesn’t cling to the bottom.   I've dressed it up below, one dress so many ways.

Lunch in the park

Office meeting at work

Chilly starts, add a leather jacket

Warmer days

 

I've also decided after seeing Elle Macpherson at 50 that I need to look after myself better. I do not know what Elle's secret is but my Spring time resolutions are:

• To eat more fruit,
• Get back into my walking,
• Ensure I sit, stand and walk up straight

And yes I am dead serious about the last point. I've noticed so many people lately when I look around seem to be slouching and look hunched over. By standing up straight we look so much more beautiful and confident. Not to mention that the stomach muscles get a mini work out, the body breathes better and you in turn you will just feel so much better. Good posture is a great asset to have and after all who really wants a hunched back when they are older. . Also don't forget to moisturise from top to toe every morning and night including the all important and so easily neglected neck and décolleté area. Happy Spring....