More patterns

 Oh dear, more patterns… I really ought to start making more things, eh?

In fairness, I only bought the sewing patterns because I've been looking at these exact ones for ages, and then the pyjama-style outfit pattern further down the page was on sale half-price. As it's a Vogue pattern, it was quite pricy at full cost, so I seized the bargain. It seemed daft to get just one pattern, so the pussybow blouse went into the basket too.

I love a good pussybow blouse. A lot of people think they're terribly twee, and with a full skirt or extremely feminine accessories they might be, but in winter I wear a lot of tweeds and woollens in quite sensible, if not masculine shapes. (One of my favourite tweed jackets is a vintage man's one, and both my pairs of woolly trousers were from M&S menswear department last year.) I'm also a big fan of brogues and loafers. A soft, womanly blouse is a good contrast and balances things out well. I'd be making the design on the right, with the bow round the neckline. I think the style on the left with the bow detached and higher up the throat is currently more fashionable, but I like the classic option.

I only own one pair of repro beach pyjamas but I wish I had more. While the top and trouser pattern I've bought isn't actual repro, it's got all the spirit of a 1920s design, and I just need to pick my fabric wisely. I'm actually thinking of this one as something to wear on my days working from home, when it's nice to be comfy and not have to bother with tights or jewellery or whatever but I don't want to slob around in actual pyjamas all day. Hopefully it will be at the dressed-up end of dressed-down, if that makes sense.

And who knows, if the pattern works out well for me, it's the sort of thing that would look magnificent in a really luxurious fabric and make great partywear. I really struggle to find partywear that feels like me. I always feel things that hit the desired level of glamour won't work on my body type, and things that work on my body type never quite hit the required level of glamour. These in a fabulous crepe might just do the trick.

My pal Emily sent me a copy of Vogue Knitting from 1958, and this knitted blouse was my pick of the knits. I used to have a blue jumper that I wore as a top, but it felted in the wash and shrank. I really miss it! I'm planning to knit myself another at some point as I've got my knitting notebook tracking all my alterations to the original pattern (a later 40s/early 50s design), but a couple more woolly tops wouldn't go amiss.

Anyway, none of that is going to get done any time soon because I'm making a shirt for Pete and then I've got the pattern and fabric for a shirtdress for myself. But it's nice to be prepared!

Are you making anything nice at the moment?