A Blast from the Past

Today I am off on a choir retreat! We'll be in Washington State until Sunday and I am rather excited (mostly about how many Twin Peaks refferances I can make in one weekend)! Funny the last time I went on a choir retreat was four years ago and the day after I got back was really the start of my journey here. So I have high hopes that this one will only help me continue on in this new phase of life, and involve fewer car accidents...

Back then I had this nifty little feature that I was far too lazy to keep up (just like all my features...) called Three Days In... where I made three outfits I'd wear while somewhere. I posted one for a trip to the mountains back then to coincide with my own trip {original post} and I decided to update these a bit to reflect my current tastes. With a few exceptions, the old ones aren't too terribly bad (save the denim mini skirt... eek!)

Outdoor Autumn by fraxini featuring a twill shirt

Indoor Autumn by fraxini featuring a jacquard sweater

Autumn Party by fraxini featuring mary jane high heels

I Can't Believe It's Not Vintage

Blouse-Made by me
Skirt- Made by me
Cardigan- Vintage, thrifted.
Earrings- Target
Shoes- BC Footwear, Nordstrom Rack
Satchel- Vintage, gift from my parents.

Back in the beginning of my journey of sewing I bought one of those Poodle Skirt Halloween patterns. I also bought some really weird suiting to make it from. I got as far as sewing up the side seams before it defeated me. Since this day I have feared the circle skirt. Until now.

In my younger self's defense I was a complete moron back then and looking back the problems I faced with that project were stupid and I can now see how easy they were to fix. But still the memory of that failed project has haunted me and I basically just steered clear of all circle skirt plans. Which isn't too terrible since I am not actually a huge fan of them in the first place. I think they're wonderfully cute on mostly everyone but me, and the length of the traditional 50's style circle skirt is a major issue for stocky little me. So when the ever lovely Casey announced her circle skirt sew-along, I had mixed emotions. I have been wearing my skirts a tad longer, and I need a bit for variety in my skirts, so I said what the heck, the worst that can happen is I hate it, right? Except then I realized that the event took place while I was moving and I shrugged it off. However I did make sure to read in detail each post in the sew-along. So there I was last night, getting ready to crawl into bed despite not being tired at 2 in the morning, when suddenly I had a brilliant idea! (I really wish you cold read that in the voice I just typed it in. It was incredibly dramatic) Why not just tackle the circle skirt at 2am? What could go wrong?

I ended up going to bed at 4:45 with a finished skirt hanging over my chair. The only thing left undone for this morning was to press the hem. It is a good thing my first class didn't start until noon today, because let me tell you I had no desire to get out of bed (tonight's menu: study for exam tomorrow, memorize aria, go to bed early.). But I did and I'm actually not too terrible today (though that may just be the coffee talking), and in the end I have a totally awesome skirt.

I used a brown tweedy wool I got in the Garment District back in August. Initially I assumed it was some kind of poly-wool blend, but after my adventures in ironing the thing I have determined that it is in fact wool. Instead of making a pattern, since I don't have any pattern drafting paper, I just marked the measurements directly onto the fabric. The front half is one piece and the back is two with a zipper in the back. I added pockets to the side seams, and I didn't bother facing the waistband because it was already so bulky (and also I am out of interfacing...). Otherwise I followed Casey's directions to a t and ended up with a skirt I can't believe I made! The only hitch I ran into was the fact that this is such a loose weave wool it stretches so the waist ended up being a good three inches too big (and actually the whole skirt is a bit on the loose side, but I can deal with that), which is why I made and inverted pleat in the center. I actually have a skirt that is a bit too tight with a pleat like this, and I really love it. The only thing I would change is the fact that I gave it a machine hem, but after all it was like 4am by the time I got to hemming, and I was not about to hand stitch this thing then. But I do plan on making some more of these for this winter. I think a velvet one and maybe some traditional felt. There are so many possibilities! So many people today thought it was vintage, which pleased me to no end! And now I no longer live in fear of circle skirts.

In other non-sewing related news today was freezing as I walked to class... at 11:30. I am not kidding you by the time I got to the music building my hands were like icicles. Apparently it can be both sunny and freezing cold at the same time. Who knew? So far I really love Autumn.

Mem'ry

I swear I'd posted these already, but apparently not. The Saturday before my family left Corvallis we went into Portland to meet my grandparents for lunch and bum around Powell's. My dad actually flew in that morning and we picked him up before going into Powell's. It's been a little over 4 years since the kids had been there, and Grace was only two then, so it was neat to see them re-discover all of the Powell's Books glory. Grace asked me if I'd take her to the kid's section at one point so we headed that way. She saw a small section of kid's books and pointed saying "Oh there it is!" and started rushing towards it. Then I told her that was just a small section of the kid's section and showed her the whole thing. Her eyes bugged out and she had this crazy goofy grin from ear to ear! It was hilarious! It's nice to have these pictures and those silly stories for days when I'm a little homesick (Grace is currently obsessed with the idea of homesickness). The best thing about pictures is the little memories they bring back. Like Delaney and I gushing over shoes in Anthropologie, or my mom scowling as I bought yet another coffee mug (it was pink and had an A on it, what was I supposed to do?), or my dad (literally) explaining Quantum Physics to Eric while I played Angry Birds on my mom's phone, or watching Fraser be really brave and order calamari for lunch and then asking if we could trade lunches because it just "wasn't what he was really hungry for right now" and my clam chowder was what he really wanted.  It was a good day.

My grandma insisted on waiting in the ridiculously long line to procure these. There's a Maple Bacon bar in there somewhere. She tried pawning some off on me, but I do not like doughnuts (yeah, yeah, but seriously it's like eating sugar air and then there's that residue that the cake leaves in your mouth... ICK!)

1. Yes she is actually drinking black coffee. Yes she drank the whole thing. 2. My grandma threatened to buy one of these for all of us, but ran out of Cash. 3. God Bless Cash Only vendors.

Teddy Girl

Blazer- Thrifted

Blouse- Vintage, thrifted

Skirt- made by me

Brooches- Gnome: gift from my mom, Deer: vintage, Bear: Ailwee Caves, Ireland

Neck Ribbon-?

Earrings- Vintage

Watch- Target

Shoes- Off Saks (and desperately need to be re-soled~)

I have been waiting for a day cool enough to wear this since I picked up this blouse and blazer (which is really pathetic when you consider that it has hardly been 70 this week. I just am always hot. Except when I leave my dorm room at 9:30 and it's 39 out...). I found both of these while visiting the coast this past weekend. I have never been much of a blazer person but after seeing this beautiful ensemble I decided that I needed one. I'm still not sure they suit me (see what I did there..), but this one is wool and a lovely colour and warm enough to get me through the winter. The blouse was a lucky find! I rarely if ever find vintage blouses that accommodate my ample bust, and I assumed this one would end up being too tight, but much to my surprise it fit! It's not that old, mid-late 60's I'd say, but I adore the cut and print and Peter Pan collar. It is pretty much the perfect blouse. As soon as these two items entered my pocession I have been dreaming up all sorts of outfits featuring them. I am quite fond of it! I think this outfit kind of sums up how I've been feeling sartorially lately. I like mixes of textures, colours and prints, but still simple and a bit more delicate. Pretty dresses, cardigans, and flats for walking hither and thither. Uncomplicated in a sense, yet diverse. Does that make any sense? Probably not, but regardless I really loved this outfit. It is just kind of perfect.

The Magic Field Forest

Sometimes I will be thinking about something that I love and realize that I haven't really changed all that much since I was a wee'un. I mean, I still could live off of Orange Juice and Chicken Fingers, I still like getting dressed up in crazy combos, I still think $20 is a lot of money, and I still think that the world is a magical place filled with wonderful things just waiting for me to explore them. When I was a kid and also now  I had a bad habit of wandering off to explore something. I was constantly "lost" ("Just because you don't know where I am doesn't mean I am lost! I knew where I was the whole time so how could I have been lost mom?") and my parents would search high and low. I was that kid who always got paged to meet their party in stores. I still suffer from this innate curiosity. Ooo what's round this corner? Hmmm, I wonder if I could find a way into this nefarious looking abandoned house? It's gotten me into some crazy funny situations and only one incident of poison oak.












Growing up we lived with my grandparents who's house was on the church property. There was a big field in the back that was kind of a junk yard, huge trees we made into forts, and a storage facility for those giant shipping containers that trains carry. My sisters and I played out there from sunup to sundown. We played in the containers much to my mother's horror (incidentally I always like movies where there is some scene with shipping containers, especially if it is some showdown fight, because they are just the best place for hiding!). I loved playing out in these places, making up some story about being a feral child or fairy or something. I look at these childhood tenancies and realize now that they are just a facet of my personality. So all those years I was trying to "figure out" who I am were kind of useless. I know who I am, I've always been the same person. I suppose I look at life more as a constant shift rather and than an evolution. You don't have to become someone new just because you grew up. You just have to figure out how the parts of you fit into grown up life. I still love exploring, and trying to brake into places that look intriguing. But now I take it with a grain of salt and at least try to avoid getting arrested.













So yesterday I was tired. I'd had a long day and a headache. I was feeling a bit, I don't know, disillusioned with life. I was tired of campus and exams every bleeding day, and I just needed to take a brake. So I went on a walk. I grabbed my camera and tripod and set off to find some place secluded enough to take pictures. I'd found a few decent options and a creek! But something kept me walking. I had no idea where I was going, I just kept walking. I saw a path and walked down it. It was through a thickly forested area and smelled like grass and mud and all those good earthy things. I saw a small clearing and walked towards it. It was not a small clearing but rather a huge open field surrounded by forest. The setting sun danced across the grass and trees and I just stopped took a deep breath and just looked. It is the kind of place where you feel beautiful just being there. Not because you are necessarily, but because there is so much beauty around you it just starts to spill into you. It was like this place has been made just for me. A creek, a field, a forest, remains of a tree house, a spooky looking barn... I just smiled. It is gorgeous. I can't even begin to describe it. It just was so wonderful. I spent the next hour and a half wandering around, taking pictures, taking deep breaths, and daydreaming. It was pretty perfect. And I fully intend to go back until I get caught. I love this place so much.