Undocumented Progress

I did really well this weekend and got all the pieces for McCall's 6614 traced off, but since I left my camera at home there's no pictures. Imagine a big pile of pattern pieces curled up to look like scrolls and you're there.

I went to see the people at the jobcentre today and signed an agreement saying how much I had to do towards getting a job. For those of you who don't know, to get the benefits, a whole £200 a month, you have to spend 35 hours a week looking for work and making yourself more employable. That's 7 hours every work day sending off job applications and practicing my touch typing. Heck, at this rate I might be employable at the end.

Obviously that cuts down on sewing time, but if I find someone willing to pay me for 40 hours of my week then that'll be well worth it.

Change Of Schedule

 I'm afraid I don't have a progress picture of my dress to show you, but I'm not where I was expecting to be. I thought I'd be sewing in front of the TV at home tonight then heading off to Rugby in the morning to apply for jobseekers benefit, but my dad came round today to pick up some stuff and I ended up coming too. I've got to be at the jobcenter at two tomorrow and I'm going to stay for the rest of the weekend and tracing sewing patterns. I've got a skirt one to help fill out my wardrobe and two jackets that I can probably get done before it gets too warm to wear them. It is England after all.

Jackets

I've talked a lot about jackets on this blog for someone who owns so few of them. I talked about corseted jackets, Lilli Ann jackets and hoodies and touched on the subject in several other blog posts but I hardly ever buy them. I went snoop shopping a couple of days ago and spent ages trying on jackets only to leave disappointed. What can I say, I'm picky.

It also doesn't help that I spent most of my life responding to cold by either adding figure swallowing layers or hoodies. You just have to look through the old photo albums to see how much I've failed with jackets, and there was actually quite a nice figure hiding under there somewhere.

Maybe that's why I still have problems buying jackets. I never learned what I liked and what looked good. The combination of a desperate need and reading through the archives of Alreadypretty is making me take a hard, long look.

I pretty much already know that princess seams and nipped in at the waist is good for my shape but beyond that I'm stuck. I don't even know what's available. I guess I'll have to work through my small collection of jacket patterns and learn through trial and error.

As with all things like this, I turn to Google and Pinterest. The jacket below has the shape that I like but it's really the embellishments that sell it for me. I have a weak spot for sparkles.

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This next one is only an illustration but I love the use of fur. It's definitely not a style I'd buy or make as is but there are parts of it I like.

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I had to add this one just for the waist (doubtless requiring a corset) but the silver stripes and the embroidery are quite awesome. I also like the idea of a folded back collar like detail on the bottom corners.

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Those of you who've been around for a while or read some of the earlier posts might remember Newlook 6035. I started trying to make a toile but then put it away to make my 40s dress and didn't go back. I'll definitely have to do that before it gets cold.

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Maybe July will be the month of the UFO (unfinished object).

Hoodies

I've been thinking about hoodies a lot lately. It's cold enough that you need to wear something if you want to go out but too hot for a big coat. It's the weather for a thin coat or a jacket, but I haven't worked on my jacket since the very start of this blog and I don't think I'm ready to make a coat.

In my teens I lived in hoodies. I didn't have a lot of confidence and I was kind of porky. I thought they hid my podge, but I know now they just made me look bigger. (It didn't help that I was usually wearing second hand ones from my brothers.)

I do believe that hoodies can be as flattering as jackets if they're cut right and the right size, it's just that they usually aren't. The style of hoodie I inhabated like an agraphobic hermit crab is the basic black sack with a band logo on the front and usually no zip, but searching on google and etsy has opened my eyes to the plethora of different styles out there.

This one has to be my favorite on etsy at the moment. It's based off of clothing in a video game. I love the necklace that clips across the front and it's a really flattering cut compared to most. It seems like to get a good cut you usually have to go with zippers, but I've seen it done without one.

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Because of their shape hoodies are the go to garment for people who want a blank slate to work on, and some of the things people come up with are pretty damn cool. I know it's a ripoff of a cartoon, but I want this Totoro hoodie so bad. It looks fun to hang around the house in and go to events in. Maybe less appropriate for going to the supermarket though.

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This one's simpler, but you could definitely wear it out and about without feeling embarrassed. I'm not an expert, but I think it's based on a hoodie worn by a cartoon character in a music video about an editing software? I'm a little confused myself.

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This is the kind of hoodie that I'm probably going to end up making for spring and autumn. It looks like it's just made of a thin jersey knit fabric or t-shirt fabric. It's probably wearable as a long sleeved top in the hotter months, or even a sleeveless one if you make it that way.

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I talked to my boyfriend about hoodies, and he says he's a fan of hooded shirts. He's got one or two, but he might get a bit pissed if I took one apart to see how it was made. Maybe if he's good I might track down, or even make, a pattern.

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Have a look at the music video, see what you think.