habits, both ways

Chaudry dress, Ross

    Some days, all I need is a good dress.  I wore this on Sunday to take my dad out for sushi. I have a bad habit of buying pretty maxi dresses, then hardly wearing them because I somehow feel that they're too fancy. But I've vowed to break the habit, starting with this dress. It's too wonderful to not wear regularly - it's cotton with a cotton lining (so hard to find!) as well as just the right length off the rack (a delightful surprise when you're 5 feet tall). I plan to wear it to work, on the weekends, and every chance I get. 

    Speaking of habits, I'm reveling in my usual summer routine - early-morning aikido two times a week, lots of reading, and lots of crafting. Every summer I try to learn a new sewing skill, and this summer I learned how to piece together a baby quilt. The next step is to machine quilt and finish the edges. I really enjoyed the piecing together, but am a little worried about how the quilting's going to go.  It just occurred to me today that maybe I should have gone through the process of making a quilt with a much smaller project (say, a potholder) vs. plunging in with something that's meant to be a gift.  Oh, well, live and learn ...
    Here's what else I've been up to this summer, according to Instagram (my username is indigoblu3 if you'd like to be friends):

 

 I own way too much fabric (I have this bad habit of buying 5 yards at a time if I see a fabric I like), so some stashbusting was in order. I made myself three new pairs of PJ/lounge shorts. These might make cute Christmas gifts - just buy a tee in a matching color to make a set.

     I bought a book on Zentangles a while back, because it sounded like an easy way to incorporate creativity into my daily routine. This summer my goal is to draw one a day. This one was inspired by a discussion at meditation class - one of the regular students said that he hasn't really noticed any big changes or benefits, but that Zen is really about having the experience vs. hoping to benefit in some tangible way.
    What have you been up to lately? 

summer sewing: black floral chiffon kimono

        Style & Co. petite V-neck tee, Macy's

distressed denim mini, Old Navy

        Summer = sewing time around here, and this is the first thing I whipped up. I've been wanting to buy a kimono top for a while, but saw many (albeit with pretty embroidery) going for $50 in stores. That's my entire monthly clothing budget, so I needed an alternative.
       I headed to the fabric store and picked up 2 yards of this rather florid print for $12. A bright print on a black background just says summer nights to me ... although I will admit that most of my summer nights are happily spent sitting on the couch with a book vs. going out. I liked the big print, but going for a straightforward floral was a stretch for me. I tend to lean toward abstract/graphic florals, so I'm still undecided on whether I like the print, although the colors are beautiful.
        This is basically 3 rectangles sewn together - no separate sleeve - which I think accounts for the voluminous fit. I've never sewn with chiffon before, so it was an interesting project - I used French seams for the first time (to enclose the madly fraying raw edges) and hemming the neckline, bottom, and sleeves took up the  bulk of sewing time. This came out a bit longer than expected, and it almost has a cocoon shape - notice how the side seams hang a bit lower than the rest of the hem in the side view below. I think it also has to do with the slouch of a generously cut arm opening.

    Nonetheless, I think this came out OK for my first time working with chiffon, and a longer hem has an unexpected benefit - more styling options! I figured out that I can alter the silhouette by tying the ends in front:

Or tying the ends in the back gives you just a peek of print in the front ...

 

... and an interesting draped effect in the back.

   Now I just need to figure out different ways to wear my kimono ... for its inaugural wearing, I went with the classic white V-neck tee and denim bottoms option, which is what you'll often find when you Google "styling a kimono top." Some other styling options:

• dark skinnies
• white jeans
• tucked into a pencil skirt as a kind of wrap top
•  And since Suzanne just blogged the versatility of a little black dress, I'm wishing I owned a simple black dress that I could pair up with this kimono ... I don't see many people wearing kimono tops with a dress, maybe because of hemline/proportion issues, but it sounds intriguing.

Do you own a kimono top? If so, how do you style yours (I'm looking for ideas!)

summer wish list

The shopping ban continues, but that didn't stop me from putting together a few things that would be fun to have for warm weather and longer nights ... :)

summer wishlist by chalcedonyandindigo featuring a knit skirt