Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Holy Trinity in Summer Professional Wear

I fell in love with this material as soon as I saw it at my Mom's, and she let me keep it! Originally, I was intending to make some sort of summery scarf out if it, but when I saw this pattern (also from my Mom), I knew that it was the perfect choice. It's a light, transparent material that looks like a big abstract painted mural. I decided to make view A (the purple one). It was a challenge to sew because the fabric tended to stretch and fray while I hemmed it, causing a slight rippling effect at the hems. But you really can't tell, unless you look really close. And maybe it's just supposed to be that way! :) All told, I think it took me about 2.5 hours to sew. 

It's the perfect summer option - lightweight enough to not be sweltering, having enough substance not to let me freeze in air-conditioning, and is classy enough to wear to the office. Most of the time, summer clothes look more appropriate on the beach than the office, or aren't quite substantial enough to wear in AC, and my nice clothes tend to be fine in AC but too much for the NJ heat. This is the perfect trinity united in one garment! And it's just so colorful and fun and flowy!



Here I have a black tank top on underneath, but the day I actually wore it, I had black pants for a monochromatic look where the top could really POP! Next time I might try it with a collar on a summer Sunday morning! 




Monday, August 11, 2014

Inagural Post - Shirt, Shoes, and a (worship) Service


So this is what I wore to church on Sunday morning, going solo during my pastor colleague's annual vacation. The shirt I adapted a bit, making the sleeves shorter, and the torso longer, without the odd asymmetrical peplum thing.

Clergy "Janie" - Womenspirit.com
Jacket - Thrifted
Shirt - hand-made
Pants - Thrifted
Liturgically Appropriate Shoes - Kohl's Clearance!
I love these green shoes. They are super comfy flats that are a nice shade of green, and I get comments nearly every time I wear them. My members even noticed they were the right color for the Sundays after Pentecost!

Close up on the shirt
Here is the original pattern FYI. I like the shape of the collar, but it was very hard to make the other changes I wanted, so I don't know if I'll use it again. My mom gave me other easy shirt patterns I can try!