I dropped the bomb on my handmade holibobs :)

Hello my bathing beauties,

The House of Demeanour was on it's annual summer holiday and this time I headed to Ibiza with my dear friends Laura and Sara who were the bride  and chief bridesmaid featured in this post.  To say we were ready for sun, fun and heady headonism was an understatement.   I can tell you happily though that is indeed what we got :)  Massive thanks to the gals for such a great holiday full of laughter and fun.

Wish you were here!

Today, I come to you from my seat behind the keys in a sun drenched Brighton.  They're saying it's a heatwave I believe back in the day they called it the summer ;-)  I don't really care about the label I'm just making the most of drinking every warm sea scented moment of it in as I go through my rave recovery.  I don't even mind that I missed a few days of it because I was on holiday because coming back from Ibiza and still being able to wear all the things I wore out there without fear of frost bite was a bloody delight!

Anywho on to the meat and potatoes of the post, which is simply to show you what I've been sewing in the last few weeks, which meant I was in handmade every day of my hols :)

A huge amount of my holiday wardrobe was powered by the ever fabulous pattern making legends that  are Elisalex, Charlotte and Victoria of by By Hand London.  If you're thinking do I need a blazer? Could I rock a princess seamed tulip skirted dress?  Is there room for a pencil skirt with a ruffle in my wardrobe?  The answer should be a bloody resounding YES!  Aside from all the patterns being fabulous and flattering if like me you're sucker for design and a tale you will melt at the packaging and the stories about the girls behind each of the designs :)

Before I headed to the White Isle I answered the long pondered question that is what do you wear if you don't want to wear a cardigan but a coat is too heavy?  The answer a faux fur lined blazer ;-)

The let me hear you roar jacket grrr!  

Who knew that black crepe de chine and faux tiger fur could be so powerful :)

So powerful indeed that on it's first outing to my WI meeting where we had a go at still life I drew this. I can't and have never been able to draw so I believe I harnessed the power from the blazer.  So much so I'm signing up for a still life course.

There are many versions of this blazer for you to feast your eyes on including the Miami fabulous one that Sew Dixie Lou wore to the By Hand London celebration of one year in biz :)

Tropical clothing + tequila = strong poses and power fists

Also at the Club Tropicana fiesta was the ever lovely ever fabulous Karen from Did You Make That? Get yourself over to see her take on the latest offering from By Hand London, the Anna Dress.  She's taken it to foxy force 5 ;-)

My first crack on the Elisalex - Let's Party Like It's 1999 dress with big hair as standard.

Next on my holiday wardrobe wish list was a couple of Elisalex dresses.  I will take this moment to admit I was in fact v lazy when I initially made this pattern for both my Christmas and New Year's Eve dresses.  I just cut a 16 and squeezed the cleavage in and although it looked perfectly fine I knew the girls weren't perky McKnockers to use the technical term and the back was gaping.  So using the knowledge gained from my fitting course with Mandy I did an FBA on the princess seams.  It was by no means simple as I had to drop my bust point 3 inches and immediately went into a panic that that the girls were going South.  Thankfully, research revealed I'm just titty.  The effort that went into alteration that produced the difference in my profile was so worth it.  I'm literally packing heat now woot!

Behold the Alohalex dress made with fabric gifted to be my wonderful friends :) Look how happy a good dress and Ibiza with good friends makes you.

The other frock I whipped up from the pattern is the Eye of The Tiger dress, which I wore to see the famous Ibizan sunset at Cafe Del Mar.  This pattern lends itself to floral, velvet, animal print you name it :)

I know it's only the sun going down and QI has taught me it's actually a trick of the eye but I believe you have no soul if when you're there and watching it with all those that gather and you don't cry.  There's just a real sense of communion sitting on the beach with all the other hippy types listening to music and watching the sun set.

So that covers what I wore out at night but as you know a beach holiday also hangs on a good swimsuit  that makes you feel fierce and  I was lucky enough to create two such swimsuits thanks to the amazeballs pattern making skills of Heather Lou.  I question whether you've been in outer space if you haven't heard about this piece of amazing.  When I saw her first versions she made for herself last year I prayed to the sewing Gods that she would offer up her wisdom for all and sundry to feast on.  In June of this year my prayers were answered with the release of the bombshell pattern.  I could wax lyrical about construction and materials but frankly I think Heather Lou herself does a perfect job of it in her comprehensive sew a long, which I followed to the letter.  It's also worth taking a peak at Lladybird's gingham version that was one of the first to be released into the interwebs a few weeks ago she looks the boom ting.  Having never sewn spandex or rubber elastic or ever dreamed of making a cossie I can say your hand will be fully held and your heart will swell when you strut your goodies round the pool :)  Here are my two versions:

The first cossie I made in a cheetah print from Fabricland aka The I  Love Bettie Page swimsuit in homage to the first lady of fierce clothing and strong beach poses :)

Number two - the All That Glitters swimsuit made from metallic gold spandex available at Goldhawk Road.  One of the things I love about this pattern is the ruching on the back gives those with no junk like me the illusion of a peachy ass.  Win!

Both suits got a thorough testing before I got on holibobs in the surf, the pool, washing machine and stood up beautifully to my rigorous movements (handstand, cartwheels).  As well of note regular readers of mine know that I'm mighty in the mammary region so support is of the upmost concern to me to make the most of what the Gods gave me :)  Nevertheless as I was sewing to the wire as usual I didn't insert any extra elastic or cups, which is what I would have done if I had more time but as you can see in the pics the girls are looking their buxom best ;-) I put this down to great design (Heather Lou's not the people that put me together) and the fact I lined them with power mesh.  It's basically the material you get in the miracle pants to hold you in.  It's really great to work with and unlike the swimsuit lining I looked at it didn't roll up on cutting but laid flat and behaved itself.  It's doesn't squeeze you uncomfortably but holds you firmly and gives a lovely silhouette to what is already an ace cossie.  I'm now in the process of learning about underwiring so I crack out some bombshell bikinis.

So there you have it darlings that is how I rocked the White Isle with my handmade wardrobe.  I know you haven't asked about my holidays but if you're anything like me you're on the right side of interested and  I can tell you that I had a fine old time.  There was sun bathing, raving and common all garden misbehaving and I felt bloody great to be alive :)

The holiday finished with me and the girls wangling our way into a 5 star resort where I felt it was my absolute duty to channel my inner Joan with a turban and fan obvs.

It was my second visit to Ibiza as an adult (in the loosest possible terms) the first being 9 years ago for Space's opening party when I was mere 24 years old.  At 33 I wondered if my get up and go might have gone but I needn't have worried because at 5am in Amnesia I was still dancing my ass off and only the difference this time was I wearing a dress I made :)  

I guess I was a wondering about my stamina because as I mentioned a few paragraphs up I've journeyed to the next year of my life and I'm now 33. In the weeks that lead up to my birthday I often think a lot about what has happened in the year both the good and the bad, what I've learned and what I hope to achieve in the next year.  Last year I wrote a post about what I'd learned by 32 and I know it was popular post but today I hand over my thoughts to a man who is often after my own heart, Frank Turner.  

Before you hear Frank's take on things I will leave you with this.  I believe when all is said and done and you've weighed up the pros and cons, your hopes and fears, what others opinions will be about it it's you and you alone that defines the life you live and the person you choose to be.  After several years of being a little lost sewing has allowed me to be more me than I would have ever though possible.  So in the next year of my life I choose to be  big, loud and colorful because that's what suits me :)

Until next time darlings enjoy some fun in the sun.

Mwah

Miss D

xxx