Hello friends!
I saw a terrific exhibit at a small museum here in Madrid yesterday, the Museo ICO. Part of the Anna Heringer show included old saris from Bangladesh. The thin saris are quilted in layers once they are too old to be worn, and they’re used as blankets. Over time the layers of fabric wear away, leaving a patina of layers around the stitches. The blankets are so soft and light, and they’re absolutely gorgeous in person. Here are a few photos to show you.
Pretty, no? You can see more photos in my Instagram post. Makes me want to sew with really lightweight fabrics after a winter with knits and wool.
Pinterest Picks
If you’re thinking about spring like I am, you might be thinking about spring shirts too. I love this pink crinkle gauze fabric which would be such a great Classic Shirt, and the raw-edge patchwork Camp Shirt is a really fun idea for your scraps, too.
I’ve been wearing my Easton Cowl-Neck Tees a lot lately. They feel a little bit special but still so easy and relaxed, especially when sewn in a basic color like white or navy. And of course there’s always the popular Geneva V-Neck Blouse, which would be great in rayon or really special in silk. Wear it with jeans to make it more casual or dress it up for work!
I’ve been saving some plaid fabric for an Extra-Sharp Pencil Skirt like this. And isn’t this color-blocked dress cute? It’s similar to our Noord T-Shirt, but I also want to mess around with our Metro Tee for a slimmer fit. (For color blocking the sleeve, don’t forget this video tutorial.)
I’m not really crazy about this Carrie Bradshaw outfit, but the shape of the jacket reminded me of our Yanaka Jacket. (I think ours is cuter….) And the long Melville Cardigan will be a great spring item, don’t you think? I like how this similar item is styled in this photo. It’s a versatile piece, I think.
Weekend Links
- I reached the age of 53 last week (I’m in my prime, y’all!) and am going to start mentally including myself in this group of fabulous 50-something women, even if I’m not French. After all, not all of them are in their 50’s, either, so I think they’ll be pretty inclusive.
- Do you have fancy china? I don’t, mostly because I don’t have space for more than one set of dishes and I really downsized when we moved overseas. But if I did have some, I’d definitely want to use them like this. My aunt had a mismatched collection of fancy china plates she used when she and my uncle were dining alone after putting the kids to bed (after all, date night doesn’t have to mean going out, right?), and I always liked the idea of making a simple meal special by serving it on on special china.
- Are you following Elle’s Clothes of our Lives series? I love it.
- This is great news, in my opinion. Good for these talented women, and well done to Etsy for supporting them.
- One member of our family (hint: it’s not me) is a huge fan of Taylor Swift, and I fell down the TS rabbit hole this week when I saw the Blank Space video. (It’s not new, but apparently I have a lot to catch up on since I haven’t been following along?) Regarding the video, so many elegant fashions in such a short amount of time! Here’s the low-down.
- What happens to our cast-off clothing? It’s not a pretty story, but it’s important that we know.
What are you sewing this weekend? I’m working on a Saint-Germain Wrap Dress combined with a City Stroll Wrap Skirt, and I’m really excited about it. Maybe it will be ready to show off next week. In the meantime, have a terrific weekend and we’ll be back next week for sure.
I love the items from the Museo. Layers of Indian saris hand stitched together like that are called kantha cloth. There are people here who make and sell beautiful clothing made from kantha cloth, and there’s a website (Minko?) where they sell scraps for people who want to make their own bags, jackets, etc. …. I also enjoyed the other links you shared, as always. Thanks Liesl!
Thank you, I was trying to think of the name! I can’t believe how soft the worn fabrics are!
This, once again, is my favourite post of the week . It also makes me want to schedule more sewing time in my hectic life. Thank you giving me reason to pause and ponder, read and wander. In wonder.
Aw, I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for commenting.
Always love the weekend links! Thank you for including Taylor Swift’s Blank Space Video, it’s my very favourite music video bc of all the great fashion. Also a fan of the video to her song Begin Again, such dreamy clothes!
And I like how unapologetic french actresses are about their age and style, but, although I’m french and in my 40s, I don’t see myself going sheer yet, maybe courage will come in a decade… 🙂
I’m doing sheer in small ways, like an organza Recital Shirt to give coverage in the front. But I don’t think sheer is a requirement! I’ll look up the video, thanks!