Here in England our unpredictable weather becomes even more unpredictable and certain items of the wardrobe tend to yo-yo in and out of the closets. Unless we are very organised the agenda for Winter sewing becomes a moveable feast with changes in the weather. I mention England rather than the UK or Great Britain as a whole solely because that is where I live and I well know that throughout these islands the weather varies enormously ~ even in what part of England you live, tiny though it be!

Then there are the Winter Collections to savour! Not that I buy RTW any more, but I do like to meander the stores and see what styles and colours are new [and usually I mutter something like “oh, that’s back again. I remember that in ‘*’ and again in ‘*’] but it does give you ideas and fresh perspective of construction and colour ~ and the styles are usually translated in the patterns we buy. The only fault I can find is that after a few stores the similarities and identical colour palettes all blur into one. One or two things did catch my eye, however, and I managed to re-create a similar style to those I like in a jacket and a skirt. I wasn’t really brave enough to take photographs and had to mentally make notes of the particular elements I liked. I only made one return visit to the stores to check a detail I hadn’t been sure of and have to say that although the jacket was meant to be a practice piece [not a toile – too much work went into making it] I quite like the finished styles although not particularly enthused about the dark grey fabric of the jacket. The only adjustments I might make in future to the drafted pattern is to lower the front neck opening and perhaps lengthen the body a smidgen.

Normally this time of year – the changing of the Seasons, brings its own collection of goodies for me in the way of various ailments and indispositions and this is the reason I have been absent from my post lately – no blogging, sewing or taking pictures – can’t be asked the way I feel at the moment, but hopefully very soon. Meanwhile, here’s some I took earlier.