Practicality is overated

For some strange reason I have wanted some fluffy shoes for a long time. While most of my shoes are not considered to be practical enough for normal wear, I think shoes with marabou trim are in a bit of a league of their own.

Who remembers these as a little girl? Well I do!

I do love a bit of glitter and fluff, but maybe these are a bit too much for regular wear. I definitely didn't want to look like I was wearing boudoir mules either.

Trust Carrie Bradshaw to give me a bit of style inspiration.

 

www.satc-revisited.tumblr.com

 

 

Alexander Wang did some amazing ones too.

 

 

www.stylebubble.co.uk

My version of this type of shoe was so simple to make. All you need to start with is a pair of simple strappy heels in a neutral shade.

These things help along the way too-

• Half a metre of marabou trim
• Matching thread
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• A sharp thin needle

They do this type of strappy shoe in so many places now, but I got mine from Primark. They were plain silver, which I wanted, so that the fluff could really stand out, with a strap over the ankle and a strap over the toes. They also only cost me £10, which was great!

I then got about half a metre of white marabou trim from the market. I chose white, because I wanted it to match the silver of the heels, (and make them even more impractical to wear of course!) but you could get any colour at all. I'm just thinking that some neon ones would be nice!

I then cut the length of marabou the same size as the strap which goes over the toes.
Using matching thread to the marabou trim and a fine sharp needle, I attached it by hand sewing from the underside of the toe strap, starting from one end and working along. I looped the thread over the trim, piercing through the strap back to the underside. I carried this on right to the other side of the strap.

It sounds like the thread will be visible from the right side of the strap but it isn't at all. You just need to be careful to sew as close to the trim as possible and this should be secure enough to attach it firmly. If you do get some of the feathers flattened down by the thread, you can pick them out with a needle to hide the thread.

 

 

These are definitely going to be reserved for strictly dry weather wear! I would definitely wear them with quite a structured outfit, to save me from looking like I was trying to recreate a Barbie fancy dress outfit or something.

Something like this. My high waisted, sporty looking trousers, with a structured cropped t-shirt, and some gold jewellery. I will test this outfit out soon and report back! Hopefully my fluffy shoes will last more than one wear!

Simplicity 1688

I have had this jacket hanging in my wardrobe for ages now and it has been out and about a fair bit, but for some reason haven't got round to actually talking about it. Today I managed to part with it for enough time to take a few marginally okay photos! 

I love all the co ordinate suit outfits that are all over the high street at the moment. matching skirts with crop tops, and boxy jackets with matching shorts. Here are a couple of my favourites from my Pinterest, including some Cluless references of course!

All images from various users on Pinterest

I made a top and matching skirt last year out of a baggy dress, so I decided to make another matching set. This time I'm going for a jacket and skirt. I wanted a suit that would be very summery and one that I can wear on holiday. (Although I definitely already have too many outfit options for a one week holiday!) I do also want to be able to wear it for work in the summer though, so I did want it to be fairly practical.

I went for this Cynthia Rowley Simplicity pattern for the jacket, as this looked quite boxy, like I wanted. I've never made a jacket before so I didn't want to go for something too complicated and fancy no complex button holes/pockets to deal with. Even so, I was expecting to have trouble with the facings and linings, but surprisingly this was one of the easiest garments I have ever sewn!

 

I made no alterations to the pattern as I didn't need it to be especially fitted anyway. I cut in between a 12-14 (which is larger than I would ever need in high street clothes, but I have learnt to ignore this after coming out with tiny doll clothes too many times!)

The fabric I used was a cotton; black with cherries on. For the lining I just used some old silky scrap bits and pieces, because I am too impatient and didn't want to wait to until I had brought new lining to start the project. So inside, there is a mixture of red, black and green satin going on, which I can pretend was intentional. They all came from various tops and skirts I have cut up in the past. 

I followed the pattern exactly which is rare for me, but it came together pretty well and I am really happy! The only thing I didn't think about well was matching up the print. But as the cherries are pretty hap-hazard, I don't think it matters too much. So a matching skirt in the same fabric is next on the list!

The only slightly difficult thing about this pattern was making sure the curves on the neckline and bottom of the jacket matched up, but they came up fairly symmetrical. I'll definitely be using this pattern again, perhaps for a slicktly thicker fabric in a tweed.