I have been dying forever to make a PBB. Okay maybe only a few months, but well worth the wait because now I have a PPPBB! And it’s part one of the grand plan to start dressing like a lady and sew a wardrobe full of beautiful, wearable clothes. Last year’s no-new-clothes experiment opened my eyes up to the world of adult sewing and I am never leaving. Blouses, skirts, dresses and shorts excite me but my concession is pants. I just don’t want to muck around them. It would be easier for all involved if I bought some that just do what they’re supposed to, and fit.

Which begs the question…how do you begin to plan a very wearable hand-made wardrobe? Time for a deep and meaningful with the closet. As suspected, it is full and I have nothing to wear. Sound familiar? There is some force that propels me towards statement dresses, pyjamas, gym clothes and swimwear and away from sensible basics and practical separates. It’d be nice to find a happy style medium between statement dresses and my everyday uniform of a little too comfy, slouchy tops ( the kind you’d happily wear to bed). A wardrobe that is comfortable, easy wearing and feminine. Chock full of skirts, casual dresses and blouses like this one.

So how does item numero uno hold up in the wearable wardrobe stakes? With flying colours it does. And galloping ponies. This lovely is Pattern Runway’s pussy bow blouse in a Japanese cotton from an etsy seller. Can’t say I’m especially pro-ponies but I couldn’t resist the print. As for the blouse it’s as easy wearing as I hoped, unbelievably feminine and has the added bonus of protecting skin from harsh Australian rays.

I wasn’t sure how the collar would look since a lot of the PBB’s around seem to be collar-less but the structured look of the collar seems to balance out nicely with the flouncy bow. Yes, I know I sound like an art critic but at least I didn’t use the word juxtaposition. As an afterthought, looking at the photos, the bow can get a bit lost…maybe it could have worked nicely in a contrasting colour? Something to think about for next time…

Hola Chicas. Believe it or not the background you see here is the behind of a cafe in urban Australia, not Guadalajara. Shame! As usually happens around this time of year, I start to pine for exotic places just out of reach. This summer’s fantasy destination: Mexico. I don’t think we’ll be popping off there next week, so for now I will be content living out my wanderlust through sewing. Don’t be alarmed if you start seeing posts like ‘turn this fantasy destination into an outfit’.

This little number is the Tiny Pocket Tank pattern by Grainline Studio and its my new go-to summer top. I was pining for tropical fiestas anyway when I grabbed this fabric remnant in a country town thrift store. It’s not something I would normally go for but it spoke to me. In Spanish. And said, ‘Hola Chica’, turn me into a tiny pocket tank’. I couldn’t resist the print that’s a bit floral, a bit geometric with a dash of aztec. The palette is interesting too; inky purple, bright red and pink.