Chicken Scratch Embroidery

I hadn't been in the mood for embroidery lately, too busy with other things, like going on holidays, sorting my clothes out and spending more time outside in the lovely summer weather we had.  Now, at last, I'm back in the mood.  I've wanted to do some chicken scratch embroidery for a long time, this week I settled down and made this...

It was quicker to do than I expected it to be and I got it finished in three days.  It looks very pretty, I'm already planning my next project.



Two Blouses

I thought these two blouses would look nice with a black skirt for evening wear...

This blouse has a frilly front, not something I tend to go for.  It also came with a black camisole vest, very handy as the fabric is quite sheer.  Here's a close up of the frill...

It's not very easy to see in the picture as it lies quite close to the body of the blouse and is not too fussy.

 

This next blouse also came with a camisole, this one is the same colour as the blouse...

I particularly like this blouse because of the sleeves.  My arms have lost their firmness and are best kept hidden!

 

Here's a close up of the fabric, very nice I think...

 

I can also wear my black trousers with these two blouses if I can't find a suitable skirt.









Keeping Warm This Winter Clothes

Us older people know to put on an jumper in cold weather, we don't need to be told how to dress do we.  Here's a really warm outfit I'll be wearing on those cold days...

This long cardigan is from the Bonmarche latest collection, I love the length of it and it feels so soft and comfortable.  I always have this type of cardigan in my wardrobe because I can wear it when I go walking on nice autumn days as well as for extra warmth in the winter.

www.bonmarche.co.uk/cardigans/icat/knitwear-cardigans/ I've teamed it with a turtle neck jumper, scarf and navy blue trousers, all from Bonmarche.  I think this outfit looks smart yet casual.  And the turtle neck jumper and scarf add that bit of extra warm around my neck. I was very lucky to be chosen by Bonmarche to review this cardigan, which I was happy to do.  I've truthfully reported on what I think of this cardigan, I probably would have bought it anyway so it was a lovely surprise to get this one to review.

Pensioner on a Budget Clothes

I needed something a bit smarter than my coat that I wear for walking, which is hooded, quilted, waterproof and great for bad weather.  I wanted something smart, warm and inexpensive...

I liked this coat because it is slightly shaped at the waist and has the added bonus of being machine washable, who can afford dry cleaning, not me.  It also buttons up right to the neck and has nice detail on the cuffs, pockets and shoulders.  The lining is put in nicely too.  At £40 I think it is a very good buy.

 

I seem to have bought a lot of clothes recently but I used money I had saved throughout the year.  If I was to add up how much I'd spent it probably wouldn't be much over a couple of hundred pounds, I've ended up with a good variety and can now feel neat and tidy.  Remember when our children/grandchildren got to an age when they wanted money for birthdays and Christmas?  Well I think we get to an age ourselves when we really don't need gifts that would probably be gathering dust or put away in cupboards so asking them for money or gift vouchers means we can treat ourselves to what we really need - in my case at the moment that would be clothes!  After many years of neglect I'd better make the most of myself while I still can.



Looking for Fashion Blogs

First of all, here's a bag and wallet I bought this year...

 

The handbag was £18 and the wallet was £5.  This is a very roomy bag with lots of pockets inside so everything doesn't fall in a big jumble to the bottom.

 

Right, the reason for this post is because I've looked and looked for fashion blogs by older women and so far haven't found one.  There are loads of blogs by youngsters and there is some mention of old women who dress ridiculously.  In my opinion these so called fashionable older women just look weird, there is nothing nice about crepey skin or cellulite.  Some people will disagree with this opinion, that is up to them, but I have both and do not want it on display.

 

Do you know of any bloggers who are older and dress in a dignified manner?  Please let me know if you do, I'd love to compare notes with them.



Sparkly Clothes

When I'm away on holiday I need something a bit fancy to wear in the evenings.  I don't think I ever owned anything sparkly.  When I saw this top I decided it would be just what I needed...

Usually I buy a size 14/16 (UK sizing) but when I looked at this top I thought it looked quite wide in the size 16 so measured it against another top that I knew fitted.  I ended up buying the size 12 and it fits beautifully.  All I can say is, if you are large you would probably find a size to fit you, I know my friend who is large likes this top, she said the style helps disguise her tummy area.  The sequins are not stitched on, they seem to be part of the fabric so I don't have to worry about them catching and falling off.

 

Here's how I wore it...

The cardigan and top are from - yes you guessed - Bonmarche, and the trousers are from M&Co.  I bought the trousers last year from their shop in Bexhill on Sea (yes, I was on holiday again!).





Meeting Friends for Coffee Clothes

I love this outfit (good thing I do or why would I have bought it!!!).  So I wore it yesterday morning to meet friends at Costa for coffee.  Apart from the scarf, which I got from a charity shop for £1.99, everything else is from Bonmarche, again.  I had a bit of a panic attack this morning "What if Bonmarche go out of business, where would I buy clothes I could afford?".  Good job I've been stocking up isn't it.

This is the first 'occasional' handbag I've bought for years, usually I go for black serviceable bags that I can wear crossed over my shoulder. I thought it went very nicely with the above outfit, it was inexpensive, £16, and with my loyalty points I got it for £11.  The wallet matches better than it shows in the picture, the red isn't that bright, and it cost me £15 from a handbag shop in Sandown, Isle of Wight, when I was on holiday there recently.

 

The four of us had a nice hour together, three of us looked stylish for older ladies, and the fourth lady needs a bit of encouragement to make more of herself.  Just because we're pensioners doesn't mean we have to be dowdy does it.





Cosy Clothes

The jumper in this picture was just what I needed for this cool weather we are getting now...

I've teamed it with a gilet, scarf and jeans.  The jumper was £10 (because I bought two they were two for £20 instead of £12 each), the gilet was about £7/£9, I forget the exact price, it is a fleece Regatta, the scarf was £4 and the jeans are stretch denim at £15.  Apart from the gilet everything was from Bon Marche.  (I have no affiliation with Bon Marche, just thought I would record the clothes I'm buying this year and they just happen to mostly be from them.)



Nice Clothes

I've gone a bit crazy lately buying new clothes.  For quite a few years I lost interest in taking care of myself.  Lately I've felt much better and realised the clothes I had were a mess.  So it was time to update myself.  I have shown one or two things I bought in the past but lately I've bought a lot.  Here is a top and pants that I wore this week...

I love this top, and it only cost £14, the pants are sort of jogging bottom type fabric and cost £10, the scarf I already had.  This made a really comfy outfit to wear around the house.  I like a scarf, my neck gets cold so I always feel much warmer with a scarf.  I got the top and pants from Bon Marche, their clothes style has really improved this last couple of years, lots of stylish stuff for the older woman.



Round Robin Embroidery

I'm currently participating in a Round Robin that is for stitching related items.  So far we've made a needlecase and pincushion...

There are five of us in the group, four stitch on the item and the fifth (whoever the items are for) sews them together.  The others are doing crazy quilting but I wanted the type of finish you see in the picture, I think the work is beautiful.  I do enjoy stitching on the crazy quilting that the others are doing.  Our next project is a hussif.