This lady had style!

There are days when you wake up to a somewhat fresher view. If you first give up slightly and then give in a little, expect to be astounded. Things will inevitably cross your path. People leave this earth, and seamstresses, I hope, go to a place where sturdy reliable sewing machines are cordless and virtually noiseless. But in leaving, they leave behind a train of beautiful memories, traces of who they were. I seek to leave something behind, as trivial and inconsequential as my calling might be; and in the process am rewarded tenfold by what others, of perhaps a similar disposition, graciously left behind.

I feel honoured and perhaps a bit too giddy whenever I receive generously, and can only promise my absolute best to restore and re-use and do justice.

As I said, this lady had style and thanks to her ever charming grand daughter I was allowed a precious opportunity to have a glimpse in her world and draw some beautiful conclusions and estimations. It's a fresher view of a person whom I never met and yet, somehow, got to know well.

Choices must be taken responsibly, and gifts of the sort, accepted even more diligently.

                                     

Here are some kid gloves and belt buckles that I'm very looking forward to transform. I absolutely love the ageing process on leather and how that buckle looks suspiciously like 2 Babettopolis 'B's

A collarless summer suit with gathered skirt, an embroidered terracotta shirt dress and a pleated shift dress in the loveliest printed fabric

A flimsy and sturdy mix of underwear for which I have some serious embellishment plans

The dress I, embarrassingly enough, couldn't wait to try on. Apparently it makes me look like a Caribbean owner of a banana plantation by day and a socialite by night ~ pass the fruitbowl, mister! (my target was very far off the mark. I had really hoped it would make me look like Sonia Delaunay). So yes, I washed it, replaced the zip and went over all the seams to strengthen them just in time for dinner. Next to it, the long skirt of dreams.

Secret-Rose-Sarah, I know you're out there, please take good note of this top. I want to reproduce it with geometric embroidered shoulder panels. Next to it, a lovely piece of tattered black lace I will use as a headscarf.

And two lovely suits I haven't yet had time to tend to. Simple straight cuts make for very elegant and timeless pieces .. every item, most of which are tailor made, reasserts my belief in the need to stop and think before investing in something that fits your body shape and your lifestyle.

I am the happy owner of a pretty washing line.

* for the record: dear all superstitious out there, my closet is simply not the best place to be.

This, on the other hand, is a picture of me, taken by my dad under strict orders to not show what a horrible state I was in at 10pm after a marathon day in the pottery studio.. I found clay in my earlobes and colour on my back when I got home (wtf!). In any case, I am putting the finishing touches on something new for Babettopolis. Will keep you posted about it all once the pieces survive the second firing. I don't want to 'jinx' it by revealing too much. Suffice to say that my lifelong aim to bring something special to the table just got literal.