Outfit of the Day Vogue 8976 Tree Top and Self Drafted Leggings

It was such a nice sunny Sunday that we decided to drive over to Akaroa for a walk along a different sea front.

Akaroa (Maori for long harbour) is 75 kilometres southeast of Christchurch out on the Banks Peninsula. This historic French settlement is snuggled into the heart of an ancient volcano in a wide bay on the eastern side of Akaroa harbour. It has a population of around 750 that expands significantly in the summer months.  Akaroa was founded in 1840 as the only French colony in the country.  Some of its early history can be seen in its architecture, street names and in the name of the hill behind the town (L'Aube Hill).  Despite these French beginnings the majority of the old architecture is Victorian in style.

These days Akaroa has more cafes than anything else. Although as befits the main service town on the Banks Peninsula it can provide the basics - grocery store, pharmacy, clothes shops etc. In years gone by there was a really good art gallery but it has become another café.  The restaurant we had dinner in back in 1995 is still there - has a different name and probably different owners but it is still a restaurant.  The meal was memorable because we arrived from England on holiday earlier that day and both of us kept nodding off.  Luckily not together, managing to keep each other awake long enough to eat and not plop face down in the soup.

Since the Christchurch earthquakes and the damage to Lyttleton port Akaroa has become a stopping point for cruise ships.  When the cruise ships are in port Akaroa is a place to be avoided (New Zealander's don't do crowds well). Luckily the first cruise ship of the season isn't due until October so we were able to enjoy a quiet Sunday afternoon stroll along the waterfront.

The outfit

It was such a warm day with temperatures of 17^oC that I didn't need a coat. So here I am posing among some twisted trees in my tree top and just made merino leggings.

Or maybe it was my new snuggly warm merino leggings with my Mi Piaci knee high boots and wool camisole that were keeping me warm.

I didn't even take my outer garments with me just left them in the car so no pictures of them out and about in Akaroa.  Here they are with the backdrop of the kitchen wall - my Untouched World Kahukura wrap in colourway terrain and Andrea Moore black puffa jacket.

I actually expected it to be cold at Akaroa which is why I wore my knee high boots and took both my wrap and jacket with me.  Depending on the temperature I can wear the wrap on its own or over the jacket for an extra layer of warmth.

Akaroa

So here is the main event some pictures (mainly looking out over the harbour) of Akaroa. Love pictures of water especially atmospheric ones taken into the sun where everything is in shadow and you have the sun glinting on the water.

The pier

The lighthouse

The harbour

Windermere historic house

The harbour form the other direction

The pier from the other direction

Akaroa from the end of the pier

The boat shed

Yacht club and lighthouse in the distance

Akaroa nestled in an ancient volcano

Banks peninsula map

The making

This is a lovely rich chocolate brown NZ merino with a touch of lycra which does provide better recovery than 100% merino wool. I used my self-drafted leggings pattern to make a really warm winter garment which probably won't get much wear this year with spring just around the corner.

The tree fabric and the dotty mesh for the sleeves came from Marcy Tilton back in July 2014 (according to the photograph).  Not sure quite when I made the top but it was ready and sitting in my wardrobe to go with me on my first Diane Ericson Design Outside the Lines retreat in Ashland in October 2014.

So neither fabric spent much time in stash. The chocolate merino was purchased at The Fabric Store in Dunedin on a Tuesday, washed on Friday, made on Saturday and worn on Sunday.  I happened to be in Dunedin for work and the Dunedin Fabric Store is the only one of their NZ stores I hadn't visited.  Luckily it is only 3 minutes walk from the office and I had time for a quick foray at lunch time.

Quite why I took a photo of my fabric purchases back in 2014 is a mystery but here is my Marcy Tilton haul in the foreground with an Elliot Berman parcel in the background.  Have to say only the three foreground fabrics have made the transition into my wardrobe and two of them were in this Tree top.

The tree top is Vogue 8976 view B adapted so the back isn't so long.

I mentioned in a previous post that I use Silhouette Patterns #195 sweater set as a base for many other patterns.  Here is the original front of V8976 next to my version.  I used SP #195 to determine which size of V8976 to use and the extra small was big enough.  I then altered the front to accommodate the French dart from SP #195.  The French dart gives the top more shape and stops it hanging like a tent from my bust. The top also has my normal forward shoulder alteration and uses the sleeve and armhole from SP #195 rather than the Vogue one. I also altered the pattern for a narrower scoop neck and shortened the shoulder width.

Outfit two

I was feeling extremely casual and wore this outfit to work with my Mi Piaci Martha ankle boot. Here it is photographed against the kitchen wall after I arrived home from a hard day's work.