Plus Size Fashion: Miss Fortune and Dorothy Perkins (again)

*Work Loo Shot Alert*

Sometimes I just can't wait to try things on. Luckily the toilets are nice and clean where I work. 

Package from Clarence and Alabama arrived Friday at 2pm. Sadly I'd already left at 1pm, so I picked it up this morning.

Pretty packaging. Well done C&A

I ordered two dresses - both £20 in the sale which is a bargain. Both in a size XL

I honestly was a bit baffled by the sizing. I'm usually an 18. Approx 44-38-48 (however hips not relevant here)

So I went for the XL (16) because I figured the bust on the XXL would be way too big. It was kind of a gamble.

Luckily a gamble that paid off. This is the 'Into The Sunset Blue Hawaiian'

I've been eyeing this up for a few years, but never gone for it. However at £20 I couldn't say no. I'm really pleased with it, but it is quite snug. Half a stone less might make it feel more comfy. It does look great though, even if I say so myself.

This is the Lady Luck Swing Dress Red Atomic

Believe it or not, its the same size as the one above. However there is a LOT of gape on the armscyes. I will have to take it in, but I still love it. Very comfy. More of a day dress.

EDIT: 

I made adjustments and I'm happier with it now. Darts on the front, darts on the bag to reduce the gape, and then a little tuck on the front to make it a more flattering sweetheart neckline. Ta Da!!

And so to Dotty P.

Its just not happening for me. If they'd had this dress in an 18, I might have kept it. The one in this pic is a 22 (all they had left). I was going to modify it but the bodice is lined which means more faff, and I didn't like it enough to want to bother, so I returned it. Bit sad but not the end of the world.

Then there's this one. Same design. Right size. I just don't think I'm a stripes person though. It just felt wrong. So It went back.

Then on the way back to the car park, I popped into M&Co, and fell for this little minty coloured cardi. I would have preferred shorter sleeves, but it was a tenner in the sale, so I bought it anyway. I think it might require a motif, but chances of me ever remembering to sew one on are slim!

Plus Sized Fashion: Lindy Bop and Dorothy Perkins

Lindy bop sale is on, and as always its absolute chaos. Wrong orders, cancelled orders, late and missing orders etc etc, however I finally got two dresses.

The first is the ZsaZsa tropical wiggle which comes with a bolero. Now a wiggle is always a gamble for me. I have a supersize bottom and a big old belly. However this fabric is just the right thickness and has enough stretch and I love it. I don't quite have the chest to fill it, but that's ok. £12 well spent.

The Myrtle in red gingham on the other hand - WTF is going on with the wings? They are just too big to look anything other than absurd when down, and won't stay up of their own accord. Apparently this is a common confusion. People have suggested interfacing, velcro, stitches and so on. I think I'll just sell it on.

Dorothy Perkins are also doing the hard sell at the moment. I couldn't get the dresses I wanted (anchors and pineapples) so I thought I'd try these three because I want something comfy and soft to wear on holiday. Well none are particularly flattering, and the third isn't really comfy (and has crossover back straps and a saggy bodice) so I may just send them all back.

A trip to A & E, and a tropical frock refashion

Yesterday, Noah broke his arm, in a soft play incident involving monkey bars and his brother giving him a slightly too hefty shove. He was incredibly brave and didn't complain once although he was at the hospital for four hours. 

The X-Ray was inconclusive, but the doctors and the specialist agreed that it is probably a fracture in his elbow. Its incredibly hard to tell on four year olds as their bones haven't fused yet, and whilst there was no apparent 'break' it did not look 'right'. 

 

They get free teddies now which he was extremely pleased about! He also got to watch a bit of 'A bugs life', saw his bones on the x-ray, and told pretty much everyone his 'poorly arm' story :)

 

He is coping as well as can be expected with the cast.  We will see the fracture clinic in a week to get a second opinion (leave cast on, replace cast, or remove cast)

In the meantime, the poor boy needs to cope with his restricted movement. Not easy for an active pre-schooler. I'm sure he'll be happy to show everyone at nursery though, and at school. (He is having is transition sessions at the mo, ready for school starting in September.)

This is him raring to get to his first session last Wednesday. They don't have to wear uniform, but he insisted!

 

On the craft front, I finally finished my refashioned tropical jersey sundress.

Last year I bought this maxi dress in a sale, because its really hard to come by tropical prints. At least it was at the time. I had no idea they'd be everywhere this summer! I love tropical prints!

I knew I'd have to pull it apart and start again, because I hated the straps, and the bodice, and I don't wear maxis.

I saw this dress in Dorothy Perkins a few weeks ago. I love it, but I wouldn't let myself buy it because we can't really afford it, so I thought I'd try and refashion the existing dress into something similar.

This is the result. 

This is the inside back pinned and ready to sew.

This is the external front. I think that the bodice looks a bit strange on Kirstie!

...and the back...

...and from the side.

I'm really happy with it and wearing it today. Its comfy and light. Just what I was after!