ITALY : : CINQUE TERRE

Third Destination : : Cinque Terre Our travel within Italy was via Trenitalia, the country’s primary train operator. I’m happy to report that it was smooth sailing training with the exception of one rather significant occasion, on which I will expound a little later in the post. Fret not. In the Bard’s own words…All’s well that ends well. After a splendid week in two of Italy’s most historic cities, we were ready for a culture break. There seemed no place better for a time out than Cinque Terre, a string of five tiny villages clinging to the edges of the Ligurian Sea…which, in all honesty…I referred to as the Mediterranean the whole time we were there…..’Oooooh….looky dat, it’s the Mediterranean.’ ‘Oooh, oooh…I just dipped my hand in the Mediterranean.’ ‘Ooooh..isn’t the sun setting on the Mediterranean…

ITALY : : ROME : : FLORENCE

Well, hiya. I mentioned in my previous post that G & I holidayed in Italy in October. Well, just saying ‘Been there, done that.’  doesn’t feel like enough. My blog is a diary of sorts and though the subject matter is usually stuff I’ve made…each post manages to capture at least a few moments of my everyday life….if not in the writing, then via a photo.  It’s as though the words, or the images, make it easier for me to access a memory…and I like that. With that in mind, I decided to write a blog post…actually two blog posts.  Hey…it helps me keep my memories intact and it’s a little armchair travel for you.  Okay…technically….not my first trip to Italy…I was one of a bunch of giggly girls herded around London and Italy many…

Kelly Anorak : : Closet Case Files : : Arrivederci Firenze

Saluti e buongiorno. I’ve been away…on holiday….in Italy. And yes, it was as good….better actually…as I imagined it would be. The culture. The people. The food. All sublime. Now…as much as I want to ramble on about all things Italian…for this post, I’m going to try my darnedest to keep the focus on my Kelly Anorak – Closet Case Files most recent pattern release. I was in the early stages of deciding what to pack into my teeny, tiny carry-on suitcase when the call to pattern test showed up in my inbox. This. This could be perfect, thought me. A lightweight jacket for potentially chilly evenings and roomy enough to wear over a vest or sweater if needed. Yes please…and enormous thank yous…for the opportunity Heather!       The details: snaps, drawstring, gusseted…

The Refashioners 2016 : : My Jeans Refashion

Clare-Coat-Closet-Case-Files-Refashioners-2016.jpg

            Well hiya and welcome to The Refashioners 2016 edition. The ever lovely Portia of Makery | Random Acts of Creativity has once again rallied the creative community to….well…be creative. Last year, the challenge was to refashion men’s shirts. You may remember my make…here.  And this year? None other than jeans…and…only jeans. Denim jackets, dresses, skirts and shirts need not apply. Sounds daunting, yes? As I watched the mind-bogglingly-fabulous {my blog – my words} makes roll in, I convinced myself it was a spectators sport. ‘Nope, not gonna do this one. It’s all been done, and to perfection.’ my inner critic cried. On the one hand, ’tis true…no one wants to be a copy-cat. On the other hand, what a lame-capital-O cop out. Fortunately, somewhere…somehow…my inner dialogue changed. I knew I needed…