Maternity OOTD

                       

So here is my latest maternity outfit of the day. I'm almost 8 months pregnant now. I can hardly believe it, it's gone so fast! I can barely fit into any of my pre-pregnancy clothes so my wardrobe is becoming very limited. I have, however, got a few garments I can still squeeze into. The pale long sleeved top you can see here is one of them. I got that on sale from Oasis, a shop I very rarely shop in, one time. It has become a wardrobe staple because it is so versatile, it can go with most things.

The red skirt is a one size fits all skirt from Delal Designs. I simply could not be without these skirts, they are the perfect maternity wear but can also be worn normally too as they fit most sizes. They are made from soft jersey fabric and have a stretchy waistband which enables them to grow or shrink with you. I love red, it is one of my favourite colours to wear and this skirt looks perfect with the cherry patterned hijab. I love the cherry pattern and also have some cherry patterned cotton fabric which I have cut up to make into a dress for after the pregnancy inshallah.

The final item I'm wearing is a blue, short-sleeved top made from a thin, flowy material which I bought from Primark. It is not a maternity blouse but I just bought it a couple of sizes bigger so it fits. The other great thing about this top is the pleats on either side. This makes it great maternity wear as the pleats can expand to fit comfortably over your bump. My husband actually chose this top for me, can you believe it?!

Scarf: market stall

Long sleeved top: Oasis

Blue top: Primark

Skirt: Delal Designs

             

Here is a close up of the blue top. You can see the lovely pleat detailing at the side.

             

                       A close up of the skirt.

                       

                         The back view.

Latest homemade knits

        

Back in the autumn, I took up knitting again in order to make my children some lovely, warm clothing for the winter. There is something special about a hand knitted garment and I particularly like the children to wear them as they seem much warmer than the shop-bought ones. I love knitting outfits for the children. Not only do they look good, they are also quick to knit because of their size. Children's clothes are by far my favourite thing to knit. 

I spent a couple of evenings searching for patterns to make the children. There are so many to choose from that it took me a while to pick my favourite. I normally look for patterns on a website called Ravelry which is an amazing website for knitters and crocheters packed full of thousands of knitting and crochet patterns.There are lots of free patterns too! I discovered the website about 5 years ago now when I took up knitting again and since then I've been addicted to it. I rarely look elsewhere for patterns now.

After I had chosen the patterns, I had to search for some yarn. I ordered a great big boxful from the internet and waited for it to be delivered. I shop a lot online these days as it's just so much easier than dragging young children around the shops! I bought enough yarn for at least 8 items of clothing but haven't managed to get through it all yet.

This is what I have made so far...

The first thing I made was a jumper for D with lace pattern down the arms and back.

        

This is the front.

        

This is the back.

                     

Here she is modelling it before I finished the arms. Just checking if it fit.

                    

Next I made this cute little sleeveless cardigan. This is actually my favourite out of all of the things I made, I really love how it turned out.

                   

The back view.

        

An action shot!

        

I also made this beautiful cardigan for D in pink, her favourite colour. The lace pattern was quite complicated but worth it in the end!

        

The finished cardigan.

        

Here are the children modelling their handmade knits. D is such a poser!

        

I made this dark green cardigan for R because I think boys should have a few cute cardigans too. The first time he wore it was to a wedding and he was very proud to be wearing his hand knitted cardi. He is a big fan of my knits. I started making D's garments first and he couldn't wait for me to get started on his and kept asking me all the time when I would knit him something!

        

The next thing I knit for R was this fair isle jumper. It is the first fair isle pattern I've tried. I found it a bit difficult to knit but now I know how to do it I'm sure it will be easier in future. R was very pleased with it anyway.

                             

Here is is modelling his jumper before I sewed the buttons on. He just couldn't wait to try it on!

                         

I also made some socks for my brother as a birthday gift. I used a yarn that was black and grey so when I knit with it it came out like this.

        

Here are the finished socks. My brother tells me they are very comfortable and soft. I would like to make a pair of socks for myself soon.

Giveaway!

        

My facebook page reached 500 likes recently so to celebrate I'm holding a giveaway! I am giving away your choice of either a scarf or harem trousers in a colour of your choice! All these items are currently available on my website.

There are many different colours to chose from!

       

Here are the harem trousers. I absolutely love harem trousers. They are so comfy and practical yet also very stylish. These harem trousers are made of a soft jersey material and have pockets on either side. You can take a look at this post to see how I styled them in one of my OOTDs.

                   

                                    Beige

                     

                                      Black

                     

                                     Navy

        

Here are the scarves. These are a new style of scarf made of a luxurious silky material. They have laser-cut circular tassels and look fabulous when worn.

                     

I just love the tassels!


To enter the giveaway you need to do 3 things:

1) Like the giveaway post on facebook.
2) Like my facebook page Delal Designs.
3) Share the giveaway post on facebook. 

Winner will be announced on Friday. Good luck!

Maternity OOTD

                         

So I am now 7 months pregnant and can no longer fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, except my one-size-fits-all jersey skirts. I recently took a trip to Primark to buy cheap clothes in larger sizes. I bought some plain long sleeved tops in various colours for just a few pounds each. I also bought a variety of flowy vest tops and short sleeved tops to wear over the top.

I find it very difficult to find maternity wear that is stylish, comfortable, modest and affordable. After all, those are the things you want from clothing during pregnancy, isn't it? Is that too much to ask? Maternity clothing is often expensive and the problem I have found is it's not particularly modest. The dresses are short, the tops are clingy and seem to emphasise the bump. Now I'm all for seeing lovely bumps, but it makes me a bit uncomfortable when clothes are so tight that it's really on show. Personally, I prefer clothing to skim and flow over the bump and show it off more subtly. 

Then, there is the problem of the bottom half. I hate things sitting on my bump or even over the top of it. I prefer to have waistbands resting underneath. In my first pregnancy, I remember wearing maternity jeans, it was that or other trousers. No choice of skirts. In my second pregnancy, I discovered harem trousers and never looked back! These trousers are seriously amazing and unbelievably comfortable. The ones I wear during pregnancy have elasticated waistbands that can be adjusted, although I've never actually needed to adjust them as they are so stretchy. After wearing harem trousers, there is no way I could go back to wearing jeans, they're just too uncomfortable.

So, during my second pregnancy, I lived in harem trousers. However, I always longed for skirts. Maternity maxi skirts, however, are extremely difficult to find. I thought I'd never be able to wear skirts during pregnancy but then I discovered the one-size-fits-all skirts and my life has changed! These are amazing! They literally fit from a size 8 up to a size 18 due to the stretchy waistband. This makes them absolutely prefect for pregnancy as they grow with your growing bump! Also perfect for after pregnancy too as they will fit you until you are able to fit back into your pre-pregnancy clothes and then will fit you after your weight loss too! The perfect all round skirt. Also, these skirts are so, so comfy which is just what you want from your maternity clothes.

Scarf: Market stall

T-shirt: River Island

Top: Primark

Maxi skirt: Delal Designs

                           

I am wearing a plain black maxi skirt from Delal Designs and I have teamed it with a plain, long sleeved top from Primark in yellow and an oversized white T-shirt from River Island. I just love yellow and black together. The T-shirt can be worn loose, or tied at the front like I have done in the top picture. The look is finished off with a blue scarf with little, black hearts all over it.

                     

Here is the back view.

Vintage sewing patterns

I have mentioned previously how I love vintage sewing patterns. I often trawl ebay looking for patterns that I love. There are so many to discover. I can't remember exactly how I came across my love of vintage patterns. I think I may have just been searching for patterns one day and stumbled across some and as soon as I found them I started looking for more.

I was intrigued by the various styles in different eras and quickly discovered those eras I liked and those I didn't. Now when I'm searching I tend to stick to the eras I like which makes searching easier. 

I have aqcuired quite a number of patterns so far but am sorry to say I have not got round to making many yet. I do not have much time on my hands at the moment and find it difficult to schedule it into my day. Also, I tend to switch between knitting and sewing depending on the time of year. Knitting is for winter and sewing is for summer, that's how I look at it at the moment. As it's winter knitting has really been taking up my time lately. I had a lot of knitting projects I was working on for the kids. I love to see them in my hand knitted creations!

Along with my pattern library, I have also collected quite a stash of fabric. I buy by the meter at fabric shops or sometimes I go to a charity shop and buy a duvet cover and use that. That is a really frugal way to buy fabric as you end up getting a large amount of material really cheaply. I love to try turning something old into something new. There's something really satisfying about recycling.

Here I will tell you about my favourite eras and show you some of the patterns I have picked up so far from my favourite decades:

1980s

           

Now I'm not usually a big fan of 80s fashion but I love this dress, the one on the far right in particular. I love the pleats down the skirt, sleeves and neck detailing. Just remove the shoulder pads, I'm really not a fan of them, and you would have a gorgeous dress.

1970s

I never thought I would like 70s fashion (I used to think it was all about flared trousers and tassels) until I saw the length of the dresses. You can find so many 70s patterns for maxi dresses and skirts and there is normally a very modest option so no need to do any adjustments.

           

I adore the second from the right with the pussy bow but I would make it maxi length for modesty.

           

I have actually started cutting the fabric out ready to be sewn. This is one of my favourite dresses. I am making the dress in the middle.

                 

This is a fabulous maxi skirt pattern. I love the frill round the bottom of the skirt. I actually made this once already and it is a favourite in my wardrobe. I did, however, make the frill a bit shorter in the length. I prefer it that way.

1950s

This era always reminds me of big, frilly petticoats and I don't particularly like this look, especially with a maxi length skirt or dress. Leave out the petticoat for a stylish look.

                

I adore the dress on the right. I think the button detailing is fabulous and I love the versatility of it as you could wear it buttoned up or unbuttoned. I really like how the fabric in the button panel will show when you move. I can't wait to make this dress, in maxi length of course.

                 

This is similar to the dress above with more fabric on one side than the other. I love the way it is gathered at the top and fastened with a button. I would make this dress maxi length and with long sleeves.


1940s

                

This is really one of my favourite fashion eras. It normally involves really interesting cuts and ruching. You can really see what I'm talking about in this pattern. Lots of ruching round the stomach area makes the dress very flattering. I cannot wait to make this dress in maxi length.

1930s

Now I don't have any 1930s patterns, unfortunately, but I had to mention this era as it is my absolute favourite. The dresses just look so elegant.



Here are some good examples of  blouse, dress and skirt from the era. The cut of the blouse is lovely and has great detailing. The dress looks elegant and flattering. You could wear a long sleeved top underneath or make longer sleeves for modesty. I absolutely love the maxi skirt. It looks fabulous with the frills and mass of fabric at the back.

                            

Here is an example of an amazing maxi dress. Lovely ruching again and the belt at the waist is a lovely touch. 


           

Just look at this stunning wedding dress! Lovely ruching and bow detail round the waist. Also, fabulous short sleeves on the right, you could get away with this by wearing a long sleeved top underneath.

OOTD - at the beach

                              

I found this picture which was taken a few months ago now and thought I would share it with you. It was taken at a lovely beach called Weston-super-mare which is not far from where I live. It is a gorgeous sandy beach but unfortunately the sea is not great there meaning you can't really swim or even paddle in it most of the time. The reason for this is the amount of mud or silt there is under the sea which has given rise to this beaches nickname, Weston-super-mud!

It's often difficult to find comfortable, modest clothing to wear to the beach. You need something lose but also practical which is why I think salwar (harem pants) are such great beachwear. I love the floral pattern on these salwar and the fact it has quite a few colours in it means you have quite a lot of options for colours to wear with it. These salwar are made from cotton which keeps me cool in the hot weather. They are elasticated at the bottom so if I want to go for a quick paddle I can pull them up slightly whilst in the sea. You can also get them without this elastic which is perfect if you want the breeze to reach you to keep you cooler. The best bit about them is the elasticated waistband which is adjustable. This means I can wear them throughout my whole pregnancy and just adjust them if I need to, though as the elastic is very stretchy I don't normally need to do this. The other great thing about salwar is that you can sit comfortably on the sand without any concern of flashing any flesh as might happen with a skirt or dress if you are not careful.

               

My top is a bright red top with lace trim and pompoms! I just love the pompoms, they are such a lovely touch and a fun finish for the top. I actually purchased this top from Asda! It is not maternity but very baggy which allows for my growing bump. It has short sleeves so I teamed it with a simple black jersey cardigan from New Look. 

I finished off the look with a simple black hijab. The weather was not so hot when I went to the beach this time so wearing black was not a problem. However, if it had been the height of summer I may have chosen a different colour, especially for the hijab as black tends to attract the heat. Obviously on the beach there is no need for shoes. I love the feeling of sand beneath my feet, I hear it's good for you to walk barefoot too! 

Scarf: market stall

Red top: Asda

Cardigan: New look

Salwar: Delal Designs

What do you like to wear at the beach?

Making the transition to modest clothing

I made my first ever dress when I was 13 years old. I remember going to a sewing shop and picking out the pattern and the fabric. Then, I sat down with my Mum and she taught me how to read a pattern and use the sewing machine. I loved it! There is something so satisfying about sewing your own clothes. It's wonderful to feel that achievement as well as having a unique item of clothing that noone else has and is just how you want it.

I remember sitting in IT lessons at school and looking at the vogue website (probably shouldn't admit to that) searching for clothes that inspired me. I guess I have always loved fashion. Although I liked to keep my eye on the latest trends, I also liked to be creative and unique. I even took up fashion for a few months at college where I became more skilled at using a sewing machine and needlework. I adjusted my own bellydance costume and then made a new one from scratch. I just love sequins and sparkles!

Then, at the age of 19 I became muslim and things changed. I could no longer go to high street shops and buy what I wanted. Everything seemed too low cut, too tight, not long enough. The list goes on. It was a difficult time for me transitioning from western fashion to modest fashion. I had to chuck out most of my clothes and start again. I went out and bought some maxi skirts and long-sleeved tops and I wore them but I didn't like them. I felt frumpy and I felt old but I stuck with it for that is what my faith prescribes - modesty.

Over the next few years I started to learn how to dress more in a way that I liked. I learnt of different styles of modest clothing. One of the key moments came when I went to Turkey for the first time. I looked around and saw modest clothing I actually liked! I fell in love with the Turkish women's style and this influenced the way I dressed. It is this style of clothing that inspired me to create my new modest clothing business Delal Designs. I would love to make this type of stylish, modest clothing available to everyone in the UK.

More recently I discovered that muslimah fashion was actually a thing! There were muslimahs out there who were creating modest styles and taking photos and writing about them, There are fashion magazines and fashion shows that concentrate on modest, hijabi fashion! This is what I had been looking for. I finally got some ideas for ways of dressing that were both stylish and modest. It can be done!

I do still think one of the best ways to dress the way you want is to make your own clothes, you just need to learn the skills, which are easy enough. The problem I found was, like high street shopping, modern sewing patterns are also not as modest as I'd like. You do have the advantage when making your own clothes, to be able to adjust patterns any way you'd like. However, you do have to learn how to do this or be brave enough to experiment.

I started to search for more modest sewing patterns and then I came across vintage patterns. I realised that some fashion eras have both modest and very stylish clothing that does not look at all out of place in 2015. The thing with fashion is that things can come back into fashion every so often, they become fashionable again. It's quite interesting to look back and realise what people are wearing today is actually the same as they were wearing 40 years ago but with a few tweaks.

I have started to build up a collection of vintage sewing patterns which I will be sharing with you soon. Has anyone else found it difficult transitioning to more modest clothing? Did anything help you along the way?