fashion | Sewchet

So, our day started well – six of us met at Templecombe station, cracked open the champagne on the platform and caught the 9.45 to Reading for the first leg of our train journey to Ascot.

Two stops in (Tisbury) someone laughingly asked if we’d all got our tickets. Mr. H-L and I thought each other was joking when we both said “No”.

Oops.

This is us after alighting at Tisbury, ready to catch the next train back to Templecombe. Luckily, a friend had a house key and popped in to collect the tickets. She dropped them off at the ticket office for us to save time as we had got a lift to the station and had no means of getting home.

Having caught the next train, we were only an hour behind. Of course, all the food and champagne had gone on ahead with our friends, so we had to try and recreate the excitement with Pringles and Prosecco bought on the train.

We’d opted to travel First Class so it was no problem. We got chatting to a few other race-goers on the two and a half hour journey and two changes of train.

And at least we’d got our tickets!!

Safely in by 1pm, we had time for proper bubbly before the Royal Procession at 2 o’clock.

Bubbles were flowing like a river and everyone was having a great time, gearing up to the first race at 2.30.

We ambled over to the parade ring in time to watch the Royal Carriages arrive. Queenie looked radiant in cerise, although Prince Phillip was too ill to accompany her this year so Prince Andrew is sat next to her.

And then the action began!

We had our race card and picked this patriotic-looking bookie with which to place our bets.

We won some, we lost some. The viewing is great despite the thousands of people as the huge screen means you don’t miss a thing, which is otherwise possible despite the horses thundering past just a few yards away as the photo below illustrates.

On to the fashions of the day. Our party of six scrubbed up pretty well, I think.

These are two close friends who feature a lot on the blog.

Another friend who joined us for the first time this year.

Lovely Ruth from the USA was in England for just a week and her first day coincided with Royal Ascot, an event that was on her bucket list – AND she even got to see the Queen! She was one happy American!

And, of course, you’ve already seen pictures of The Mister and Me.

Dress codes are slightly less formal in the Queen Anne Enclosure, but there were plenty of gents still choosing top hat and tails.

Yes, that is a man touting Stella Artois by the pint in a barrel on his back.

Three piece suits seemed to be the most popular mens’ attire by far, and there were a surprising number of different looks.

How about this bright red one, scarlet right down to the matching shoes and trilby!

More variations on formal menswear, some good……

….and some not so good!

As for the ladies, hmmm.

A few got it very right and embraced the elegant, classy look that Ascot is famous for.

A lot more were almost there, but missed the fact that hemlines should ideally be knee length or lower.

Some girls thought bodycon Lycra was an appropriate choice!

But, unfortunately, there were far too many girls in their early twenties who just didn’t get it. I couldn’t bring myself to photograph them, but this press photo from Aintree races gives you the gist. More like “Barbie Goes To The Races”.

The hats were incredible as usual.

Although not my thing, fascinators were a very popular choice with many ladies. A massive hat wins every time for me:)

The six races were over all too soon, then it was off to do the traditional singing around the bandstand at 6pm.

Just time to nip into the shop before heading back to the train.

There was even a mobile seller with Cuban cigars.

The fifteen minute walk back to the station saw the majority of ladies in flip flops, hobbling after a day in ill-fitting-but-gorgeous shoes. Not me – I kept mine on all the way home!

First Class was full to bursting on the return journey, but we were fortunate enough to get seats on all three changes of train.

On this leg, the carriage was silent until The Mister pipes up at the top of his voice “SWEET CAR-O-LINE….!” And the rest of the carriage finished it with “…..Bah, bah, bah!” What followed was a spontaneous rendition of all the other songs that had just been sung around the bandstand that continued until the next change of train – great finish to a fabulous day!!

I’m already thinking about next year’s dress – we’re going to upgrade to fine dining so an even posher dress could be on the cards.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series thought up by Nat at Threads & Bobbins – click on the link to find out more and how YOU can join in.

1. Back from Spain in the early hours of Wednesday morning (7th June – I’m still catching up), I had to get organised pretty instantly. The school fair was in four days time and I still had loads to do as, not only was I making things for the school, but was also having a stand for The Stitch Academy AND running a fashion show for my students.

I started by making samples for the Summer workshops which I would be advertising on my stand – Pyjamas and Sleep Mask, and an Owl Cushion/PJ Case.

2. Next, I made the Miette skirt by Tilly and the Buttons, also a future workshop or maybe weekly lessons. Raspberry coloured linen which hangs really well for this style.

3. The woman who loved my cross-body bags but wanted one in grey with a star on it had her wish granted! Luckily, she turned up at the fair wearing a grey T-shirt with a star on the front and snapped this bag up straight away.

4. The Elderflower cordial that had been brewing while we were on holiday was bottled and labelled. Here they are on the stall at the back on the far left. They all sold. Two one-litre bottles at £4 each and four 75cl bottles at £3 each, for anyone who is wondering how to price things at a school fair. It cost £2.74 for the sugar and lemons (the bottles were old lemonade ones) and sold for £20 – a nice little profit for their funds and SO easy to make.

The bunting I made for our wedding is hanging at the back of the tent:)

5. Mr. H-L actually made the marmalade this year as I was busy sewing. They’re the jars on the tray with the blue fabric ‘hats’. Ten small jars (half normal size) all sold for £1.50 each. They cost about £3 in total make and, again, the jars were recycled.

I also made forty scones on the morning of the fair so they were nice and fresh.

6. Oh, I almost forgot – after making the scones, I quickly traced off and made a Coco top as the fair wasn’t until one o’clock!!

7. My stand at the fair which was a huge success, enrolling more students and premiering my new adult classes to the villagers. A Tilly and the Buttons Margot Pyjamas workshop is almost booked up! (Thurs 14th July if anyone is interested).

8. A dozen of my students took part in a fashion show at the fair which they absolutely loved, showing off the things they had made over the past nine months since The Stitch Academy started.

9. No.3 Son stole the show with his antics!

10. He certainly made the most of his moment in the spotlight!

11. In other news….this cardboard city is a window display in a boarded up solicitor’s premises. Random, but brilliant.

13. N0.3 Son wanted to make the butter this time.

Here he is squeezing out all that lovely buttermilk which made some scones later in the day.

14. My Victorian butter paddles do their job nicely.

15. There, finished!

16. Perfect spread thickly on some Date and Walnut bread still warm from the oven!

17. ‘Chalky’, our Chalkhill Blue hen, laid her first blue egg!

18. The next day she laid her second, both of which were massive for such a small hen and this is the reason why – both were double yolkers!

19. Teaching pattern drafting to a student, this week, a basic trouser block.

20. I had almost finished a cardigan as a Christmas present from leftover yarn (thrifty, as ever) but ran out only to discover that it had been discontinued – oh s**t!

I ended up unravelling four inches of a scarf in order to scavenge enough yarn to complete the cardigan. Luckily, the scarf was a) for me and b) REALLY long in the first place so no harm was done.

21. I got out all the components of my July make for the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network – but never got around to starting it. Next week, maybe.

22. Three homemade cards amongst those sent from our six (between us) children to Mr H-L on Father’s Day.

23. A pair of Star Wars flip flops, bottle of malt whisky, a coffee cake, homemade brandy truffles and, from his girls in Brighton, a dozen rock oysters!