It's my birthday in a few weeks. Today we went out shopping and happened to visit John Lewis haberdashery, where they had a special offer on a sewing machine - one I had been looking at and longing for. It's very beautiful. I stroked it. We came home.
An hour later he went out to buy it for my birthday.
OMG, it's AWESOME! It's got masses of features and is so quiet.
Lookit all these stitches!
I've knocked up a quick cover for it and it is so smooth and so quiet, it's just wonderful!
A couple of years ago the lovely Jenny of Cashmerette blogged about a skirt she made and I LOVED it. I WANTED it. But as a total novice I had no idea how to do the hack or anything.
And then a couple of months after that one of the mags had a pattern for an asymmetric wrap and I had the perfect bit of sale-rail bargain to make it. And this was the result. It's a fine cord and I really love it.
I'd been planning to make another for over a year now, I've had some gorgeous stretch grey flannel and was planning to face it with some lovely petersham. BUT, my original one rises really badly at the back and the fit is a bit shonky. I thought about doing a bum adjustment (and how WEIRD does that sound?!) - I spent a few days earlier this week researching and looking for tutes and how-tos. And it all sounded a bit of a faff really.
But then I thought why not go straight to my TNT-everything-is-awesome-new-favourite, The Chocolate Chip Skirt?
I had a bit of a moment, the wrap has been in my head for so long that I was reluctant to abandon it, but I KNEW I would wear the other one A LOT. Plus, POCKETS!
In the end I had another JFDI moment!
So, charcoal grey stretch flannel with a contrast pocket. A while ago I bought a scrap bag from Get Cutie, on eBay. They do lovely dresses in fabulous prints. Sushi! Matrioska! Frida Kahlo! And every so often they sell off scrap bags of off-cuts. I got one a while ago and it was full of fab prints.
I had some Marvel, but not quite enough, BIG sugar skulls, Day of the Dead skeletons, and some Frida Kahlo.
In the end I went for the skeletons, because I knew I had enough and I really liked the contrast. Five hours later, with a break for supper, The Girl's bedtime and a bit of a look at Alexander Armstrong in Naples - in which he went to Herculaneum, watch it if you get a chance - I had a lovely new skirt to wear! So this morning I wore it to work. It's a good fit, it's the right length, I love everything about it!
Pockets!
Top - Uniqlo, tights - slightly holey and due for the bin, shoes - Hush Puppies
.The pockets are slightly different - the fabric had brides and grooms so I did one each side!
Groom
Bride
The other advantage of the skeletons was that it is really colourful so I was very happy to use this lovely bright petersham ribbon for a hem facing - it's a secret flash of colour and it makes me very happy!
If you're looking for a good wearable day skirt or if you've got the pattern in your stash and haven't made it yet...go for it!
After the darling mothership went home last week I reclaimed what other people might call 'the spare room' and I call the sewing room.
And yesterday I managed to get some time together and run up the first make of 2017, a Maria Denmark Kirsten Kimono tee. I made one just before Christmas and it is a super easy pattern, good for getting back in the habit. I did a turn and slide FBA on the pattern which was really easy and nice for a no-dart top - Maria Denmark has a tute for this.
I used another of 'I just couldn't leave it on the sale rail' pieces from my stash, a soft blue-grey piece of modal, silk and elastane - no idea what percentage the elastane is but the stuff is really stretchy. It's so soft and drapey and easy to wear. Now, I know it's not perfect, but I kinda don't really want to take it off...
