from the sewing room window 18 October

It's still very windy today - if you look closely, you can see the lighter undersides of the leaves on the trees at the back of the garden. The photos of Debbie's dress which I took today didn't turn out well. The fabric is quite dark so I need to find a better way of photographing it to make it show up better. I'll think about it and, hopefully, have something to show tomorrow. Sorry about the delay!

a new dress for Debbie

When we were in Canada, Debbie passed this pattern on to me asking me to make the dress for her.



We bought the fabric out there and I brought it home and thought no more about it until last week when I finally decided that maybe I should get it done.

Now, I have been doing dressmaking for a really long time and can follow a pattern well (just don't ask me how to alter one that doesn't fit!!) but this pattern took me way longer to get done than I thought it would. None of it was particularly hard but it had an awful lot of steps in it.

Debbie wanted dress A (middle row at the bottom) but in the shorter length so I had a collar to do and sleeves that rolled up and are buttoned down with a tab. The skirt part has 8 main panels and 8 godets added in for extra flare. So, unlike a basic skirt with a front and a back, I had 16 parts to sew together then overlock together. And they weren't even straight up and down seams. Oh no. You had to sew the main parts together to about a third of the way down and then the godets had to be sewn in from there down. No wonder it all took so long to get done.

Then there was the phenomen of a side zip. I prefer to put zips in with as few bits attached as possible to make it easier but on this pattern the zip was the second last thing to be done - only the hem was done after the zip went in - so the whole dress had to be flung hither and thither whilst trying to get the zip sewn in without catching in bits that weren't meant to be caught in!

Well, it's finished now and, if I have my way, there's no way I'll be making this one again so Debs can forget any ideas of having any more like it. :oP

I'll try and get a photo of the finished dress tomorrow in the daylight ... that is if we get any daylight tomorrow. It started bucketing rain at about 10am this morning and hasn't stopped since.

sewing scraps

We had another day without internet for the vast majority of the day today. I don't mind being without internet if I've chosen to be that way - like when we were away last week in Harrogate (note to self: post some of those pics!!) but I don't like it so much when it's not my choice! Never mind, I got some more sewing done.

First - what do you do with the scraps left from sewing the tumbler table runners? You make them into little mats.

The fronts -



And the backs -



I ordered another die for my Go cutter last week and it arrived today so I spent some time playing with that. It's the drunkard's path and here's how my first attempt at sewing them turned out.

The front -



And the back -



I love it! I think the quilting looks stunning - even if I do say so myself! :oD

It's amazing what you can do with scraps! :o)

the flirty frilly pinny - versions 2 and 3

We had no internet today. Douglas phoned our internet provider this morning at 8.30am and was told it would be off for about 2 hours. It finally came back at 6.25pm!! 10 hours is just a smidge longer than 2 hours in my book!

So, what to do when you can't get online? You do as little housework as you can get away with (nothing new there then! :oD) and then you spend time in the sewing room trying to perfect the flirty frilly pinny pattern.

Here's version 2. I do like it a lot but it's still a wee bit sticky-outy at the lower edge of the side seams.





This is version 3 which I like a lot. I think this will be the finished version now.



The side edge looks a bit strange in this photo but it sits really well on me. None of that sticking-out malarkey like versions 1 and 2.



I will share the pattern as soon as I can. I just need to tidy it all up and then I'll figure out a way to get it on here. :o)

from the sewing room window - 10th October

The sunflowers look a wee bit the worse for wear now. All the wind and rain we've had recently isn't doing them any favours!



Whilst I was taking the SRW photo, I spotted a bunny over in the school playing fields.



If you notice the seagull just to the left of the bunny, you can see how small the bunny is - or maybe it's how big the seagull is! :oO

what I was making up - and some smiley faces

Here's what I was making the pattern up for yesterday - a flirty frilled pinny (apron).



A side view:



And, if you look closely, you'll see the tumbler shaped pocket -



I want to change the cutting line of the sides just slightly as it sticks out just a wee bit at the bottom corners - you can see the sticky-out-ness really well in the top photo. Other than that, I'm really pleased with the pinny. In fact, I'm chuffed to bits that it worked out so well. I can see me making lots more of these.

This afternoon I tried out one of my purchases from our days away - smiley face cookie cutters. They didn't quite work out - the thin ones went darker than I would have liked but at least their faces didn't close up like the others did.



But, you know, when they're sandwiched together with butter icing AND raspberry jam, who cares what they look like? I know I don't! :oD

making it up as I go along

I'm making this pattern up as I go along. Lots of workings out . . .



When I was happy with it, I cut out all the bits . . .



. . . and made the pocket using the tumbler die of my Go cutter.



I'm hoping to get it finished tomorrow and I'll show it off in all its glory when I do. :o)

from the sewing room window - 7th October

It's late this week as we were away on Monday. It was a really sunny afternoon today. Not warm but very sunny. :o)

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the world has lost an amazing man

We are, and always have been, Apple people. Our computers are all Macs. We all have iPhones. Douglas has an iPad - and the girls are waiting for him to upgrade to the new version so they can have the old one. I might just fight them for it!

Today, we heard that Steve Jobs has died. I know that Apple will go on but, even to me, who never watched those talks he gave where he showed the world what was coming next, I know Apple will miss Steve Jobs.

I found this on Anna's blog and am reposting it here because . . . well, just because. Please take a look at Anna's post and watch the other video she posted. The world really has lost an amazing man!

off to Harrogate

We're heading off to Harrogate for a few days starting tomorrow. That's Douglas, Joanna, Rosie and me. Yep, we're taking Joanna and the dog with us. Should be fun.

I'll be back on Thursday. :o)