So, here's the "best" photo of my new black trousers. They fit me and they're comfy so I'm happy with them.
My next sewing project is a commission for a pinny (apron) with "blue but no pink" in it. This is the fabric I chose to use.
I should get this finished tomorrow and then posted out on Thursday - or even tomorrow afternoon if I'm quick enough!
I posted the quilt to Emmy this morning so she should get it tomorrow or Wednesday. I hope she likes it. Well, Emmy's only a few weeks old so she won't know one way or the other if she likes it or not but I hope the rest of her family like it! :o)
My next task is to make myself some new black trousers. I hadn't had trousers on for weeks - been wearing skirts with thick tights on to keep me warm - but I put them on last Wednesday for my check-up appointment at the rheumatology clinic (all fine) and the trousers were h-u-g-e on me. I could pull them up and down without taking the button out or taking the zip down.
Whilst that is fabulous that I've lost that much weight (and size), I need black trousers for the Singers' concert this Sunday coming and I'd really prefer to have ones that fit me properly. I don't want to be standing there pulling in my lower abdomen to get good breath control (our conductor is always telling us to do that) and suddenly feel my trousers going south! Yikes!
I decided to save myself some time and bought some trousers but the ones I brought home were so low in the crutch that they would have been even more embarrassing than the ones going south so they went back to the shop. I dug through my patterns and found one I liked and cut them out today.
I did a rough fit and they seem to be fine so I'm now sewing them properly and hope to have them done tomorrow. I *really* want these to fit me and then I can relax about that part of the concert. Only the words and music to worry about after that!
Today's figures are:
dawn to dusk = 9 hours and 5 minutes (20 minutes less than last week)
sunrise to sunset = 7 hours and 35 minutes (22 minutes less than last week)
Here are just some of my favourite squares.
Frogs, lots of spots, books and teeny Santas.
Bird footprints, cows, stars and bunting with a kettle.
More cows, sheep, hens, penguins, more spots, stripes and Santas.
Mittens, buttons, bones, snails, flowers and even more spots.
Wellies, apples, Christmas trees, golf tees, more spots and stripes and the very hungry caterpillar.
The fleece on the back and the binding which seemed to match with whatever square it came up against on the edge of the quilt.
I'm very pleased with the way this quilt turned out. I'll get it in the post tomorrow so that baby Emmy can start using it.
And I have to show this off. Douglas made this quilting table addition for my sewing machine. This quilt was *much* easier to quilt because of it! Thanks, Douglas. :o)
I dug into my (diminishing) pile of fleece pieces and found this which is *perfect* for the back.
I'm hoping to get it quilted and bound tomorrow. My fingers are very tightly crossed! :o)
Well, Emmy is the second baby in the family and I made a quilt for the first baby - Lucy - when she arrived. Anyway, I'm sure Lucy would rather Emmy had her own quilt rather than have to share her quilt with her new baby sister. I talked it over with Douglas and he said to make the quilt - much more useful than an owl! So that's what I'm doing.
The quilt is made of 4½" squares in a 13 x 13 square. It will end up around about 52" square which means I won't need to add borders. Yay!!
Here are the 169 squares I cut out yesterday afternoon and this morning. (Thank goodness for my Go! Cutter!!)
Then I placed them on our bed to see how they looked.
I think I only moved 3 squares before I decided to just go with it as it was! I mean, it's meant to be random so why spend hours rearranging the randomness?
Here are rows 1 to 10 all sewn together.
I hated having to stop with only 3 rows left to sew but I know, if I kept going, I wouldn't be able to move tomorrow far less sew. Here are the 3 rows I have left to do.
I'm hoping to get those put together tomorrow and maybe make a start to sewing the rows to each other. Fun! :o)
Sorry about the picture quality - we're in the darkest days now so there's not much decent daylight to take photos at the moment. Only a month to go until the shortest day, though, and then the days will be getting longer again. Yay!!
Anyway, I digress. Here are the blouses!
And here's the terrible thing. I watched as my neighbour did this on Saturday. I couldn't believe my eyes! I thought long and hard about contacting the RSPCTB - Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Teddy Bears! ;o)
Today's figures are:
dawn to dusk = 9 hours and 25minutes (23 minutes less than last week)
sunrise to sunset = 7 hours and 57 minutes (27 minutes less than last week)
The recipe said it would take 4½ to 4¾ hours but it actually took 6½ hours before I was happy that it was cooked. It's a good thing I started it before lunchtime! I've made a note on the recipe to maybe turn the oven up a wee bit - or at least be aware that it took that long! Douglas was quite disappointed that he'd have to wait until Christmas day to eat it!
My next finish was the skirt for part of my mum's Christmas.
As expected, the sewing of the jersey fabric was not the most fun I've ever had with a sewing machine & overlocker so I decided not to add the stretchy lining to the skirt. My mum always wears an underskirt so I don't think it'll matter too much.
I didn't waste the 15cm/6" strip of fabric that was left over. I made it into a wee scarf to go with her skirt. Two presents for the price of one! Not too shabby!
My next finishes are two more skirts that I took in for Joanna. One was easy enough as the zip was at the back.
But this one had a side zip so that had to come out and get replaced.
My fingers are tightly crossed that they fit her now!
Finally, here's something that made me smile this week. So far, I haven't received any underwear from Santa. Says it all really! :oD
Then I made a start to sewing a skirt for my mum's Christmas. This is the material I chose.
It's a knitted fabric so I was kind of dreading sewing it but, so far it's working out really well. Let's hope it continues that way when I make the lining which is also out of a knitted fabric. Eeek!
And here are the Christmas jewels I spoke of - the dried fruit soaking in some brandy overnight to be made into a Christmas cake tomorrow.
I'm not fond of Christmas cake myself but I love the way this fruit looks in the bowl. Very jewel-like!
