Boo!

Hello!

how are you?  I haven't seen you in AGES! (well I have probably seen you, in blog form, but you haven't seen me so much)  Where have I been you ask?  Well it's been a bit of a crazy time around this way lately.  For about a months or so after my last post we were away every weekend visiting family and friends which meant loads of catching up with chores at the weekend and the poor blog got left to one side for a bit.  Within a couple of weeks of that busy period being over my boyfriend and I split up and ...well it's all been a bit chaotic as you can imagine.

All that aside I have still been sewing, and even managing to muster up a bit of excitement about my creations, and so I wanted to show you all my good work.

My friend and I both turn 30 this year (she in September and me in December) and after reading the lovely Joy talk about her 30 by 30 list on her blog joy the baker we were inspired to write our own.  Some of them are achievements we would like to have under our belts by our birthdays, some things to do and others just plain acts of kindness to make us nicer people as we enter our fourth decade (urgh - that sounds CRAZY!)  We have written seperate lists and have some similar things on there but mostly different - some of which we plan to do together so we will actually end up with more than 30.  I will post the finalised version of the list sometime soon (as with joy we went with a multiple or significant use of each number 1 to 30 eg I have sew 12 different garments each incorporating something I haven't done/used before) and mine has a few crafty things in it.  My friend also has learn to sew # things with Natalia - so I'm teaching already!  hahaha  the blind leading the blind?  She thinks being able to operate a sewing machine is qualification enough so we'll give it a go - I'm sure it will be funny if nothing else :o)

Anyway, I can hear you screaming: enough of this chit chat I wanna see the good stuff, gimme pictures dammit! well I'm now 3 garments into the 12 I'm going to make before my birthday.  You saw the pendrell blouse last time - I'm thinking of knnocking out a sleeveless version to go with my two new makes and I'm fancying some lace...  anywy I'm getting side tracked again aren't I :o)

First up Collette Beignet - despite being graded as intermediate I found this really straightforward - thanks to very clear instructions.  I checked out some other people's online and had originally intended to go for some pretty yellow flower buttons I got online.  But after seeing  Tilly and the Buttons triple Beignet wonderousness I decided to take the self covered route - classy.  I'll have to bung the yellow buttons on something else, maybe a cardi.....  New techniques: lining, buttons and it's my 1st skirt

After completing this I was feeling pretty confident and got straight on to Vogue V8604, I made a muslin (using swedish tracing paper because that's all I had - no pics unfortunately - despite the opportunity for a laugh) just of the top half and they seemed a good fit.  However when I got to sewing up the side seams in the fabric they were far too big so I took 3 inches out.  They are pretty snug now but that has been a good reminder for me to hold my tummy in and sit up straight at least.  The fabric is a really lightweight stretch denim and overall I am pretty pleased with how they have turned out.  I'm sort of job hunting so I may make another pair in black with the jacket to match for smart interview wear.  Overall these were super easy, I changed the front pleat to a dart because I don't like pleat front trousers (they don't flatter my belly at all) and I also left the pockets out as they are on the side seam and I don't find that too flattering on me.

New techniques used: invisible zip, lapped seams, darts, sewing with a stretch fabric, basic fitting adjustment and these are my 1st trousers!

So that is where I have got up to so far.  I have a few things queued up:

• This afternoon I plan to make (or at least start) the tap pants from Collette Nutmeg using the old silk/poly scarves I have been collecting from charity shops
• I have ordered the new Debbi Bliss Summer 2011 magazine and the wool to knit the capelet on the cover (it is a teal colour) I still haven't finshed "The Jumper" but I'm feeling deeply uninspired to continue with considering the circumstances so thought I would treat myself to something small and pretty to get my knitting back on track. I've not knitted a huge amount of lace patterns before but this is only small (under 3 balls of wool) and I'll be glad to have something that needs a lot of concentration.
• 12th June is my 1/2 birthday and as part of my 30 by 30 I have chosen this date to recreate my 18th birthday (which was itself a recreation of my 8th) so I'm thinking of making a party dress, probably that vogue pattern I posted here with some pink gingham I have had in my treasure box for years.

Phew!  I think that'll probably do for now.  I promise to come back soon, even if it is just with some work in progress (or a picture of a pile of silky rags after I realise that I'm being overconfident with the pants :o))

Here's a thing I didn't realise until today - I miss you guys!  Thank-you for keeping me in your "following" list despite the lack of updates.  I love reading blogs and do so every day (not least because work is pretty dull at the moment so I like to fill my time there with nicer things, we call it "homing from work", ssshhhh don't tell the boss!) if everyone was as slow at posting as me I would get all lost at sea!

Ok, maybe some lunch and then pants pants pants :o) (and a bit of street performance art later)

Hope you are having lovely weekends!