If you live in the UK, you will know what I'm talking about, I'm so ready for Spring! We had one day last week which was lovely and teased us into thinking this was it, and now what, it's going to snow today and tomorrow, I usually love the snow but I'm so sad, I want spring!
I'm not necessarily a pretty cotton frocks type, but I do like spring/summer clothes more than winter, and I want to wear them now!
I had a taster of this recently as I went to Spain at the beginning of February for the Rockin Race Jamboree. The weather was lovely, nice enough for capri pants, nice blouses and a light jacket, I need to do this again now. Look how happy the sun make British people, we see it so rarely, it's makes us totally happy and smiley!!
I didn't get a pic of me in one of my favourite summer blouses I made but I have one of it, I do love this blouse and just don't get the opportunity to wear it enough!
I also dragged this out of my closet as it's now too big but I want to take it in and wear it again, so it's now in my alteration sewing pile, mmmm maybe I should just sell it on and buy something else, my alteration pile is stupidly big, but I LOVE this print, so summery!
I also want to wear this again, the little number that I ran up last year, although again may need taking in now, I love it cos it looks like a dress but it's a top and skirt so I can mix things up.
Instead this week it looks like I'll be wearing something closer to this
Hello all, I'm sneaking back in, I want to start blogging again but it has been sooooo long I'm slightly ashamed to be sneaking in like this!
I'm off to read all your blogs soon too, though clearly can't catch up, it's been months and months but I have been thinking of you all and missing you all.
So what have I been up to, well lots of interesting and lots of not very interesting.
Recently I went to the Rockin Race Jamboree in Spain, it was an absolute ball and so fantastic to catch some winter sun, as you can see from the picture above, my husband caught it a lot than day and damn him, if he didn't wake up the next morning with a fabulous tan!
I had fun with friends, met some news ones, soaked up the sun, wore lovely clothes - all of which I had to take in (yes the weight loss battle continues to be won!) and generally had a lovely restful and partying time.
Yes this is early February in Southern Spain, sooo lovely and warm! However when we arrived back at Gatwick it was a horrible shock to arrive to temperatures of -1 and snow eeek!
Ok I'm going to leave my sneaking back in at that and hope to see you all much more in the next couple of weeks. Of to catch up on your news xx
I'm a long term sewer/sewist/seamstress whatever but I have wanted to improve my techniques for quite some time however I didn't quite know where to start. I ordered this book hoping that it might show me something.
I follow Gertie's blog http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/ already and am always interested and inspired by her posts, her thirst for knowledge in all things sewing and her ongoing improvement!
Soooo when this landed on my doorstep I wondered if it would live up to my expectations. YES IT DID! It's absolutely fantastic, I've never been so engrossed in a sewing book.
It includes chapters on skills, preparation, essential and nice to have tools, essential techniques, stabilising and tailoring (the chapter that really gripped me!), pattern making and fitting. If that's not enough it contains some project along with patterns, now usually this I find unnecessary I buy the patterns I like and rarely do I like what is included with something like this, but these are great, I will definitely be trying several.
Has Gertie paid me? Nope. Did I get a free book? Nope. Do I genuinely love this and recommend it to all who sew, YES!
Well I'd like to say I've been busy whilst I've been off after my knee op but it's taken until the end of last week to feel normal again, I was awfully tired most of the week. My knee is really getting better amazingly quick, it was a keyhole op so I know it would be fairly quick but it's been a lot quicker than I thought, it's still swollen so I'm not back to normal and I'm certainly not as flexible as normal but I'm getting there. Back to work Tuesday, shame, just as the weather in the UK is set to get gorgeous!!
Anyway I had an idea what I wanted to sew but actually only got one thing done, however I'm super proud of it.
Do you remember this fabric I bought from a vintage fair? It's a beautiful vintage polish cotton, I couldn't have worked with a nicer fabric!
I've been wanting to make this pattern for a while, it's so summery and versatile as I knew with this fabric it would look like a dress when worn together but I can wear it apart with different blouse or trousers/skirt. Obviously I didn't want to add the ric rac as it's too patterned and I also didn't add the pockets for the same reason, although I'm so happy with the outcome I may buy some solid colour cotton and do another set with ric rac and pockets!
And the final result! I'm really happy with it. It's so summery, just in time for our week of summer in the UK!!
I would definitely make this pattern again although as with any sewing I learnt a few lessons as I went along which I'll share as I always think it's useful for other people who sew. I'm short and really I need to alter all patterns accordingly, this means altering the length of the blouse and the skirt, I didn't do this as I cut the pattern out and I wish I had as this would have been an even better fit than it is if I had!
What I did do this time that I rarely do is I did everything properly. I have sewn for more years than I care to remember but I'm a sloppy, I sew for me, I have never cared about technique or the finish, but I have decided I want to improve as people are starting to ask me to make for them, however I'm not happy with my finish yet, so I'm improving my finish on all my garments, then perhaps I'll start making for others.
Anyway things I did for this that I don't normally.
1. The pattern didn't have facings for the collar and armholes and I thought it needed them so I added them and I'm glad I did
2. I've always struggled with hemming fuller skirt so I found this tutorial
on Gerties Blog for Better Sewing and followed it, it was great and I'm so happy with the result, so much so I'm determined to make more full skirts.
3. I ironed seams at EVERY stage, not just when I had to, preparation and thoroughness in sewing leads to a better garment all round!
Ok so that's what I'm proud of, what am I extra proud of??
I fit back into one of my favourite vintage dresses, a 1950s gold lurex dress, I am chuffed beyond belief, I am overflowing with joy, now I need to go somewhere to wear it again!! It's a little tight still, it could do with being a little looser but I'm in it dammit and that is HUGE for me :o)
Apologies for the slightly blurred photos of my outfit shots, I have no idea why they did that, working with a timer confuses me, I must have pressed something else too!!
It's been so stunningly gorgeous here in the UK the last week that I've been all distracted and not blogged at all, shame on me! Still those that live in the UK know that you just have to take advantage of it whilst it's there, after all that could have been our Summer people ha ha!
Why a new start? Well as you know I've been making some decisions about going forward in life, what I need to work on, both personally and work wise, and just stepping back and thinking. One of my new starts is I'm back at the gym and swimming, and I've started weight watchers! Yep scary huh?
If you're a regular on the blog you'll know I rarely do outfit posts, just cos I really don't like how I look right now. So things are changing. I feel great about it, the meds are keeping the knee pain at bay so I'm ok to exercise now and the weight loss will also help with my knee.
I have a small group of cheerleaders helping me along and I feel good. I've already lost a few pounds, several stone to go.....
Meantime I've been looking at gorgeous clothes that I already own knowing it will take time and effort to get back into them, but feeling very determined to do so.
One of my most favourite gowns, just stunning on!
This is one of my favourite dresses of all time, great colour and plenty of bling!
And a picture of me in it many years ago, I believe I may have had a drink or two....
Ah I love this Hawaiian dress, still a firm favourite! Sorry for bad picture it was taken in the hallway at Viva Las Vegas, many moons ago!
Now this is a poor picture again but this is a gorgeous and rather rare printed woman's gabardine jacket, it's just stunning. However it needs some work to restore it to it's former glory, the cuffs are frayed and I'm waiting until it fits again to work out quite what to do about it.
Remember these trousers I finished only a few weeks ago? Well they're now a little loose YAY me!!
I won't bang on about this journey, it's going to be a long journey and could get very boring for the reader, but hopefully after a couple of months you may start seeing more outfit posts from me!
