A clean slate

Last night I finished off the last of the jobs that have been jammed into my sewing cupboard for an embarrassingly long time.  It was one of those nights though that I managed to inject a little disaster into everything I did.

After Five : Fashion from the Darnell Collection

I can't remember where I read that Hazlehurst's latest exhibition was a fashion collection, but it left me more than a little excited.  Granted we're not exactly spoilt for choice of galleries in the Sutherland Shire, but who needs choice when you've got Hazlehurst.  I have always loved fashion exhibitions, and although I had no idea what After Five: Fashion from the Darnell Collection was about, saw no reason why it should be the exception.

A Sewing Haitus - My First Excuse

My mum and dad have very kindly come to stay with us for a few weeks.  I had a feeling that this might slow my crafting activities, and so far have been proved very right.  Sadly my busy-ness this week hasn't even had much to do with the parent's visit, just the craziness, lows and highs of my own parenthood.

Odds and Ends, Bits and Bobs

In the continued spirit of clearing out my to do pile, last night I got lots of very satisfying little jobs done.  And even more satisfyingly decided some jobs weren't worth doing.  I keep telling myself that I should have my bootleg jeans a sensible length so they don't fray at the heel, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I'm not sure sensible length equals stylish length when it comes to trousers.  The problem is mostly solved by the bootleg being the current trouser cut that equals fashion suicide.

NEWS FLASH: Blog succeeding at job for which it was intended

I read an article about Jane Fonda today, very insprational

I am extremely excited to have finished a second of the projects that I have had sitting in the cupboard for months.  I've wanted to make some leg warmers for literally years, but have been more than a little impeded by not knowing how to knit.  I tried and failed to learn, and also found a pair of (discounted) ethically made leg warmers for 5 pounds from People Tree , so gave up.

The leg warmers I made for last winter

The work in progress

When I learnt to knit from the both much-loved and highly understandable Stitch and Bitch it said that knitters hate the sewing the pieces together bit at the end.  My first thought was that I love sewing so that won't be me at all.  But lo and behold the first garment that involved sewing seams sat in my cupboard for 6 months before I dragged them out again last night.

One week in, one finished peice

The finished dress (not the potato sack).

Longer ago than I can care to remember, I started making a dress from the Sewing School pages in peppermint magazine.  It's a lovely idea, but unfortunately I fell down at the first hurdle.  It had a square in the printed pattern that you were meant to ensure was 10cm, so that the whole pattern was the right size.  Well it wasn't, but I had no idea how to change it so I just carried on anyway, schoolgirl error.  This, plus I don't think it always used best practice techniques, meant that at the end of following the instructions I had a prettily-patterned potato sack.  I was loath to throw away the time, effort and nice fabric so I embarked on a rescue mission.