Progress

I've got somewhere with my sewing for a change. Not finished yet but on the way after a couple of false starts. The beige trousers have been relegated to a second capsule (if I get it sewn up!) & a pair of navy in a different style substituted. The jacket is done & the dress too. Just have a top to make if I ever finalise a style, & I decided to make Linda Ghee's Fish Bag as my accessory which I may get started later tonight. Or not.
I made a top from my chosen fabric but it just doesn't go with the jacket. It does go with the pants & some others I have so not a lost cause. The beige trousers also go with other tops so that's good.
I have some off white linen that is an exact match for the off white of the dress which I have been deliberating about whether to make a jacket or a pair of trousers. I think the jacket's winning. Probably Vogue 8480
So the Capsule patterns so far:
Vogue2925 for the trousers. Vogue 8472 for the dress & jacket, the dress was lengthened by about 5" & the jacket by 2". Fabulous Fish Handbag from Linda Ghee.


All garments displayed on my new friend who is currently nameless & doesn't yet have my bust - hence the dress isn't quite right on her! The back of the jacket is gathered onto the yoke , a detail that I was'nt sure about but quite like now.













I'm changing the name from Summer Holiday too as this isn't a packable wardrobe, maybe I'll call it A Summer's Eve to fit with my casual but attempting to look smarter when I go out look!

Ready to sew

Well if I can get myself away from this computer I will be! Another fabric shopping trip & I've got fabric for the JCC. Plan B, Summer Holiday is the one as I couldn't find any pink camo anywhere at a price I'm prepared to pay to make up Plan A, Hooked on Pink! Trousers already made in the beige. I've opted for the Keep It Simple Stupid approach so I have a chance of finishing in time. The accessory is currently a fly in the ointment as I really don't know what I want to make. I'm sure something will suggest itself be it bought or made before the end of the contest.

June Capsule Update

Gosh aren't I getting ahead of myself. I found & then cut out & sewed up the trousers for plan B, just in case plan A doesn't come off!
The pattern is an out of print Butterick. Typically I over estimated how loose fitting they are & ended up taking the side seams in! This is because the last time I made them I wore a size 14. Sigh. My measurements are nearer an 18 in some areas so I cut them a bit too large. Serves me right, I should have stuck to my PMB pattern.
That's the beige linen / cotton blend used. Next up is likely to be the twill trousers for fishing but I need to draft a pattern as I want zip off cargo pants. Maybe I've got something similar somewhere to base the pattern on, like a Jalie mens pants that I just need to change the shape slightly. Hmmmmm. Bed is calling I'll sleep on it.

Time Flies

Or so it seems. I'm not sure I've done very much but don't seem to have found enough time to blog. I have however got my sewing mojo back. At least when I get the opportunity to sew! I have committed myself to the June Capsule challenge over at Stitchers Guild
It is still at the planning stage but I should be able to manage one of my two ideas. Plan A,
Hooked on pink, is a capsule to wear on my fishing trips instead of boring old camo & just to annoy the anorak. I need to find some pink camo fabric for a waistcoat though & probably buy a baseball cap in pink camo. And I've some pattern drafting to do.
Summer Holiday is plan B, pinks & purples & beige pants.
I discovered I already have some tops that will go with either the jacket in the pink, or the trousers, in beige, although not necessarily both at once! Had I realised this I might not have bought the pink & blue batik but I do like it. The beauty of this colour choice is that I can make more capsules of clothes that will fit in with some of these colours & thus expand the options so I'll never be able say I've nothing to wear!!!! Black for example will go with the pink as a pair of trousers or capris or something, even a skirt, & black in a jacket will go with the beige pants, and both will go with the tops. Then I'll have a black base to add other colours to & expand the options. Or navy instead of black - another classic combination. You see sewing with a plan does work. SWAP. (Look at how it works when done right, scroll down the page for fantastic wardrobing skills.) Just split into smaller bite size pieces, hopefully easy enough to stick with, seeing as I didn't get going with the official SWAP.

Musings

Sadly my colleagues son didn't make it. Life's a bitch on occasions.
Her bosses sent me a bouquet of flowers for stepping in to do her job until they could get someone up to the hospital to take over. I took a management decision to do it & my manager let me!! I'm not impressed at that but not surprised either. Heck I'm on the lowest pay band & not paid to think. Note to self: Apply to be re-banded sooner rather than later because I'm worth it.
I'm debating adding machine knitting to my teaching application as well but I need to get the machines out & practise & I don't have anywhere to put them. Hmmmmmmmmm. got to do some serious re-organisation around here. soon. My daughter is moving back in as well. Oh hell.

One of those days

Don't you just hate it when the day goes pear shaped right at the start? Actually it started around 11 PM last night. Noisy teenagers playing in the road outside. Then I slept in as I took ages to get back to sleep. I went out to the car only to discover what woke me up. Said teens had smashed the wing mirror on my car. Thanks guys. Someone did the other one on Saturday night. So now I have a matching pair or wing mirrors. Hanging on by a thread (wire). Ring the police lodge a complaint. Cover poor wing mirror with plastic bag to stop the insides getting wetter & get soaked by passing speeding car hitting big puddle. Lots of bad language on my part I'm afraid & I admit to losing my temper with the poor old anorak who was trying to help. I wish he'd just leave me alone when I ask him to!! Cycle to work, late. It rains, nay pours down, so arrive at work & put all my clothes on the radiators to dry. Good job I wear a uniform isn't it?
Then a colleague in the neighbouring department puts it all in perspective. Her son (in his 30's, a family man with 2 kids) was admitted to intensive care last night with an unknown complaint having been fit well up to this point. Then she had a call to say he was deteriorating so she went. I pray the doctors have been able to help & he makes full recovery. And my problems seem trivial in comparison.
Last but by no means least. My daughter is 20 today. Happy Birthday Dani. I love you. The teen from hell is a lovely young woman that I am so proud of. And her Grandpa would be so proud of her too. He would have been 90 today. Yes they share the same birthday. Definitely not April fools!

More Exercise

It's catching this walking lark. Well I wasn't going to hang around a lake watching (& thereby causing problems with Joe) my dear son relearn fly fishing. He gets bored quite easily so I'm better off out of the way. I took the dogs for a walk instead. Just 3 miles or so & we all got covered in mud. Most of the walk was boggy but hey, the weather was lovely, bright sunshine was a pleasant change from the snow & rain & wind from Suffolk. In fact I got quite warm walking uphill. The dogs are now fast asleep & still have muddy paws but never mind. I'll have to wake them up later to go out again. It's a hard life being a dog. Obviously.
All this walking has to be good for me but boy is my back bad just now. I think I feel a long soak in the bath coming on before long. Nice end to a nice day.