Sunday

Well today I'm of to work at the Alexon womanswear outlet at K village, my Sunday job.  Extra income ya know.  Not much but I get to play with clothes all day.  I plan on wearing the new pants from that divine details pattern, they're not brilliant but they'll do.  Meanwhile we gathered brambles & they are going to be turned into jelly, & checked the sloes out for when we make sloe gin, looks like a good crop again this year, better start buying the gin next week.

4th September

The usual dog walking!  Mans XXXL tee restyled to fit me a few years ago, with the words "Teach a man how to fish & you get rid of him for a whole weekend"  Poop bag carrier.  Oh how sad...........
Sooty the cat got in the pic too.  White cat - Sooty?  Blame the previous owners.
Customer support at Wildginger.com is brilliant.  I now have a working copy of the Curves program.  Just need to input the measurements all over again as the back up file has my older, bigger numbers in it!

Today update

Well I've no photo for today at this point in time but I am wearing a top I drafted in PMB a couple of years ago based on one I saw in a Burda magazine.  I have been trying to reload programs on the laptop which crashed a couple of days ago.  So far only one won't go back on because the disc is cracked & I'm not happy as that is my Wildginger Curves program - my tees drafting marvel.   Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Mary I do so agree about what seeing what we really wear on a daily basis.  I'm in danger of being seen as very boring before long!!

Self Stitched September.......

This isn't going to be so easy.  However yesterday & the day before I did manage it but boy do I need to do something about my dog walking gear.  If nothing else I will need to sew some replacement clothes sooner rather than later!!

Blackpool Zoo on the 1st was lovely & warm.  I didn't manage to look very glam but I was comfortable.  Hand drafted skirt from several years ago, can't see the A-symetric hem, & top from I think  Simplicity pattern that I can't find.

2nd Sept. Dog walking gear doesn't vary much but serves it's purpose for now!!!  Burda WoF magazine waistcoat from years ago that I customised with hidden zippered pockets as part of a travel wardrobe muslin.  I made another that I preferred actually that might show up later in the month.  PMCurves drafted Tee that fit well a few years back, worn a lot & dreadful pattern & colours!!  Whatever was I thinking?  I was thinking it was cheap & cheerful for a muslin.

As for today, will have to wait for a photographer.

Progress

Of sorts.  I am not far off finishing the wearable muslin trousers of the Divine Details pattern mentioned in the last post.  The photo on the envelope is misleading, to me anyway.  It clearly shows the pants sitting below the models waist & I wrongly assumed (even though the description didn't say they were meant to be below the waist) that they would fit below the waist.  They reach to my waist & a little higher.  Now higher is to be expected as I purposely didn't do any pattern alterations so that I could clearly see what I would need to do with the next pair.  I have retreived them by taking the waist in by about 1.5" & will put the waist binding a bit lower so they aren't so high around my waist.  Now as I have a tummy which I never had years ago (!) I wrongly thought the alteration I used to do of shortening the body by around an 1" wouldn't be needed (extra fabric & all that)  but I was wrong.  I've been using a self drafted pattern for some years which still needs tweaking so I'd opted for a purchased pattern to start again.  The next version will have the pattern altered before I start, at this stage I don't think I will need to alter the waist circumference as it will hit at a wider point if it's lower than it is currently.  Overall I like the style, though I'm not sure whether I will do the piping on the back yoke again or not.  If I do I think I will choose a contrast rather than use the same fabric. 
I have lots of fabric staring at me & no time to get stuck into it! 
I'm on leave but trying to rest & take it easy just doing what I feel like as for the first time in 7 years I don't actually want to go back to work & face the people problems that ruined the day I finished for my holiday.  It shows that I'm not out of the woods yet as far as the mild depression the Doc diagnosed a few months back.  I was always stronger than this but life has taken it's toll this last couple of years & I need to adjust I suppose.

Computers

Don't you just miss them when they up & die on you?  This laptop died on Wednesday & the old desktop went to join it, much to the anoraks disgust but that's only because he needs me to update his CV for a job who's deadline is Monday.  Well a geeky friend got the laptop going again but I've lost everything on it.  All but the most recent photos are backed up but nothing else was.  Note to self - get backing up when normal service is resumed!  I'll have to start over with all my teaching stuff, everything.  All programs need to be put back on.  To be fair not much was worth keeping apart from the pics but I'm even having trouble remembering which blogs I was subscribed to.  I'll get around to those when I remember.  I have started to make a pair of trousers but I've also started a Sunday job so I'll not get much sewing done tomorrow.  I will however be playing with clothes all day in the shop.  Sew Direct here in the UK has a buy one get two free, pattern offer this weekend so I've sucumbed as I did last time but I have only ordered six this time & no duplicates. 

I'm making these in a dark grey pinstripe.  Didn't have quite enough fabric so the hoped for play with stripes on the yoke & piping hasn't really materialised.  I'm not adding back pockets either.  These are hopefully a wearable muslin for a wool mix that I bought a couple of weeks back.  I've made no alterations to the pattern as I've lost weight a preliminary measurement checks with the pattern indicate I might just have a pattern I can sew straight out of the envelope.  We'll see.  The only trouble with Divine Details patterns is the number of pieces!  Then the lack of room to get two machines out at once.  I've done all I can with one, next I need the other out.   So why did I choose another trousers pattern?  Well this Claire Shaeffer one has good reviews on Stitchers Guild (can't be bothered to can't find the topic) so I thought I'd try a couture pair at some point.  I like this Michael Kors dress too but not sure when I'd get to wear it, hasn't stopped me buying the pattern though!!

The details on this white jacket are lovely, though I'm not sure I like the pleated sleeve cap.

The top is a good basic for winter.

Kinda like this cape pattern too.

I chose another pattern but can't remember which one it is now, must be getting late the brain's giving up.  I've just had one week off work & have done very little but take it easy & next week have a couple of things to do but intend to carry on taking it easy.  My last day at work was incredibly stressful & I'm still not over it but I will be soon.  Must be hot chocolate time.

Time, where did you go?

Time has just flown lately.  I am working evenings as well as mornings & have been too tired to do anything much when I get home, so no sewing but some pattern browsing & daydreaming.
I have a sideways promotion at work which I take up at the beginning of September on a temporary 3 month contract but "temporary" at our place tends to mean permanent!  I'm shadowing the current post holder for now & then I have a couple of weeks off before I jump in the deep end.  I've already said I willl likely ruffle a few feathers including the bosses but hey they know it needs doing & have said they'll back me up - the proof will be if changes actually happen.  Like communication.  Communication is a big deal in my book, without it the department will just continue to muddle through & I don't like it as it is, as I'm temporary (?) I can make some noises.  If it becomes permanent then I've succeeded.............  Or I'm another mug.  We'll see in 3 months time.
I did take a day off yesterday to go to Preston with a friend & I have some fabric to drool over & hopefully get some things sewn up while I'm off for two weeks.  That is the plan, the reality is I have DS who needs some attention & we'll have Henry the black lab, my step-daughters dog, staying for a week as well so two lively dogs that will need lots of long walks.  I was lookiing forward to that but today my ankle has swollen up so I'm hoping resting this weekend will help.  No idea what I've done to it, feels a bit bruised like I've bashed it on something but absolutely no idea what!  Is this a sign I'm ageing?  Senior moments? 
Back to the fabric.  I was restrained by my sensible friend & only bought to make a smart casual capsule wardrobe that I need rather than what I want to sew but don't actually need!  So a dark aubergine wool mix textured print for a jacket & trousers & probably a waistcoat that will likely be on the casual side.  A pink tweed for a jacket, & a grey wool for trousers.  I will have to find time this weekend to start fitting the patterns.  Ho hum.  Time, I'm tired but a lie in will help if I'm allowed that is!!
Have to say I've had several months of not sleeping properly, sometimes not at all, the doc has me on anti depressants which have helped in some areas of my life but not with the sleep.  Whittards of Chelsea opened a store in Kvillage 3 weeks ago & I bought some of their "dreamtime" hot chocolate & most nights I have slept far better than I have for at least 6 months, not every night but at least I have had more sleep than I was getting, must be something in the drink!!  I don't care if it is psychological, it's working!!