Lovely things from lovely peeps

Oh, sweep away the cobwebs from this blog. I didn't intend to stay away from this place for so long.  Real life just got in the way, various minor illnesses and too many other events.  I kept wondering if I will lose all my readers by being so neglectful. Maybe?  I hope not.  This post has been languishing half written for at last a month.  So I pulled myself together, left the dirty dishes in the sink and got typing.

I was very lucky and won some great sewing goodies.  Firstly this pattern, Butterick 5612 from Philippa.  She didn't tell me in advance so it was a lovely surprise when it dropped through the letterbox.  I have already sewn up view A and still have to blog about it.  

Then I received a handknitted cardigan from Jessica that she had offered as part of
Spring Cleaning Swap Meet.  I still have to photograph the cardigan.  She was generous enough to include some fabrics.  There is a black knit fabric, some stripey jersey and this cute cotton.  Hmmmm......my mind is whirring with ideas.  There is enough of the black for a pair of jersey trousers - and I have several pattern choices.  I just have to choose either a drapey flowey (is that  a real word?) pair or a more fitted style.  The stripes I have earmarked for a top if I can figure out cutting and pattern placement.  I was thinking of using the japanese doll cotton for a skirt for Little I.

Next I won the "white bundle" in Alessa's giveaway.  There is a large piece of the grey/pink floral striped cotton.  It is a really nice light weight and I was thinking of a dress.
The other pieces are smaller and I am planning to use them for my little girls.

This black and white cotton was also in Alessa's bundle and I have used it already.  Do you want a peek of what I made?  Well, here it is...

...it is  the Butterick top from Philippa's pattern.  I will witter on write a constructive review soon about it.  I have doubts as to whether it suits me greatly but I have worn it lots anyway as it is so light and ideal for summer days when I don't want to have arms out.  Oh and please feel free to laugh at my unfortunate bad haircut. Happily it is now grown out a bit.  It was cheap and sometimes you gets what you pays for.  A lesson learnt. I have to say a big thank you to Jessica, Alessa and Philippa.  

So a big thank y

FO: Victory Patterns Lola Dress

The headlines screech "Woman suffocated by her own junk."

I know, I know, the Victory patterns Lola dress...all the excitement about it was last year.  I am always so late to the party.  I was tipped into buying it by Alessa's multiple versions.  I hate to spend much on a pattern but bought it as a Christmas present ostensibly from my children to me.  Then I just could not decide what fabric to use.  I pretty much prevaricated more than Hamlet.  I looked at lots of options online and looked at lots of other sewers' versions, trying to see what I thought of their fabric choices.

 

Or maybe "Woman gives up on clearing junk.  Children eventually tunnel out of house.  Woman still sewing, oblivious" 

Finally, I chose the same "subtle animal print" from Minerva Crafts that I used for my  Ottobre tunic top.  I liked the weight of the fabric and knew it would be not too warm to wear nor too lightweight.
The pattern was straightforward and quick to sew up. The instructions are clearly written. I cut it out on a tuesday evening and sewed the dress up in two sessions over the next two days.  I don't have an overlocker so just used the zigzag stitch on my machine.  Then I stopped for about two weeks as I had no ribbing fabric for the neck, cuffs and hem.  I didn't want to do the edgings in the main fabric.  Again I pondered, browsed online shops and found it really hard to decide.  Then I remembered the jersey rib sold in the Ottobre Etsy shop and ordered half a metre.  It took 6 days to arrive, not bad, as it came from Finland. It went on - and there you go.  The dress is easy to wear, the fabric is the right weight for the oversized pockets so they drape rather than bag out.  I like the shape that the princess seams give the dress - I can see that I have a waist when I wear this!  I can wash it and dry it quickly and (yippeeeeeeee) it doesn't need ironing.  I will definitely make it again, probably in a brighter colour for spring and summer and I am tempted to copy Alessa's polka dot version.  Now, that's my review over, do you want to see my out take photos of the Lola?

Possibly the worst picture but so funny.  What is my face doing in this picture?  Where has my fringe gone? Why am I standing in front of a fighter plane?  

And look,  my own mission control.  "We meet at last, Meester Bond"  It's blurry as that's what often happens when a six year old takes the picture

Can anyone else share their out take photos?