Thursday 31 December 2015

My outside is pretty and shiny but my inside is filled with cardboard and horse glue

Well, it's the end of the year, and I've got a lot of super shiny clothes to show for it.  I'm not making a best/worst list, because all the things I've made are great and I love them, and I can see my skills improving and the fit is getting better.  Next year, as well as all the running and the weight loss and the not drinking alcohol, I am going to learn how to take better photos, and I might get a tripod and a self timer for my camera.  Much as I love the "standing in the stairwell and taking a picture in the mirror" selfie, it's time to learn how to make my pictures a bit more interesting.

Anyway, my new top.  My lovely boss was 60 a few days ago, and we love to celebrate at school, so we're going to go out and do something exciting in a few weeks.  I doubt any of my colleagues read this, but I'm going to be all vague and non-committal, just in case.  I want a new outfit, and I want a vaguely in theme rockabilly sexy top, as well as spray on jeans (double Spanx), a strapless bra, cherry jewellery, fishnet socks and glitter sandals.  And a black cover-up cardigan, just in case.

As I didn't want to buy another pattern, I decided to massively hack the Cambie dress bodice, and lengthen it, and make a bustier style top out of it.

Something like this:


She's got a similar figure to me, but more tattooed.  I'm never going to be a proper sewing blogger rockabilly girl until I get some tattoos/a Sharpie.

My toile started off like this:


where I just pinned the pieces to Nigella and had a think. 


Then I sewed this.  You can't tell from this picture, but I've sewn a very long open ended zip to the back to hold it all together, mostly because I didn't have one the right size, but also because I really like the idea of a big BDSM zip on my top.  It's in upside down, which is a DESIGN FEATURE ACTUALLY.  You also can't tell from the picture, but I've pinned a dart in the front, as the Cambie bodice is much too big at the upper bust, and just the right size on the hips and bum.


Then I finished it off like this, with straps, and took a poor quality selfie, which makes the front bulge out a bit, because of the angle of my arm.  I'm really pleased with it, even though it needs finishing and a proper zip.  It's really quite impressive for a first bash at pattern hacking, and I'll be able to wear this in the summer just as it is.  I've got about 2 metres of a lovely black cherry print, identical to the Hell Bunny one up there, and a zip and a lot of bias binding, as I don't want to line the top, and my skills do not extend to drafting a facing at the moment. 

At the moment, the spotty top is on Nigella, and it doesn't fit her at all well.  It's too tight across the bust, and too loose on the waist - I might need to adjust her curves to match mine a bit better.

Well, that's enough waffling on from me for this year, have a great time celebrating tonight; we are going to sit on the sofa, eat crisps, drink wine and watch a crappy film, which is our favourite way to spend New Year's Eve.  

See you in 2016!


Sunday 27 December 2015

And then a car coming the other way swerves to avoid you and goes off a cliff

It'll be 2016 in a few days, and the start of a new year, and time for resolutions that I don't keep.  Looking back, my resolutions for this year were to be a size 12 (ha!) and to make trousers (ha! again), so this year, my resolutions are going to be pretty much the same.  I've just joined our local cheapy gym, and I've been for a 6.61km run today, and done a load of sit ups and stuff, so things are moving in the right direction.  I've got 20 pounds to lose; so far I've lost 1.  At Christmas.  You can touch me if you like.  I have some photos of me in my workout gear which when I'm feeling brave I will post as a before picture at some point, so brace yourself for that.

Anyway, the point of all this exercise is to make the sewing and subsequent photos more enjoyable.  If I'm going to have to take all sorts of inside leg and around my bum and thigh measurements, it had better be an interesting rather than horrific experience.

Knit chat, as well as FIT CHAT.  No finished objects, but lots of progress.

Hexipuff Quilt: There are 237 hexipuffs done and sewn together and looking gorgeous.

The Rainbow Raglan: it now has a sleeve.  However, knitting the sleeve made me realise that I had knitted in some form of side boob, and so I had to rip it back to the armhole and start again from there.  *sob*  It's coming along pretty well, and I'm almost finished with the waist shaping and then it's only a few rounds after that until the body is done.  AGAIN.

Simon's Cobblestone jumper: round and round and round I go, where I stop, I do not know.  *sigh*

Simon's massive man socks: Need more yarn

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: Grumpy

The Yellow Petrie: I appear to be using the orange I used for the facing for something else, so I will need to have a think about that.

Miette cardigan in Lemon: changed to be a Myrna cardigan, again by Andi Satturland for her Selfish Knitting Knit-Along, starting yesterday until Valentine's day.  Myrna is very cropped and LOOK AT MY BOOBS which fits the new aesthetic very well.  I'm going to give it long sleeves and make it a bit longer, so it looks less pornographic and is more wearable.

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Hattie: swapped out for a Rainbow Owlet jumper without owls, so a DK weight raglan sleeve jumper with rainbow stripes, which I started in Cambridge on Tuesday and am nearly done with.  Hurrah for quick fixes.  Not sure how to do the stripes on the sleeves though, but I'll work it out.

These are things that are waiting to be started.

A circle blanket for Robin
Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top
Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper
Ishbel scarf thing
Waterhouse Mittens
Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy 
Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy
Burton Bear cowl for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie

Finished:

Vianne
Wisteria
Elwood Mittens for Lucy
One MASSIVE MAN SOCK
Weather Blanket
Separate but matching vests for twin boys
Urchin hat
Peacock mittens

It's not looking that bad really.  Just got to keep going, one stitch at a time.  

Thursday 24 December 2015

Not a creature was stirring

It's Christmas Eve, I've wrapped up most of the presents I'm giving this year; at least, all the ones for the people we're seeing tomorrow.  We've done the Christingle at church, we've listened to Bob Dylan's frankly terrible Christmas album, and we're about to have the traditional Christmas Eve stirfry, before falling asleep in front of a crap film.  It's not the most exciting way to spend an evening, but until the girls are old enough to want to go to the pub, it's the way we spend it.  I'd like to go to Midnight Mass once they are old enough.  It wasn't a thing in my family growing up, much as I'd like it to have been, but what can you do.

I've not made any presents this year.  People don't really appreciate all the effort it takes to make anything, so I don't bother, and just make things at will throughout the year.  I would like to be a bit more Christmas crafty next year; I might do a list before September.  Or a spreadsheet.  That would be festive.

Anyway.  Have a picture of my children in front the Christmas tree.


There will probably be some presents for them in the morning; they've been mostly good enough for a visit from Father Christmas.  Mostly.

Happy Christmas if you celebrate, happy 25th December if you don't.  I'm going to drink red wine and try to fix the strange side boob thing on my rainbow jumper. 


Sunday 20 December 2015

I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really, really well

Thank the Lord, it is the end of term at last.  It's been a terrific term and lots of fun in many ways, but also really, really hard work and I am shattered, not helped by Christmas parties and all sorts.

I made a Cambie dress for my work party at the Wembley Hilton, which sounded like it should be a bit of a shithole considering it is in Wembley, but of course, Wembley is a massive world class venue, so the hotel next door to it is very nice, if a bit eye-gougingly expensive on the drinks front.  I had a terrific headache, so didn't really drink anything, but I still had a great time.  

The dress: 


I wore it with a big old puffy petticoat underneath, and I made the neckline a bit more scooped because it wasn't lying flat.  It then became a "look at my boobs" dress, which isn't ideal.  I'm a primary school teacher and a SENCo, I don't really want that to be what people remember.  Especially when they are also primary school teachers.


I dug these shoes out of storage and wore them with fishnets.  They were surprisingly comfortable in the end, and I danced until dawn.  Well, midnight.


I did this with my hair and the fluffy thing is from Primark - I would have made one but I ran out of time, and energy.  The girls were alternatively complimentary (Mummy, you look like a princess) and accusatory (Why are you wearing these things? Why do they not belong to us?), which I suppose is pretty normal for 7 & 5 year olds.  I am now on the look-out for other 1950s style dresses that I can make - it's a good style for me, and I will cover up a bit more next time.  Stupid colleagues.

I also made a Christmas jumper for our school Christmas lunch - a sweatshirt fabric Coco, with a gold applique reindeer on it.  It is brilliant and bonkers and I love it very much.


I didn't get around to knitting one this year; also the Guardian said that this year was all about the Christmas sweatshirt, so I'm bang on trend.  

That's the sewing I've got done recently - I wanted to make the girls a horse print Skater dress each, but I seem to have run out of time.  We had a school Christmas party on Wednesday and there was all sorts happening, and I ended up with the worst hangover on Thursday and the guilt and the terror and the photos of me hammered, and I'm on a health kick and a massive HerbalLife diet starting on the 27th.  I even went for a swim on Friday (20 lengths, 500 metres, non stop in 25 minutes, even the girls' swimming teacher was impressed) and a run today (500 metres non stop in about an hour)(not that bad, but not great), so I'm all about the excessive exercise and the reduced calories.  Part of me is all "oh I want to be healthier" but actually, fuck that, I want to be a size 10 and weigh less than one of my boots.  

As for knitting, it is still going on quietly in the background, when I'm not at a party or slumped with hangover and regret (never go back to your colleagues' flat and drink two more glasses of prosecco, and then end up nearly throwing up in a taxi over another).  

The list as it stands after nearly a month off.



Peacock Mittens: They are done.  Finally.  I wore them to the carol service at church this evening, and they are gorgeously toasty and lovely.  Hurrah.

Hexipuff Quilt: I now have 212 and a half hexipuffs, out of 500.  This is amazing, and I only need the same again plus 26 and it will be done.  Hurrah?

Simon's massive man socks: I am just going to buy another skein in the New Year; it is a massive pain in the bum, but I just can't find the second one anywhere.

Simon's Cobblestone jumper has been ripped back and I have cast on the correct size.  It deserves a post all of its own, and will get one.  At some point.

The Rainbow Raglan: Still the same.  Still not made sleeves.

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: Still not happy with it.

The Yellow Petrie: Shshshsh

These are things that are waiting to be started.

A circle blanket for Robin
Miette cardigan in Lemon
Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top
Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper
Ishbel scarf thing
Waterhouse Mittens
Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy 
Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy
Burton Bear cowl for Hattie
Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie

Finished:

Vianne
Wisteria
Elwood Mittens for Lucy
One MASSIVE MAN SOCK
Weather Blanket
Separate but matching vests for twin boys
Urchin hat
Peacock mittens