Yes, may I please speak to pizza

I love the holidays.  Love them.  So many children.  So many things to do.  So many builders.  Last week, we were in Devon for a few days, more about that later, then back into the children's social whirl; friends round, days out at the trampolining place in Acton, Brent Cross, IKEA (the glamour), sewing, all sorts.  I'm exhausted and I've still got another 3 days to go.  Ah well, the house is quiet, my daughters are asleep and there's two half full bottles of vodka to drink, so it's not all bad.

I did some hand sewing the other day.  I saw this jumper on the internet:

and being a covetous so and so, my first thought was that I NEEDED it in my life.  Of course, there are no more of them to be had anywhere, so my next thought was that I could quite easily make one.  Of course.

I bought six colours of sequin tape on ebay, and searched the charity shops until I found something suitable.  I found a really nice black jumper before the sequins arrived, and I was very tempted to use that, but I wore it with my tartan Delphine skirt, and liked the way they looked together, so that was out.  I then found a superb magenta jumper, but it looked utterly hideous with the red sequins, so that was out too.  A trip around West Ealing the other day, and I found a grey ex-Primark scoop necked jumper, in the right size and absolutely perfect. 

I spent the whole of Friday night alternatively sewing sequins, swearing and drinking, because I know how to live it up.  

By 1:30 am (no word of a lie), I had this.

That took three episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" and a Sherlock.  Also, the best part of a bottle of vodka.

I wore it the next day.  Have a crappy dressing table mirror selfie.

Hurrah for the shiniest boobs in the whole of London. 

It is amazing, and I love it to bits and back. although if I pull the sleeves up, the sequins make my arms itch, and I can't wear it to work as the children will make (even more) grabs at my boobs but details, details.  

Hurrah for upcycling, hurrah for sewing skills, hurrah for everything, basically.  

I have lots and lots of finished things to blog, so brace yourselves, including a progress report on the RAINBOW RAGLAN.

I change my locks every 16 days. That key's been useless since the 2nd Tuesday I gave it to you.

After this week, probably.  It's all a bit much really.  The children are clearly insane, and I'm catching it off them.  What fun. It was Mothering Sunday today, and we spent it in Spitalfields Market, where I failed to buy a little black dress and did buy some star print African wax cotton (5m for £12!) and some posh tea and had daytime gin (the best gin) and a chocolate brownie, and it was great until about three quarters an hour ago when we had the "I'm really tired but I'm not going to bed, I'm going to sit here and make NOISES and kick you and PUT MY COLD FEET ON YOUR TUMMY and whine" time until I gave up on supper and threw them into bed with mild threats.

They are quite cute when they want to be.

Anyway, that was today, but that's not what I wanted to talk about.  

I started a jumper a few weeks ago, part of the Mason-Dixon #bangoutasweater KAL, which was super fun and not hard at all.  A picture says 1000 words; a collage even more, and saves me boring on.

Genuinely one of the easiest and quickest knits I've ever made, and such a great, cosy jumper at the end of it.  This is not my last go at this pattern, and I'm going to use the Lett Lopi yarn to make an owlsjumper soon, as well as two Penguins jumpers for the girls.  

What else is new?  The Knit List is moving along slowly.  Most of the stuff is still in storage, but we're looking at about another fortnight of building chaos until I can put my living room stash back in its proper place.

The following things are being worked on:

Audrey in Unst: I'm at 26/36 rows of twisted ribbing.  I put it down to work on the Stopover and only picked it up today.  I can't say I love it.  I can't say I don't love it, but I don't love twisted ribbing ONE BIT.

NEW: A bright yellow Owligan: I love this.  It's bright and spring-like and will be a great cardigan to wear outside once I don't need a coat.  So, you know, May.

The Rainbow Raglan: huh.

These things are still in storage.

Hexipuff Quilt
Simon's Cobblestone jumper
Simon's massive man socks: I bought the yarn.
This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper
The Yellow Petrie
Rainbow jumper for Hattie

These are things that are waiting to be started.  I've added something.

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy
A circle blanket for Robin

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper
Ishbel scarf thing
Waterhouse Mittens

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy

Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Minion blanket for Hattie

Finished:

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

Right, there is gin to drink and the X-files to watch.  Hurrah for Sunday nights.

Yeah, it's these grown men running around in their long underwear flapping their arms, which they do a lot of in ballet.

Evening.  In the language of my people, howzit?  

The builders are still with us, the house is still freezing, the crazy thick jumpers are still very necessary but the world is still turning and it is all nearly over.  I've nearly worked my way through the cut out pile, I've just got two dresses for the girls to make, and I need to take in the grey and blue Coco - it is far, far too big.  Hurrah.  I'm going to remeasure myself and draw all over my pattern, so I can make clothes that fit the new shape.

I made a Francoise dress, which is in the wash, and because I cut it out based on my old measurements, it is the right size on my hips and across my stomach, maybe a bit big, but much, much too big around my upper bust.  I am actually swimming in it.  This is frustrating in some ways, but massively pleasing in others, so let's not complain.  I will take some crappy iPhone photos of it next time I wear it, which will probably be before I adjust it, as that will take time and I don't have much of that.

In other UFO talk, I made a Delphine skirt.  This skirt has been a bit of a pain really.  I cut it out around my birthday, sewed it up, put in a beautiful invisible zip and then found that it was cut wrong, and just didn't fit.  Into the bin with it while I sulked.  I removed the zip and unpicked the back seam, and got ready to fit it to my friend Karen, but then we were too hungover and then I forgot and then it was now and the weight loss has happened, so I wrapped it round myself and found I could probably wear it after all.  So I finished it, and I've been wearing it obsessively ever since.  It stands away from my waist in a strange way, but is the right size everywhere else, so overall, it's a win.

How do you like the badger jumper?  It's fabulous and a size 12.

So that's that for this evening.  All the weight loss, all the sewing, all the fun.  Time for a single cashew nut and a magazine that tells me that tells me how old and fat I am.  Night all.

Leslie, I tried to make ramen in the coffee pot and I broke everything

It's Saturday, and I am dangerously hungover, one of those stealth hangovers that starts off as a banging headache, then creeps up until all you can do is eat cheese and salami and cry quietly while sitting on the sofa under a blanket.  Still, good night last night, and I've managed to pretty much function as an adult until about an hour ago, so it's all good.

Side eye at Jane for taking my picture

 Anyway, enough about my debauched and hedonistic lifestyle and more about clothes.  I finally got around to making an Emery dress, going to another sewing class with lovely, lovely Handmade Jane, at West London's premiere haberdashery, Badger and Earl.  The Emery pattern is lovely, and really easy, except for the masses of darts in the bodice - it's self lined, so everything has to double up, which means that there are 16 to trace, pin, sew and press, which is all the fun.  I don't know if there are any corners I can cut, but I think I will use a different colour for the lining.

I used an African wax cotton print from these people on eBay, and it was really easy to sew and press, if a bit stiff.  It'll soften up as it gets washed, which won't be before I want to wear it on Monday, for the Grand Opening at our school with the marvellous Michael Rosen.

I made an invisible zip, and it is actually, properly invisible.

Look at my happy face. Also check out the leopard print skirt in the wild.

I'm so pleased with it.  I do need to hem it, as it's a bit long still, and a bit Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (dammit) but that won't take very long at all. 

Me, Jane and Michaela

It's not the greatest photo, it's so hard to take decent indoor photos in poor light, but take it from me, this is a properly great dress, and I love it dearly.  

Unbreakable!  They 'live dammit.

I didn't have to make any changes to the bodice either although I used a bigger size for the bust dart, rather than fanny around with an FBA.  

I'm contemplating another one after the building work finishes and I have space to cut out again.  Also, money to buy this fabric with.  I need this fabric in my life.  Isn't it amazing?

Right, I've got the entire first season of X-files to watch and the rest of that Myrna cardigan to knit.