That really got out of hand fast

Happy New Year!

As usual, I have all sorts of grand sewing and knitting plans for the year, most of which will probably fall by the wayside to begin with as we have the conservatory at the back of the house removed and replaced with a more permanent extension.  The builders believe that this will take 6 weeks.  We may well disagree about this in the middle of March when it is still a bomb site, but let's be positive and take their word for it at the moment.  

I usually sew in the conservatory, at the dining room table, and cut out on the island in the kitchen, so I will need to have an alternative place to do both these things soon.  I've cut out a Black Watch Francoise dress, and a Skater Dress for Hattie, and before the 21st January, I want to cut out a whole lot of different things.  These might well be or include a Lady Skater, another two child Skater Dresses, a cherry print rockabilly top, as discussed before, a grey Coco sweatshirt which I'll iron hot-fix glitter on to, a leopard print knit fabric skirt, a sweatshirt for each of the girls which will have a unicorn head hot-fix glitter-ed on it, and a grey and white striped Coco dress.  

The only thing with a deadline is the cherry print top, and I should be able to make that in an evening or two.  The rest of my fabric has gone into a box or three and is in the storage unit now.  Some of my wool will be going into storage too, although I will also vacuum pack some and put it in the loft.  This is, as you can imagine, a really traumatic time for me, particularly as I can't even buy more fabric to make pretty things with, or wool, as we will be basically be living in one room downstairs which will be a massively amusing experience.

Looking at that list, it seems quite intimidating, but it's just a bit of cutting, putting in bags and writing words.  The sewing can wait, as I'll be mostly using Simon's office as my sewing room, which will involve a lot of tidying up.  This is one of my skills, so I can't see any problems in our immediate future.

I suppose all the upset and arguments and stress be worth it in the end; it's costing a small fortune, and is going to give us the same amount of space, and moan moan moan, my diamond shoes are too tight.  Still, shiny new kitchen and a downstairs loo!  Dream big, people, dream big.

Are you holding back your fondness due to his unmanly blondness?

When I make something for one child, I have to make an incredibly similar something for the other.  So it was only a matter of time until Hattie reminded me that she needed an Elsa dress too.

I used the same pattern as before, but managed to count the panels on the skirt properly this time, and didn't have to bodge it at all.  When I made Lucy's dress, I made the overskirt in one piece; this time, I cut out panels.  The first method, but a bit bigger would have been better; sewing that floaty stuff did my head in.

As you can see, it's pretty sparkly.  Hattie insisted on having the jewels at the neckline, even if they're slightly lost in the whole.

A close up of the snowflakes; they are fabulous, silver on the palest of pale blues.  

Cloak.  It's not an Elsa dress without a cloak.  This one safety pins onto the shoulders.  

Honestly, I got this dress finished on either the Thursday or Friday night (they all blur into one in the holidays) and Hattie wore it to her friend's party on the Saturday.

She had a great time.

For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.

We did some baking today.  After all the cycling and swimming and walking and looking at statues of sheep yesterday, we decided to have a bit more of a homebody day today.  The children were both exhausted, and agreed to stay in bed until 9; the plan was flawed, as the light wakes them, then they play for a while, then come down to us to get us up, which was not really early, but was definitely before 9.  I know I shouldn't complain really, and they are good sleepers both of them, but I really needed a rest after yesterday, and I didn't get one.  Sucks to be me, FML and all the other things people who are really privileged but are having a bad day say.

I like reading Joy the Baker's blog; I've ever made any of her recipes because I am a lazy, lazy cook, but these biscuits sounded amazing on first read through.  Peanut butter is delicious, chocolate is delicious, and a combination of the two sounds delicious.  Then I re-read it and wtf bacon?  Even though I love bacon, it has no place in biscuits with chocolate.  With peanut butter, maybe.

Anyway, we made the biscuits.  I did the donkey work, the girls rolled them in sugar and, of course, ate them.

Hattie has a party on Saturday afternoon, and requires a Frozen dress.  I'd better get on with it then.  Two days to make a dress is probably enough, except I've managed to lose the first page of the instructions; how terrifically irritating.  

Ho hum, I'm sure enough sequins, sparkly pink gems and floaty underskirts will make up for dodgy sewing.  

My Mascara Runs Faster Than I Can

When I started running after Easter, I never in a billion years dreamed I would find it addictive.  Yet I've been out in the freezing cold, in the pouring rain, and this morning with a funny feeling across my left ankle, which I walked and ran off.  It's fine now.  Stupid thing.  I'm learning all about Ealing, learning where there are hills, where there are nice fast flat bits, and that running around Walpole and Lammas parks is pretty boring, and not a patch on running on the pavement around the nice houses.  Odd that.

[I tried to put a picture of my route here, but it doesn't work.  Imagine a red faced idiot in leggings running past traditional Victorian/Edwardian houses, and you'll get the idea.]

I've been running home from dropping the children a couple of days a week; I make sure I get off the bus route, and just go.  This morning I tired of Lammas Park, and ran around the back streets between Northfields and Boston Manor Road, which was delightful.  The ankle niggle meant that I ran for about 15 mins, walked until it didn't hurt, then ran until I couldn't bear it any more.  I stopped for a chat with a friend, and that cured it pretty well, so I was able to run almost all the way home, with a detour to make it up to 5km.  The goal at the moment is the WINTER RUN, a 10 kilometre slog around Central London, in about 2 months time.  I can now easily run 5km, and ran 6 on Friday, and 5.86 today, so basically 6.  Just another 4 to go, and it shouldn't be that hard really.  The plan is to do it in under an hour and a half and then go to the pub.  That might mean I have to speed up a bit.

I've definitely changed shape from all the running - I still have my hourglass figure with the extra sand, but there is less sand than there was before.  I'm planning on doing the dreaded Shred next month, and seeing how that goes.  I do not like it much, but it undeniably works, dammit.  It should complement the running, and hopefully get rid of the post c-section tummy overhang; it's been 4 years, I really should do SOMETHING.

No sewing at the moment, I just don't seem to have the energy.

You're not autistic, you're neurotic and lack social skills

I have caught "old" from someone, probably my considerably older than me husband.  It's jolly cold here at the moment, and I'm tucked up on the sofa with my blanket, computer on my lap, watching Grantchester; I'm thinking of making myself a pair of fingerless gloves and a proper old man Steptoe hat.  I'm even having soup for my dinner; it's bacon and borlotti with chilli oil in it - it's not great, too thin and needs seasoning, but it'll do for tonight and for lunch at the weekend.

It's Christmas lunch at school tomorrow, so brace yourselves for beautiful, slightly out of focus pictures of my Elsa jumper - like the Snow Queen needs a jumper, but maybe Sven knitted Anna one as a Midwinter gift, and like everyone else in the world, she wants to look like Elsa.  It's a bit big, but the colour is fabulous, and it fits me well enough.  I think it's meant to have a bit of positive ease, and it was such a bugger to knit that I've no desire to try to "fix" it.  Next time I'll make it a bit smaller, and maybe use Cascade; a purple Boreal would look delightful.  Or perhaps I could use that lovely blue that I seem to have lots and lots in stash.

It was the SENCo course today and jolly interesting and relevant for a change.  My essay is coming along nicely; I've sorted the title out - "What is the impact of Write Dance on handwriting skills of boys in Year One?"  As you can imagine, it will be a fascinating read, and sure to win all the prizes available from the IoE/UCL merged college.  Yet another qualification from a London college; Birkbeck, Goldsmiths and now UCL.  Scintillating stuff.

There's not much else to say.  We're off out tomorrow to watch James Rhodes do his stuff at the Soho Theatre; a novelty for us to be out together, and let's see how long it is before we're talking about the children.  Is it wrong to hope that Benedict Cumberbatch will be there too?

I can talk to animals! Well, not talk to them. I can take commands from them.

I have ill for absolutely ages.  Yesterday was the first day I've felt even vaguely human, so I went for run, and then sat on the sofa, coughing away like a 40 a day life long smoker.  Lovely.  

Things have been busy at work; Parents' Evening, the joy of my winter - the Nursery Christmas Extravaganza, the need to do some work for my SENCo course building up and other seasonal joys.  If I have to sing "When Santa got stuck up the chimney" again, I'll go a bit funny.

The sewing has suffered, but the knitting is carrying on.  Slight progress made in some areas, not a lot to report though.  

• The Weather in the Streets - January to June done AND SEWN TOGETHER.  July in progress.
• Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - it's for his second birthday.  I've bought the pattern.  
• Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) Ho hum.
• Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - I've now completed 20 rows.  Yellow row next.
• Nicholas' POP blanket - There are still 9 completed squares. 
• A small jumper for Nicholas - Christmas knitting.  Why am I doing this to myself.
• Burton Bear cowl for Hattie.  Brown wool ordered.
• An Owlet for Hattie - yarn located
• Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - well, I've bought the yarn
• Boreal - FINISHED AND DONE.
• Wisteria jumper - located.  It JUST needs sleeves.
• Peacock Mitten - one done, started the other.
• Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
• Petrie top - I have some rather fine Peacock coloured yarn to make this with, but it is a spring weight top, so it is on hold until January 2015.
• Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start.  Also, see above.
• Socks for me - meh
• Rainbow jumper - disaster has struck.  I have misplaced the bag with it in.  I don't know where it is, I think it is in the pub, but they deny all knowledge.  Aargh.
• A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - still planning
• Reknit an unwearably large jumper - not proving as popular an idea as I thought it would be.

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks

It's all really quite exciting.  In a way.  I'm not sure I'll get much more done this year, but who can say.  

A dress for a Princess

It started off as a reaction to the idea of paying 70 Euros EACH for an acrylic, flammable Elsa dress in Disneyland Paris.  When we got back to London, we went to John Lewis and chose £50 worth of blue fabric, and sparkles, and netting, and all sorts, as well as a pattern.

 

These sat in the stash for a while, having a little think about everything.

One bodice, cut out and with bead placement.

One completed bodice.  The sequin tape is sewn around the sleeve cuffs, and the neckline is decorated.  The silk was a bugger to cut out, but it is done now, and even after cutting out Hattie's bodice, there'll be enough left to make a scarf for me to sashay around in.  Making a silk scarf; understand that what I'm going to do is pink the edges, then knot it around my neck and go out.  No sewing required.

Just the skirt to go now; and I cut so that it would fall to just above her ankles.  I didn't cut out enough panels for the skirt, which I discovered AFTER sewing on the net underskirt, and the gauzy overskirt.  So on the back, it has a plain panel with the zip in.  It's also much too big at the top, as I added more room to the bodice by accident.  I couldn't face ripping out all the work, so I had to bodge it.  And we need a cloak.

It rustles when she walks.

It's super, super sparkly.

And there it is, in its full glory.  Being exceptionally nit-picking, I would make the overskirt fuller, so that there's more movement in it, and I would count the panels properly so that I don't have to bodge it again.  The pattern is quite good actually, although I'm not entirely sure about the skirt.  It's a bit impractical for active girls.

I worried that Lucy would be a bit sniffy about it not being a REAL Elsa dress, but she loves it.  Thank goodness.  Now, when I've ordered more fabric for Hattie's, I've just got to get a couple of wigs, and some sparkly shoes and we'll be singing all around West Ealing.  

I might have to make myself one too.