Hello again! Determined not to lose momentum after the last post (ok, not that that one took much effort), I grabbed the camera yesterday morning to take a few pics of recent tops just to prove that I do still exist and am still sewing, albeit at the pace of an extremely geriatric snail.
I have found it so hard over the past year to get shots of the few items I’ve made. I finish something, and desperate for clothes I start wearing it asap, invariably getting toddler gunk of various descriptions all over it. Or, shock horror, I get dressed without ironing, which doesn’t make for very nice blog pictures.
Yesterday the fortuitous combination of major ironing binge + sunny day + little guy asleep occurred so I dusted off the camera and headed out into the garden. Only to find it was too sunny to get anything much decent (you won’t find me complaining about our current glorious weather though) so back into the dingy house I went. One day I will learn how to use my camera properly and control light settings etc, but I’m afraid that is a project for the future.
Nothing particularly exciting here, just some much-needed wardrobe basics. First up, Colette Sorbetto, made and loved by just about everyone in the blogosphere. As usual, I’m late to the party but so happy to have one of these in my wardrobe finally! I did actually make one last year which was unwearably tight in the bust department, so I then half cut this one out but never quite managed to finish it before the risible effort at summer was over. A couple of weeks ago I dusted this off and finished it, and although I don’t think it’s my most favourite or flattering shape I love wearing it and there will definitely be another at some point.
I love the bias binding edge finishing, so neat! I think this may become my go to finish rather than faffing around with facings all the time.
My current sewing struggle is getting to grips with fitting my body properly. I feel like I have the craziest measurements – I have to do a large FBA in the front and then take a large chunk out of the centre back. Let’s not even talk about the bottom half! It’s still all a bit trial and error – I wonder if I will ever become one of those people who say ‘I cut my usual size x and made my standard x alterations and it fit like a dream’. I live in hope!
Here are a couple of iterations of Simplicity 2599 which I made last summer. I’m not usually a particularly frilly person but as you can see, I wholeheartedly fell for it with this pattern. These were made before I realised my need for a centre back adjustment so they are a bit on the blousy side but perfect for nursing and lovely in this glorious heatwave.
I tend to reach for the green more than the purple (which is more deep purple and less blue than it looks here), as the bow + frill combination can be a bit much. I quite like the fact that the busy print of the green (a purchase from the mecca that is Goldhawk Road) disguises the ruffle a bit.
Lastly, apologies for the barefaced photos – I can hardly believe I’ve put myself on the internet without so much as a speck of mascara but with my time constraint it was either pictures or makeup. I’m quite enjoying the no makeup look these days, it’s definitely not my best look but I guess this is one of those things that being a mother does to you!
To Boldly Sew 