Finishing Odd Jobs and New Fabric

This last week I have got quite a bit of sewing done but more on the practical side of things.  I did some curtain alterations for a former colleague at the start of the week and I have been getting some repairs done which is not that exciting but needs doing.   One of those was to add a lining to a skirt I made over a year ago, I always tend to line skirts these days but as this was quite thick I didn't.   After it had been worn a few times and grabbed to my tights I decided it needed a lining.

It feels much better now and more substantial for this time of year.

 The lining is actually quite thick and very shiny which I didn't realise when I ordered it, fortunately the skirt is heavy enough to take it.  It wouldn't have worked on a lighter material.

I also had a couple of shirts with tears in them, a broken zip and I did complete a top that I love but I can't share that on here because the post is for Minerva crafts, I will share link later if it is featured.

Also today I have been having a little think about how to proceed with my next project which is a broderie anglaise dress in a deep red. Not sure if that spelling is correct, anyway I did myself a little doodle and I will be cutting out tomorrow.

Shirt dress style with a bit of a circular skirt and long sleeves, the jersey is for an under dress as the fabric is holey after all.   I saw a gorgeous green dress on pinterest but couldn't find a similar green fabric but I liked this red so I went for it. 

Navy Skirt with Pleats

Yesterday I got on with finishing the skirt I started last weekend, I thought it would be a quick one to finish but I ran into a couple hiccups. The first thing that went wrong was that one of the side seams appeared to be a little off so I had to take that apart and redo it.  Then when I was cutting the button hole with my new seam ripper it resisted a bit because the fabric is thick, so did I get my sharp scissors? No I pushed a bit harder and it went straight through the top and left a nasty fraying jagged mess.  I thought maybe I could just hand stitch it but no it's having a new piece in.

Argh!!!!

Then when I tried it on and the lining was in and two rows of topstitching done, it stuck out a little bit at the front on the yoke bit at the stomach. This was a mystery as it had not stuck out on the last trying on! So now it has a pin in the front holding up the bottom section until I get my picker and undo all that topstitching and redo the front.  I am not doing it now I need to step away from it for a while to save my sanity.  The thing is if I had not put in the pocket plackets the sticking out bit could probably have just been solved by deepening the darts, but as they run through the pockets that is not and option.  

Here is the back and that is hanging ok

Here you can see I have tucked up a section at the front and put a pin in.  I will mark this on the inside then unpick the front, when I am in the mood.  Once that is done it will be great but now it is time to move on or I will end up not wearing it if it annoys me too much in the making process.

So things do not always go smoothly and even though I have made this before and it mostly came together quickly I then got bogged down in a few things that went wrong.  I know some beginners may get stressed and feel they have wasted time when this happens, the thing is most things work out really well and there are always going to be some things that get a bit sticky.  Just put it to one side for a bit and come back to it with fresh eyes another day.   I will do a shot of this skirt being worn in future. 

Sewing and Books (Lazy Sunday)

Looking through my recent posts it occurred  to me that I haven't posted much about the books I have been reading this past year despite the fact that I have got through quite  a few. I do enjoy seeing what other people are reading and this has led me to read on subjects I might not otherwise have bothered with, so I must try and stay on top of this.  It may be helpful if I pick one day a week to do this as I seem to be the sort that needs some kind of deadline and then everything runs just fine.

So I am not going to back track months but just what I have been reading this past week.  First of all I picked up 'I coriander' at a charity shop a couple of weeks ago, it was in the regular books section but on closer inspection  it said it was a book for older children.  Well I wasn't going to be put off by that as it looked an interesting story and also the little bit about the author grabbed my attention. Sally Gardner is dyslexic and did not learn to read and write until she was fourteen, she was labelled unteachable and sent to a school for maladjusted children.  Despite all this she went on to get a degree with highest honours in art, then onto theatre school and after that became a costume designer.  If all that wasn't enough she illustrates and writes children's books.   Well that information alone was enough to make me want to read this book, I can say it didn't disappoint I loved it!  Even grown ups need a good fairy story occasionally I think and I will be checking out her other work.

Another book I read this past week was Playing Big by Tara Mohr, I didn't really get on with this one. It was suggested on another blog I read as a personal favourite so I was quite excited when it arrived quickly especially as it was from a third party seller.  Quite a lot of telling you to visualise, journal and  all that stuff and lots about her other work or how successful she is with various programmes/courses etc. I sort of spent the whole book thinking well get on with it then, where are the new ideas and tips? 

There is nothing new here, but I suppose everything has been said it is just sometimes things are said better and in a way that we can relate to more fully but for me this book didn't do that.  I may come back to it in a year or so and think wow I get it, but not just now. 

If you have read this book and found that it works for you then great.  I would love to hear your thoughts on it and anything I may have missed.

Today I started another skirt, this time one with centre  pleats identical to one I have made in the past, well almost that one had one pocket with a zip, this one will have two with a little button fastening.  The previous skirt can be seen here it gets worn often so I thought I would make another.

Just one pleat at the front and back.

I really ought to have made these rectangles a bit bigger as it was a bit of a faff but worked out ok.

When these pockets were complete it felt as though they would gape a bit so I have made a little button fastener for each one and a loop.  Looking through all my odd buttons I couldn't find two small ones in blue that were the same size.

 I did find two in a deep red that looked good against the contrast chambray so I used those, with the fading light the pictures are not great so I will post more in daylight once it is finished.

A bit blurry, more to follow.