February 2018.

I didn’t make any pants this month – this feels like admitting to falling off my self imposed wagon! I do have some lovely denim washed and ready to go for the Waffle Patterns Pinda Pants, but I want to get a little further into making my pants block before I cut into it. So instead I made some tops.

Toile of Victoria Blazer. I have almost finished making this from another unsuccessful self-drafted jacket made from upholstery fabric. I have plans to make the longer version from some wonderful horse print linen paired with black denim and I wanted to check the size and some of the other elements as the reviews are very mixed online. Because I was only checking it for sizing I didn’t line it which means I need to do a different collar treatment as the collar for this blazer is sandwiched between the outer and inner fabric.

This version didn’t work so well as this fabric has no ease so I have finished it and will give it away to someone who is a little less broad in the back. I have some modifications I will make for my ‘real’ version, but will talk about this when I make it.

Style 4169 Top (vintage C 1985). This pattern was given to me by a dear friend who purchased it for me in a small town opshop. I love the pattern and it was perfect for this Japanese-esque fabric which I had traded my sister for a year or so ago. All that was required to complete the pattern was some fabric for the collar as I couldn’t quite squeak it out of the main fabric (this was also from my sister’s stash) and some buttons. I didn’t have anything suitable in my stash so I went to my favourite local vintage store and fossicked through their loose buttons to find 4+1 that worked. I love this top and can see it getting a lot of wear in Autumn and Spring.

 

Style 1190 Top (vintage C 1975). This fabric has been sitting in my stash for at least 2 years. I impulse bought 1 metre of it from The Fabric Store ages ago and just decided on a whim to make it up in this pattern. We’ve had a really hot summer and I haven’t felt like I’ve had enough tops that deal with that kind of day well.

I was a bit ho-hum about the finished garment, but when I posted it on IG it lit up the inter webs 😉 and actually seeing the photo made me realise it had struck the balance of effortless and dramatic really well. I added some width to the pattern as last time I made this up it felt a tad snug. The fabric I chose last time had very little ease and this silk had a lot so I probably didn’t need to worry. Ah well, live and learn, and apart from the neck which I would have liked to be a little narrower, I like the soft drapey nature of the finished product.

Vogue Perry Ellis 1521 (vintage C 1985). So I have a growing obsession with Perry Ellis. A very kind soul on IG was giving this pattern away and only required me to cover the cost of the postage from Canada. Aren’t sewists just lovely people?

This fabric is a polycotton sheet I paid $2 for from my favourite opshop. It was a win-win situation as if I hated it, no real loss. I feel like this is the full ‘mad art/drama teacher’ top and I am LOVING it. It feels so freakin’ chic and also so crazy at the same time – and I do feel like I’m channeling Frankie from Grace & Frankie. It’s a good one for the tail end of summer.

Quilt Mending. My sister made us a quilt for our wedding and 2 squares had come away. Alex’s keys were getting lost inside the quilt on a regular basis so it was time to fix it. Some left over fabric from my Meissa Shirt came to the rescue and I hand sewed the squares in.

 

The second quilt I made while Alex and I lived in Holland. One of the fabrics I used was just crap for quitting – I’m going to say for anything actually – and pulled away from seams very quickly. I’ve remade 4 of the squares and appliquéd them back into the quilt. Not the cleanest finish but it’s so nice to have this quilt back in service. I will also do some work on the 3 other squares where this fabric has remained intact in the hope it will stay.

I’ve also starting some scrap quilting. I have the idea that if I can make two sides of a quilt I can hand quilt it over winter. We’ll see!

 

New kit. The big excitement this month was I finally bought an overlocker. I found a good one second hand, paid for it, and then my mother-in-law who was in town at the time got really excited and decided she wanted to pay for it, so it was a gift! I haven’t made the time to thread it up yet, but am really looking forward to having it when I make the Pinda Pants as being able to overlock the denim will be awesome.

Home. This month our vege garden has been awesome with tomatoes, beans, chillis and potatoes all coming in. Nothing beats eating food you have grown. The sourdough started is going really strong and we haven’t used yeast at our house since we made it. It also makes for amazing pancakes which we usually have for breakfast in the morning one day in the weekends.

Alex and my step-dad also made us a new coffee table. I had the idea of the design, which they then made great contributions to, and executed. It uses tiles that were from an old house of Alex’s dad’s, which is lovely.

In not so great news, one of our chickens, Betty, died this month. She was old and had retired from laying, but it was sad none-the-less. It doesn’t seem to have affected the remaining 2 in the slightest although both of them seem to be pretty damn lazy on the laying front at present.

February also marks our wedding anniversary, 7 years this year. We take turns each year to plan the associated activities and this year it was my turn. I made a nice picnic lunch, bought some top shelf Belgian beer and took Alex for a picnic in the gardens to listen to a band play. It was a lovely day.

Books. This month I read the following books (all linked to reviews), all of which I really enjoyed. Draw Your Weapons is possibly one of the most arresting books I’ve ever come across and I totally recommend it.

1. The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith
2. February by Lisa Moore
3. Draw Your Weapons by Sarah Sentilles
4. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
5. I’m still working my way through The Waves by Virginia Woolf

Next month. In March I am completing some sewing for other people. My mamma requested placemats for her birthday and a friend some bunting for an art project she is doing over Easter weekend. I’m also out of town for a few weekends in March with singing things so there will probably be a bit less show and tell next time.

See you then!