One of the strategies I use to maintain my current level of activity is have my dad take me for a drive in the afternoon. It gets me out of the house at a time I’d really rather be sleeping, and ensures I stay accustomed to the (horrible!) motion of the car. The sun has been so hot this summer that I can feel it burning me through the windscreen (sunscreen or no), and I’ve been covering up with a multitude of scarves.
When I slowly began to get back into sewing garments after my last relapse, loose-fitting tees were at the top of my list. Luckily, I’d had the Frankie Top and Dress pattern stashed away with fabric to match. The skirt is one I made a while back but only just got around to wearing because I resisted hand-sewing in a hook and eye for months!
Continue reading “Cats wearing bowties! Now that I’ve got your attention…”
Before my most recent relapse, I had been doing a bit of sewing here and there to earn money: alterations and costumes, mostly. I decided that an Etsy shop might be a better way to channel my craft*, so built up a stock of retro-style clothing made from vintage sheets. Unfortunately, I am now not well enough to keep up with the demands of an Etsy store**, so decided to claim one of the dresses for myself.
Continue reading “The Accidental Dress – Marimekko-Inspired Simplicity 1873”
Once I learnt that my dear cousin and his wife were expecting, I started work on a substantial knitted and sewn layette to send when the baby was born. One of the great advantages of having a large family is that there are always babies to craft for. I really love making gifts for newborns, and this time was no different.
This post was brought to you by my friendly local Vinnie’s. You’ll know by now my love for op shopping, and a few weeks ago I stumbled across some fabric about which I was totally undecided. I love me some crazy prints, but felt this particular fabric might stray from the “so ugly I love it” category to “so ugly I actually hate it”. As it was a mere $2 for 4m, I bought it anyway, and decided it would make economic muslins if anything. I’m glad I did, as this is possibly my most hilarious dress yet.
I am very lucky to have lovely friends who are not only infinitely more gorgeous than me*, but also let me sew for them. As someone who is mainly housebound, I don’t have the opportunity to dress up for special occasions. To be able to sew for people who will get out and about in fancy clothes is incredibly cathartic, as it indulges my whim to sew special garments which I know will get good wear (unlike my formal clothes, which sit unloved in my wardrobe). It is also a helpful mental coping tool, as it forces my mind out of my situation, in which I feel trapped, and into the outside world.
Continue reading “Vintage sheets, friends and frocks, oh my!”
Chronically Siobhan 