new year's resolution results in less than successful dressmaking.

the saggy baggy elephant by kathryn jackson

Imagine....

Little Pickle asleep. The Gherkin at occasional care. Me, on the loungeroom floor, cutting fabric.

Then some days later...

Little Pickle asleep. The Gherkin asleep. Both of them, snoring by 9pm. My uni work done for the week. Mr Pickles going to bed. My seizing the opportunity with both hands and heading out to the back room for some time with my fifteen year old Brother (by this I mean my sewing machine, of course). Off to sew a cute little stretch denim number, perfect for spring, over tights, tees, leggings, or bare legs with boots, or under cardis (plus brooch, of course!). I had even selected a cute black and white polka dot bias binding for the neck.

Some two hours later I had a dress! But sadly, dear reader, it does not fit. You see, the dress is supposed to be relatively loosefitting, but the gaping at the back is extreme. I had to readjust the pleats at the front as I went, but missed the work needed at the back (one day I will invest in a dressmakers dummy). So the unpicker is getting a workout this week, and I will be learning to fit a dress...

I will pop up my pre-post photos once I have finished... wish me luck!

What are your handy hint for fitting clothes? Do you make changes to the pattern before you start to sew? Or do you fit later?

I think probably those of you out there who know how to do it will not be spending this week unpicking bias tape and trying to pin something that is going on behind your back... that will be me. But, you know, I am not dreading it as much as perhaps I could be - I am still on track for ticking off one of my crafty resolutions of the year - yippee!

Chat soon lovelies, xo

wally, i love you.

[sigh]

Went to see this wonderful man last night at the Opera House. And he was wonderful. Just wonderful. (Okay, am very aware I have just used wonderful three times, but, well, he was.).

Also exciting of course was the fact that Mr Pickles and I were out and minus children (!) and had an overnight stay in the city. It was the first time we had been alone for an overnight stay in over three years. Too long. So lovely to spend some time with my man in our new city.

Oh! and because we saw Gotye (aka Wally De Backer, who was, by the way brilliant and rhythmically awesome, in the true sense of the word), we also saw the 'support act' which was Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing short film (based on one of my favourite books). And just as moving onscreen as it is in the book, perhaps more, as there were live musicians playing the score live, too...

What a great night out. And such a brilliant change from study!

I have been crafting too... more crochet, and have cut out the pieces for a dress. More next time...
xx

ugh. can't talk, studying.



Timothy Buckwalter

So much for my resolution to post at least weekly with a summary of all things crafty going on.Uni has once again taken over. Thankfully though, if all should go well this semester (a BIG if - research design is one of my subjects this semester), I will only have one semester to go. And then I will have a Masters in something not particularly useful or meaningful (!), particularly given my fulltime stay at home mummy duties, but I am sure I will get a warm inner glow of pride and self-satisfaction on graduation....

I started this degree waaaaay back in 2006 - four pregnancies, countless fertility treatment cycles, two home renovations and two beautiful boys ago. So not surprising in some ways that it has taken this long. But really completely unlike me to actually stick at something for this long, particularly something I don't really love.

It makes me think of other things I would love to be doing with my time, if I had those extra hours up my sleeve - sewing, learning patternmaking, cleaning (okay, I wouldn't love to do this, but it does need doing), having cups of tea, reading the Age on the weekend, oh! and during the week, drawing, reading books for enjoyment and stimulation (as opposed to my current diet of finance textbooks and statistical databases), sitting in the park and not worrying about the next assignment, or how I am going to fit study in this week.

Oh dear. I mentioned study, didn't I? Enough procrastinating! State government financing, here I come...

Chat soon, and with photos, promise! xo