Wednesday 14 December 2011

Went out for a Christmas jumper....

...came back with these beauties!

HIP_345563674.831780 by rosiealia
Yellow 50's bathroom scales: charity shop, £4.

I didn't even want any scales for the bathroom. But, I couldn't very well leave them all lonesome in that chazza shop now, could I?

Pip pip xx

Friday 2 December 2011

Sew what? Bridesmaids dresses.

Hello darling readers!

In my recent quiet spells, an awful lot has happened. Mainly moving to a lovely new flat, and also some dressmaking jobs!

Let me tell you about the latter.

When I was recently offered some dressmaking jobs, I jumped at the chance.
But, alas, I also quivered at the thought of actually being relied on to make someone a dress. Help! I was panicking. It's not that I wouldn't be able to, but more that I was out of practice post-uni, and for the first time, had no clever technicians to turn to when I got a bit stuck or had confused myself.

I was asked to make two floral shift dresses for two bridesmaids to wear at a september wedding!

Blimmin' heck, I thought, that's someone's wedding day. What if I mess it up? What if I am too slow? What if my machine breaks?
The third is the one that happened. At which point, I must say, I was not the calmest of people. Read: crying and tantrum-ing. It was three days before the dresses had to be finished, after all.

The sewing machine I toiled on whilst at home.

Initially, whilst visiting my family in Norwich, I had gone ahead and made the toile up in white cotton without any real problems, and even come up with two different capped seeve designs. I was feeling quite proud of myself.


But then... I found a new flat and had to move out. Oh dear! Let me tell you that moving (mostly by means of bus with suitcases and bin bags, after work, for three weeks) whilst also in full time work AND making TWO dresses is not fun. Certainly not when I am a total stress head at the best of times! Talk about bad timing, eh?

Add to the mix a lack of suitable furniture, a bad back and, oh boy, what an adventure that makes for!


And then how about a total sewing machine disaster at the last minute? Yeah, why not!
My sewing machine decided to totally pack up on me, halfway through the final making of dress one, and before dress two was even started properly. DISASTER!

Evil sewing machine of doom!

Luckily, the wonderful Angel Adoree, who was one of the bridesmaids, let me invade her lovely home for three days straight so I could get the dresses finished! (And let me tell you, it is a wonderful place)

Want to see the project that nearly lead to my meltdown?


Rather proud of myself, I am!

Pip pip xx