So happy with my sewing and fit

 I'm so happy with this top I finished just in time for work on Tuesday. The pattern is from Twig and Tale and is their driftwood blouse pattern. I had previously made a trial short sleeve version (about 6 months ago), so I knew where I wanted to tweek it and I am so so thrilled.

I have found sewing for myself difficult in the past. I don't like the finished garment often or the shape or the hang etc and get put off. I have no waist so lots of stuff looks awful. But this pattern just works. I knew it wood when as soon as Lisa put it up for sale as I have quite a few tops purchased that have a similar look. I cut the pattern out as is and then cut 2cm from around the neck once it was sewn together, I wanted a slightly more open neck area. I extended the binding a bit. It did mean that the gather at the front was not as much as normal at the binding, but I don't think that affects the look.

A while ago I tried shirring for the very first time, to mend a top and was happy with the result. I knew that I wanted to alter the driftwood blouse pattern a bit. I shirred four lines at a point halfway between my wrist and elbow to give a retro look to the sleeve. I also shirred three lines around the base of the shirt as tucking in looks ghastly and leaving it hanging looked like I was trying to hide my tummy!

A couple of process shots.
Linking to these places and a few others.

Up-cycled blanket into boots

In the last week we had family to stay, which is lovely, but the circumstances were heart rending. Our gorgeous cousin had passed away doing what he loved. Another cousin Kerryn and her family stayed with us for some of the time. They came from Brisbane to the coldest wettest week we had had all summer. You can imagine that it was a shock to have 17 degree C days when you have come from days in their 40's. Poor Kerryn's feet were cold. She was using a wheat pack on them. So I whipped out the left over woollen blankets I dyed, got her to select her colour. Found some left over minky material for the inside, some bits of leather for the soles and did some sewing from one of my favourite Twig and Tale patterns.

I was really pleased with being able to keep the stitched edge of the blanket as the top of the boot but made a bit of an error when doing the soles. I put the inside suede of the leather on the outside. That was a bit to do with brain fade over this time. I offered to unpick but Kerryn thought the suede would slip less than the smooth leather, so we left it as is.

Linking to these pages and Twig and Tale, whose pattern this is.