Coming clean...

You haven't seen much of me on this blog recently but it's time to come clean...

You see, I can't deny it any longer.  I have put on weight - ugh!  I really haven't wanted to sew for myself lately as I need to use a size bigger pattern but I still need clothes and there are very few of my old clothes I can still squeeze into.  I am not happy about it, but it is what it is; and for various reasons going on a diet is not something that is high on my priority list right now.  I am going to try to be better about making healthy choices but in the meantime I should still be able to look good.

If there is an upside to this, it now seem my lower body is exactly a Patrones size 48 (my upper body not so much of course!).  So the thought of making something with no alterations is pretty tempting.  For my first try at a Patrones pattern I chose a skirt - number 25 in issue 294.  It was so successful I made it twice.

For the first version I used a cotton poplin with some stretch.  The stretch is not necessary but the fabric has been in my stash for a while now and had aged sufficiently to be used. This is made exactly to the magazine pattern.

It's fine for weekend wear but a touch short for me to wear to work.  Skirts with pleats usually look terrible on me but I actually think the pleats on this skirt fall at the right place on me.

I used an old-style zip as it was all I had to hand.  It is so long since I have done one of these I really had to stretch my mind to a) how to do it in the first place and b) how to finish the facing on the inside.  I kind of bodged it in the end, it's only a casual skirt after all.  Still my lapped zip came out pretty good if I do say so.

I even made the belt loops even though I rarely wear belts.

The second version is also in poplin, this time not stretch.  I love this art nouveau-ish butterfly pattern. All I did this time was lengthen it by 5cm.  This time I also used an invisible zip.  My workplace is pretty casual so this works well with a nice knit top for work. 

Clearly we need to work on the back courtyard a bit!

It irritates me a bit that the design wasn't centred on the fabric and I didn't have enough to fussy cut it with a butterfly centre front and back.  Fortunately I don't think it's noticeable.  But having said that I shouldn't have to buy an extra length of fabric to accomodate lazy fabric designers!  And before you ask, yes it is apparel fabric not quilting fabric - not that it should make a difference.

I don't know if my mind works in crazy (ie dirty) ways but after looking at the print for a while some aspects of it started to look a bit 'anatomical' and I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate or not.  But no one has said anything so either it was all in my imagination, or everyone is laughing behind my back! (okay, I tried to upload a photo but blogger won't let me, maybe the computer thinks it's too rude so I'll just have to keep you in suspense!)

My only complaint is that, because the yoke rides quite low it has a tendency to tip forward and catch under my belly - not a good look.  I might cut the yoke so it finishes higher on the waist in future but with the pleats still starting at the same point on my hip, if that makes sense.

I really need to pick up my pace if I am going to finish 30 projects this year, some quick and easy pieces might be in order I think!

Baby starghan mark II

This is my second baby starghan, you can see my first version here).  This time made as a gift for my chiropractor, whose partner is expecting in January.  This version is made in cotton so I chose to do blocks of colour rather than stripes since the ends don't darn in as nicely as wool.  I just kept going until the yarn ran out - 1 ball white, 2 balls pale lime, 2 balls white, 2 balls teal (plus an extra half ball of teal to finish the last round and work the edging).  I changed yarns when and wherever I needed to rather than just changing at the end of a round, that way I could get the maximum size out of my yarn.  As with the previous version I finished with a round of crab stitch to neaten the edge.  Not much else to say really except, yay another FO!