J'adore Sewing

I've not had much chance to sew or blog for the past couple of weeks, but the good news is I finally finished my degree I started part time five years ago and celebrated by reading contemporary women's fiction (not chick lit!), sewing TWO things and obsessing, and I mean obsessing about shoulder seams. But more of that later.
Let's skim over the reading too and focus purely on the sewing. Now, because of the shoulder-seam-problem-I-haven't-had-time-to-learn-to-fix-yet I decided that the urge to sew needed to be sated by a skirt. For the first time, I used the Sewing Bee 'Sew Your Own Wardrobe' book that I bought ages ago but due to aforementioned business, I've not had time to use yet. I didn't read any reviews before I bought it but I was informed that there are a few problems with the patterns - notches and whatnot that don't align and so on. And sadly, those reviews were right. I made the box pleat skirt, as you can see. The notches on the waist band don't align but, honestly, that's not a problem if you can do basic maths, which even I can do.

This skirt is basically my new favourite thing. I adore it. In fact, I j'adore it. Look at this lovely fabric!

It's the Paris theme I bought at the ExCel in April and I've added a lining (basically used the supplied pattern pieces but folded the pleats on the pattern and cut the lining flat).

I wore it to work yesterday to declarations that I looked "summery", which was nice. It attracted many comments but, once again, to cowardly to admit I'd made it myself. I did find a pin in the side seam when I went to the loo though. Luckily it did not injure me like that mad killer on the last series of Sherlock and I did not bleed to death immediately. Hoorah!

 Also, huge apologies for quality of these photographs. I have to get a better camera. And learn how to pose for photos...

A Busy Couple of Weeks...And a Finished Frock

Phew! It's been a busy few weeks for me, hence the blog silence. I just haven't had time to sit down and blog. I had/have a uni essay to finish - just a few hundred more words to complete. In just two more essays after this, it's over. Hoorah! It's been a very long five years - working full time and studying is incredibly hard work.
But, despite all this high-brow (ahem) scribbling, I have done some sewing. In fact, I have done a fair bit: I finished the Sew Over It 1940s Tea Dress Sewalong!

I am very pleased with myself: the fabric was terrifying but I won! The hem is slightly uneven and I had to get my gran round to help with the fit. Remember me saying I cut the size 10 and should've cut the 8? I should always cut the 8! Gran pinned me (and given that she's nearly ninety, she did literally pin me a couple of times!) into the dress and I now have these nifty dart things in the bust. I took in two cm this way, using a double ended dart from the waist band/front section to the arm hole. I also took in about two cm on the back using the same method. 

So here's one of the back as well. I still think that some more could be taken in off the back but I'll wear it a few times first. I don't want to sew myself into a straight-jacket!

And, because I've not blogged for a while, here are some fun pictures. Not too fun mind: I don't want pictures of me looking like a complete idiot on the internet. This is my first fashion shoot, we (lovely Mr and I) were in the garden following a day enjoying the gorgeous weather/hemming a frock when we trolleyed outside to do some pictures. The skirt is beautifully swishy and I wanted a picture of it swishing. Cue lovely Mr crouched on the decking taking pictures with his phone while I spin on my toes. Obviously, most of the pictures are of me looking like an idiot. Here is a slightly idiotic picture shortly before the swishing began:

And here is one of The Swish. This is the best of a bad lot:

I love how the fabric moves. It's so good to get away from cotton, even if I did buy some gorgeous fabric today for my next project, which I hope to start on Friday. So there's something to look forward to.