Preparing for Eid al-Adha

I’ve been so busy this past week not sewing. Eeks! Eid is this Friday and I’m almost done with my outfit (a woman’s gotta look good). Especially if that woman is me and she doesn’t have a nice ‘party’ outfit. If someone where to invite me to a  function right now I’d scramble madly for something decent to put together. At the end of the day I’ll end up with something ridiculous and not take my coat off on the pretext that I’m a bit nippy, when in reality I’m too ashamed to reveal what I have under. My wardrobe is pathetic. Sometimes I look into it and I want to vomit because there’s nothing exceptional in there. It’s full of boring.

Over the years I’ve wedged myself into this dress-purely-for-comfort state of mind that it’s hard to wriggle out. I want whatever I have on to be as comfortable as womanly possible, as a result I’ve down played style to the barest of minimum (if at all there is any). As a matter of fact I dressed better when my hubby was buying my clothes for me. After rebelling against what I then thought was a subtle form of condescension, I’m now left out in the cold with a poor sense of style.

Anyway, I have to change now. Slowly, but surely, I’ll get there. I’ll learn to look good and feel good without compromising my values.

I’ll try and put up pic’s of my Ao Dai, my Eid outfit, hopefully.

In the meantime, happy Eid in advance… Eku Ileya… Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha!

Meandering Rectangles

You hear of carpal tunnel syndrome and sewer’s fatigue and you wonder what sort of strain could possible ensue from stitching pieces of fabric together, until you come across this sort of ensenble.

Meandering Rectangles 1

I had roughly six yards of blue and white linen and I wondered what I could do. I knew I wanted to mix ‘em both. For some reason I thought of red bricks, and the way they’re stacked and this design came to mind. I started cutting… 132 pieces and countless hours later, here is what happened.

Meandering Rectangles (front view)

It’s basically a two piece, fully lined continuous band skirt, gathered along the hips. The lower half is cut along the bias for better drapery and more precise stitching.

Meandering Rectangles (side view)

As complicated and tortuous as it was, I enjoyed every minute of it!

Here it is draped:

Draped view

It’s fully lined. None of the stitching shows on the back (inside of the skirt) The hem is tucked in as well. It’s got an invisible zip at the back.

back band

Materials: 3yrds + 2.5yrds of white and blue light weight linen, short invisible zip, hook and bar, 3yrds of white muslin for lining.

Cost of Materials:£8.55

Total hours spent: four days and a massive knot in my neck

She never saw it coming…

Yesterday I didn’t know what to do. Today I’m bursting with so much creative energy that I can’t sleep. Although my eye balls hurt and I have a massive headache and it’s 4.28a.m (as of typing this) the urge to create is so strong. There are so many things I promised to do that are still undone.

1. The JJ blouse turned out into something that looks like a hospital scrub… even worse, what a cleaner at the hospital would wear. I decided to leave out the ruffles because DH said they looked gay. Or in plain English, ‘they looked like a flamenco dancer’s outfit’. My self-esteem shaken, I decided to chuck them. Who wants ruffles anyway. You have to admit sometimes they look like flagellates waving about to catch food crumbs that fall off your face. But then that was the beauty of it. And although I regret the decision, I am too lazy to go back and alter it. So, here it is, my awful JJ blouse. Posted with mild embarrassment. The only bit I really like are the sleeves, otherwise there’s nothing remarkable about it.

 

My version of the JJ

2. The ‘totally rad skirt’ ended up just a plain ‘ol skirt. I started out on something ‘crazy’ and decided I wanted something formal, clean and smart. Not an airy fairy slash nymphomaniac slash anally individualistic slash I only have two hairs sprouting out of each brow because I’m wild like that skirt. A plain ‘ol two piece eight paneled skirt, with a piped mid-joining is what it is.

 

Plain 'ol two piece panelled skirt

3. I promised to have my nieces over during their autumn break but I’ve been putting it off because ever since I converted the spare room into my sewing room it’s been hard reverting it back to a spare room. Plus there are now a lot of pins embedded in the carpet. God forbid it stabs one of them in the feet. We’ve been having visitors all week so I haven’t had much sewing done. To cut the long story short, I feel like a terrible aunt, and I can’t lie to them darlings.

 

These are not my nieces, but placing pictures under paragraphs seems to be the trend here. I thought these random Masai ladies would do, hehe....

 

 

4. As promised a picture of me wearing the kimono top. I drafted the pattern myself and consequently know where the errors lay. But I love it to bits. Getting the collar perfect the first time is a wonderful feeling.

 

Kimono tunic proper side view

Kimono tunic, side/back view (my limbs were only these limber)

 

 

5. Finally, it’s getting colder by the day and people are starting to look like serial killers. You see them walking down the street in black felt coats, with raised collars, hands in pockets, heads bowed down, taking long determined strides… it’s like they’ve just committed  murder and are trying to get away, but without looking suspicious. Or is it in my head?

 

Canadian Smocking

Anyway, I’ve been working on my techniques. When I first came across Canadian Smocking or Lattice Smocking I was gob smacked at the results and I just knew I had to give it a shot. It’s elegant and show stopping! The problem I’m having is how and where to situate on my garment. There seems to be only two tutorials on the net, this one works better for me.

I almost broke my back marking out the dots, so I decided to go for full out lines instead.

Then I went with the tutorial, and tada!!

Canadian Smocking on unbleached calico

Turned out to be easier than I thought. The final effect is lovely. It consumes three times as much fabric. No wonder I haven’t been seeing it around. It also strikes me as one of those back-breaking embelishments that could go unappretiated. Definitely for a one-off type of out fit.

Kimono Tunic

I’ve just finished a sleeveless tunic with continous facing and collar similar to a Japanese Kimono. It’s made from brown linen (three quarters of a yard by 58″ width fabric) and the facing and pocket loops are made from polyester (bits of remnants from previous project).

Minimalist beauty

Here are decorative tucks on the belt loop which you can’t see in this picture because they’re on the sides and a back.

tucks on belt loop

The belt loops were unplanned. I had bits of fabric and thought I’d make something with them. A gamble that turned out right because I made it without measuring my belt. I would advice that you measure first to save you having a mild heart attack as you attempt to slip the belt through.

continous collar

To be layered this over fitted long sleeve T’s. I’ll try and rustle up a picture of me wearing it ‘cuz it’s made to my size not this blasted dress form.