New Socks and my New Dress

For the last two weeks I have been mainly sitting in front of the TV and watching the Tour de France with Mr K. Such a project requires something useful for the hands to do on autopilot, so I knitted this pair of socks. I tamed the "Lawn" colour with a variegated black/grey yarn and used this pattern. I love making new  (to me) kind of heels, trying to find my favourite. Thank you for the link, Candace!

 

After our cold June in finally felt like I could wear a dress on a day or two this Summer, and that inspired me to finally finish this WIP. I got this dress from my mother many years ago with the parts just basted together. Since cutting the fabric she had diminished in size so much that there was no chance for her to make it fit. At the open college I took a course "Let's make a skirt", and with the teacher's help I was able to make all necessary alterations, cut and baste, stitch and serge until it was just right for me. I love the loose fitting dress that covers my knees properly and doesn't still feel or look like an old potato sack.

Matching colours in my flower box. I planted the basil here when it was starting to wither in the kitchen, and it looks better than the day I bought it at the green grocers' in June.

Stash Use Report of July, soft-brained sewing part 2

It is time to look back at July and see the changes in my stash. I made several visits to fabric shops, and I even bought some fabric on the internet. That was 1.5 m, two secret fabrics. Then I bought 0.3 m of striped flannel for another secret project to be revealed in August. In Turku on the wedding anniversary trip I bought 0.75 m of green flannel, and I have already used it for another secret project you will see in September. Then I needed 2.9 m of solid green cotton for the backing of a secret quilt which will be revealed next month too. Finally I bought 1.5 m of unbleached calico for the Raggedy & Friends BOM project by the Painted Quilt. That adds up to 6.95 m of new fabrics. I also bought 1 m of upholstery fabric for our kitchen chairs, but I don't count it a) because it didn't go to stash, I used it immediately, and b) it wasn't for sewing, I used a stapler. Here it is:

At first I thought I have hardly sewn anything last month, but look at my list:
- finishing the Unicef dolls and their clothes: 0.5 m all from stash
- Between Charming Friends quilt: 3.5 m scraps and backing all from stash
- soft-brained summer dress 1.3 m, all from stash
- the secret green flannel project: 1.75 m in all, 1 m of which from stash

I have used 7.05 m fabrics, so in spite of all the new fabrics my stash was reduced by 10 cm, 4 whole inches.


The summer dress didn't finish smoothly. I managed to sew the wrong side of the zipper to the dress at first so the reverse of the zipper was visible on the right side of the dress. I went to wash my face with cold water and got the zipper right with the second try. After that I thought is best to baste the bodice hem in place before top stitching around the bodice.
This July has been the warmest ever in Finland. The last two days have been pleasantly closer to 25 C than the record 37 C. I'm looking forward to cooler days with a clearer head and more energy for crafty things.

Soft-brained sewing

This July has been HOT until last Saturday, when we had a cool and windy day with some rain and only 16 C (60F), but on Sunday the wind changed and the temperature jumped up again. The upstairs sewing room is unbearably hot.

This is all I have been able to sew, a summer dress for me with a pattern from DD's Japanese book. The heat has softened my brain so that at first I sewed two left shoulder parts. I unsewed the one on the right and turned it (they are cut on the fold and look the same on the inside and the outside). On it went again and I looked at my work. This time it was nicely sewn with the back part on the front and front shoulder in the back. The ripper knew what to do, again. Once the shoulder parts were finally sewn in place like meant on the pattern, I tried the dress on.  I noticed that the back parts looked strange because my shoulders like to bend forwards for sewing and reading and knitting. Pick, pick, pick, and I adjusted the straps at the sides, and sewed again.

I added pockets for my phone and keys in the side seams. Now I'm waiting to go to town and buy a zipper for the side seam. After that I only need to iron it, top stitch the bodice and  fold the hem. If the warm days are over, I can wear a T-shirt under the dress. This dress has been on my list for at least three summers; last year I bought the plaid fabric for the bodice and the floral is some years older. Using my stash again!

There are some cherries in the little cherry tree birds have planted in our other yard. I couldn't step close enough to taste if they are ready to be used for a pie or a tiny jar of marmalade.

Today life is getting settled to normal routines again. DH and DS2 both started their work today after spending three weeks at home with me. Le Tour de France is finally over and we don't need to sit several hours in front of the TV every day. I managed to do some knitting during the Tour, but getting back to just one episode of Lewis, Criminal Minds, Doc Martin (reruns) or Foyle's War per day is better for the housekeeping.