Things have been a bit mad at work, what with a PR campaign, a competition and a launch in Kenya. And I’ve been running, running, running as much as possible. So sadly sewing took a back seat. Until! Until I took a few deep breaths at work, and had a lovely dinner with my bestie, Gaynor.
I’ve since been feeling inspired and motivated to sew, and this week managed to find the time to whip up a dress and a top. I’ll start with the dress. It’s the first time I’ve tried something like this, and I’m really pleased with the results… You see, I work in Cape Town’s CBD and walk past various ‘Chinese’ shops every morning. A few weeks ago I spotted a pretty dress, in a hideous fabric, in one of these stores… it was tooo cheap to pass up so I bought one in my size and took it apart.
I then had to create a whole new paper pattern for it, because the bodice and skirt are both on the short side (not designed for those of us who like our dresses to cover ourselves…). I’m the type of sewist who likes to get a project done in one evening – my sole motivation is being able to wear it to work the next day!
Obviously, this wasn’t the case here. It took several weeks of on/off seam ripping, tracing, pattern adjustments and cutting and sticking and sewing, but I finally got it done and am extremely pleased with the results! Here Patricia shows it off:
Not one to rest when I’m feeling inspired, I quickly went on to work on some amazing emeraldy-green chiffony fabric I’d bought several metres of last month. It was stupid-cheap, I’m sure it was R5 a metre. But regardless of the low cost, I didn’t want to waste it so was biding my time until the right pattern came along (a lot like what happened with the dress above – I’ve had that African print fabric in my stash for about a year!).
Just last weekend I found myself with 30 minutes to kill and a nearby charity store, so as I do, I popped in looking for patterns and found this rather arb one. I was somehow drawn to it, despite all the fiddly bits like collars and buttons and such. So I bought it. I think it was R2.
Once I got home I realised it might be a perfect match for my chiffony fabric, and boy was I right (this doesn’t always happen… I have a LOT of hideous UFO’s). And here, once more, Patricia models the unfinished garment:
You are entirely correct in pointing out that the pattern and the product have little in common. I cut the front on the fold and added a scarfy, drapy thing (which folds into a nice bow too) instead of a collar. I totally made the neck part up. Self-drafting win! Anyway, I’ve finished off the edges and wore it to work today, so that’s a wrap!
Oh, and total cost of this lovely green top? R12.
It’s no secret that I’ve recently developed a full-blown love affair with road running. I’ve joined a club, bought the correct running shoes and have sewn my permanent race number to my favourite running vest. I find it a fun (sort of) way to get fitter (lose weight) and it doesn’t involve expensive equipment (aside from the outrageously expensive shoes, and race entries and club membership and and and) or having to go into a gym: in summer I prefer to work out in the fresh air.
Last year my sister and I started out, on a whim, by running the Milkwood 10km road race in Kommetjie, early in the year. Once we’d dragged our aching selves across the finish line (it took an hour and 28 minutes – terrible, even for beginners) and collected our indigenous tree ‘medals’, we were already talking about ‘the next one’.
This turned out to be a 10km trail run, along the foot of Table Mountain in a classic Cape storm: driving wind and rain, cold and dark. But we finished it (I’m sure we were last) and went on to enter more races. Together we finished seven official races, and our current best time stands at 65 minutes for the The Global Diabetes Run/Walk 2011 10km (although I have my doubts about the true length of those 10 kms…). Here’s our hit list for 2011:
- TSIBA Eden New Balance Trail Run 6km
- The Global Diabetes Run/Walk 2011 10km
- Sanparks Forest Fifteen 15km Trail Race
- Gun Run 10km Road Race Race
- VWS 10km Trail Run
- Cape Town Marathon 10km Road Race
So far in 2012 I’ve completed just one race, the Hohenhort Pinelands Club 15km Road Race, which is organised by the Pinelands Athletic Club, where I am now a member.
The best part of joining a club, beside the obvious benefits of running regularly with like-minded people, is the Incentives scheme. This involves giving members a financial reward if they complete ten, or more, races from a set list. The list includes both a ‘short’ and a ‘long’ option. The short option consists of 10 and 15 km races, and the long 21 and 42 km races.
Now I’m not that interested in the financial reward, but I do like me a list! And here it is, in all it’s glory:
The Hohenhort 15km doesn’t feature on the list, unfortunately, but it served as a nice warm up! Ok, not really. While running I hurt my knee somehow and had to limp-jog the last 5 or so km. And I’m not yet sure if I’ll be able to run long distances in future – a trip to a knee specialist was inconclusive. So I’ll have to see how it goes.
But it better go well, because I’ve entered the Two Oceans Half Marathon. Eeek! That’s on 7 April, which means I need to train, and get my knees on my side, fast. Oh, I do love a challenge. (Ok, again, not really…)
After stubbornly and resolutely deciding NOT to ‘do’ Christmas this year I folded to the pressure of the delightful things to make in the Idea’s magazine and quickly whipped up a few little things for a couple of people. Of course, no details just yet, but here’s a preview:
And then the final product:
Wow, it’s been a while! But I’ve been rather busy, working and running, and not really sewing…
On Monday though, I did finally throw out all of the sports equipment in my sewing room. And I spent some time putting together my favourite project – a little yellow taffeta skirt. High waisted, with ruffles, and a pretty gold and pearl vintage button to close it with. I found the fabric (an ancient curtain off cut, by the looks of things) at a the St. George’s Cathedral charity shop in Cape Town, and with some creative cutting and sewing I recycled it into a skirt. The fabric is a beautiful buttery yellow, and oh-so-soft. Love it!
And then today I spotted this:
That’s (almost) my skirt!
I’ll have to take a photo and post it here to prove it. I would have worn it to work already, but what with the cold and rain, and Cape Town’s howling wind, a sweet yellow skirt would quickly go from fresh to either drenched and sticking to my legs or howling up around my ears. So, yes, I’m a fair weather sewist. I sew and I wear my creations when the weather is nice.
Bring on summer!
I finally dusted off my camera last night, but I’m somehow a bit rusty at this picture taking lark, so only managed one or two tolerable pics.
So here’s a murky pic of the grey dress I’m working on, pinned to Patricia:
And then just cos I can, my current favourite shoes – a pair in every colour!
And what my cat thinks of them:
After a bit of a break from sewing during which time my sewing room became the laundry room, and then the random stuff storage room, and now even contains no less than two golf bags, I decided enough was enough and cleaned it out last night. The golf clubs remain, but will soon be evicted.
My sudden burst of energy is entirely related to the wonderful warm weather which is now here in Cape Town. I also re-organised my summer wardrobe, and made a start on my up-cycling projects (more on that later).
I also cut out a lovely flouncy work dress from a new (to me) pattern and am delighted to discover that it seems just perfect (so far, pinned to Patricia). It’s a Cynthia Rowley pattern – one of my favourite designers to drool over – but at first it appears quite hideous:
Then, on closer inspection, I realised that omitting that front tie bit from view A would leave me with a simple bodice and a floaty skirt – now, what more could one ask for?
The fabric I’m working with is a heavy, but thin, pale grey linen type, and falls just perfectly into the folds of the skirt. I’m considering edging the sleeves, neck and even hem in black bias binding, but might also experiment with a cutout on the front bodice. Still deciding!
Now, must really make an effort to get out my camera and take some pics!
Well, I bravely ventured into the world of quilting, with absolutely no idea what I was doing…
This is the result:
Those in the know will quickly spot the wonky squares, the mismatched corners and the varying fabrics. As for me, I’m hoping my mom will be dazzled by the colours (and all my hard work) and not notice the fact that this ‘quilt’ is FAR from precise.
All I have to do now is find some thin batting – the stuff I bought is about 4cm thick and way to much for my little machine to handle – and then stitch it all down…
Simple, no?
No…
But persevere, I shall.
Here are some of my ‘new’ patterns. I recently went on a bit of a shopping spree and bought up a bunch of old patterns, then also received a bag full of patterns from the 80′s and 90′s from my partners mother, and was also given a few special ones by a friend who spotted them in a charity shop in Greyton (Thanks Niki!).
Here are a few of the patterns I’m hoping to make up soon:
Well, no need to say more after THAT heading, so here you are: my sewing room (a wall, anyway) and my latest dress…
And what I’ll be working on tonight…
Would you believe me if I told you that I’ve been too busy sewing (and working!) to update my blog? I hope so, because that’s the truth: I’ve been on a sewing mission lately!
I’ve re-arranged my flat and now have a whole (small) room to sew in. It’s stocked with:
A workbench for designing. making patterns and cutting fabric, and for storing my ever-increasing stash.
A table with my sewing machine and three drawers full of lovely notions like stretch lace, buttons and ribbons.
Two dress rails packed with my creations and my (growing) collection of vintage dresses for inspiration.
My dummy: I’ve upholstered dearest Patricia and she is now mighty respectable, and most useful.
What more do I need!?
Well, a sharp scissors! I treated myself to a real dressmakers scissors recently and am so impressed with it – I had been using an ancient pair of kitchen scissors before (the horror!). I also acquired a long ruler, and started making use of my many measuring tapes. What a difference it makes. Now I aspire to an L-shaped ruler…
I’ve also nearly doubled my pattern collection these past weeks. Observatory is home to a Help the Rural Child charity shop and bookstore – a great source of patterns – and a St. Giles charity store which also stocks patterns and notions.
I’ve discovered pintucks, self drafted and created a Peter Pan collar, self drafted and created a sweetheart bodice and ordered the legendary Walk Away dress pattern on eBay.
I’ve discovered the nearest Biggie Best factory outlet (addictive!) and I’ve started a quilt! Yes, a quilt – which is not really for the faint hearted…
Suffice to say – I’ve been too busy sewing (and working!) to update my blog!
