My 2013

ARGH - silly blogger, this was meant to publish over two weeks ago... The scheduler didn't work.

2013, well it was to be the year of stashbusting... that didn't happen. I got well and truly sucked in by the pretties on sale in my local fabric shops and the enabling from my lovely WSBN friends.

I did hope to make trousers for the first time, well I did make trousers, but they weren't for me, they were for Mr N, some loud trousers for him to play golf in..

Looking at my makes, I did actually learn a number of new skills.

Flat fell seams - Mr N's shirt was completely finished with flat fell seams

Hong Kong seaming - my self-drafted pencil skirt was finished with these

Sewing with knits - I finished the Cake Tiramisu and I've also made my first Renfrew (not blogged about) Yay! Feeling happier about knit fabrics now.

Fly front zip - although I don't have photos, I've learned how to stitch a fly front when I made Mr N's trousers.

Hand-picked zip - I learned how to hand pick a zip and have actually used this method twice now, the first was on my Lily Anna

Phew! I'm quite impressed with myself! I think that's all

Vital statistics of makes:
Tops, including blouses -- 4
Dresses -- 4
Skirts -- 3
Skort (not blogged about yet) -- 1
Trousers (mens) -- 1

In addition, I knitted a beret and have also made the curtains for our lounge/diner. Life itself has been pretty hectic, we've moved house and I also broke my ankle giving me an enforced sewing absence of a few weeks.

Our Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network has grown from strength to strength, we now have 26 members and it's great to have a group of local sewers I can ask for help, meet up with, compare patterns and go fabric shopping with :-)

I really am not going to think about how much fabric went in and went out of the stash. All I know is, the numbers go the wrong way!

What I have done at last, is create an extra page of makes at the top of blog. This page is still very much under construction, so please excuse the spacing, size of photos, etc. At the moment, the page starts with makes made within the life of this blog, but I'm intending to add older makes which I still have too.

I'll finish with what I consider my fave makes from 2013...

Here's to 2014!

Simplicity 2444

Since there is a slight lack of sewing around these parts (for reasons why, see my previous post here...), I thought I would post about a dress I made the summer before I started this lowly blog, ie about 2010.

The pattern is one of the Simplicity Project Runway patterns 2444.

I directly copied the blue and white dress in the top right. At the time, I still wasn't really aware of the fact I have a longer waist than most patterns state. I also didn't check the length of the skirt before cutting out. I'm sure the overall length would have been perfect if I'd lengthened the waist my usual inch.

The fabric was a Tanya Whelan fabric which came from John Lewis. I think the pattern is called Dolce. It's also the same pattern, just a different colour way to Simplicity 2588, which I made in August 2011.

I don't honestly remember having any issues with the pattern at all. There are darts back and front for the bodice. The two in the front give it a lovely shape. The skirt is pleated on. The collar is gathered in the front in the middle and this has a band stitched around it. I can't believe I didn't have problems with the thickness of material at this point, but I don't remember it. The dress also has pockets... :-) The zip is a normal centred zip up the back of the dress.

I would normally have hemmed the dress by hand, since I'm not really a fan of stitched hems, but the skirt was so short, it seemed easier at the time to do a small machine stitched hem.

The dress was worn for the first time when we took Mum to Paris for a big milestone birthday in 2010...

Me and my Mum, Paris, June 2010

I also wore this dress to the Wellington Sewing Bloggers meet-up in February. The lovely Melissa took these photos at the Wellington Museum of City and Sea where we took over the Museum cafe and tried on the crowns and generally had a good time.

 Trying on the crown...

 Trying to look regal

I give up, I'll just curtsey instead :-)

Details for this shoot...

Fabric:  Tanya Whelan cotton from John Lewis in 2010, probably about 12GBP a metre at the time.

Trim:  Just a white zip for the back of the dress, apart from thread of course :-)

Pattern:  Simplicity 2444

First worn:  Summer 2010 in Paris

Worn with on this shoot:  Lime green belt from Glassons, bright pink mule sandals from Mischief (yes they are the same as the blue ones worn in this post...) These pink ones were even more of a bargain and I couldn't resist. Have you shoe envy?

If you're wondering what they're being modelled on, it's my circle skirt - good match, eh?

Erm, me, really...?

Well there was I bumbling along (as I do!) finally catching up on months' worth of blog posts after sharing an internet dongle with Mr N for the last six months when suddenly my name crops up in post... What?

Juliet from The Crazy Gypsy Chronicles has nominated me for a blog award! I double-take, double check, is that really me she's listed - why yes it is! I've been nominated for the Versatile Blogger award. I'm really quite chuffed, not to mention surprised! I certainly had a secret smile on my face after finding out! How daft is that (the secret smile that is)?

Having moved halfway around the world less than six months ago, I'm discovering a whole new world of sewing, knitting, crafting and cooking bloggers, of which Juliet is one. I think I was initially drawn to her blog by a link and then started following because of her projects and also the humorous and fun way in which she writes, particularly once the large glasses of wine have been poured...

Thanks Juliet, I'm touched and certainly feel welcomed in my new adopted country!

So, I believe there are now some rules I have to follow... The rules state that I have to mention seven different things about myself. Well OK, here goes...

1. I'm originally an Essex girl - help! Yep, I was born in that fair county just outside London in the UK :-)
2. I wanted to be a lollypop lady when I was about 6 years old!
3. I'm a member of Jaffaholics Anonymous - a sacred society of people who are addicted to Jaffa Cakes. There was a sign on my wall at uni which said "Jaffa Cakes enter at your own risk..."
4. I'm a closet petrol head - although not so much now!
5. I like elephants.
6. My great-grandfather was called James Herriott, but he wasn't a vet, he was a train driver!
7. Erm... OK, the boring one, I originally trained as a maths teacher and am now a chartered librarian...

Now all I can do is to pass this on to other blogs which I feel deserve the same treatment. Like Juliet before me, I'm unsure if you've already been nominated, so if you get a double nomination through this, then I reckon that counts as an Oscar! :-) These blogs are nominated because I enjoy reading them, the way in which they are written encourages me to read more. I also like that bloggers style, choice of projects and the way they encourage me (through their posts) to try to make something different. So here goes...

• No time to sew
• Handmade by Carolyn
• Alana from Lazy Stitching
• Sew, incidentally...
• Debi's My happy sewing place
• Dibs and the Machine
• Pretty little pictures
• Pattern ~ scissors ~ cloth
• Molly's Sewing and Garage sale adventures
• Annabellebumps
• What's up cupcake?
• Did you make that?

And to be honest, I reckon some of you lovely ladies are due an Oscar!