Lobster Quadrille skirt

2 weeks ago, I was browsing the web, half-heartedly wondering what I could do to get out of the sewing funk that followed my semi-success with my Chataigne shorts wearable (or not) muslin.

My musings led me to Tilly's "How To Make a Picnic Blanket Skirt" tutorial, which I had read with pleasure when she issued it. I thought I would probably do it someday but didn't know with which fabric...until this day , two weeks ago, when I thought, "Hey, why not make it in this lobster print cotton that's sitting in my stash since last summer?"

And BAM, there you have it : an easy, no-brainer, almost a complete stash-busting project (only thing I actually had to buy were the buttons).
Also, I've been lucky enough to finish it just on time to enter the "Skirt of the month" contest on Thread and Needles!

Here's how it looks in person...

And now, a close up on the lobsters!

And now I wonder : will I only wear it during weekends? Or will I pray to Our Lady of the Wacky Prints (aka Roisin) to give me the strength to wear it on week days at work?

Well, have a good day everyone!

It's a vest!

No, actually it's not.
This is actually Andi Satterlund's Hortencia cardigan. I finished the body this weekend and I am now knitting my first sleeve!

I'm knitting it in Cascade 220, in a dark blue-green yarn called "mallard".
Well...let's see how it turns out! Stay tuned!

A (almost) wearable muslin

Although I've been in a sewing funk lately, I still managed to get a few things stitched. Like this version of Deer and Doe's Chataigne shorts, for instance.
Now, I'm really not a shorts kinda girl usually - I don't like the way really short shorts tend to bunch up at the crotch. As a result I almost never wear shorts and don't have any in my closet. Or should I say, didn't have any!

I can't really decide what color this is : it looks like a bright red on the picture, but in person, and depending on the light, it may look more like a neon orange...

I first had mixed-up feelings when this pattern was released...and then I saw more and more beautiful versions popping up on the web (needless to say, the high-waisted version were my favorites!) and thought, "well, perhaps I should give it a try..."

I therefore gave most undiscreet hints to my boyfriend as to what a wonderful Christmas present it would be...and, as a result, I was able to make it.

Now, technically, this was only supposed to be a muslin (I had selected a brown wool blend for the final version, I guess it will eventually be made this Fall!). It's made in an unidentified synthetic fabric I bought at Toto in the fabrics-by-weight section and while it has a nice drape, it presses like sh*t. 

However, seeing how perfectly it fitted (size 40, no alterations needed at all!) I started trying to give my seams some cleaner finishes...until my boyfriend came in and said, "you can't wear that, you'd look like a clown!"

Well...too bad. I already had a few ideas of which tops and shoes I could pair it with!

What would you do in my place? Wear it? Or not?

2nd knitting project : finished!

Hey folks, I made a beret!

This is my attempt at wearing it 30s/40s style, but my bathroom and its horrible neon light is not the best setting for it. Oh well.
Phone pic again - but even my phone takes better pictures than my poor old little camera. One day I'll have to upgrade to a proper camera and really learn how to use it...wish I had the money and time to do so!

Here's how it looks from above...

And here's a close-up on the cables...

I had cast it on sunday before last, and after a few false starts, the whole thing really went smoothly apart from a little moment of panick. I finished it last saturday evening (yay for being able to take your knitting with you on the train!) and could wear it on monday morning! Now that's what I call an (almost) instant gratification project!

UFOs...?

I've been going through some hard times recently, which led to a loss of my sewing energy and me producing what will probably be my first UFO : 

 You might have recognized Colette Pattern's Sencha blouse. I actually don't exactly understand what's wrong with it (wrong size of choice, fabric...?)but I'm not sure I'm going to finish it. First there was a hell of a lot of fabric pooling at the bust and the neck opening was too small, I couldn't bring the closures of the keyhole opening together (it looks better with that frog closure, though). Then I chose to make the tucks at the front longer and it seemed to help with the excess fabric around the bust area,  but now it looks like I'm not going to be able to close it at the back. Duh.

On top of it, I don't think I like my fabric that much anymore. The print looked interesting at first - a repeated pattern of Hokusai's "wave" painting in a pink colourway - , but now, for some reason, it reminds me of raw meat. Ribs, to be precise.

Can you see what I mean? Sort of?

Well, the comparison might sound far-fetched, and there once was a time when I had nothing against a bit of gore, but I'd like to be able to wear my me-mades at work, and I work in an office, not in a butchery.

After this "failure" (mind you, this doesn't mean I hate this pattern and won't ever attempt it again!), I had started antother project - Deer&Doe's Chataigne shorts, which I got as a Christmas present - and, as the fit of this pattern turns out to be absolutely amazing without any alterations, what was initially my muslin (the "proper" version of the shorts will probably be made next Fall) is currently getting some proper seam finishes so I can actually wear it when the weather gets better...but even this seems to be taking ages.

Sooooooooo, in order to get out of that sewing rut, I decided that what I needed was to sew a simple garment, allowing me to work on beautiful seam finishes, in a print that would make me happy!

The pattern I chose is Colette Pattern's Ginger skirt...

Which I will make in this print from Spoonflower :

I'm currently waiting for the fabric to get into my mailbox, but I can't wait to get started! Hope this will make my sewing mojo come back! So...stay tuned if you want to know more about what happens to this jazzy fabric!