Category: sewing

A house dress

~ Maggie ~ 8 Comments

Isn’t that what they called it in the old days? The kind of dress you wear when you’re doing chores at home (and in my case in the garden)? That’s exactly what this is. Not exactly meant to go out for diner in, but comfortable in any way and more or less “nice” enough for when company arrives unexpectedly. Also, very important, long enough to be able to bend over without worrying about people watching from the neighbor’s balcony.

I drew a pattern myself, based on bits of store bought dresses I liked. This one is different from the ones I made two and a half years ago in two important ways: a draw string in my waist instead of elastic, and pockets. I also dropped the waist a bit below my natural waist. I think it looks better with my aging body (i.e. belly fat).

I love it very much. And now I’m off to make myself some more!

(experimenting with taking self portraits lately … I’m not really at ease in front of the camera)

Almost sewing dresses

~ Maggie ~ 6 Comments

Look what I did! I know, it’s far from instagram worthy. But I don’t care. Those are not an ugly old desk and a crusty old chair. That’s my very own sewing corner and I couldn’t be happier with it.

I thought I’d quickly start sewing some dresses, but I was smart and decided to see if things were still working first. Well, they weren’t. My thread kept breaking and my stitches were a mess. So I cleaned my machine thoroughly and oiled it. That, and a spool of brand new thread, did the trick. (and then I looked back in my archives and discovered that my poor machine had not been used since the last time I made dresses. In March 2020. Oy! No wonder it needed a bit of oil).

I started by repairing my old dresses and adding pockets to them. I figured I could try that out first, before ruining my new fabrics with pockets that look weird. Well, first of all, it doesn’t look weird at all, and second: I love having pockets on my dresses! So that will happen for all of them from now on.

So, did I actually make a dress? Well, almost. I cut the fabric. And then life happened and I never got to sewing. But it’s right there, in my sewing corner, so I’m sure I will pick it up very, very soon!

A to-do list (sort of)

~ Maggie ~ 6 Comments

Let’s just about forget the groceries, the cleaning, the weeding and all those other chores for a while, okay?

Here’s what the fun to-do list in my head looks like:

:: find buttons for newest baby knit (and weave in ends).

:: organize craft stuff (so much more fun than organizing paper clutter, isn’t it?

: make a dress. Or five. (aka: stop hoarding fabric for dresses and start making them)

:: cast on for baby blanket

Now, where to start?