I’ve been traveling a lot and then we moved, so I’ve had very little, if any, chance to sew lately. Things are starting to settle down, though, and fortunately I have a posting backlog.
I screwed up big-time and scheduled a trip to Australia for Dora’s first day of kindergarten. I was crushed to miss her big day, but it made me feel a little better to make her first-day-of-school outfit. It’s the Sahara dress once again — her hands-down favorite because of the twirly skirt — in a ridiculously sparkly purple spandex (or something) from Joann. And this time I put in pockets! She loves it and wears it at every opportunity.
I found this Cotton and Steel fabric (the name is Trajectory Starfish, from the Kujira and Star collection) for a good price on Stash Fabrics, a new-to-me online store with some good discounts. (Alas, they’re sold out of this fabric, but check out their sales.) I dithered about whether it wanted to be a boxy tee or a tank top, but opted for the Scout Tee, and I’m glad I did. I initially thought I might have made it too big (and maybe I did), but I love wearing it. It’s super comfortable: a step up from a knit tee but just as easy to wear. I see some more Scout tees in my future!
Finally, I’ve been needing a simple skirt to pair with tops, and my trip to Australia (where it’s still chilly) gave me a good excuse to put to use a gray wool blend that’s been languishing in my stash for a long time. I lined it with a pink satiny something and it feels really lovely to wear.
The pattern came from Alice Prier’s Pattern Making Templates for Skirts and Dresses, which I’ve mentioned before and continue to love; I finally just purchased my own copy. I cut a size 14 but forgot to add the seam allowance. That turned out to be a happy accident, since the fit was just about right without it. (My measurements put me between a 12 and a 14.) The zipper is a hacky disaster, but you can’t tell from the outside, and I really love this garment.
Next on my list: finishing another Scout tee, and I really want to make a By Hand London Anna dress. I picked up some nice fabric at the Fabric Store and Tessuti in Sydney, and as soon as we’ve cleared away some more moving boxes, I’d love to make use of them.