Halloween Costume.

It's been so long since my last post, for a while was feeling creatively blocked.  My son also took over my sewing room for his HSC studies.  He did his last exam on Monday, no longer have any school children in this house.  He sent his first job application today.  He's thinking of deferring University for a year, wants to get some savings behind him first.

Halloween today, it's becoming more popular in Australia and for the second year I've been to a Halloween event and was able to dress up.  Always wanted to go to a dress up party when I was a kid. 

As usual I left my costume to the last moment, drove home after Circle last night thinking about what I was going to wear.  I had a black dress I almost got rid of and had thought of going as a witch by adding a black cape.  Was going to rush out this morning to find black fabric but while laying in bed this morning remembered some purple crushed Panne Velvet that's been in my stash for a few years.  I found a fantastic Hooded Cape at Fleece Fun.     So easy to run up - even in pretentious velvet :), much too hot for fleece here.pretentious velvet :), much too hot for fleece here.   Almost had to rush out to buy thread because all of my purple threads looked blue against the fabric, finally found a maroonish one that looked ok.  Even had a cheap brooch in with my collection of things to put into Christmas Crackers, I'll get around to that one day. 

The hood is a long one, a bit hard to see in this shot but the gold tassel is at the end of the hood.  

I didn't bother hemming the edges of the cape, just did the edge of the hood as the fabric rolled annoyingly.

Was very happy with the final result, only took around an hour to make.   I was helping out as a time keeper for psychic readings,, scared a couple of people as they came upstairs to find me at the top in the dark.  

It's not the first pattern I've made from Fleece Fun,  Made the  Long Cape  last winter to wear on a cold, wet Ghosthunt with friends, made it in a scrummingly warm grey Coral Fleece.  Scared the crap out of one of my friends as she noticed a hooded figure walking around the back of a Church graveyard before she realised it was me.

Tablecloth and a garden glimpse

Woke to the sound of pouring rain today, very glad not to have to get up and drive to work in it. Had been hoping to spend time outside in the garden weeding round the vege gardens, instead I wasted time on the computer and then made a new tablecloth.   

The sun finally came out and I ventured to the garden, which has been growing really well, ignore the weeds.  Will get to those tomorrow, I promise.  It's not only been wet but cold too, have seen reports of snow in parts of the state, we don't get snow in this district.

The cherry tomato has masses of green fruit on it, I had to tie it up as it was covering all the other plants.  I've been picking Alpine Strawberries as they ripen,  been meaning to get a photo but they never last as long as it takes to get the camera.  They are tiny but full of flavour.  My dad thought they were a bit soft but they haven't got that apple like crispness bred into them like commercial strawberries. 

 My Elder plant is really taking off too, it's probably quadrupaled it's size in the few weeks since I got it.

Is budding too, looking forward to seeing the first flowers appear. 

Right now I heading out for a walk to get some much needed exercise. 

Twinkle Sews

I bought the Twinkle Sews book ages ago and finally got around to printing off a pattern a couple of weeks back.  Today I got around to playing jigsaw trying to get the pattern together, have to say my first impression is not good. This how the pattern matches up on the first part I came across with any features, the dip is the neckline. 

   

How on earth could it be so far out?  I printed off sized 16 on letter sized paper and matched up the corners. 

I'm hoping that I can salvage it as the pattern piece is for the full front, I'm simply going to slash down the centre and make it an on the fold pattern.  I am hoping that I don't find other discrepancies among the rest of the 63 pages the pattern took to print out.  That's one of the things I've heard complained about these patterns, that because every pattern piece is printed full it takes so much paper to print.  I heard it described as one pattern, one tree.  It's a pity there isn't the option to print the patterns at a copy shop, much rather do that than piece them. 

I wrote the above a couple of days ago, left the pattern until this evening to continue on piecing.  I found the above picture was of the lining, I didn't want lining so have been piecing together the front and what did I find?

Not only that, the pattern pieces are supposed to be surrounded by a dotted line on each side, this is the line to match when piecing after about the first 8 pages the side lines disappear completely, I've had to rule lines myself for matching.

I did end up cutting the pattern in half and here is the finished result.

At this stage I said to myself that this is stupid I should cut my losses and give up, to which the TV agreed, I had been watching/listening to Time Team.   At that moment Tony Robinson made the remark "This is madness"  followed by "sometimes you just have to admit defeat".  Even he agrees with me.  I could go ahead and spend more hours working just to get the patterns pieced together but I'm admitting defeat.  Such a pity because there were a few patterns I liked from the book and I paid good money for it.  

Would I recommend the book to others?  Right now probably not.