keelysews... sometimes

It's been a while since I posted hasn't it?! I've been busy studying and getting serious sewing withdrawal. Chocolate just isn't cutting it as a substitute, darn it. Shame too, because I have, ahem, had fundraiser chocolate bars sitting on my table, so you'd think I'd have been home and hosed . (as a side note, if you munch away on blue M&M's, be sure to check the mirror before leaving the house.... cyanosis is not a good look at all!) I've managed to squeeze in dribs and drabs of sewing, but nothing great. I whipped up a 'quick and dirty' tunic for DD2 to her own design. When I say 'quick and dirty', I mean it. Take a remnant of printed satin, fold in half and cut out a neck hole, fold in a small allowance and stitch, sew up side seams to armhole height, finish armhole edges and hem. It looks like a pillowcase with holes cut in it, lol. Then DD1 was in the school musical and naturally needed a costume. Luckily the only thing we coul...

It's nice to get rewarded for something you were going to do anyway. :) Mmmm, chocolate. I resisted the urge to drive around the block and go through the checkpoint again, lol. The pen I was given for having multiple passengers (my kids, lol), thereby being ecofriendly, was much appreciated too.

The only sewing that has gone on in my house recently is a baby blanket and mending. Not very exciting I'll admit. (Although the fact I have a new nephew is quite exciting.) The lack of blogging comes with the usual excuses.... life, university courses, etc etc. You know how it goes. That doesn't mean that sewing is far from my mind. I'm still grabbing quick chances to read blogs, although I may not always comment if I'm pressed for time - sorry. I'm also working on a personal goal to use sewing as an example in every one of my courses. ;) I've mentioned the online sewing community for my sociology paper and am currently working the act of 'sewing a garment' into the Research methods paper as an example of quantitative research: I hypothesise that this jacket pattern will not fit straight from the envelope, test with a muslin, hypothesis correct, modify hypothesis for new experiment 'I hypothesise that making larger darts will help it fit better'...

What is up with these?! I came across a post about these on a blog I've just found - Fat Girls Like Nice Clothes Too How the models walked in these is beyond me. (Video here .) The pink glittery pair about half-way through just look too cloven-hoofed, devil-goat to me! Given the pain normal style heels give me, I think I'll give these a miss. :)

It works everytime - as soon as I sew a heap of cold weather clothing (or nightwear) the weather turns hot again. :) Maybe I should hire myself out. I can see a lucrative income from sports teams, parade organisers.... lol. The magic wardrobe strikes again! And very quickly too. :) I've worn the brown Ottobre cardy 4 times already. For some reason, I feel like I have no other jacket/cardigans to reach for. I will hasten to say, that I didn't walk around half-nekked up till now! Just that I've gone off, got bored with, or plain old worn out most of my other choices. (I really didn't want to spell 'n_ked' correctly! Think of the blog trawlers that could attract!) On my desk I have a jumper waiting to be refashioned into a cardigan. After seeing some at a market, I felt very inspired. Now I've reached the point where I've overthought it and don't know where to start. Meanwhile other sewing ideas are whirling around in the grey matter, university has sta...

I don't know how many readers will be familiar with Noel Edmonds and Mr Blobby but you may see the resemblance...... right down to the wrinkles on the sleeve/arm, lol. Those who are familiar with the show may understand why I'm saying "Blobby, blobby, blobby" in a funny voice lately. :) If you're not familiar with it, you'd just assume I was mad, lol. I came across this knit fabric in my stash and seeing as it's a soft snuggly knit and it had been a cold week, I combined it with Simplicity 4327 to make a tent nightshirt . I had 6m, bought at $2m in a Spotlight clearance. I'm not sure what I was thinking of when I bought that much of a bright pink spotted knit. I chose a size by my full-b ust measurement and it ended up a bit big. Sherril has commented that it's not too bad apart from the sleeve length. And big does = comfy, but I'm feeling very much like I could be this guy - After I'd made my sleepwear, I decided to spread the pink around...

One wearable, one not. First up, a big THANK YOU to everyone for their help and suggestions as to how I might save my wadd-ette from full wadder status. I tried most of the tips, from belt (yikes, not a good look) to pinning in waist darts as many suggested. That worked to some degree, but didn't seem to go with the 'style' of the cardigan and also seemed to just cause the front to sit open more. However, I think I have it to wearable status. It might never be a favourite, but it's made it to the wardrobe month-long trial that Belinda/Sew4Fun suggested. I left the cardy to languish on my desk while I blobbed on the couch relaxed in front of the television until I had a revelation. Dang it - I am a lollipop shape (I'm thinking ChupaChup here, lol). It's my current body shape and, short of liposuction, I can't think of a way to change that overnight. That didn't mean I was going to settle for the octuplet pregnancy look though! I grabbed the seam-ripper...