Still here!

I’m still here, just haven’t had much to share. We’ve got a wedding to go to next weekend (James’ brother’s), and I had the brilliant idea to make my dress. Cheaper, and way more satisfying, right?

Part of the problem may be that KwikSew patterns aren’t terribly size-specific, and when you’re making a dress with a fitted bodice, that matters. A size 12 and a size 14 are both ‘medium’ sizes, but one’s likely to leave the back of my dress gaping. Me and Ms Dressform have become very well-acquainted over the last three weeks, as have me and Mr Seam-Ripper, and me and Mrs I-can’t-believe-it’s-still-too-big. Happily, I now only have the hem to go. Unhappily, I hate hemming. Pictures when it’s done.

Having spent so long on something I feel sure should’ve taken me only a weekend at the most, I felt the need make something quick and easy yesterday, and so I present: the less-than-50-cm-of-fabric tote.

It’s from Sew Smart with only 50cm Cloth! Genius, absolutely genius. (There’s a second book in the same vein and I think it’s only a matter of time before my will-power crumbles and I order it.) [Edited to add: they're both in Japanese, which I don't speak. At least, not well. I can scrounge the odd word out of the (minimal) text, but the key point is that the measurements are in roman numerals, and the diagrams are good enough that you don't need to be able to read anything anyway.]

The bag was so quick to make – maybe 2 hours at the most – and it came with the added bonus of making me feel virtuous, because it used the half meter of fabric I bought the other month. Yay!