I’ve got my hands in so many different projects right, it’s almost hard to keep up with myself!
My first priority was re-creating my piece for the upcoming book, which (as I’ve seen it talked about elsewhere online) I believe I can now reveal is tentatively titled “Pillowcase Challenge” and is all about recycling vintage pillowcases into other items. You’re going to have to wait until next spring to see my creation in the flesh (along with a few other pillowcase-related tutorials I’ve got tucked away), but here’s a teaser of my sample ready to be posted:
Lark Books are actually still seeking submissions for the book in the form of photos of your vintage pillowcase stash, or memories of your childhood pillowcases, though you’ll have to get your skates on if you’re a stasher as the deadline is today!
I’ve also been working on James’s linen shirt a few minutes at a time, still following David Page Coffin’s “Shirtmaking” book to the letter. It’s slow going, but I’ve passed what I thought would be the two biggest hurdles – the sleeve-body seam, and the flat felled side seams. Both required lots of concentration and accurate measuring, but ended up being not nearly as difficult or intimidating as I thought when I read through the directions.
The flat felling foot is an utter lifesaver, though so I can definitely see why he urges buying one. I’m finding I have to really trim the fraying edges of the linen before starting the first sweep of the flat felling, though or I end up with furry seams later on… Ask me how I know!
So now that I’m starting to see the end of this shirt approaching (only another side seam, cuffs, hem, and still-yet-to-be-chosen buttons to go!) I traced off two patterns for my next projects. I swapped my winter wardrobe over for my summer clothes a week or so ago and realised I really need day dresses and skirts, so I’m focusing on the former with my next two patterns.
I’ll be making this La Mia Boutique day dress (#31 from April 08) using the leftover lemon yellow linen/tencel blend for the top half, and some fuschia tablecloths for the bottom. I think I may possibly be channelling Spring colours, or perhaps I’m just craving sorbet.
The other is a cute and very casual shift dress from the May 08 issue of Prima magazine. I don’t think I’ve mentioned Prima much here before, but it’s a UK women’s magazine that features one sewing pattern each issue. If you subscribe you get sent them automatically, but if you pick up an occasional copy at the newsagents like I do, then you need to ring a premium rate number to have it posted to you (it usually works out to a pound or two on your phone bill, which is very reasonable).
Hopefully I’ll be able to finish James’s shirt as well as make up these two dresses over the long weekend, but I’m also running my first 10k on Monday morning so I’m not sure how much energy I’ll have left for sewing that day! I’m running to raise funds for the RNLI (the Royal Lifeboats), so if you’d like to donate, then myself and countless others on UK coastal (and tidal Thames) waters would be forever in your debt.