The Things We Do For Love

I've done some pretty silly things for love. Pretty darn silly.

Like:

- do I really have to say out loud?

And today, I've gone and done it again. I promised a picture of me in my new top. Nevermind the fact that here it's kind of cool, raining, and the top I've been working on is clearly a Summer top. Nevermind that. I'll wear it. Even if it still has tacking around the collar where I still have to stitch, this dear friend, is a design feature, until I take to the machine later tonight.

So here I am being ridiculous in the name of love. The shots I took where I pretended I wasn't taking photos of myself were so silly, painfully awkward, that I decided to ham things up. Everyone's got an inner model (I'm sure of it, I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 is a fab mantra.. if you don't have kids), and today, I've drawn on my inner model just for you. Just as Beyonce has Sasha Fierce, my inner ego is... Tallulah Moochacha.

Some models appear as though they've dislocated a shoulder to contort their bodies. I've drawn on them, minus the hospitalisation (who would feed the masses in my absence?). I've pouted harder than any woman's pouted before.

All to show you my new top. Finito. Now how's that for the things we do for love?

Sewing Scoop de la Scoop

I think it's week four of sewing classes. I seem to be the dunce in the class, always getting a rap over the knuckles for a number of reasons:

a) not being able to get the bobbin in
b) over-stitching
c) accidentally tacking the wrong piece
d) generally not knowing how to sew

Last week I left with a battered ego. If I wasn't getting in trouble at the Doctor's pre-school for lunch packing technique, I was getting chastised in front of my whole class for my lack of sewing prowess.

Never mind.

I am on the home run for my top. I won't show you it this week. There's not much to show. I'm just hand-sewing the hem, finishing the darts and when I have finished it, I will show you (until then, remember to breathe).

But I am steaming ahead with my stitching. Well slowly steaming. After all, I am the slow stitcher. (See how I got sick of stitching in purple, so I've switched to the pink just for fun - and crazy as it seems, that's what stitching is for me - fun to the power of rad (and something to do while watching this - did you watch it?? That Claire Verity is one nutcase)).

And before you think I am some kind of creative genius, these designs are all from Jenny Hart's 'Sublime Stitching'.

So now it's Friday. Thank goodness. The whole weekend awaiting our hands to mould it into whatever it will be.

We have a fairy & pirate party to attend. Excellent! Tiny cupcakes to be baked. Yeehaaaar! What fun stuff are you up to this weekend? Do tell!

The Sound Of...A Sewing Machine. You've Got To Be Yoking.

Week six of sewing - only two weeks to go. Last night I thought I'd better get the sewing machine going, get wild on something for me to wear. In fact I really wanted to overlock to let off some steam. Alas, I spent most of the evening cutting out a flibberty pattern, then the fabric, and all I sewed was this. The yoke. Not even the whole thing. Maybe I was talking too much. I always got tossed out of class at school for talking too much. Not that you'd know I sometimes talk too much (three posts in one day - no, I don't talk too much!).

So the yoke. See that piddly amount of sewing down the bottom there? Well times that by two - and that's the equal sum of my sewing. Hmph!

And have I told you about my sewing machine? My Mum kindly gave me my grandmother's machine. It's an old Husqvarna. In good nick. Hasn't been used for some time. I took it to be serviced to make sure it was ready for me (or maybe that was so I was ready for it). The people told me I'd forgotten the pedal - but not to worry, they had one they could use for the service.

I came home and have searched high and low for that damn thing. Even had my Mum turn her place upside down looking for the pedal and the power cord. Do you think it's turned up? Uh-uh. Nope. So unless I decide to just manually turn the needle-thing, I can't use the machine. I paid $100 for the service. Then it's going to be another $150 to get a pedal made up. Double hmph.

I've heard of people finding perfectly good machines on the side of the road. Someone in my class knows someone (who knows someone who knows someone - just jokes) who picked up an overlocker off a council pick-up then sold it on eBay for $300. If only my bin and I were still on speaking terms.

Until then, I'm hand stitching and waiting 'til Monday night to get the machine humming again.