A little progress….

but still not very much. I would love to say I had been sewing up a storm this week – but it really wouldn’t be true. During the time I should have been sewing I have knitted a tea cosy. Does that count as action?

Tea cosy completed

The pattern is one from my knitting bag that was a hand written copy (thanks Mum!) of a pattern made so often by our family we could probably manage without the pattern. The past incarnations have been knitted with two colours making a chequer pattern and had a pompom on top. Our kitchen really wouldn’t suit that – but I am tired of making tea and coming back to find it has become cooler than ideal  in the time I have taken to remember it. If anyone would like the pattern I am about to type it into a word file and would be happy to share. 

I have tried to work out why I hadn’t started sewing the blouse I cut out in  cotton sateen and really couldn’t come up with a reason. Since I really didn’t seem to be enthused about this (despite the fact I really like it) I thought I should just get stuck in on something, anything,to get going again so I cut out a shirtdress in a very stretchy cotton with metallic stripes that was lurking in my stash. The shirtdress from Patrtones 311 (referred to in this previous post) was almost exactly what I wanted but I decided to curve the hem into a ‘shirt-tail’ shape’ (longer at the back than front) and make the sleeves long with tabs so that I can button a rolled up sleeve.

Chevron on yoke

Shirt dress front

 I saw a thread on stitchers guild a little while ago which referred to the chevron detail on back yokes and Ann Rowley was kind enough to point out that if the front shoulder on the yoke is cut on the straight grain that gives this detail. I was going to cross cut the piece to get this detail – but Anns method is much more sensible.
I have managed to do all of the body, collar, and hem but the sleeves and buttonholes will have to wait for a few days as I am going away with the management for a short break.

Maybe some long walks in fresh air will bring me back renewed and ready not only to finish this shirt but make up the other one before it gets buried and becomes a UFO. I hope everyone else is making better progress than me!

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