Hello! I'm back! Anyone remember me?
It's so long since I posted here that I'm playing catch up. I have many things sewn and not blogged.
Like this little panda tunic.
This wonderful fabric was a gift from one of our Paris Sew Social sponsors, Alles fuer Selbermacher. She was so kind and thoughtful - a half metre of this stunning panda knit, in the cutest bag, all with named labels.
The fabric is gorgeous - it's a heavyish knit with those quirky pandas designed by Andrea Lauren. It's special stuff - and I treated it to my very amateurish knit-sewing.... oops..
And this is My First Ever garment sewn with knits (yes, it predates the Aster cardigan blogged here, that's how slow I am being about blogging stuff).
Sometimes I can be a very careful, painstaking seamstress. And other times I just launch straight in with the scissors, thinking 'what's the worst that can happen?'
My attitude was, I'm only going to learn how to sew knits if I dive in and give it a go. So that's what I did.
The pattern is the Rowan Tee from Titchy Threads, another kind gift from a Paris Sew Social Sponsor. It's modified a lot though! I cut the body as long as I could, given the fabric length and also flared it at the sides. The sleeves have become full length too.
I was flumoxed as to how to finish the neckline - having never sewn knits before. You usually use ribbing right?
Well, I didn't have any. And there is nowhere locally that sells any, and I certainly wasn't going to faff around online. I cut up an old t-shirt and made a kind of bias binding, and finished the neckline with a reverse bias trim, and a zig zag stitch. It won't pass any sewing exams, but it works...and I like the merest hint of that teal blue bias on the neckline.
I used the same t-shirt fabric to trim the hem and a little pocket. It's not neat - but it is cute.
And this is exactly the kind of thing that a playful little girl likes to wear.
They say panda's struggle to reproduce - but I think this one is likely to spark a new generation of 'wearable knits' for my little girl... Look out for more!
Blogging is the only thing I've been doing slowly. Everything else in my life feels like break-neck speed.
I feel like I'm running the wrong way up an escalator most of the time. I've just increased my working hours (temporarily I hope) and am writing more and more for the newspaper.
Also term time routine is in full swing. I'm dashing from work to school to driving a child to a violin lesson or football match, in between trying to cook dinner and get the laundry put away....
Sometimes I struggle to feel like I can breathe...
Does this sound familiar? I'm desperate for some simplicity and authenticity, and I guess that's partly why I have managed to keep on sewing. It's a moment of calm in the non-stop world.
But any other tips on how to maintain Working Mum Sanity would be gratefully received!
