Spring Washi - The sunshine is here the sunshine is here!

How are we all this fine day? I was working from home yesterday as unfortunately I'm now suffering from a thing called PGP (I think it's this... I'm still waiting on a doctors appointment) which if you're interested is something that happens to pregnant ladies. If you would like more info, click on the link. Basically it means that the more I walk the more pain I am in, so I've had to not move from a chair for the past couple of days.

As I'm sure you can imagine, this is horrendous when you're like me and love to sew, and see people and pretty much do anything other than sit on your bum (not that I don't love a bit of loafing but everything in moderation right?) So inevitably my brain is on overdrive over the things I could be doing.

Luckily I have a wonderful husband! The ivy from the great Spring Clearing of 2013 had started to grow back, you can read all about the first time I pulled it all down here.

It lasted a single year before the ivy started to grow back, and by this point it had grown completely all over the walls and fences again (though thankfully not quite to the extent that it did the last time). What I didn't realise the first time is that I am crazy allergic to this type of ivy. If it touches my skin I come out in a rash, and the rash spread all over my arms and up my legs. It was a really intense rash to be honest, pretty gross.

So! This time round my wonderful husband did it for me :-D I bought him a pair of shears to help speed the process along, but turns out all he needed was one judo chop!

Judooooo Chop! I am mightily impressed, we've managed to get most of the ivy in the green bin, and I think most of the plants survived the light trampling. Can't wait to get out there again, and start to see the flowers blooming. 

So! In honour of all things spring like, I have sewing to show you: The Spring Washi

I made this in January, when I really needed to feel like Spring was coming, and I wouldn't be cold forever. When I first cut the bodice I stupidly assumed that the fold in the middle of the fabric would be... in the middle of the fabric ha ha. So the very specific design was slightly off centre. I only had so much of this lovely fabric but I managed to piece back together the centre bodice from off cuts. hence the lovely satin piping at the under-bust. It is there to distract from the fact that the bodice and the skirt don't actually pattern match (sshhhh)

I got this beautiful fabric from Matt and Neela, when they came to stay with me last year, along with the rest of the gang. Wow! Was that last year? We need to do that again guys! so props to them for their awesome choice in fabric. 

I didn't have any pictures of the back without that big fold in the fabric. I promise it's not always there, just my booty getting in the way ha ha. 

The sleeves are drafted from the Cami sleeves that I made in the great shirt make-over. But I will save that adaptation for my next instalment of 'adaptation and alteration'.

On Saturday I did a demonstration at Abakhan (from my chair). It was really fun to meet and greet people, have a good natter about the show and what they were sewing. My favourite thing is helping people with new techniques, and I showed them all sorts throughout the day such as hong kong seams and invisible zips. Everyone loves an invisible zip! If I had just demonstrated those all day then I think everyone would have been happy. Have a good week guys, I've got my fingers crossed for slightly more walking about.

This week:

You can find my shiny new column in Sew magazine, learn all about my wedding dress and what I've been up to since the Sewing Bee

Spring Clearing

Hello people!

Apologies (again) for my lack of posts once more. But I promise I haven't been resting on my laurels (never sure what laurels are... and although I'm sat at a computer and could totally look it up I'm not gonna. Cos that's how I roll!

So anyway... I've been in the garden, which is nice :-) This is what's occurred over the past couple of weeks.

So now we have a very messy back yard, covered in ivy (mostly in one massive pile), and my arm has come out in this mental growing rash of some kind... but other than that I am ridiculously happy. There is sunlight in our garden! I was pretty worried about that as it's north facing. But I think it's going to be great in the summer. I've also now extended the back border into one very large square which will be great for growing veg in squares. I'll keep you updated.

The other thing I did last weekend (when doing my massive garden weekend) was build the box below for the front yard. This was great, as the front of the house is South facing, so I can use this border for all of the sun-loving plants (I'm thinking specifically tomatoes)

 I built this with my Dad, it was fun and made me feel like just because the cube I tried to make in School was such a beautiful failure, perhaps woodwork isn't the worst, as exemplified by the big grin and thumbs up below.

Me and my friend then filled it up on the Sunday, with some of the ivy from the garden, and then loads of cardboard... and then about 7 bags of soil. It's still not full, but my bank balance cannot take the hit that 10 more bags of top soil would require. Plus bandq don't deliver soil! What's that all about?

So anyway... Deborah out!