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Wednesday 29 June 2011

Dr Who jackets are cool (aren't they?)




So, we're in that tricky hiatus before the Dr Who season returns in the autumn, nerves jangled by the last episode and troubled by the multitude of questions still unanswered. How do we manage the situation?

Runciblegirl is coping quite well, and doesn't mind that now her brothers call her 'Melody'.

Husband is in denial: "It's only fiction".

Son#1 is immersing himself in the literature - 'The Brilliant Book of Dr Who 2011'.

Son#2 is role-playing his way through the series so far.

And me? I need some therapeutic sewing. Luckily son#2 has a plan already - he needs a jacket 'just like the doctor wears, with a pocket inside and on the left for the sonic screwdriver'. 


I looked into buying some real Harris tweed, and realised that, at £48/m, there's a reason why the shops aren't full of miniature Dr Who outfits.  (Incidentally, I read somewhere that Matt Smith and his jacket have revived the entire Harris tweed industry and turned around the fortunes of the company / island.  Not sure if it's true, though. I'll add a link if I can find one).

Anyway, then I looked for second hand jackets. There were no men's versions to be had - maybe the older Who fans had got there first? - but I found this size 8 brown wool jacket just asking to be regenerated.


(see those nasty unfinished seams? - the Doctor wouldn't stand for them...)

I unpicked all the outside edges; reshaped and finished the collar and lapels; cut the sleeves and armholes using the Imke pattern (which had worked so well for Captain Bluebear); reshaped the front, and buttonholes...





... and sewed it all together again from the inside...




...not forgetting the all-important pocket for the screwdriver.

Bow-tie and braces to follow.

Geronimo!


Tuesday 7 June 2011

A Bouquet of Bloomers

When my daughter was born, I made her a wardrobe full of lovely little dresses...



and then she learnt how to play peek-a-boo by pulling the skirts over head...




so I started on a new wardrobe of matching pants.




This was the very first pair, made from the scrappiest of small scraps.




Then I realised a pattern might be helpful, and invested in New Look 6718.


(with help from the cat)

I experimented with contrasting casing for the leg elastic...



... shirring instead of casing...




... and little shorts, with no elastic at all.



And then made a few more just for fun.


That was before I'd been introduced to Oliver + S.




This summer's bloomers are the O+S tea party pattern... 


(sugar city village frock)

made to match this dress,


(Oliver + S music box jumper)
and this dress,

(the seashore sundress)
and this dress.




And at last I felt brave enough to make some of my very own design...




... with ruffles.




(These are adorable on a crawling baby - I'll put together more details and a mini-tutorial for next time, if anyone is interested).

Thank you for coming to have a look!