Tabatha’s April Challenge 2013 – Week Four+

Hi there!  This is the last you’ll hear from me regarding this year’s April Challenge, which is now over.  Here’s a quick look at what sewing I did for the last week and a bit of April:

Monday 22nd April

Today my two hour slot I finished sewing up the lining for my Sewaholic Cambie dress and attached it.  I’m using a plain black poplin from Boyes (100% cotton): it’s a lovely fabric which I have worked with before – most notably for my red Colette Parfait dress which was featured on the Coletterie blog here.  Because my overlocker was threaded up with white cotton, I used some different finishes on the raw edges of my lining: the shoulder seams are pinked, the side seams are turned and stitched and the waistband is zigzagged!

Tuesday 23rd April

Today I finished my Cambie dress!  I attached the ‘sleeves’ (which I would call straps rather than sleeves), and ended up unpicking and reattaching them several times before I was happy.  When I had hemmed both the lining and the dress I took some photos to show you.  I LOVE IT!  It’s so cool, I cannot wait to wear it!  What do you think?  The fabric is designed by Emily Taylor for Riley Blake Designs and I bought it from Emma’s Fabric Studio.  I had 3.5m and used nearly all of it, so didn’t have enough for pattern matching at the seams, but nevermind eh!

Ahoy thar matey! Emily Taylor Design – Riley Blake – £12.50 per metre

Front view

Back view

Bodice/Lining/Zip view

Lining view

Tonight’s cocktail was an Atomic Dog – one of my favourites!

Atomic Dog

For 1 glass:

• 5 – 6 ice cubes
• 1/2 measure white Puerto Rican rum
• 1/2 measure rum flavoured with coconut
• 1/4 measure fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 measure green melon liqueur (Midori)
• 3 measures pure pineapple juice

Place the ice and all the ingredients in the lower part of the shaker.  Fit the upper part of the shaker and shake vigorously for 8 – 10 seconds.  Strain into a highball glass and serve.

Wednesday 24th April

Today’s two hours was spent pattern cutting at college again.  I sewed up the bodice after having done the FBA and hip adjustment and tried it on.  The FBA needed a little tweak, and I need to take it in at the side seams between the bust line and the waist line, but these are minor adjustments which I can make to the paper pattern without making another toile, so after I’ve adjusted the pattern, I can get on with designing my own dress!  I’m definitely thinking of something along the lines of the lovely Deer and Doe Belledonne dress, after falling in love with Amanda’s version, but I’d like the front to be different, and I might do it with a circle skirt.  Exciting!

Thursday 25th April

I didn’t do any sewing today.  Instead I went to a wine tasting in the evening with my friend Amy, where there were no less than 67 wines to try, plus about 20 spirits!!!  It was amazing!

Friday 26th April – Tuesday 30th April

Now this is where it all gets a bit hazy, because it’s coming to the end of the April Challenge and I stopped writing stuff down…

Basically, I’ve started sewing Julia’s Shirtwaist dress from Gertie’s book.  I’m currently working on the bound buttonholes, so you can expect to see the finished dress in about three hundred years….hahaha.

I did get some pics of me in my pirate dress though!  (Yes, that’s right, I’m distracting you with pictures of pretty dresses….):

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Ahoy there me hearties! (I did not have a boat nearby to pose upon, more’s the pity)

Windy Woo, and a pretty shoe (or two)

There.  Ooh: I did drink some nice cocktails as well… On Saturday night, I had a Gin Fizz, which is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE DRINK EVER.  Yes, that’s right.

Gin Fizz. Also my lovely new bag in the background!

For 1 glass (pictured above is double quantities!):

• 5 – 6 ice cubes
• 1 1/4 measures gin
• 1/2 measure fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar cane syrup (Gomme)
• 2 1/2 measures soda water (club soda)
• 1 slice unwaxed lemon
• 1 maraschino cherry

Place the ice, gin, lemon juice and sugar cane syrup in the lower part of the shaker.  Fit the upper part of the shaker and shake vigorously for 8 – 10 seconds.  Pour the contents of the shaker into a highball glass.  Add the soda water and place the lemon slice and maraschino cherry in the glass.  Serve immediately.

And on Sunday night I had a Cassisina, which was basically like alcoholic Ribena:

Cassisina

For 1 glass:

• 1/8 unwaxed lime
• 3 – 4 crushed ice cubes
• 1 1/4 measures vodka
• 1/2 measure crème de cassis

Squeeze the lime segment into a rocks glass.  Fill the glass with crushed ice and add the other ingredients.  Stir with a mixing spoon for 8 – 10 seconds and serve.

And that’s it!  The end of my April Challenge.  Some might say I did better at drinking cocktails this month than making dresses, but nevermind!  This has been the hardest April Challenge I’ve done – with two kids to look after I have found it so hard to set aside the time.  I have mainly sewn when they were asleep, but it has had an impact on other leisure activities such as reading, and you know, sitting on the sofa, so although I’ll still be trying to sew whenever I can from now on, I will be able to do other things instead if I so choose!  Having said that, I’ve really enjoyed the sewing that I have done, even those bound buttonholes!  I often find that once I get in my sewing room and the machine is on, I’m happy.

How do you make time for sewing?  Do you do a little each day, or sew in long, uninterrupted bursts, or what?  I’m curious!

(By the way, those of you who follow me on twitter may have noticed that I have changed my name to my real name – Louise!)