A Tale of Three Things

Towards the end of the summer I found a sheet and a couple of pairs of curtains at a lovely vintage fair in a magical garden. All three things have now been used and made into new and useful things.

The worn and gently faded red rose curtains solved the problem I'd been having of finding the right fabric for Miss Rosey's wardrobe doors.

The pink floral sheet became a new bedskirt to replace the old and torn one. I threw it under the mattress so it would hang down either side of her metal bedstead. I saw this somewhere (can't remember where now? and thought that looks perfect, no measuring, cutting or stitching required just throwing it over).

Around the same time I cut out the pieces for a new dress from the remaining Liberty curtains. A dress that I thought might see me through the whole winter.

It hasn't worked out that way though as I wasn't concentrating properly. I ended up cutting out two skirt panels, four sleeves and two interfacings all the same shape, facing the same way. Once I realised what a numpty I was and that I didn't have enough material left to sort my stupidly stupid mistake out I put the pieces on the fed up with you now pile.

Then just after Christmas I had a sort out of my makings things. I found the zips I'd been looking for and so a cowboy pouch got made. Then I spied the cast aside dress pieces and I felt the urge to try and sort the problem out. With a bit of careful patching on a front panel and slightly altering the cuts of the pieces I'd screwed up it started to look like a wearable dress might be made after all.

On Monday morning I got up early (for me) and stitched and stitched away until I'd got enough of a dress made to try it on at last.

I've still not fitted the zip or hemmed the bottom, but I can see the cut isn't too bad after al. To be honest I'm really pleased and can't wait to get finished and then wearing it.

It's exactly the same pattern I used for the cotton dress I made in the summer. I might not stop at making just these two as it's a pattern that's perfect for my shape and style. I've always loved 1950's style dresses loaded with colourful petticoats underneath. As I've a long neck, v-necks look hideous on me, boat necks the best. I'm busty, but narrow and this dress just fits in all the right places because it's easy to play about with the sizings.

I'm so glad I got my interest back in making this dress. Hopefully I'll get a chance to finish it on Friday either side of my crown fitting and then I'll be dressing up in it next week. The crown is for my teeth sadly and not about me being a princess for the day. 

Now about the Four Happy Things Swap, I'm really glad so many of you want to join in. Looks like a lot of happiness will get spread about. There's been a couple of interesting twists on this as we now have a couple of youngsters joining in (which is really exciting for us the mum's and them) also my best matey who now lives in the land of Oz has signed up too. She's very creative and finds great stuff on her travels. Turns out in a funny roundabout way that when she stayed in Sydney this christmas and met up with her aunt, her aunt reads my blog, but didn't know we knew each other. The world gets smaller and smaller if you're in blogland doesn't it.

 See you again at the weekend I guess.