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Showing posts from March, 2013

We are not fruit

This week's inspirational blogpost read comes from StephC at 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World: Not Buying It: Styles for Body Shapes .  Steph writes persuasively about the ridiculous tyranny of style guides which categorise us accord to certain body shapes, and hector us on appropriate choices of clothing.  I agree with everything she says, and rather than precis it here, I recommend you click through and read it for yourself. Soon after, sitting on the side of the local swimming pool eating supermarket sushi while the kids had their swimming lessons and before I went back to work for a marathon series of evening meetings, I read in our regional newspaper just the kind of style guide Steph wrote about.  Apparently the article is the beginning of a series about to run in the Christchurch Press .  I quote: "We welcome readers' input on their body shape problems and fashion solutions." There is no other permissible language than that of problems?  Acceptance not

The learning dress

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I'm calling this dress my learning dress.  It's certainly a lot more wearable than some of my previous 'learning dresses'.  I've gone back and narrowed the sleeves, taken the hemline up by 8cm and lifted the underarm seam a little as I narrowed the sleeves.  I also shortened the midriff band some more.  Unfortunately I sewed the back on to the front when I reattached the midriff band, so I've lost my loved chevron matching stripes effect in the front.  I'm not up for redoing that, as I narrowed the length of my stitches for a stronger seam, and it would take ages to unpick. The original version (bottom left photo) came up reasonably well, but I felt very dowdy in it.  Hardly the result I was hoping for.  Next time I make this dress, I will probably cut the sleeves to the elbow rather than 3/4 sleeves.  I may try the separate sleeve piece pattern which is available on the Cake Patterns website.  There is a bit of excess fabric between the bust and shou

Blueberry kefir smoothie

It's a kitchen post!  Not had one of those in a long time... Blueberry kefir smoothie Whizz together: milk kefir  blueberries (mine are from frozen) chia seeds chocolate Drink.  I'm drinking it every night. I'm still reading about copper, and haemochromatosis, and zinc absorption and how it all fits together.  So much to learn, but it's worth it.  Every time I've had a major illness, it's turned out to be linked to immune function, and I've learnt a lot as I regain control over my life and health.  Copper is my current biggest learning curve.

Cirque du Soleil

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Earlier this evening we all went to the latest Cirque de Soleil film .  It was pretty spectacular.  Then we had fish and chips on the beach beside the Point Elizabeth walkway.  I didn't take the camera, but that was pretty spectacular as well.  Most of the rest of the day was about autumn planning, with wood stacking, clearing tree pruning debris, and of course one thousand and eight loads of washing. No sewing this weekend, but I did receive my Pavlova skirt and top pattern on Friday.  I have some alterations to make to my stripey Tiramisu dress this week, and then I can start the new sewalong.  I hope I like the circle skirt, because I have no less than four lots of fabric which I could make it in.  The fabric above is lovely and drapey (and prone to fraying).  I need to do some thinking about where I place the pattern pieces.  I guess it is designed more for clothing which falls straight down.  It would make a sumptuous summer dressing gown, but I'm not sure that I'd

Tiramisu III

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Tiramisu the Third.  The print is good - I had feared it would be overwhelmingly, screamingly bright in effect.  After the second Tira dress, where I made a size 40 all over, with an FBA and 3/4 length cut-on sleeves, this one has narrowed sleeves, a wider cross-over section, a smidge more length below the bust and a shortened midriff.  I think it is pretty good, though I do have the bug of still considering how it could be better.  It is flattering - there's quite a heft of tummy that isn't particularly obvious.  I will pin the crossover section so it stops a bit higher.  I'm now going to go back to my stripey tiramisu and narrow the sleeves, narrow the midriff and probably take the waist in through the sides a smidge.  I'm finding noticeable differences in how flattering it is depending on loose or more fitted fabric.  Because of the cut-on sleeves, I'm reluctant to cut too high under the arm, so a bit of extra looseness around the underarms is just how it ha

Love

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I've been haunted by the power of a beautiful funeral speech all weekend.  Of the joy which one woman remembered and shared as she farewelled her husband in the coffin.  Of her strength and the way she spoke to him in her speech.  I stare at my husband and two beautiful children, and this morning, after only going to the supermarket, I wanted to come home quickly and tell them all I love them. My daughter and I went to Art in the Park, where she made lots of fabulous paintings.  I took my son to the BMX track, where he had lots of fun and I tried to capture it with the camera.  This afternoon I took them to the Gypsy Fair, where we all had more fun and caught up with more friends.  When I had to slip away and get some paid work done earlier this evening, Favourite Handyman sorted the kitchen out, cooked dinner, fed the children and ran the bath.  I'm so lucky and so grateful.