I've used this New Look pattern again. I have a pair of the pants nearly finished for me but the star of this show is the orange merino waterfall cardi I made my friend. My first one was for me, made from some lovely linen knit. This one was for a special friend who lives most of the year overseas. Her favourite colour is orange so when I saw orange merino last year at the Fabric Store for $10 per metre, I knew I was getting some for her. I made her a merino Kwik Sew 3977 (as I did for my Mum and sister) and she loved it but it was a little big but perfect as her onboard jumper in a lovely royal blue merino with a tiny stripe through it at wide intervals. (I know a jumper is different in other places - we call a cardi a jumper).
So when I went to the Gold Coast where she and her husband live when at home, she saw my linen one, tried it on and loved the style. It was a quick sew and the trickiest part is the band that runs around the hem and waterfall front. I used the coverstitch for the sleeve hems. My friend saw something I had made for a little girl (shorts below) and had a brain wave and asked if she could have bobbles on her cardi. Of course the stash comes to the rescue as I had orange bobbles on hand. Correction; putting the bobbles on was the trickiest part. As the bobbles aren't the best quality I put them on with a zigzag and said to my friend, if they get a bit yucky, she can unpick them and I can put new ones on when she comes back. I put some on the outside and on both sides of the first 15 cm at the top so the bobbles are visible.
On the hanger. These are true colours.. the bobbles are a different orange colour. Just looking, I wonder if I should have put some on the sleeve ends? I'd like to say, when I bought this pattern, it was one of the ones I put on a list I would give Maree and she'd get them in the US when they were $1 or $2 but I got a bit discouraged when I read the only review on Pattern Review that did not like the band around the edge. Don't be discouraged by reviews... I found the extra weight of the band gives this cardi a better drape and fit compared to the Kwik Sew ones I made that have no band and seem much more floaty rather than swingy. Place for both floating and swinging (wonder what search results that will show up on.. imagine the disappointment.)
On my friend. This photo is before I put the bobbles on the underside. Maree had positioned the waterfall part to show the bobbles, but in truth in this photo they were on the underside hence the need to rethink the top part. Excuse her hair, she'd just jumped out of the shower
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| Front view |
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| Side view |
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| Back view - note the matching shoes! Told ya.. loves orange! |
Couldn't resist showing part of my birthday gift ... this most terrific bobbin holder. I was SO excited when I opened this. Maree's husband said it was the best travelled gift... they got it when they were working in the US.. travelled with them to the Bahamas, the Hamptons and ultimately to Europe settling in Turkey where the boat they manage is based till May. For some reason I thought these were magnetic.. good idea but bobbins are plastic too, so thrilled to find it's silicon and the bobbins kind of lock in. These are the kinds of things you have to think of when sewing on a boat out in the oceans. I so love it and it fits pretty much all my bobbins bar a few with specialist threads on them. I got loads of other gifts too... super spoiled!
These are some shorts I made from a remnant piece of fabric I got at the fabric swap a few months ago. Sooooo cute. I would wear that in a heartbeat, however there was so little, I had to add a little piece around the crotch area on the left ...you can just see the mis match at the red flower... there was just fumes of this little scrap left but too cute. They still need the elastic..
I had to add this... tiny little cushion - maybe 25 cm diameter and check out the price!!! $40!! Boy people have more dollars than cents these days. I know my younger sister bought some cushions that were so expensive, she wouldn't tell me how much they cost!
And just to finish, I saw this on a final show of Married at First Sight...a ridiculous concept and not a show I watch...I was at Mum's. This is nearly my jump-suit... except mine has the V at the back too and I had a flower on my belt. Exact same colour and nearly same style... all I could think was "I wonder what she paid for that!"
Next up I hope to sew covers for my lounge. I have a couple of weeks off, but the 2nd weeks will be dedicated to sewing the covers. Not sure how I'll go as some of it will be really big pieces and I hope it will fit under the machine. I'm doing it while Alex is at his Dad's as then I won't have to clear it up for dinner every night. I've invested $54 in the fabric so not much, but I hate the teal colour it is and it's getting worn out. Plus I just can't find a lounge I like, nor one I want to spend the kind of money they want. So lets see how I go.
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