A New Look

You may have noticed changes in the look of my blog over the last couple of days. I decided I was bored with my old blog colour scheme. After spending an evening playing with almost all the Blogger templates, plus having a look online to see what was available, this is what I came up with.

What do you think? Any suggestions? Is the type easy enough to read? While I'm picking brains, any idea on how to change the colour of the little arrow markers that still show in green? :)

TIA for any suggestions!

Snow Day!

Yesterday we woke to snow to sea level here. As we're fairly close to sea level that meant we actually got some at our house. :) The kids were pretty excited as school was cancelled - which was good because there was no way we could get the car out of the driveway and no buses were running. Instead the kids put the drive slope to good use and had a great time sliding down on old skateboard decks. Then it was down the road for a snowball fight at the park.


This may look like a pathetic amount of snow to some, but for us it's a big deal as normally it's the hill suburbs who have all the fun. Snow this low, that actually settles, only happens maybe once or twice a year at the most.




It snowed on and off for most of the day -

Luckily we didn't have to go anywhere. DH kept in touch with work by phone, not that many others had managed to get in. Fortunately, my exam wasn't until today or I'd have had a problem because the University doesn't cancel exams.

Speaking of which -my last exam was today so I'm free for a few weeks - yippee!

No Sewing, but....

I have a lovely clean bathroom.

Nothing like exam time to get that house sparkling. :)

Oh, and fabric came home with me from Spotlight. Nothing too amazing - black tricot and a printed satin with skulls on. Both have been bought as linings. Yes, I'm shamelessly copying inspired by Judy's idea. I'm sure she'll forgive me. [Insert big cheesy grin here :) ]

Hopefully there'll be some sewing in the next few weeks.

Oh my! Two months? Really?

It's been a while since I posted hasn't it?!

I've been busy studying and getting serious sewing withdrawal. Chocolate just isn't cutting it as a substitute, darn it. Shame too, because I have, ahem, had fundraiser chocolate bars sitting on my table, so you'd think I'd have been home and hosed. (as a side note, if you munch away on blue M&M's, be sure to check the mirror before leaving the house.... cyanosis is not a good look at all!)


I've managed to squeeze in dribs and drabs of sewing, but nothing great. I whipped up a 'quick and dirty' tunic for DD2 to her own design. When I say 'quick and dirty', I mean it. Take a remnant of printed satin, fold in half and cut out a neck hole, fold in a small allowance and stitch, sew up side seams to armhole height, finish armhole edges and hem. It looks like a pillowcase with holes cut in it, lol.

Then DD1 was in the school musical and naturally needed a costume. Luckily the only thing we couldn't get out of her wardrobe was a sparkly disco skirt and a bright, short skirt. A quick trip to Spotlight for some sequinned fabric, a dig in the stash for the matching nylon lycra, and a short time later she had an easy, elastic-waisted, reversable skirt. With the short costume change times I made it so that the lycra could be pulled up and flipped out for the non-disco scenes.


I also got started on my 'sweater' remake. I'd started out with a v-neck top, cut it up the centre front and that was as far as I'd got for the last, um.... too many weeks. I've now added bands to the front. I've still got to do the neckline. Then I'm not sure. I'm making it up as I go along. I haven't even decided how I'll fasten it. This is my 'muslin' so to speak. I wonder how it'll turn out. ;)





At the moment I'm contemplating a top I bought:



I bought it specifically for the cardy part and with the idea of cutting out the false shirt front. I mean, how easy is that? All I need is a pair of scissors, 5 minutes, and I'd have a cardy. However, DH likes it as is (tho, he's also terrible at imagining what things could look like). The problem is that I'm just not a frills person and the ruffles on the front irritate me. I keep looking down thinking there's something on my shirt, lol. This would probably be worn over all those Ottobre tops I'm going to be making after exams.... ;)

Chocolate smilies

It's nice to get rewarded for something you were going to do anyway. :)

Mmmm, chocolate. I resisted the urge to drive around the block and go through the checkpoint again, lol.

The pen I was given for having multiple passengers (my kids, lol), thereby being ecofriendly, was much appreciated too.

The only sewing that has gone on in my house recently is a baby blanket and mending. Not very exciting I'll admit. (Although the fact I have a new nephew is quite exciting.)


The lack of blogging comes with the usual excuses.... life, university courses, etc etc. You know how it goes. That doesn't mean that sewing is far from my mind. I'm still grabbing quick chances to read blogs, although I may not always comment if I'm pressed for time - sorry.


I'm also working on a personal goal to use sewing as an example in every one of my courses. ;) I've mentioned the online sewing community for my sociology paper and am currently working the act of 'sewing a garment' into the Research methods paper as an example of quantitative research: I hypothesise that this jacket pattern will not fit straight from the envelope, test with a muslin, hypothesis correct, modify hypothesis for new experiment 'I hypothesise that making larger darts will help it fit better', make muslin..... :) I'm still not sure how I'm going to get sewing into Political philosophy/Theories of justice, but I'll do my best.


In the meantime, fabric is still being acquired, ahem. Most recently a few purchases for DD at the Spotlight 20% off sale. Not that I actually needed fabric, but we'll just say I'm helping to keep the economy going. ;)


Here's the purchases for DD2: a poly knit that she wants as a tunic for over leggings; a knit with gathered/ruched flowers; and a knit which both DD1 and DD2 want tops from. I'll have to be creative because there is only 1.4 metres. I'm thinking short sleeve top with black undersleeves perhaps.




Purchases for me: A 'Pucci' knit from Spotlight, I think this is rayon blend; a wool blend, also from Spotlight - on the clearance table marked down to $4.99. This wants to be the Ottobre jacket from 02/2006 when it grows up; and another piece of the clearance Valencia, also from Spotlight. I seem to have bought a lot at Spotlight. :)



The blanket I made uses the last of the bigger pieces of embroidered polar fleece, backed with microfleece. Nice and cosy for the coming winter.

I better sew something soon or my stash stats will be going the wrong way!

OMG!

What is up with these?!


I came across a post about these on a blog I've just found - Fat Girls Like Nice Clothes Too


How the models walked in these is beyond me. (Video here.) The pink glittery pair about half-way through just look too cloven-hoofed, devil-goat to me!

Given the pain normal style heels give me, I think I'll give these a miss. :)