FO: Windswept Betsey Johnson Wrap Skirt

Heath - cliff, it's me, your Ka-theeee!

Because I have a blog, I can tell you that this project was conceived on 23 May 2011... so it's taken me two years to make this skirt.  How did that happen?  I was besotted the moment I saw it, and then I lost my nerve.

Stats:
Pattern:  Butterick 4089 from 1970-something, Betsey Johnson for Alley Cat, in size 25 waist
Fabric:  2 metres of herringbone-weave blue linen from Croft Mill, price forgotten but around £15 total?
Other:  30cm of red bandana-print bias binding, halved along the centre line, to face the pocket edges, red topstitching thread, mediumweight woven interfacing for the front waistband.

Process:
I had to piece together the waistband / ties to fit them into the available yardage, so lined up the joins at the side seams.  Otherwise, I did what I was told.
I have to commend the design of this pattern.  Everything fitted together beautifully, with especially clear instructions for fitting the waistband, which I had expected to be a bit tricky... but wasn't.
The only thing I would do differently next time would be to bind the edges of the pockets on the inside, as there are some raw edges under there.  But that's just perfectionism.
I had planned to bind the hem, but in the end I stuck to the instructions and turned it under twice, adding topstitching.  Lots of thread was used in the making of this skirt! 

Verdict?
When I first tried it on, I was a bit disappointed.  The linen has a tendency to stretch out across the bias and is probably a bit too thin for a skirt.  It creases and ripples like crazy, and sculpts itself to the body, which is fine if you are standing up, but try sitting down and you will carry your bum-print around with you for the rest of the day!
However, when I went out in the wind to take these pictures, I found myself enjoying the swish and the swirl of it.  It is rather wild and untamed when it gets out in the weather.  Romantic?
And I am surprised and pleased to report zero knicker-flashing - woo hoo!  I was so worried that this would be a major issue with a wrap-back skirt.  And goodness knows it was tested!

In a different fabric, this skirt has the potential to swoop gracefully.  I am seriously tempted to revisit the pattern one day.  A maxi version?  Ooh!
I like the style.  It has swagger and drape and those huge pockets are so practical and welcoming.
But it is definitely a farm skirt.
An egg-collecting, wildflower-picking dog-walking skirt.

A here-comes-FL-over-the-brow-of-the-hill-skirt.

A Rumpus of Yarn Ponies

On Friday, I had an hour in Edinburgh between the end of my work meeting and the train back home, so I did the only sensible thing and aimed for the nearest yarn shop :)

This was my first visit to Kathy's Knits in Broughton Street.  I had read a friendly review of the shop on Jean Miles' blog and the promise of local and UK-sourced woolly goodness was too enticing to miss.
I was not disappointed.
I was the only customer, so I had the undivided attention of Kathy herself.
I went there in the hope that she might stock Yarn Pony.  I had bought a single skein of sock wool at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, overwhelmed at the time by the choices and possibilities.  Ever since, I have yearned for a cardigan's-worth of Mica's yarn.  I had been hoping she might open an online shop, but it hasn't happened yet.  Soon?
So when I spotted three cubby-holes of the mystical unicorn-like wool in Kathy's shop, the outcome was inevitable.

I spent a long time weighing up my choices.  There was not enough of any one colour to make a cardigan, but I was determined not to fall victim to my down-sizing tendencies, which would have sent me home with a lonely single skein to make a shawl or a pair of socks instead.  This is the year of making things "for keeps", so a cardigan's-worth of Mustang superwash merino it had to be.

Kathy humoured my indecision and helped me try out all the yarns side by side.  For a while, it was going to be a beautiful mottled mossy green with, maybe a deep claret contrast to make up the yardage.  That was a close thing.
But in the end (and don't forget I only had twenty minutes to spend in the shop!) I plumped for seaside stripes:  sea and sand and sky.  1200 metres of hand-dyed beauty.  Summer holiday knitting if ever I saw it!

I have not yet chosen a pattern.  But it might be an adapted Vitamin D, or something more fitted by Ann Weaver?  We'll see.  For the time being, it is stored out of reach of moths (I hope) while I finish FL's birthday socks.


I also popped a shawl pattern into my bag:  Firiel by Lucy Hague.  There was a sample in the shop (using Yarn Pony, of course!) and I was smitten.  It is worked sideways, so you can weigh your yarn, knit to the midpoint with half the skein, and then use up the remaining half on the second half of the shawl, with no wastage or fear of running out.  Clever!

Picture copyright:  Lucy Hague

The photos on the pattern page are lovely but don't do it justice - it looks even more striking in real life:  a solid garter stitch centre with graphic lace stripes in a jagged-edged frame.  It's one of those strong and simple shawls which could work equally well as a man's accessory. 
I plan to try it out with some of the Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop from my stash - maybe the denim blue colourway?  Mmmm!

FO: La Jupe Chardon Pasteque

Quelle surprise!  It's another Chardon skirt from the Deer & Doe pattern, this time in watermelon-pink linen.

This fabric has been in my stash since 2004, when I bought it to make a dress for my little girl.  Ha!  Listen to me, all you young mums out there: THEY GROW UP!  I have thought about using this fabric every summer.  Last year it almost became a pair of swishy pleated shorts, but luckily I revised my plans.  I think I will get a lot more wear out of a skirt than shorts.

Stats:
Pattern:  Deer & Doe Jupe Chardon, size 38
Fabric:  Heavy watermelon linen bought from Little Shop of Treasures at ebay in 2004, about £12?
Other:  Michael Miller Peace symbol bias binding from Frumble Fabrics, about £3.50.  Another metre of plain white binding for the centre back seam, about 40p from stash.  Zip and thread bought locally for far too much, but I needed it, so there you go, c'est la vie, shrugs.  Oh - and a "I am half agony half hope" label, naturellement!

Process:
I started making this skirt last Sunday and have been dipping in and out of it across the week.  This was supposed to make me feel like I was making progress, but actually made me feel like I had been sewing it forever!
I took care not to rush this project, and added binding to the centre back seam, to prevent fraying around the zip.  I tried to do a lapped zip from memory, but it's not perfect.  Maybe I need to research  different zip sewing methods as I seem to have lost my touch.  Once again I am grateful to the bow-tie for covering my dodgy zip-sewing!

I used the fancy Michael Miller binding at its full width on the hem, and half-width to bind the lower edge of the waist facing.

Verdict?
Stash-busting of the very best kind!
It feels really good to put this fabric to good use, after lurking in my stash suitcase for so many years.
Yes, it is a strong colour, but I am coming to realise that my happiest me-mades are the confident ones.
I love the swishiness of the Chardon skirt, and though the back bow is dangerously girly, it pleases me.

And best of all, I finally have a bottom half that goes well with my Raindrops on Roses top - yippee!

MMM Days 11 to 17 (Bored Yet?)

So here we are right in the middle of Me Made May.... are you bored yet?

11 May 2013 - nothing much to report.  I found myself dressed in old non-me-mades because it was Saturday and I was sewing at home.  But I am pleased to tell you that my jeans, t-shirt and shirt were all organic cotton, from Howies and Seasalt.

12 May 2013

 Happiness rating:   Very High
 Lisette Portfolio dress, oh how I love you and your pockets!  And by a stroke of serendipity the Artio shawlette picks up the lemon/lime flower in the print rather well.  To pin it in place, I dug out a handmade (not by me) brooch made from a shard of pottery found on a Scottish island beach :D

I wore this to the garden centre where I spent too much money on replenishing the herb garden (mostly lavender).  We now have a hard-digging "rough" gardener.  I wait for him to go home and then sneak out and plant things in the weeded areas.  Sadly,I have caught him trying to bury weeds instead of removing them, so FL got the job of having a man-to-man "quality control" talk with him, which turned into a practical demonstration of "how to dig".  I won't tell you how long it took FL to recover his breath.  Sigh.

13 May 2013

Happiness rating:    Increasingly happy as the day wore on (without creases!)

It's about time I wore my Chardon skirt!  I had to get up early to iron my South Riding blouse, but I think it was worth it.  I felt a bit like a 1940's pre-teen party-goer in this outfit.  Anne from the Famous Five?  (I always wanted to be George.) Someone in the Flickr group said it reminded her of Snow White - LOL.  Certainly the right era!  So I threw my cowboy boots on to toughen things up a bit.  Good news to report - this linen hardly creases at all - wowee!

Cardigan:  Betty Jean McNeil

14 May 2013

Happiness rating:  Bonus points for amusing others.

I have never worn this skirt before.  It is so RED and didn't seem to work with any of my tops.  But I had never tried it with my new violet and black Renfrew - success!  With toning tights, it is less glaringly bright (humour me) and I enjoy the shape.
Suspender straps take a lot of getting used to.  This is them crossed at the back, which hoists the hem upwards by a good inch if not two.  When I sit down... yeah.  Even higher.  But uncrossed they threaten to slip off the shoulder.  At this height, the waist is up on my rib cage which makes me look taller and slimmer, which is an illusion I rather like to cultivate ; )
However, this was not the ideal outfit for climbing on a chair to open the window in the hospital waiting room.  The NHS should employ me as a clown to entertain the aged and infirm:  if I'm not knitting a sock I'm performing aerial acrobatics in a short red skirt - woo hoo!

15 May 2013

Happiness Rating:  Medium to High

So it's cold again.  But I found my caravan curtain-print Renfrew - yay!  It was folded up neatly in the stash suitcase. (Why?) I am so glad it wasn't sent to landfill in a pile of threadbare towels!  Mad tights are becoming a theme this Me Made May.

 Cardigan:  Audrey in Unst

16 May 2013... and 17 May 2013 (spot the difference?)

Thursday

 Happiness rating:  Higher on Friday than Thursday

Who remembers this skirt then? It's my 1950's pattern Rockabilly Rose. It is very comfortable, crease-resistant and a "safe" colour for polite days at work, but because it is about 3 inches too big, it sits on my hip instead of my waist and is far too long.  If I hoist it up (first picture), you can see how it could look if I wasn't too lazy to fix it.  I have never tried wearing it with this cardigan or tops before.  Not bad, if a bit frumpy.

Worn with my Aestlight shawl and lime cashmere vintage cardi (a gift from a friend).

Friday

On Friday, I had to get up at 5.30am to travel to Edinburgh for a work meeting.  I needed to be comfortable, smart-casual and "appropriate".  So I revisited Thursday's outfit and exchanged the purple Renfrew for the red one.  Also seen:  farm-children print bag handmade by Cotton and Cloud before she became a famous knitting pattern designer, granny's not-jet beads, and alarmingly pink RTW coat, bought in a sale about 3 years ago (it could be 4) and saved for occasions when I think I need to look like a grown-up.
Because this outfit did what I wanted it to, it scored pretty high, even though this is not my ideal self-image.  Interesting.

A Pair of Sole Mates

My knitting has reached an interesting stage where I find myself with two single socks, His and Hers.

First to arrive in the singles club was Ms Chelsea Morning, who has been sitting waiting for her toes to be kitchenered for... um... two weeks?  She has been perched on a high stool sipping cocktails awaiting her sole-mate.  Her real name is Waffle Cream, but she thinks Chelsea sounds more sophisticated. After two weeks at the bar, she's just a tiny bit tipsy

She has all but given up hope of pairing up when suddenly...
 ... who should burst through the door but John Huston, Tarnished Hero, clutching the lonely hearts section of the listings magazine to his throbbing instep.

He has no time for pseudonyms or idle chitchat.
He walks right up to her, beer in hand:  "Hey Girl,"  he breathes in a husky voice,"You look mighty warm-hearted and squeezable.  Would you like to to rub your toes on my rippling twisted stitches?"
 

 "Oh my!"  gasps Chelsea, swooning into her Butterscotch Milk Punch.
"A Guardian reader!  I bet you're a feminist too!"

"Uh huh," leers John,  "I won't ever expect you to shave your legs or paint your nails!"
"But...will you do your own washing?"  she asks, breathless with anticipation.
"You better believe it, babes!"  he chuckles.
"And darning?"
"I like nothing better!"
"My Hero!"  she squeals, tumbling into his woolly embrace.

 And may they live happily ever after....

Hospital Update: Shifting Focus

Today, the Haematology department was in chaos. The waiting rooms were both full.  There were patients in the corridors.  I counted only 3 doctors and they didn't seem to be making any headway with the backlog of patients. BUT... this worked out well for FL, because instead of seeing a grumpy stressed doctor for 5 minutes at the most, he was diverted to the Macmillan cancer support nurse, G, who gave him / us a good 20 minutes of one-to-one attention.

When G drew me aside and asked me if FL would be happy to see him instead of a doctor, I have to admit my heart sank and I assumed the worst.  I thought we were going to be told his treatment was over and... yeah.  And I do still wonder if there was an underlying element of preparation in this appointment.  A shift of focus from purely clinical chemical intervention to a consideration of the palliative options?

Because FL's numbers continue to worsen. Although this month's increase is much smaller than last time, it is still going in the wrong direction.  G was keen to hear about how FL was feeling, and because it was G-The-Compassionate and not the doctor, FL told him exactly how it has been:  the all-consuming fatigue, chronic constipation, loss of feeling in his feet, and the general sense that he is gradually becoming less well.

And G listened and asked questions and listened some more, and then offered FL a host of new possibilities to think about.  Would he like to attend a fatigue management course at the local hospice?  How about an appointment for a free foot and leg massage?  A free podiatry appointment?  How about G talking to the doctor and asking to vary his dose of steroids so that he has less of a crash on a Friday / Saturday / Sunday?

And the answer to all of these suggestions was: "Yes, please, why not?"
Because FL is ready to try anything to improve his quality of life, knowing as he does that when they DO stop his current treatment, there isn't another drug left on the menu, so he needs to get himself in the best possible place mentally as well as physically, just in case this is the top of the slippery slope.

The Numbers:
Last month:
FL's Freelite score had gone up to 93 (from 35.7 the previous month and a "steady" 30 something for the several months previous to that).  We were previously warned that if the magic number hit 100, he would be taken off the chemo regime.

His kidney function was also showing a gradual deterioration, with creatinine measuring 131, compared to 126 the previous month, 122 before that... all the way back to 97 in November.
His blood was showing elevated calcium levels.

This month's update: 
Freelite score up again to 96
Kidney function "no worse than" last time.
Less calcium in blood (this is good)
Liver function "suggests he had a glass of wine last night, but definitely not 16 pints of beer"
Indications of an allergic response to something - could be hay fever?

Summary:
Another blood sample sent off to Birmingham for the Freelite test.

Another appointment next month.
Keep taking the tablets.
And actually - this is all manageable.
We are fine.

Weekend Makings

It was all very well having a holiday last Monday, but being back at work just felt so hard.
Not helped by FL greeting my tales of work woes with: "You should threaten to resign!".  Oh yeah, that would help - you actually think anyone would care?!  Ahem.

So  I curled up with my comfort knitting, and finally finished the first section of my Kex Blanket - hooray!  I got out all my balls of Scottish Aran Tweed to assess the available yardage and determine colours for the next section.  It took a whole evening to pick up the stitches, but now I am making good progress.
 
I have been itching to sew.  That's been the root of my weekday evening discontent - even though it is still light at 8pm, after doing my dog-duties it just feels too late to drag out the sewing machine and get going on a new project.  Tsk.  Pull yourself together, Roo!

So this weekend I made a start on not one but TWO skirts using fabric from the depths of the stash  - yay!

 

Unfortunately, it is so long since I planned to sew this Betsey Johnson skirt out of blue herringbone linen, I have long since scavenged the special red bandana print bias binding I bought for this project, (using it for my Tribute to Jane shorts) and have had to pause while I find something similar for the hem facing. 

This is the inside edge of the front pockets.   I need another 3 metres of binding for the hem,  I think red with white polka dots will do nicely!
I am making the blue skirt with red topstitching... in blue with red topstitching.  How original!

I was inspired by another Me-Made-May participant to revive this project.  VeryKerryBerry popped up in the Flickr group wearing a gorgeous linen wrap skirt which she made from a 1970's pattern.  "Ooh!  I could do that!" I thought.  And so I am, sort of - but mine has ties rather than buttons at the waist.  And I suspect that mine will be more of an apron than a skirt, because my linen is a bit too thin for decency.

This month's Country Living magazine has a similar vibe going on.  I might need a headscarf :D


But having run out of binding, I have set this skirt aside for today and made a start on my watermelon linen Chardon.  No pictures of that yet - you'll have to come back another day!