Malibu Drop Peals...

A lovely jewelry making sesh on the weekend with some funky ladies. Miss D was hitting the poolside colours of aqua, pearl and chic silver with chrystal. Miss A went tribal making a key ring with chunky beads that wont be lost in a hurry. Miss B got all Christmas spirited and made some gifts for newly acquired in-law type relatives: a necklace in oceanic deep green handmade glass beads, and a drop stone and mother of pearl earring. Miss J bucked the trend and made Christmas pom poms in wildly mismatched colours of Grandma-inherited yarn, Miss H made a delightfully pared back wire, coral and dirty lime necklace for a girlfriend, Miss A experimented with circuit boards and fake flowers to create a high tech bloom broach, and yours truly made a garish aqua, coral and dirty lime necklace for a pow of 80's colour for the office. There was also much creative reuse of limp or lame accessories and some quick and easy repair work. Viva la creative Sunday afternoon.

and another one...

And then I thought while I'm on a roll, I should do a hot water bottle for my daughter, so they'll both have a spunky hot water bottle cover for next winter! Went with red, so thought I might try making up a pattern. I know. So did a 6 stitch x 8 row checker with 2k, 6k, 6p, 6k, 6p, 2k on the knit side, and 28p on the purl side, then switched around the knits and purls in the middle 24 stitches. I think this pattern is even OK when you start to shape the shoulder bits. Here's what I've done so far:

skirting the issue

This skirt is the first wearable thing I ever sewed - five bazillion years ago, with Ambiguity's help. later, I took up the hem because I wasn't sold on the length, printed on some of the leftover fabric, covered these buttons with it, and hey presto - detail. Wore it last week for the first time since the remodelling.

Goodbye dress - hello tunic top

So I had this lined, grey, shift dress, just above the knees, that I thought would look 'smart' for work, but found I was just never ever wearing and felt like a nob any time I put it on. Decided that I loved the neckline and liked the fabric but just didn't love the overall effect - too prissy for our fairly casual office. So, with Miss Snapdragon's help (and the help of her overlocker) I transformed it into a tunic top - kind of crotch length, so that it can be worn over pants or a skirt without any fear of butt crack or knicker showing. It's still fitted, but feels less conservative than it did before. I put two little slits at the sides just to make it look more finished, and Miss SD made a rosette out of the bit we cut off the bottom. Also I ended up cutting the lining out because it was a bit funny, and the fabric has a little stretch and the lining didn't, so it's nicer to wear now.
Attached the rosette to a pin so it's removable, so that it doesn't have to go through the wash and also so I can have it plain sometimes too. Making it was fun. Taking it out on the dressmaker's dummy and taking photos was even more fun!