Home sweet home!

Well, we're back, and after two and a half weeks away I think the kids and I were ready to be home (not so the hubby - he'd live on the beach if he could!).

I had a couple of parcels waiting for me when I got back....

Gotta love getting fabric in the post!!  I made a couple of purchases before going on holiday - two from Favourite Fabrics ebay shop, and the other from a private ebay seller.  It could have been a disaster as the postman in his wisdom decided to leave the packages around the back of the house between the wheelie bins (and didn't leave any note to say he'd done so!).  I had a little panic when I spotted them, but thankfully they were both well wrapped in waterproof packaging (one of them only on the inside so the postman couldn't have known this!) so they survived two weeks sitting in the damp without mishap!

I love the funky jungle print with it's wintery colours (check me out planning ahead!).  I'm thinking I might make it into a Ginger Skirt unless I have any other ideas in the meantime.  The grey twill is a little lighter than I'd hoped, but might become a Moss [not-so] Mini.  The white is a couple of meters of viscose jersey I spotted on an auction listing.  I bought it to make a Pavlova Top to go with my [as-yet-unblogged] Miette Skirt, although I'm going to have a practice go with some (hopefully) less slippery jersey first.  I picked up the fabric below in a charity shop.  It's still a pretty fine jersey but I won't be so worried if I screw it up.  There was a big rust or paint stain in the middle of it, but I managed to work around it in the pattern placement.

I downloaded the pdf and stuck it all together (I love the immediacy, but the assembly is a drag!).  I really wasn't sure which size to cut out on this one.  I'm fairly petite around my top half but thought I'd play it safe and start with the larger size.  I can always go a size smaller for the next attempt.  I had to cut the fabric out on the kitchen floor but it doesn't look too shabby.  I'm yet to work out how to put it together, but I've got a couple of evenings coming up to work on it whilst Jon has meetings - yay! Sewing nights! 

I've also made up my Mathilde Blouse muslin finally.  I think I've been putting it off coz I'm scared of it!  I have a few fitting adjustments to make.  The neckline is too high against my throat for some reason.  I'm going to try and drop it by lengthening the shoulders as I don't want to have to mess with the neckline and facings.  I'm taking a little of the width out of the back shoulders, dropping the bust darts (perhaps a nursing bra issue - too much information?!)  and grading the side seams to be a little wider at the hips.  I've also got major sway back issues so I've got to try and figure out how to take some fabric out where it's pooling at the back without messing up the buttonhole placket.  Hmmm.....might be a bit out of my depth already!  

So, it looks like I'm back into the swing of things post-holiday.  You can tell because the sewing machine and selected accessories are firmly back in place in the middle of the kitchen table!

I'm so desperate for a little sewing area I can call my own!  I'm working on it and have my sights set on our bureau, currently in use as kid's artwork storage unit, but look -

aarrggghhh!  Definitely the worst corner of the house!  I've got a ton of planning, organising and moving to do before this dream becomes a reality!

I've still got Miette and Sorbetto pics to take and post, but I think that's going to have to wait till next week when school starts up again.  Looking after three kids in holiday mode does not leave much time for prancing around taking pictures of myself in handmade clothes!