I went on a 2 day Workshop to make a dress form of myself. It was an interesting process, involving cling film, wettable brown tape, PVA glue, and lots of standing around. Plenty of people would pay a lot of money for the experience without the end result, I'm sure.
The second day was learning a bit of draping skills and making a skin-tight cover for her.
It was quite effective, and the end result was technically very good. At the moment, she's in the bedroom with a dressing gown on. I wish I'd done it in the winter, when I am less prone to water rentention. Still, it's done now, and Nellie tje Elephant will be a real asset to my dress making, I'm sure.
I had a bit of a fright. I walked in to the bedroom to see a person in a dressing gown, collapsed on the floor. It took me a second to realise that Raymondo (the iRobot vaccuum cleaner) had knocked Nellie off her stand.
........
On Saturday, my granddaughter arrved for a day's sewing. Her sister, Mum and Dad, went off to do something else for the afternoon, while we spent some time leaning about pattern envelopes and, stretch v woven fabric. Then we tried the mountain of fabrics that I had bought, and got the list down to 6.
At that point, we (well, she) tried on the pre-made toile, and we draped the 6 fabrics so she could choose the one she wanted. I had to be strict, so we went from 6 down to 1 very quickly. As soon as a fabrci was not top choice, it was removed from the options.
Next was learning why we trace patterns rather than cut them, doing the tracings, and learning to use a rotary cutter, Then on to laying out fabric, selvages, pattern placement, cutting the fabric. Then out came the sewing machine, the news that it was hers to take home, some sewing practice, and a spot of lunch.
After lunch, we (she) started to make the dress. She did everything herself, I just explained what she needed to do. She managed to sew on the interfacing (had to unpick it and re-do it).
We didn't get it finished before dinner, so we left it until Sunday and then completed some more bits - the armholes, deciding on the hem. She's got a couple of bits to do at home to finish it, but it looks really lovely. She did a fab job.
Her sister, meanwhile, got a very special set of treats on Saturday- she is big enough to have a go on Segway, and then they did a Duck tour (plus had sushi for lunch).
......
On Sunday, after they'd gone, I did the allotment chickens, and spent the afternoon clearing up and lolling about. I cut out the fabric for my next skirt. Sunday, frankly, is a bit of a blur. DH popped home for the evening and night, which was lovely.
.....
Monday was a whirl of making the skirt, clearing up, doing washing, and battling with escapee chickens. I've had to top up the fencing (2 girls are flying over, despite the fencing being extra tall and the girls having a wing each clipped). Now it looks like Stalag 15, with random very tall bamboo poles stuck along the fenceline and bunting in X shapes in between. OK, no Stalag had bamboo, much less bunting, but it is a bit of a mess.
The 3 youngsters, who are now well over a year old, have given up trying to sleep with Poppy and Gloria, and have decamped as a mini-flock to the other Cube.
I also watched an old black and white film, Hell is Sold Out, starring Herbert Lom and Richard Attenborough. They really don't make many films anymore where someone does the morally decent thing and doesn't end up with the girl. A happy ending for 2 of the 3 leads.
.......
Oh, and I've remembered why the rest of the time was a bit of a blur. My lovely neighbours' equally lovely son was involved in an accident on his bike on Friday. He came out of hospital yesterday, and is incredbly lucky he wasn't even more badly hurt. It's his birthday this week.
......
It's really hot again, so I need to check on the chooks.
Catch up soon.
