Greetings from the Southern Hemisphere! I had so wanted to be able to show you the Named Pulmu Skirt finished in all its glory just after the toile post, but I’m afraid things happened and it’s languishing at home while I’m 10 000 miles away. The black crepe looks fabulous and the skirt shell is complete, but I totally ran out of time to make the lining and finish off. One more day would have done it!
I had a week in Cornwall at the end of September, where the weather forecast wasn’t all that favourable. So I decided to take my sewing machine and a couple of projects to while away the time when it was too miserable to stand on beaches or roam through pretty gardens. The dining room of the holiday flat became my dedicated sewing room and I actually did make some progress. The weather wasn’t as bad as the weatherman had made out.
One thing I did manage to finish, finally – was Daughter No2’s crochet granny square sampler blanket. I must have spent around 10 hours sewing in all the ends on the back, mind numbing work, but made easier in the end by a pretty view and a few glasses of wine. It’s only a year late, but she’s forgiven me and the blanket has pride of place on her bed at Uni.
In the meantime, and before I even started the Pulmu toile, I made another pair of Birkin Flared jeans – for me, of course! This brings my total to 4.
The fabric was a lightweight denim with 2%stretch from Croft Mill Fabric. It’s a beautiful dark indigo and is fantastic to wear. I didn’t bother fighting with topstitch thread (again) and stuck with the navy blue ordinary thread. I found a cute button in the stash and voila, a new pair of jeans for me.
They’ve been so comfortable, I wore them for 21 hours on a long haul flight from the UK to South Africa and didn’t bat an eyelid. They kept their shape, I didn’t have a saggy butt or baggy knees and, most of all, they didn’t dig in for all that time sitting in an uncomfortable aeroplane seat. Where do you find this fabulous fabric? It’s called “Formality” and can be found, in low stock now, at Croft Mill Fabrics.
The pocket linings were cut from one of Husband’s shirts. He managed to shrink a couple in the wash so the sleeves are now way too short. I held onto the shirts thinking the fabric would come in handy somewhere (it’s not only lengths of fabric that I hoard). So my pocket bags are pink and stripey!
So these jeans are with me down south and I’m loving them in my travelling wardrobe. I just hope I don’t wear them out before heading back to the big cold, because it would be a shame not to be able to take full advantge of them throughout the winter in the UK.
I made this pair slightly longer than my others, not such a good idea when wearing with flat shoes (and in the mud) but perfect for boots when I get back to colder weather.
But three days after getting back from Cornwall I was on a plane and heading south. I’m with my parents while my mum recovers from a double hip replacement, so there’s precious little sewing going on, although the withdrawl symptoms are great! I was just getting ready to start sewing for autumn and winter, and now my summer wardrobe is having a second outing to the South!
I have made a fabric purchase while I’m here (and I honestly cannot say it will be the last, sorry pledge!!). I was looking for fabric for tops for my mum when I found stuff that just wouldn’t let me pass without purchasing. But, it will all be used for winter clothes the minute I get back, if not before!
So I leave you with a little bit of South Africa, and hope I’ll be able to do a little sewing very soon!
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 
Good to hear from you, Anne, and delighted to see your photos (elephants – yikes!). Hope your mum is recovering quickly, and you have some lovely time together. Love that blue embroidered cotton you sent ~ have been wearing it continually around the house (washes like a dream). Take care ~ xx
I’m glad the fabric has been useful! The elephants were a real surprise, not often you see them! 😉
You may not have done much sewing but your travels looks fabulous, as does that granny square blanket. Looking forward to your skirt and seeing what you do with all that amazing fabric. Also hope your Mum is on the mend.
Thanks Sue, I can’t wait to get back to my pattern stash and start sewing them up!
So much to love in this post. I love that you sew with pink wine…snap! I love those jeans. The fit is perfection. I love the beautiful photo of you and your girls. And I love the crochet blanket. The mismatched sizes of the squares is so charming. Hope Mum mends soon. They are such a worry!
Aah, pink wine is the best! 🙂 and so is that jeans pattern, I seriously need to fiddle with the legs now and make myself a straight leg pair.
A good plan!
Great jeans! I wish I could master making my own – someday! I love the pockets, such a great idea!
Give them a try, never be afraid to try new things – practice makes perfect! 🙂
Lovely catch up, and photos, looks like you’ve been busy 🙂
I’m hoping to get busier once I get to go home! 🙂
It’s my first time visiting, and I can’t resist sharing how I am both inspired and impressed by your work! I originally clicked because, like you (if I infer correctly), I also treasure my (too-few, to this point) collection of Named Clothing patterns, and the wardrobe staples resulting from them. I return to them again and again — both the garments and the patterns! Once here, though, I had to chuckle at your admission that ‘fabric for mum’ was the intended goal of your shopping expedition, because my own experience is just the same. Honestly, they call to you by name, don’t they, those fabric sprites. And, once you look, you find yourself helplessly entranced by so many seductive images–the most gorgeous makes, perfectly fitted to YOUR figure (sprites are not stupid!) and so exquisitely finished. And all YOU have to do is carry the bolt to the cutting table! The next thing you know, “Cupboards and Hutches” is the Pinterest board to which you most frequently add new pins… well, with the exception of, umm, “My Personal Fabric Stash.” Anyway, what compelled me to come here to comment was your photo of the back yoke on your Birkin jeans. You are quite right to be SO pleased with and, I trust, so PROUD of such meticulous, matched-seam perfection; I am enviously impressed because mine are always a smidgeon (or more) off. But, oh my gorgeous gracious, in my humble opinion, the matched seams PALE in comparison to your gorgeous twin topstitching (same photo), which appears, to me, to be absolute perfection. I mean, I studied it…yup, I did. The consistency of your stitch length, distance from the seam line, thread tension across stitches… it’s all there. If only I could emulate it simply by studying your photo, your example would be a masterclass in topstitching. Truly, your work is beautiful and I look forward to seeing (and probably studying) more of it! PS. Having spent most of the decades of my life living in Florida (though I now live in western Canada), I’ve seen plenty o’ blue skies and palm trees. But how I WISH i could look out my window, one day, and see a pair of elephants!!! ❤
Wow, thanks! *blushing* 🙂
Well done – love your makes…I just blogged crochet 😊