giraffe print – THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS

Whoop! The postie really suprised me this afternoon by delivering not only the lavender I ordered last weekend and a letter excusing me from jury service, but the long awaited fabric samples from Ditto Fabrics as well! 😀 Yes, samples – plural….

Did you really think I’d only ask for the giraffe print?? There’s a oh-so-pretty spotty twill that’s perfect for a pair of 60’s capri pants for Daughter No2 to wear with the giraffe print jacket, a grey wool that would make a fab pair of trousers for me, and a zebra print cotton that was the fall-back should the giraffe print not be up to scratch. And the stripe cotton… that’s for me too. No idea what to make from it, but I’m having some! So the issue with the giraffe fabric when I saw the picture on Ditto’s site was, will it be too fluffy..

Giraffe print - slightly fluffy, but just enough. — Giraffe print – slightly fluffy, but just enough.

Answer – nope! It’s just right. There is a very short pile that works very well, so we are going ahead, full steam! Look out for us in the jungle pretty soon! 😀 Here’s a reminder of the jacket:

Sketch for 60's style swing jacket with contrast binding and bound buttonholes — Sketch for 60’s style swing jacket with contrast binding and bound buttonholes

Jacket in the giraffe and capri pants in the spots

And boy am I glad I don’t have to do jury service for the next two weeks! Apparently there were too many people who filled in their forms and returned them to the summoning officer, so they had too many. It’s quite nice to know there are plenty of civic minded people out there.

So, Jungle January. See how quickly the “plan” I had laid down last year in late November has derailed. I was going to make the spotty silk, then the duck egg corduroy, then the grey herringbone for Daughter no1. Plans! HA!! Then Anne at Pretty Grievances lured me away with jungly antics. Focus.. “squirrel!”

I will make the grey herringbone – I have to! Daughter No1 is only at home until Sunday, then she’s back off to uni, and apparently won’t be visiting half as much this term as she did in the Autumn. So I have to do this. But I’m getting distracted by animal prints, 60’s swing coats and thoughts of bright jewel-like sparkly linings.

While I wait for the giraffe print to arrive from Ditto I had a browse through my vintage patterns. This make is going to have to be quick if it’s going to be made in January, as I only have next week to myself, then I have two weeks of jury duty looming. TWO WEEKS!! 😮

None of these fit the bill,

A selection of 60's patterns — A selection of 60’s patterns

Just my luck, I had no swing jackets. So I will pattern cut it. I used these to give me an idea for details for the giraffe jacket. Maybe it won’t be done in January afterall…

It has daughter No2’s approval, provided I don’t make the pleat in the back too big. So now I have work to do!

I also gave myself a bit of a challenge. Today Karen at Did you make that? threw down the New Year’s Resolution gauntlet. She has challenged us to put our money where our mouths are by committing to one resolution. No going back, no hiding, no getting away from it. Like she says, she has a long memory, and a jar! Head over to her blog to read more about it, and join in if you dare! (But make it quick, you have limited time left!)

My resolution is to actually get something done for husband. Long suffering, much ignored (sewing wise) husband. Last year I started to do some pattern cutting for him, but more interesting and pretty things distracted me. Sound familiar? So this year I am committing to pattern cut him some shirts – that he will be prepared to wear! I will stick my neck out a bit (ok, quite far) and say that I’d really like to make him a tailored suit too, but that’s not going on my definite list!!

Will I do it?? Keep checking to see… ;p