Bag lady

One of my bucket-list items was selling something handmade at a Christmas market. Check! Now I’ve done it.

I made these little fruit-and-veggie bags out of some mesh curtains from Spotlight, and some cotton cord. There were three sizes, and each pack had one biggie, two middle-sized ones, and one littlie.

big

middle

little

I’m pleased to report that all 20 sets sold out by midday. It’s kind of boring sewing, but all the same I love that they’re out in the world preventing plastic bag usage. I haven’t spotted any at the farmers’ markets yet, but I’m keeping a look out…

We’re lucky in Wellington to have several weekend farmers’ markets, with great seasonal produce at a bargain price. Lately I’ve been eating so much corn that I’m expecting to turn into a giant corn cob at any moment. Or possibly a giant cherry, it could go either way.

Anyway my next bucket list item is staying in an over-water bungalow on a tropical island. Bring it on!

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Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Colette Hawthorn shirt dress

Confused? This is an extremely belated entry, for a dress I made before the Christmas party season last year. Thought I’d better post it before it wears out completely. Whoops!

I think I made this even before the blouse (using the same pattern).

The gorgeous navy broderie anglaise fabric came from my fairy godmother in Hong Kong. Here’s a close-up after some not-so-subtle adjustments on PicMonkey.

And the back, why not?

I’ve been wearing it with a black slip underneath but after looking at these photos on the mannequin am tempted to try a red one. Once again I am truly smitten by this pattern which fits beautifully and is lovely to make. Check out my first ever sleeve placket (WAY easier than they look, in case you’ve never done one)…

The buttons came from Vancouver and were bought specially, they add a bit of sparkle. Just right for a fairy godmother Christmas dress.

Christmas in October

If you are related to me, click this link and go look at something else.

If you’re not, I want to show you my Christmas sewing. This is outrageously organised, by my standards.

A couple of years ago I heard of a lovely tradition, involving new pjyamas on Christmas Eve. That way you get to wake up on Christmas morning in nice new clean PJs, all ready for opening presents and gorging yourself on rum balls.  The last two Christmases, I’ve bought myself new PJs, and this year I decided to extend it to the folks I’ll be spending the day with.

So after a quick visit to the most addictive fabric website I know, Hawthorne Threads, and some serious guesstimation about people’s waist circumference, we were in business. I used Simplicity 9958, and cut the men’s medium for all of them (even the ones for my sister).  Based on past experience, I lowered the waistline by an inch for the fellas, as they’re a bit old-fashioned otherwise. I left it as is for my sister’s pair (as I like a bit of butt-coverage, myself).

And here are the results! It was a typically windy-Wellington day, and I had to take a lot of photos before I got one with them all visible.

VWs for the guy with a 70s panel van.

Aeroplanes for our adrenaline junkie.

Cute lab animals for our science nerd.

Doggies for our dog lover.

Monkeys and dinosaurs because… well, just because.

And people, flat-felled seams! Where have you been all my life? Easy and strong and good going round curves… I will be using them a lot more from now on.