Snip... snip...

Today's been a bit of a cutting out day. Which means that tomorrow might just be a sewing day!

Tiny pieces!

Hopefully we'll be able to have a bit of a fashion show later this week.

Goodness Gracious Gingham!

After making the trousers, I found that I had more than enough fabric left over from the 83p fat quarter I purchased to create some couture for the Plink. I decided that we'd go a little vintage this time with a prom-style dress and headband.

Not hemmed? Whatever do you mean... *whistles innocently*

The bodice started as two rectangles. After sewing the top and back edges together and turning, they were pinned around Plink's torso and the darting and waist shaping completed. This gives a figure-fitted finish. The skirt was then pleated onto the bodice to give the fullness in the skirt. I did try a gathered skirt first, but it ended up looking wonk-tastic.

Plink, you could at least look interested?

The belt is a length of satin bias tape, which fastens at the back with a popper, and the hairband is a length of the same tape with some flat elastic stitched on. It has a habit of pulling her wig off.

The whole thing is, of course, finished with bright red tiny buttons for contrast.

Alright. Gaze into middle-distance again. And mind how much boob you're flashing. 

Altogether, I'm pretty pleased with it!

Incidentally, this was entirely hand sewn in front of the Usual Suspects, of which the last 3 minutes is my favourite bit-of-a-film EVER.

An Embuggerance

Having received the Makie, the next step was to check the fit of all the items that I've spent the last week or so drafting and making up in preparation. The messenger bags are fab, as are the skirt and the glitzy sequinned waistcoat (yet to be shown). The blouse needed a little more work, as in it was a little big across the back and not quite big enough across the front, so that was where I started.

Once the pattern was adjusted, it was time to cut it out...

Place those bits, yo.

And eventually, to check the fit on Plink... 

Yes, you can help... no... put those scissors away, young lady. Please? 

Unfortunately, shortly after taking this photo, I was topstitich the front when the machine gobbled up some of the fabric and there was an ominous CLUNK. Having extracted the blouse from the machine, I surveyed the blouse and decided that the damage wasn't too bad, so hand sewed in the sleeves. 

On trying to sew the collar, there was an even more ominous... nay... a BODING volley of CLUNKing from the machine, and a refusal to do anything like, you know, sew. 

Having disassembled as much as I dare, I can share the news that the timing on my 2 month old, £300+ machine appears to be completely FUBAR'd, as does the computerised mechanism to move the needle. And I've just given my £99, 5 year old machine to my sister. 

Definitely an embuggerance.

Why have fabric...

...when you can have Liberty Tana Lawn?

Well, given it's around £12-20 per metre is one excellent reason. But where the human has had a past (shall we say) indiscretion, the Makie shall profit. This glorious print featuring little acorns is called "delfie" and although it's not current, it still crops up on the bay of e.