Evie, Author at Purl and Seam

The last word….possibly…and FO 20/2010

November 23, 2010

Ok, I guess that after all this time you’re glad the wedding is over!!!! I know I am, but if I was ever to be stuck in Groundhog Day, that would be my day of choice. It was just the most amazing day.

I can’t tell you just how wonderful it was….why don’t you mosey on over to Lawsons and check it out for yourself. I can see a bajillion things I’d have done differently with the dress but it was much admired and I loved it, as did Mr S, so that’s all that counts really.

And yes, everybody did spend the whole day laughing and smiling.

Married life…

November 21, 2010

…is wonderful.

We are currently ensconced in a cosy flat in Wigtown on the South West coast of Scotland. The weather is seasonal (read torrential rain and gale force winds) so we are glad for hand knitted socks.

After the bustle and business of the last 3 years this is a very welcome time for doing nothing, and we’re making the most of it. Although yesterday we did have lovely weather and hastened to the beach to blow off the cobwebs.

But I know that what you’re really waiting for are pictures of The Day and The Dress. I, for obvious reasons, didn’t take any on the day, and I’ve no iPhone and am not on my computer so my email access is very limited for getting photos sent to me. But do not despair….on my return I shall post properly about the day (it was truly magical for Mr S and me and I think the guests had fun too).

Until then, if you keep an eye on our lovely photographers’ website, http://www.lawsonphotography.co.uk/Blog/, and check out “Yvonne and Dave’s wedding”, there’s a taster up now with more pics to follow.

I’m the one in the blue hat! Enjoy!

“That bloody wedding”

November 13, 2010

It’s just gone 7am here in Lancashire and the kettle is on the stove to boil for tea.

Button and I are alone in the house for now….it’s a very odd feeling without the two men in my life here.

In two hours my friends and family will arrive for breakfast, then off to the salon to start the preparations for our wedding ceremony.

At 2.30pm I will marry Mr Stitches.

I am breathless with excitement. No nerves. I’ve never been more sure of anything or anyone in my life.

He is the funniest, kindest, gentlest man you could ever wish to meet. He is my best friend, my cheerleader, my love.

Today he is making me the happiest woman alive.

I’ll be gone from this little blog for a couple of weeks whilst the four of us holiday in Scotland, but I promise pictures when we return.

Have fun….and I’ll be back soon.

Evie

8 days…

November 5, 2010

…and I’m losing my mind! LOL!!!

Seriously though….I’m fine. Just a wee bit tired. It’s a very busy week here Chez Stitches

Today I’m autumn cleaning the upstairs of the house. Including shampooing the carpets.

This weekend I’ve got a cake to make for a party, the party to attend, a date with the kid’s elder sisters, a cinema date with Mr S, to take the dog to Himmelbjerget’s for a holiday, the order of service to print, the favours to wrap, my dress to finish (nearly there, just a couple or so hours of handstitching and a very good press), the baby bridesmaids dresses to hem, and The Boy’s suit to hem and press. Monday I’m autumn cleaning downstairs and ironing. Tuesday I’m shoe shopping for the littlest bridesmaids.

Then I’m done.

Finished.

Ready for a week tomorrow.

I hope!

12 days and counting

November 1, 2010

Greetings from the House of Crazy.

The last week has been a blur of activity. The dress shell is finished…I’ll be working on the lining tomorrow. The hall, stairs and landing have been painted. As has the porch. And we threw a supper party for Pa Stitches’ birthday yesterday.

We have finally finalised the menu with Northcote. I’m so excited about the food choices….and Lisa is cooking for us.

: Image courtesy of www.northcote.com

She’s cooked for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. We’re thrilled that she’ll be cooking for our friends and family.

Today I met with our photographers. Pete and Laura are just the nicest people you could hope to have, and their photos are simply amazing. They’ve been with us all the way on our journey to get to this wedding and have been gracious and patient with our constantly changing plans. So, once the dress has been revealed to our family and friends, I’ll have lovely pictures to show you guys. I’ll just keep you in suspense until then.

All in all, we are in very safe hands and by the end of this week everything will be in place….done and dusted. Just in time for my niece and her family to arrive. And for me (and the beleaguered Stitch parents who have been fabulous and caring for the kids whilst I’ve been sewing) to relax.

I’ve some other things to share with you just as soon as I get a few minutes to take pictures. I’ll get to it this week, I promise.

The moment of truth

October 26, 2010

Today I basted the dress together.

Each stitch taking me closer and closer to the realisation that I really need to give up dressmaking and high tail it to the Trafford Centre to find something to wear for my wedding.

At just after 6 pm tonight I tied off the final stitch on the final seam.

The moment of truth had arrived.

Remembering what the dress looked like at the toile stage, I slipped it on.

Filled with trepidation I turned to the mirror.

…

My eyes filled with tears.

…

IT FITS.

It is (if I can toot my own horn a little here) just a little bit beautiful.

The only thing I need from the Trafford Centre are shoes for the baby girls.

I’ve just finished sewing all the seams. Tomorrow I shall remove the basting and press the seams to crisp loveliness.

I am a very happy, if slightly tired, girl.

19 days…

October 25, 2010

…and we’re making progress.

Yesterday I spent a glorious autumn afternoon in the car listening to podcasts of Desert Island Discs and driving to the Midlands to meet Alice-who-isn’t-a-cat at a motorway service station for coffee and a fitting session.

The coffee raised no eyebrows. I can’t say the same for the fitting session in the rather unpleasant ladies loos.

Thankfully the dress fits perfectly so we could escape very quickly. But the sight of a tall brunette in a half finished satin frock and matching shoes was more than some of the other occupants could quite get to grips with.

Unfortunately, the visit was not without problems.

I discovered a stain on the front bodice.

WTF!!!!!

Sewing gods, why do you try me so?

I’ve no idea what it is.

I’ve no idea where it came from.

So today I removed the bodice (again) and cut another bodice front. By lunchtime the dress was ready for hemming (I just need some ribbon and I can get that done), and I’d had the opportunity to add one more little “couture” touch to make it all look just that little bit better.

Instead of under-stitching the lining on the machine, I did it by hand, with a toning thread. I love this detail!

And my dress?

I spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week hand-stitching net and cotton lawn to 14 pieces of face fabric. Today I machined my first seam. This feels like a corner turned.

I love how the layers of interlining give you a beautiful seam with no seam allowance “show through” on the right side.

I’m using a contrast zip just for an unexpected pop of colour. It shouldn’t work, but it does!

And I just love a hand picked zip….so easy to do and you have absolute control over the thing. Goodbye wiggly zipper. And you can hardly see the stitches on this duchesse.

Tomorrow I put all the dress shell pieces together.

oliver + s birthday party dress – FO 19/2010

October 18, 2010

Whilst the fabric for my wedding dress languishes in a bag waiting patiently to be sewn (soon, my lovely, soon) I have tarried with other projects, namely the oliver + S birthday party dress.

image courtesy of www.oliverands.com

I’ll admit that I was reluctant to spend quite so much money on a pattern, but rationalised that if I traced it off I could get a few year’s use out of it, which in my head made it so much more reasonable priced. I’m very glad I did.

Sorry for the rushed on-the-bed-before-we-dash-to-nursery photos

The pattern is lovely. Printed on sturdy paper with clear markings and wonderful instructions, it shows what can be achieved with patterns if you take the time and actually give a crap about your product and your customers.

Big 4 take note!!

Sadly the same can’t be said of the fabric, which is a hideous but practical polyester that is washable but simply refuses point-blank to hold a pleat! I made a size 2, but would make the next size up next time to give her a little more growing room. And I’ve lots of the fabric left, so will probably draft a new front without the pleats to use this up. They are the perfect dress for nursery.

Button loves the dress, despite the failings of the fabric, and I love the pattern. I see more of these in our future. Just not in nasty polyester!!!!

Light at the end of the tunnel

October 10, 2010

Autumn is well and truly upon us in my little corner of the world. As I’m typing this, on Sunday afternoon, the sky is cornflower blue lit by glorious sunshine and bereft of clouds.

It’s chilly, but only sweater chilly, and the kids are playing on their new little slide, which is keeping them out of the sort of mischief they got up to earlier in the week.

: Extreme Home Makeover – Toddler Edition

My Belle Epoch roses are still pretending it’s summer, much to my delight

and whilst there are still apples on the tree

we have been picking them and making them into delicious, if rustic, crumbles with blackberries picked from the hedgerows.

The turning of the season heralds the high-speed approach of That Bloody Wedding, and, despite all my protestations to the contrary so far, I’m starting to feel a little trepidation that the dress is still a pile of fabric and I’ve not even cut the pattern out yet!

Thankfully most of the other plans are falling into place. I have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence for my shoe.

I don’t have lingerie! Or flowers. But I do have cake. Oh, and we’ve still to finalize the menu and wine.

We’re meeting with our priest on Friday and will have the hymns and music sorted this week.

The Ma’s have their outfits after a lovely day spent shopping in Manchester yesterday, along with a spot of lunch

We are making progress. And this week marks the turning point.

My final exam for my current degree module is on Tuesday afternoon, and by next weekend I hope to have the alterations done to Alice-who-isn’t-a-cat’s dress. Ma is cutting and sewing the toile for me this week so I can fit the dress next weekend and start cutting and sewing the following week. I will have 4 mornings a week for three weeks where the munckins are with their grandparents, plus naps and evenings. I should have no trouble getting the dress done in that time. Don’t you agree?

Now all I have to do is find the boy’s missing Croc (how do you lose a shoe in the house? I have no idea), and my Gardener’s Journal book (same question applies), so I can continue with the stitcheries. It’s driving me more crazy that I’ve lost these two things somewhere in the house than that my wedding dress isn’t on the table.

It’s say’s a lot about me, no? 😉

Park Life Sweater – FO 18/2010

October 5, 2010

Five weeks and a bit to go to the wedding and still the dress isn’t started.

I have, however, finished Button’s latest sweater, just in time for the temperatures to really drop. We call it the Park Life Sweater as it’s perfect for playing out in the park on crisp, sunny autumn days.

Or for just bouncing!The yarn is the very inexpensive, but machine washable Hayfield Bonus Aran….£7.49 for 400g and I still have loads left. I’ll definitely be using this yarn again for kids knits.

The pattern is a Debbie Bliss from this book, which I’ve had for years but you can get on Amazon.I love this sweater. It’s a mindless TV watching knit and so practical. Button is thrilled with it. This is the first knit I’ve made for her where she’s understood what I’m doing and she’s been so excited. She even “helped” me knit a few stitches, to the absolute delight of both of us.

Next up…I’ve got some gorgeous yarn for a sweater for me. I shall wind some balls and share with you soon.

My final exam is next Tuesday and then I’ve just alterations to Alice-who-isn’t-a-cat’s dress, and hems for the three bridesmaids dresses and then I’ll start mine.

As I’m still losing weight…it’s a good job I’ve waited so long to start otherwise I’d be doing major alterations now.

That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!!!!!!!! 😉

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