Friday 25 April 2014

Not (quite) dead

As you might have gathered from my frequent references to illness recently, I am actually pretty sick and have been for months and months now. I've been trying to kind of keep off the topic on here, since this blog is part of the cheerful crafting corner of my life that I like to keep separate from the grind of being ill, and keep my whining to a minimum. However, basically, I have a pretty serious illness that is causing me to have to change big things about my life while I deal with it.

Tomorrow I teach my last class of the semester here at my university in Ireland. On the one hand, this will be a HUGE relief as it's been an incredible struggle to get through the term. However, on the other, I'm a bit sad because it'll also be my last class ever at this university, as I am leaving the job, and the country, in order to move home to the UK while I get some treatment and try to get better. This is really not what I wanted for myself or my career or my life, but then, I don't suppose anybody ever wants a serious illness.

But let's talk about the impact on my sewing plans. No, seriously, if you think that this hasn't been a topic of concern to me you are VERY WRONG. At the moment, I am basically not well enough to sew very much or in fact do very much of anything. I do my actual work I am being paid to do in whatever moments I feel well enough or when I absolutely have to because I have teaching hours scheduled, and the rest of the time I lurk about in my apartment either reading stupid ebooks, thinking about sewing, or sleeping. Shortly I will have to add "packing up all my stuff" to that list, although for various reasons I am not actually leaving Ireland for a couple more months even though my teaching commitments will be done after tomorrow.

Buda 08-2013-136
The biggest impact is that with no job to go to, I also don't need to make any further progress on my work wardrobe this summer. This is good to know, because my summer work wardrobe at my current size/weight is basically a void that I had BIG PLANS to do a ton of sewing this summer to fill. However, as you are all aware at this point, I like to make things to wear immediately and don't see any point in making clothes I either won't wear or don't need. So, I went through my summer plans and scratched out everything that was really intended for work, and ended up with not very much left. I also put big questions marks next to some much more complicated projects.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to make instead, though. One thing I've anchored on making is some loose summer weight trousers, but I'm struggling for a pattern I like. The best I've come up with is this plus size pattern from Burda 08/2013, although I would make mine without the crotch vortex print, of course, but I'm not totally convinced by it yet. I want something wide-legged and suitable for a very drapy and floaty pair of trousers.

I also want to make some shorts. My shorts situation is sort of annoying actually. I own multiple pairs of perfectly nice shorts and they are all, without exception, either far too big or half a size too small. The half size too small are the most irritating because of course I can get them ON and even do them up, but they are really not comfortable to wear. I don't have any pattern ideas at all at the moment -- I don't even really know what fabrics I have that I could use for shorts. I might end up supplementing my shorts plans with some fly front casual type skirts, because I got loads of use out of that one beige casual skirt I made last year. That would mean mastering the fly front, though, which is a mildly alarming prospect.

Finally, way back in November I bought some gorgeous shirt linen from the Dublin Knitting and Stitching show that I wanted to use to make some casual tops for summer. I definitely want to make up that fabric, but there's a lot of work to be done before I cut into my very expensive linen metreage. I'll have to see if I have a spell of feeling well enough to work on upper body fitting (again). At the moment, the thought of going through multiple muslins working on darts fills me with horror, but you never know, I might start to feel better later in the summer.

Other than that, my half-formed plans involve various instant gratification knit tops, maybe a sundress, and maybe a jersey maxi skirt. I really liked the stripy skirt in view D of a new McCall's pattern (McCall's 6966) which reminded me a bit of a Long Tall Sally skirt I mooned over neverendingly but never bought because they sold out of my size in the colour I liked almost instantly (the colour I liked was blue and black, rather than the camel/black combo). However, I can't really justify buying a full price McCall's pattern AND 3m of stripy fabric to make a maxi skirt, so I will probably end up making a really simple no-pattern gathered maxi with 2m of solid bright red jersey that I have that has been lurking in stash for a long time now.

15 comments:

  1. I hope your health improves as you rest and focus on getting well. I just picked up the maxi skirt pattern and I think I have some abstract stripey jersey somewhere.

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    1. Thanks! :) I really think that stripy skirt is such a cute pattern -- hope it turns out well for you!

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  2. I hate hearing that you've been feeling so ill. That skirt pattern was the only one that grabbed me out of the most recent release.

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    1. Frustratingly, the main source I used for McCall's patterns has a 50% off sale at the moment, but they don't have the newest releases in. Very annoying since I really would like that pattern!

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  3. I was thinking about emailing you because I've missed you on PR and here!

    I am sad that you aren't feeling well and hope everything starts to improve. Hopefully you have help packing and moving. It is so taxing physically and mentally.

    I'm going to be "auditioning" shorts in the coming weeks: S1430. BurdaStyle 02/2011 and the Thurlow.

    Feel better!

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    1. Aww :D I actually have been lurking on the PR forum but just haven't felt like taking part much. I was super interested in your deliberations on the new Sewaholic top. I never buy her patterns because I am so very much the wrong shape for her draft, but I was quite tempted by that one as it's a very nice design. Then I saw it made up by a full-busted tester and was... less enthusiastic, shall we say.

      I will also be interested to see your shorts auditions! I have a few patterns picked out of Burda, as well as a couple from Ottobre (which I know is not a source you use), but I haven't really worked out yet what I want to try first. The most recent Ottobre has a pair of SUPER basic shorts with a side zip (so no fly front) which appeal from the perspective of trying out something with minimal complexity aside from fitting first. I don't have any sense yet of how hard I am to fit for trousers. I don't have a problem with skirts and I don't often have a problem with RTW trousers but heaven only knows how that translates to patterns!

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    2. I didn't want to go down the yellow brick road of wrangling a $20 pattern into submission. I will probably just admire it from afar! :)

      I might try a sub to Ottobre. I've been interested in their basics.

      I've decided this weekend to try two yoked pencil skirts; one Lekala and one Burda (02/2014). I'm so excited to be sewing. I've got the bug, bad!

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    3. Sewaholic is just toooooo expensive when you know you're not going to get ANYTHING like out of the envelope fit. By contrast, I LOVE Ottobre, seriously, and get great fit nearly every time. I could probably make an entire wardrobe from those magazines, and often ask myself why I don't. The next issue -- Autumn/Winter 2014 -- comes out in August. *enables furiously*

      I shall ALSO be interested in your yoked pencil skirt, since that Burda 02-2014-109 yoked pencil skirt is on my list too. In fact, it's traced out and currently waiting for seam allowances to be added on my living room floor, but I have been too sick to get any further.

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    4. You focus on getting better!

      The skirt is fabulous. It's awaiting it's waistband and hem. I also made the shorts from S1430 and I like (not love) them. I will have to figure out the needed tweaks.

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  4. I have gathered reading between the lines that you have a serious illness. My best friend has just come home after a month in hospital for lymphoma . She had a stem cell transplant being in the extraordinary position of having an identical twin sister and therefore having a perfect donor match. Anyway she fins sewing very therapeutic in her time of ill health and is just getting the energy back again to try. Sending you best wishes for your recovery.

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    1. Thank you! I definitely think sewing will be therapeutic when I get back into it, it's just a case of feeling a bit better first I think. I do have bursts of energy when I do things but for the last 10 days or so I really haven't wanted to do anything at all. Once I am back home in the UK I figure I'll have plenty of time to pick up my crafty stuff again.

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  5. Sorry to hear about your health and best wishes for a speedy return to full health. You're probably sick of suggestions but I recommend crochet or hand embroidery or applique - easy to pick up and put down, less effort than cutting and fitting and sewing, and most importantly you can see where you've been even if the day has yielded nothing else but a few more rounds of a hat or all the yellow bits in some naff kit. Or knit peggy squares. Sewing is actually quite physically and conceptually demanding and can have lots of setbacks, compared to some other crafts. All the best. I hope someone is coming over to help you with your move. Thanks for blogging, and feel free to whine if it helps.

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    1. I've actually been really enjoying knitting some socks as another example of something easy to pick up and put down. Unfortunately, I stuffed the pair I was working on in my travel bag the other week and managed to snap my cheap bamboo needles, and it's taking ages for replacement metal needles I ordered to wend their way to me.

      As for my move, yes, thankfully I've got family coming over to help out so I won't be trying to do it on my own. :D

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  6. I read this when you first posted it and I meant to reply, but I didn't know what to say. But I have been thinking a lot about you since then, and want to let you know that. I even mentally went through my schedule to see if it were possible to combine some holiday time with some helping to pack time, but really, that's a bit blog-stalker territory!

    I do enjoy reading your blog and am glad that you have shared some of what is happening in your life at the moment. All the lovely women who write blogs have such big lives going on behind the scenes. Big and real and messy and painful at times. It is beneficial to all of us to remember this at times. I am very sorry for you and hope you will get better as soon as it is possible, and that the road ahead will be managed by good and caring people.
    If you are up to reading on your e-reader, you might like to download this magazine, it might be comforting. It even has an article on Ireland!
    http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201407/

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    1. Aww, you are so sweet to even think of helping me pack <3 In fact, packing is not something I am overly concerned about as my family will come over from the UK to help pack. Plus, also, I only moved in a year ago so I haven't had time to really dig in and accumulate stuff, so packing should therefore be relatively straightforward.

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