Bits and pieces

• Finally crawled out of my lengthy (mainly illness related) slump and decided to sew something easy and small. I cut out this green tote bag a few weeks ago but then left it to lurk in pieces in a corner for a while. The pattern is the artyscraftsybabe Lily Beth bag, which I have made once before in pink. I like the size and shape of the bag because my laptop fits in it nicely. Here is the finished article:

• I am excited for my magazines arriving this month! With Burda, August is very often my favourite issue of any given year, though that could be just out of relief at being past the Burda summer silly season. That said, I actually think Burda this summer was way less peculiar than usual. I hope they've not just delayed their more baffling issues to later in the year. At any rate, based on the August preview there's a couple of things I want to make immediately from the August issue and a couple of patterns I definitely want to have on my radar for future use. I am also excited for Knipmode this month based on the preview. Last month was a bit of a disappointment as there really wasn't much I was interested in, so I was feeling lukewarm about it. My Knipmode subscription is up for renewal this month and sadly the sinking value of the £ vs. well, every currency ever, but specifically the Euro, is going to kill me when it comes to pay for it. I did debate whether to cancel because let's be honest, I've not used it a lot and it's not cheap or, since it's in Dutch, especially easy for me to use. However, even though there are arguments against it I think I am going to renew. There have been lots of patterns that I really liked and have ear-marked but that won't be suitable until I am working again. Plus, I've really cut down on my other pattern buying very significantly in part because I get my pattern fix from my magazines. That's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it. :D

• Speaking of Burda, I was so sad to see Burdavisor is kaput after being C&D'ed. I can understand why Burda went after them, I guess, but it was such a mind-bogglingly useful tool that I am really bummed about it all the same. 

•  I urgently need to make at least one, but maybe two pairs of trousers. Weather-wise, after a brief spell of warm and sunny weather at the very start of June it's been distinctly cool and wet here -- well below average temperatures and sunshine for the whole of June/early July and there's no real sign of improvement. Unfortunately all my sewing at the start of the summer was to fill "hot weather days" gaps in my wardrobe and it's mostly been too cold to wear any of it! My wardrobe planning has not stood up to this test, and I don't have enough of the right kind of trousers for weeks without end of this summer-but-not weather. On the other hand, the very thought of doing more trouser fitting after my exhausting and only partially successful efforts in February fills with me with horror. D:

• Actually everything left on my summer sewing list fills me with at least mild trepidation. Typically, I have left all the more difficult things I want to make until last! My list is a sea of "can't decide on a pattern", "fitting nightmare", and "pattern has 88 pieces that all need to be traced and adjusted". D: Remind me again why this is my hobby that I do for fun?