Skirt!

Is this not thoroughly adorable? I made it.

That was dumb

To cut to the chase, a couple years ago, two people I thought were friends snubbed me. It hurt, a lot. So last fall, at a party, I returned the favor.

I cringe that I am admitting this at all, it seems so ridiculous now - but it looks like I may be working with one of these people again, and frankly, it's past time to mend the rift.

So I am wondering how to crawl back up from that pit, to make amends and move on. Well, not to make amends, exactly, because we were both in the wrong. But I do want to explain my part of it, explain why I acted the way I did. I want to apologize for my own behavior without expectation of any reciprocal move on their part, so we can hopefully move past it without rancor.

But how do you pick up the phone and do that? Or do you send an email saying "Glasnost - let's have coffee"? How do you apologize for something without completely turning your back on yourself? There's a lot of history here, which is part of the problem. Glasnost or no, we'll never be what we were. But does that mean we can't have any relationship at all?

Am befuddled. Do comment or email. Thanks.

Sewing stuff

Hey folks! Three items of business first: there is much more sewing goodness to be had at my sewing blog - DailySkirt.blogspot.com, including a run-down of the lost weekend I just had with five yards of linen and a busy husband.

Second, the pattern for that dress below was KwikSew 3576, and the next time I make that pattern, I'm sewing in far bigger darts, and using a square neck instead of a v-neck. Here's a different take on this pattern from a blogger I'm going to have to befriend: http://twoontwooff.blogspot.com/2008/02/kwik-sew-3576-sheath-dress.html She speaks the truth when she talks about how easy and fun this dress was to sew.

Third, In terms of taking things in at the waist, look for darts you can make larger (that is, wider). Get a towel and some binder clips and experiment with this. Watch how the towel drapes differently when you take it in at the sides vs. in the front and/or back. If nothing else, take it to a tailor - or your dry cleaner.

I feel you, girl. The curvy have a tough time of it, bombshells or not. Remember the 80s? When every jacket was blocky and square, and you felt like killing yourself whenever you put on anything by ESPRIT? (Which I still call E-Spirit by mistake.) Ah, youth. I'm so glad I'm ancient and crafty now. I cackle like nobody's business.

But on to more important things: purses, and next weekend. Here's what's on tap (well, this and a busted neck):

I think I'm going to make a longish jacket out of the violet fabric (from KwikSew 2736), if I can figure out the right interfacing to use. It's a very soft, floppy fabric, and it needs a little body. I was thinking about making a 1930s-inspired dress with it, but... that's a lot of flowers to splash across a lot of body.

So I'm still thinking that one through.

The Hawaiian print is a lightweight little stretch fabric that will either become a skirt or a shirt, my reasoning being, it can be a big splashy print as long as it doesn't cover my entire body.

And this - well, this is how I spent last weekend. I made two skirts, a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, and the dress in the post below. For more photos, see my sewing blog: DailySkirt.blogspot.com.

Doughnuts, 1,000,000; me, 1

So this morning I finished this dress:

It took a dog's age to sew because a) interfacings still confuse me - sewing should be a mandatory part of any college-level physics class - and b) because once again, my curvy body has stumped modern patterns. The hips fit fine; the waist was baggy. I must have taken in a full three inches around the side seams and the bust darts before it would fit.

Of course, once it did fit, my husband made one of those great male-appreciation noises. That was worth it.

Still, I think my doughnut days are over for a while. I have made the leap from acceptably voluptous to just plain round.