Burda Skirt - This Time With Buttons

This is almost the outfit I wore to my resent successful job interview, a few weekends ago. I thought I had better wear something made by me, as I had let it slip that I have been trying to make my own clothes. I finished it what seems like months ago, but I have never really had chance to take photos. I took these last week but gave up after only four photos, because I was just not in the mood. Today I had chance again as the weather was beautiful, but I just had the wrong location. So I am writing this post now or I never will.

This skirt is pattern 118/119 from the May 2012 addition of Burda magazine. I changed the closure at the front, from a jeans style zipper to a button-up front. There are loads of button-up skirt patterns doing the rounds on the Internet at the moment, but I knew that this pattern worked well for me the first time I made it. Modifying the pattern was really easy. I just cut off the zipper slit under laps and extended the central seam out enough so I could fold it over twice, to create a placket for the buttons and button holes. Despite having to change the pattern, it was so much easier than inserting the original zipper. 

Again I am really happy with the result. This pattern has been my most successful yet. My last Burda skirt I have worn almost to death, so I really needed this one to add some variety to what I wear. It is a plain navy (faintly plaid) polyester. I think it will go with well loads of different types of tops, so it should be pretty versatile piece. Only I cant see my self wearing it over this winter, as I am heading to the French Alps. Though this will be one piece I shall not throw out in my mission to de-size my belongings when I move out of this flat.

Sewing in the Alps?

Source

Working a ski season in the French Alps, I thought that sewing would be out of the question. Yet talking to the ladies in my interview, I found out that the apartment where I will live has two vintage sewing machines. Perfect. They have also tested them out for me and as far as they can tell, they still working. This is so exciting, its like this job was just made for me! 

So my head has started spinning again with sewing ideas. I really like the idea of sewing something special as a souvenir of my time there. I've had my eye on the Deer and Doe patterns, possibly the Sureau Dress. These patterns are in French, so perfect for learning about French sewing vocabulary. Also Anna from paunnet is hosting a sew along soon in English, so ill be able to dip into her blog, if I get in trouble.

However all these plans depend on me being able to work these sewing machines. I'll also have to order everything I need over the Internet. I only have a 20Kg luggage limit on my flight and sewing stuff  is just not that essential (I have already sectioned off a good deal of space for my knitting stuff).

Talking about knitting, all this thinking about cold weather has really activated the knitter in me. So I have spent the last couple of months planning my knitting projects, should I get my dream job in the Alps. I even spent £25 of good money on yarn the day of my interview. Hoping that I would get the job and I could take it with me. So I got the job, and hats, scarf's and socks will be knitted up, whilst the weather is too bad for skiing and exploring. I can't wait.

Future Plans

In the past I have travelled a lot, but there is still so many place that I have not been, and stuff that I really want to try. So I have been getting the travel bug again for sometime. Life just seems so dull to me if you are not constantly exploring and trying new things. So I decided I would like to try skiing.

I love the outdoors and the mountains and the snow, but I have never been skiing before. I have had the opportunity, but I have always stayed away on grounds of cost. Then it occurred to me I want to travel, live aboard, quit my mind-numbingly boring job, why not get a job in a ski resort? So I have been looking for jobs abroad, especially in the French Alps. I did not really want to write much about this before, as I was uncertain if I would get a job or not. This uncertainty has stopped me buying patterns and fabric that I really wanted to, because if I got a job I would not be able to take my sewing machine. So for months I have been worried more about finding a job than knitting or sewing.

Anyway I am so excited to say I GOT A JOB! I am going to be working in the Chamonix Valley over the winter. I am so excited there is almost no words. :)

I'll be working for a holiday company who have luxury chalets all along the Chamonix Valley. I will be working in the housekeeping department, cleaning, not get distracted by the stunning scenery.  I might also have to travel some distance between chalets, so hopefully there will plenty of time for me to adsorb my location. I'll also get days off, of course. I get a ski lift pass as part of my work package, so ill be learning to ski.  If Skiing fails, I could probably just ride around on the ski lifts with my camera, happy all day :)

More to follow, I have so much to think about right now:)

Note: All the photos are taken from Pinterest, for the sources please see here.

Green - Star Crossed Slouchy Beret

Whipped this up at the weekend, using my leftover yarn from my Arleen. The yarn is Cascade 220, made on size 8mm circular needles.  The pattern is Star Crossed Slouchy Beret  by Natalie Larson (Ravelry link to pattern). The pattern worked out well, i missed out one round from the middle as i was unsure if i would have enough yarn to finish the hat, it turned i had plenty. The pattern recommended using DPNS to start with in a smaller size, I did the whole hat to the same circular needles, and the front band could be tighter so if i make this again i might start on 7mm circular needles, i don't see the point of investing in DPNS when i have circular needles in the same size.  

I managed to finish the last 1/4 of the hat on the bus, making myself very travel sick on the way to Shrewsbury. I have done a lot of crochet on buses before and have knitted in cars and it has never made me feel sick, this was a first. Though the bus journey between Newport and Shrewsbury is along very twisty country lanes, and that cant of helped. Still i am happy that i finished something (despite the nausea), i have so much else which is unfinished. Currently i am working on a Style 4485 dress and the Elbow Patch Cardigan both of which still have a long way to go. Not to mention a growing pile of UFOs.

Victorian Crochet Collar - Ta-da!

This is the Victorian Crochet Collar project that i have been going on about all last month. I made it for a small Victorian arts themed festival in Shifnal, Shropshire (the town where i grew up). The festival is now over and i missed it all, except i managed to take a few photos at one the the venues (Trinity Methodist church) before all the displays were dismantled on Sunday. 

The pattern is from The Crochet Book by Eléonore Riego de la Branchardière (1847), the pattern is Point D'Angleterre, and it is made using NO:30 crochet cotton. This collar took me a long time to make, when i first agreed to do this i thought i could finish in a Sunday afternoon. No such luck, it took all month, but i did have trouble getting used to crocheting with cotton thread and i did make several mistakes reading the pattern, so there was plenty of unpicking. Despite this it was really nice to use such an old pattern. I find that a lot of patterns from this era tend to a bit vague in places, but this one seemed to use consistent language and similar terminology to modern patterns, so it was not hard to use. I did find a few errors in the pattern as follows.

Row 10 - should read, 3 chain, miss 3, (3 treble, 3 chain, 3 treble in the 3 chain of last row,) 5 chain, miss 9, 3 treble in the 3 chain of last row, 5 chain, miss 1, 3 treble in the 3 chain of last row, 5 chain, miss 9, repeat from ; end as last row.

Row 14 - should read as 9 chain not 0 chain (when viewed form my smartphone the 9 really did look like a 0)

Now i have this collar i don't know what to do with. It is so pretty but its not really the right kind of dimensions that would fit around any of my clothes. Any suggestions?