It's the small things that take the time.....

Would you believe that after four hours of work, all I had to show for my day was two sleeves with cuffs, not trimmed, not finished, not even with the basting in the top of the sleeves. They aren't even attached to the shirt. I forgot how to put on a cuff properly, or at least, I could not fathom out which side of the continuous placket needed to be turned under, and I couldn't work out which direction to put my pleats in the sleeves. I consulted books, I tried it every which way, I had a break to eat lunch hoping my mental block would clear, and in the end I had to give in and ring mum, who told me for what must be the fiftieth time, which side of the placket was turned under. I just cannot ever remember this simple thing (I can't remember the recipe for an oil and vinegar salad dressing either as it happens, which also makes me feel very stupid every time I have to look it up) Hopefully, I have now got this the right way up, because I know from personal experience that a sleeve that closes the wrong way, is a sleeve that is uncomfortable and annoying. I guess that time I was too proud to phone a friend. Most of the time was actually taken up fiddling around with the pleats. It was only when I was examining my trusty sewing manual that I realised something important. Just because the pattern says the sleeve has pleats, doesn't mean that the sleeve MUST have pleats. So I gathered the sleeve onto the cuff which avoided the whole issue. If only I had thought of that three hours previously, I bet my shirt would have its sleeves attached by now.

However, this morning's other sewing related activity went much better. I suddenly decided on my walk this morning that a piece of silk habotai needed to be dyed a different colour. One hour later, the silk was in a plastic bag of dye. I made the dye by squeezing two small bottles of fabric paint into the bag, putting in a bit of cold water, and mixing the whole thing up. The only slight error I made was to use a pearlescent paint. It does look lovely now its ironed and set, but my iron had to be scrubbed, the dust sheet that I had the presence of mind to put on the ironing board is full of bits of glitter, and my hands seem to be engrained with a charming shade of lavender glitter if you examine them closely enough. The fabric came out a lovely pale lavender with a faint pearly sheen. Its rather pretty though I do say so myself. The fabric is destined to be a Marfy top. I did the muslin ages ago in a very unsuitable fabric, and am hoping that the pattern is going to work better in the silk.