I haven’t had a lot of time for sewing lately; July-August is always the busiest time of the year for me at work, and there’s always lots going on at home too. Even more so this year, as there have been job interviews to prepare for, there’s a family wedding coming up (I’m just returned home from the hen-do), and the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, of which I’m a member of the GPC, has been busy hosting it’s biannual National Exhibition.
I have however been making time for those hobbies which are more naturally carried out in fits and starts, and while commuting. I recently picked back up a summer, linen yarn, cardigan which I started last year, and am making good progress – although possibly not good enough to actually wear it this year. I’ve also been reading lots of novels.
I was a very bookish child/teenager and studied English Literature at University, so I’ve always previously read large quantities of books. I also read quite quickly; I retain a feeling of self-satisfaction that, when I read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I’ve only read it once), I read the three books within a week (admittedly, I was on holiday with my family at the time, and don’t think I did much else except eat and swim). These days, I tend to have periods where I devour books, interspersed by sometimes long periods where I stick to reading blogs and magazines.
Amongst the novels I have greedily devoured recently are Nancy Mitford’s (specifically The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate), which I am reading for the first time and enjoying every minute of. The little world they inhabit is completely un-PC, but also completely accepting and affectionate of human nature.
To accompany my ramblings, a quick sewing project for a busy month! This is the Shirt No.1 from 100 Acts of Sewing / Sonya Philip. Sewing projects don’t get much quicker than this – which consists of a single pattern piece – to prepare or sew. Unsurprisingly, this pattern works best in a drapey fabric, and I think the fabric used here (a linen-blend from Sew Me Something) probably has a tad too much body. I’m planning to sew a couple of these tops using some of the completely impractical but (to me) irresistible sequin fabrics I always get tempted by in Barry’s Fabrics; the simplicity of the design should be great for showcasing them, and limit the number of sequinned seams I have to sew.
P.S. Excuse the disheveled hair (humidity) and disheveled shirt (post-suitcase).
