bodice patterns drafted

The Reader and I started our CIAM pattern making course on the weekend. We drafted front and back bodices, according to our measurements. In the two weeks before the next class we have to use one of the patterns we drafted (we drafted more than one, because there are different dart placements possible, especially for the front) to make up a fitting shell.

The Reader has not used a sewing machine much before, so that is a skill I will be teaching her. She also has a few school assignments on the go at the moment, so if she doesn’t have the time, I will make up her shell, and we’ll learn the sewing bit later, when there is more time.

Next time, we will try on our fitting shells and learn what individual adjustments we each need. I know that mine will need to come in in the shoulders, as my shoulders are not wide, and that’s an adjustment I always need to make on commercial patterns also.

On Friday I finished my Portuguese Whitework class with the Miranda guild group. We did eyelets (two types), bullions and stem stitch. Some of the ladies decided that Portuguese Whitework is not their thing – that’s ok, we’re all different! – but there were a good number who really enjoyed it and were very enthused. I had a lovely time with them all.

I also spent a bit of the weekend knitting and sewing. I’ve knitted a fringe for the Mountmellick cushion that I’ll be whipping up this week, as a class sample. And I also spent time working on a test stitch of another project. I was playing with colours and stitches. Some of it was successful, and some of it was not, but that’s why you do a test stitch – to find out what does work and what doesn’t!

Yesterday Rainbow Girl had a gymnastics testing day, so it was useful to take the fringe with me to knit. She enjoyed the morning, and I got a bit of knitting done, and made a very large knotty mess of yarn. It took me more than an hour to sort it out! Not highly productive…