One-Year Blog Anniversary + Some Almost Finished Projects

My first blog post was one year ago on this date - that went by fast! I haven't really reflected upon the impact blogging has had on my life...but off the top of my head, I would say that I love, love, love reading everyone's blogs and seeing what everybody makes, and that my blog is just my way of participating in that dialogue. So I think that reading all your blogs has had more impact on me than writing my own blog. Through your blogs I feel like I keep my engagement and my passion sharp because you all write such thoughtful posts and invite me to reflect upon things. My commitment to ethical purchasing has definitely been deepened by reading your blogs.

And now back to the regularly scheduled programming! I have finally finished (okay, 98% finished) the toile/muslin for my friend's skirt.

Ta da!

And the good news is that it fits how she wants it to. I'll be giving her the red skirt as soon as I fix the hem and some of the inside seams. Then it's time to tackle the real skirt with her blue silk.

Just for fun I did the pocket lining with polka dots:

There were a lot of firsts on this skirt: first time sewing bias tape on a curved waistband and first time improvising a lining, for example. The pattern doesn't call for a lining but I thought it'd be good if it had one...to make the skirt wearable with tights. So I put in a lining as I learned to do in my sewing class, but the way the waistband was done, I ended up with 4 layers at the waist. And two of those layers have a lot of gathers, so the waist is perhaps a bit bulky, but it doesn't look bulky with my friend wears it. So I guess I'm planning on inserting the lining in the same way next time - into the waistband - unless somebody has another idea. Anybody, anybody?

Speaking of my skirt project from sewing class, here it is:

I just need to finish the waistband - some hand sewing. Then do the hem. So it will look pretty much like it does in this photo ;)

And I have one properly finished project: one of the Christmas tea towels.

I haven't ironed it yet, but I did wet it to get rid of the tracing.

You can see that my buttonhole wheels got better over time. That yellow one is really wonky. My satin stitch circles don't really look like circles either, more like diamonds! But the overall effect is still pretty, I think, mainly due to the colors. ;)

I've promptly started the next one; this time it's the 'Tree of Love' pattern: