And another project or two

Needless to say I was deeply engrossed in the Royal wedding and got nothing done yesterday. However, today I had yet another go at putting clothes away in our bedroom - I swear the clothes explode sometimes - and put away a lot of stuff. I usually check buttons, fastenings etc,. as I do and weed out alterations or mendings before they get lost for ever. So I found a pair of comfortable/smart trousers that I had walked on the back hems of. I must have shortened them before I started to shrink. So they need shortening a bit. And I bought a vivid purple top to wear, as required, when singing "Messiah" in a couple of weeks, only to discover that the colour that looked perfect on E Bay actaully doesn't match either my long skirt or my palazzo trousers - bum! So, into the linen stash I go, and yes!there is a length of linen that is much nearer the right colour, and enough to make another half circle skirt - not hard, provided the zip goes in O.K. So over the next couple of days, before I get down to serious work, I need to finish the green skirt, make the purple one, and shorten the brown trousers - oh and replace the bone in my purple bra - boring, but it matches the top *so* well!

Already on another project!

Rather than work on what I am supposed to be doing I decided to finish a skirt I started last year. It's in green matka, a rough silk in 8 panels with a slight kick at the bottom. It was a Burda pattern, but in spite of measuring carefully, it was way too small, so I enlarged it, and of course, it was way too big. I got thoroughly pissed off with it, scrobbled it up in a corner, and left it for several months. Yesterday I made the alterations, very simple tightening of the seams at the waist, overlocked the seams and hem, and today I PUT IN A ZIP. Anyone who knows me understands that zips and I really don't get on. This one only took me three goes and a lot of cursing!

Tomorrow, amongst visits to watch the Royal Wedding, I shall turn the hem and stitch, stiffen the waistband and sew it on, with the skirt hanging loops, and find a button or a hook and bar to finish it.

Glove documentation in pictures

 The gloves went off yesterday and I am just hoping they will fit O.K. They seemed a bit large on mt, but the measurement I took of the customer seems to indicate that they will be O.K.

This is the basic pattern, thumb on the left, then the fourchette which is cut twice for each finger, and trank.

The thumb, inside out showing the stitching - this is what caused me all the trouble.

And the thumb right side out.

Finished glove, which I thought was a bit loose.

Palm of the glove, showing the inside of the thumb placement.

Glove with points added - it looks better that way, and fits tighter too.

The only problem - the chamois sheds like crazy - like a fine sticky dust!

Gloves done - at last!

And they look very good. They are a bit loose, I fear though, although the customer's measurement is a little larger than mine. I can't decide whether to put "points" down the backs - it will take in maybe 1/4-1/2" and make them fit a little better. I'll post progress pictures and finished ones later, beofre I send them off.

I can make gloves, really I can!

I don't think these gloves want to be made though. I just sewed the fourchettes (the between the fingers pieces) into  the backs of one glove, inside out!! Having lunch, then unpicking and trying again. I can do this, honestly!

I hate thumbs!

The gloves are all cut out - goodness, chamois is slippery - and ready to sew up with a silk thread I bought years ago. BUT, it takes me longer to works out how the thumb goes in than almost the whole of the rest together! So I have stolen the gloves I made for my DH, and am going to photo them, and print the picture to put with the book of instructions, which does not have a diagram!! Then I am going to start again.

Now I'm really cross! I just put the left thumb in the right trank - grrrh! I then carefully unpicked it, and sewed it into the correct trank. Then I followed with the other glove. All ready for the fourchettes tomorrow - not usually a problem, although that is rather tempting fate.

Trank = hand piece. Fourchette is what joins the fingers,

Gloves

I have a template for the shape of N's hand, and it seems to be just the same size as mine. So I cut and pinned a calico toile on myself - fingers too long, thumb hole too deep, and the wrist seems very tight. I made a pair for my DH, so asked him about his - they are also a bit tight on the wrist, so it is clearly a fault of the pattern, and I have marked it as needing more width.

The chamois is very stretchy, so they may well be too loose, but I can always tighten them up a bit. No hanging about on this job - need to be posted in a couple of days.