Why It Takes Me So Long To Sew Anything Wearable

Hand-basting.
Everywhere.
I used to grumble as a young person whenever mum
made me do it. Zippers, facings, sleeves, collars,
even paper patterns to fabric. "Grrrrrr. Can't I use pins,
pleeeeeeeaaase?" And mum would say, "This is faster."
She sure knew how to win arguments, mum did. Cunning.

I know that now on hindsight, of course. I don't baste
my paper patterns onto fabric before cutting (sorry, mum!)
but oh, I love easing a set-in sleeve into an armhole with
just a basting stitch and my fat thumb pushing the fabric
along. We're all different and use different techniques,
and this is mine. Old-fashioned, but yes, faster.

Anyway, that yellow linen tunic is finished, or at least
the machining part is. It needs some hem-stitching
along the facing, and the hand embroidery in grey/white.
So working on wing-needle technique now. Had to go
out and procure spray starch, as well as actually dig up
my sewing machine manual to find out the names of
the stitches that are printed on my sewing machine
because if I never use them, why take the time to find
out what they were called? Why am I so silly?

Also finished the bias-cut blouse. Very interesting, because
it has no darts. And is slimming! Unbelievable combination,
I know. Alas- I think I used the wrong interfacing for the
collar, so it is a bit military-like. Rainy all day today
so no photos. Later this week, probably - and.. erm..
after I remove all the basting stitches from everywhere.

Happily, I've felt more like sewing than blogging about
what I'm sewing, which means my priorities are right on!
But you all like photos, I know, so I took a few shots of
the kids' current toy that I made some days ago:

What are they? Honey cakes, or at least that's what Jenna
tells me they are. She watched some Mickey Mouse thing
on TV in which there were honey cakes at a picnic, and
she said, "Mum, come look. I wish we had honey cakes."

So I made her some honey cakes - they are just
squat cylinders with removable frosting tops.


Those spirals were fun to do, though - just press your finger
on the felt as a pivot, and let the presser foot do all the work.

Nothin' much else to report. Happy summer!