The Sew Weekly Reunion Patterns and Notions Swap – fun times!!!

I’m back from my dance summer school- oof! Really I just want to sit with a glass of chilled white wine and relax a bit, but it’s too exciting! I got my swap package from the lovely and kind Michelle, from Create | Quilt | Sew.

I have to confess, I skipped class on Wednesday morning and snuck home, as I was waiting for some important work related stuff to come through the post, and I needed to do some shopping for the fancy dress party on Thursday. And as it happened, I arrived at my flat right at the exact time the postman was about to write his “you were out when I called with this parcel you have to sign for” card, so I was able to sign for it. But when I saw the customs declaration telling me what was in it, I decided I should wait until I got home officially, to do the Grand Opening, so that I could do it proper justice.

And oh my, it was worth the wait! Michelle had parcelled everything up beautifully, with the notions and her note in gorgeous little floral bags. Soooo pretty!

It’s all in the packaging!

Thank you Michelle for

The pattern itself is Butterick 5764 which is a nice easy dress. I’m particularly liking the high-low hemline version. Michelle had downloaded the pattern and printed it all out for me. All I need to do is tape it all together, which actually I quite enjoy, because it makes me feel like I’m in primary school. BUT, there was a second, BONUS pattern for various sewing accessories, like a tailor’s ham, a wall organiser, a sewing machine cover, etc etc. Really useful, especially as my sewing machine was dirt cheap and the plastic cover it came with is nasty, so I should be able to make my own and make it nice!

As for the notions, there was a purple tape measure (purple is definitely one of *my* colours!), a little wooden needle box, and a wooden spool of vintage pink thread- it feels lovely.

But most endearing of all, there was a needle book, which bears all the hallmarks of being hand-made, and although Michelle hasn’t said so in her note, I’m guessing it was made by her (if it wasn’t, Michelle, do please say who did make it, because it’s darling), with – just *look*! – tape measure decoration!!!! And it’s full of little useful bits and bobs, including long dressmaking pins (heehee! she must have been reading my blog *really* carefully!)

Needlebook delights

Thank you so much Michelle, for your lovely swap package – it was so much fun to receive, and I hope to do justice to it in the not too distant future.

The Sew Weekly Reunion- Theme

The theme has been announced. It’s the The Pantone Challenge!

Pantone Fashion Colour Report – Autumn 2013 palette

These are good colours, and I can certain get down with Emerald. Acai, Samba and Vivacious. I’m thinking Turbulence would be a good neutral, and I’m thinking already about how I could put all these colours together (well, not *all* of them in the same outfit!). These all fit beautifully into my own personal colour schemes.

It’s going to depend largely on what fabric I can find.  I don’t have a massive stash, and nothing in the little one I’ve got fits in this palette. Though heaven knows why not- some of those colours are screaming “Béa!”. So I’m going to have to wait till I get the fabric inspiration. Unfortunately, I’m off to dance Summer School tomorrow- one week of full-on bellydance goodness. So I can’t see myself getting anywhere near a fabric shop for the next ten days or so. Nothing like putting myself under pressure, eh? And until I choose fabric, I don’t really know what I’d like to make.

First thoughts, though, are:

– It’s the Autumn palette, so even though it’s August now, I should be working on the basis of this garment being an autumn item.

– I might not go all adventurous for this make, but I would really like it to be a decorated item. Whether that means some embroidery or appliqué, or some other embellishment technique, I won’t know till I get started, but there *will* be decoration.

– Also, it would be really cool if I could incorporate something I receive from the patterns & notions swap, and that probably won’t arrive for a good week or so, if it’s coming from overseas. And if I have to sign for it I won’t be around for next week, anyway.

In related news, I sent my parcel off yesterday- it’s going overseas, and I’ll be tracking it anxiously, like a mother whose child is on a gap year trip! So far tracking shows my parcel “has been passed to the overseas postal service for delivery in redacted foreign country” though I guess all that means is it’s been sent to Heathrow sorting office!

Patterns & Notions

I signed up for the Patterns and Notions Swap at The Sew Weekly Reunion, and I’m all excited! It’s turned out to be more of an exchange rather than a swap, because it’s a round robin, and the person you’re sending to isn’t the person who’s sending to you, which makes it even more of a delicious mystery!

The dealio is that you send a parcel out containing 1) a pattern and 2) three notions/sets of notions.

I got the email today with my Send To person’s information. I’ve sorted out a pattern which I’m hoping will come through the post in time for me to send it out by the posting deadline day, next Friday (fingers crossed), and I’ve got a couple of the notions already sorted out. One of them is a vintage item from my French grandmother’s house, so I really hope that it fits in with her style and she can find a suitable use for it. Obviously, I’m not going to post what it is right now and spoil the potential surprise, but as a teaser, here’s the biscuit tin that it came from.

Cocktail Basket Tin