If you ain't had dessert, don't. Al's broke out the peaches.

Hola friends and neighbours! I hope you're toasty warm wherever you are and that the recent snow isn't limiting your movements too much (to my readers in the northern hemisphere. To all you lovely Aussies, hope you're enjoying the sunshine!) I was ill yesterday and today and forced to stay at home which was good because I didn't have to go out in the snow, and not so good because: ill. It was a lot more fun watching the snow from my bedroom window than it would have been to go out in it.

Anyhow, I wanted to remind you all that if you're interested in winning some of that mystery green polka dot fabric, you have until Saturday to leave a comment telling me what you'd make with it. I also wanted to say thanks for all of the kind and helpful comments on my New Look 6000! I didn't mean to give the impression that I don't like it, or that I'm not proud of it, or even that I won't wear it. I definitely will, and I do like it a lot. However, one of the strange things that comes with sharing part of my life online is feeling that I always need to qualify things. If I didn't have a blog I'd probably just wear the dress and not be in a hurry to point out its imperfections, because why would I? However, when you put yourself out there you open yourself up to these kinds of criticisms. This doesn't bother me - without criticism you'd never improve. But at the same time, I feel the need to get out in front of the imperfections in my handmade dresses so I don't get a lot of eye-rolling "Bitch PLEASE" type reactions. I guess it is just hard to strike the balance between saying "Look, I know it's not perfect" and being pleased with the final product all the same.

Apologies for the wall of text, there, I just wanted to say that I do like my dress! I have put the pattern away for now, as there are other sewing projects demanding my attention at the moment, but I will revisit it before long. It's really too cute not to.

So anyway, despite the cold weather and illness, I had a very pleasant weekend. I had my hair cut on Saturday morning and Nic and I ran some errands in town. It was cold and dismal, so after doing some shopping we holed up in the flat with snacks, a blanket, and the end of season 3 of Deadwood to finish. That was great because I have been so enjoying rewatching the show, but man is it emotionally draining!

Moxia Aloha dress, Sourpuss Swallow cardigan and Hard Hearted Harlot 'Reply' boots

I can't tell you how much I love this dress. I bought it last year from 52 Greek Street (which is one of my all-time favourite shops. I wish it had a website so you guys could shop there too, but it's good for my bank balance that they don't.) It's by their own brand, Moxia, and is made from Alexander Henry 'Aloha' fabric. The fit is absolutely spot-on - so much so that I am planning to trace the bodice to use as a bodice block. I know that's sort of cheating, but it's very simple - no back darts and just bust darts in the bodice. So at some point over the next few months I'm going to make my own version of this dress.

Before I left to go to the salon, the postie arrived bearing a dress I'd bought online a few days earlier and had managed to totally forget about. So although I had paid for it, it momentarily felt like a present. I know that's sad, isn't it?

 

Bettie Page "Rita" dress in rust - I bought this from the wonderful Pinup Parade after having reserved one in my size in December. I can't say enough good things about the shop, either - the owner, Helen, is so helpful and friendly!

Anyway, I enjoyed getting a dress in the post because after I had paid for it earlier in the week, I put myself on a shopping ban. I'm not going to buy any clothes or shoes between now and the end of April, when Nic and I will be going to Paris. This is to save money for our holiday - we're going to be there for a week, so we'll need plenty of euros for all of the cheese and wine and bread I plan to consume! It's also because I have a lot of clothes and shoes, and because I am an emotional shopper. I'd say on the whole I buy things that I wear and that suit my lifestyle, but I have a lot of choices now so taking a break for a few months won't hurt a bit. This doesn't apply to fabric but I have to sew through my stash before I look to buying any new fabrics. I don't have a huge stash, and I have a pattern in mind for each piece of fabric I have, so I can't imagine this will hurt too much. Anyway, I think by the time I've worked my way through it, it'll be April, and I'll be able to fabric shop in Paris. Hurrah!

I am making headway in working through my stash, and was busy sewing over the weekend - check back with me later in the week to see what I made!