Look What I Found...

Saturday had a lovely foggy morning. I peered out the window and saw these. I quickly grabbed my camera and in just a robe and a pair of tramping boots captured them.

My new skirt and other things.

So I have finally finished Studio for the first half of the year, that was why I have been horrendously ignoring the blog, I apologise. I was working on a book to encourage office workers to bring plants into their workspace. My tutors acknowledged I was taking a risk by expressing my idea in book format but apparently I did not pull it off. I have learned from it and am ready to move on.

But at least the presentation looked good. Those colourful piles are copies of the book which I printed and bound.

I finally got around to using some of the fabric I picked up at a Karen Walker (I think it was Karen Walker, please correct me if I'm wrong) charity school yard sale a few years back. I made a skirt, the easiest skirt ever. I think the whole thing maybe took me an hour.

Before you start you will need enough thick elastic to go around your waist + 3cm seam allowance. This will be your waist band. For the fabric, choose something that can be doubled over to create the length of the skirt.

Step 1, measure your waist and add 3cm to allow for a 1.5ch seam.

Step 2, cut thick elastic to the waist+3cm length.

Step 3, measure length of elastic when fully stretched (not including the 3cm of seam allowance).

Step 4, measure and cut a length of fabric to the same length as the stretched elastic and add 3cm for seam allowance.

Step 5, sew the raw edges of the elastic together, good sides facing each other, (remember 1.5cm seam allowance). This will form the waist band.

Step 6, sew raw edges of the fabric together, good sides facing each other, (remember 1.5ch seam allowance) and press (iron) the seam flat.

Step 7, fold fabric in half horizontally to make a double layered doughnut shape keeping the seam on the inside.

Step 8, line up the seam of the elastic and the seam of your fabric and pin together.

Step 9, it is now time to sew the fabric into the waist band, stretching the elastic as you go. This will need some strong fingers depending how tough your elastic is.

There we go, Done! I sometimes like to roll the waistband over a couple of times, this gives it a ruched look, as well as shortening it a bit.

Just needed to share my love of Air Plants.

The little fluffy Owl below is one of my new projects. His body is needle felted and now I'm figuring out how to attach his wings and what to do with the eyes and nose. I'll let you know how he turns out.

I'm going to leave you with this image taken of the reflection in my light-box.