Thursday 6 March 2008

Today* I have mostly been busy.

(strictly speaking it was yesterday but bear with me, it has been a long day at the coalface.)



Tomorrow (okay, today) is World Book Day and after many years of ignoring it this year our school has decided to do the dressing up thing. Not being good with decisions this has been a saga for Babyman - Capt. Jack/The Doctor. Capt. Jack/The Doctor. Oh! Who can choose?!


Princess C-Dub on the other hand had no hesitation and wanted to go as Ping from the Dragonkeeper books. You may remember this saga from a previous post.


Having an unanticipated morning off work I made a dash to our local (very old-fashioned) haberdashers because the night before I had remembered this.


So with my fanciful Hannah Montana dress pattern (nine pieces for a child's dress!! And I didn't even bother with the interfacings!!), a zip, some bias binding and two and a half (!) metres of posh, Chinoiserie-type fabric I headed home and nearly had panic attacks over how to lay the pattern, which part to cut first, why wouldn't my material look like the layout in the instructions and where the bloody hell where my material cutting scissors?!?!?!?



In the space of an hour and three quarters I managed to (finally) cut out all the pieces, completely trash the dining room and nearly cry at least once. Then I went back to my day job.




(Note the pieces of pattern paper and cloth scraps in the back corners of the room? Those were strewn from one end to the other and over every surface.)


I was even bad worker person today in that No. One borrowed child spent the day sitting at the dining room table playing with scraps of material while I did sewing. However the story she wove was very interesting and if you ever wish to know about dolphins, nets, fishermen, Bratz dolls or the perils of being a Bratz Doll and sharing your bed with a dolphin - I am the one to ask!

It is obviously something that has been on her mind as nearly the first words Pr.C-W said to me this afternoon were 'What am I going to wear tomorrow?' I told her that we would sort something out. (Nothing gives me that warm glow as much as tormenting a small child;-)) At this point I still had work to do on it.




During the dance hour I managed to finish setting the sleeves
but had not yet attached the back panel so when they came home all tired and sweaty and REALLY hungry it looked a little bit like that crumpled heap lying there on the table. (BTW can you see my violet-hued slippers under the table? Cool, huh!)





Let me just tell you now that no matter what your children did for you last Sunday or may tell you tonight- I am officially the best mother in the whole wide world. Ever! Just imagine how pleased she is going to be when she wakes up and finds not only does it have a back panel but also some bias binding and a hem!

So nearly exactly 12 and 3/4 hours later I am finished, done and ready for it to come home tomorrow night (yes, alright fussy ones - tonight) trashed and mucky. I really don't know how you sewy real imaginary people do it. Kudos to you all for your ability with a motor and a needle.


Just before I go for some sleep let me show you my weekend's bargain.




Louis Moreau, the posh London quilt-y company, come here every six months or so and sells off lots of stuff. There isn't usually much there to catch my eye as it is either too big (end of bolts, etc) or far to small. It was obviously meant to be a Goldilocks afternoon as I found several bits that were just right and had to bring them home with me.


A mix of silk, texture, print and colour. Even the dark brown has a good feel to it for a solid bag.

Final word now, eyes starting to close of their own volition, must go to bed; the two legged bird has to be up in a just a few hours to catch the grumpy worms!!

P.S.Babyman decided in the end (there may have been some slight nudging going on, I wouldn't care to say) to go as Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy - jammies, slippers, a dressing gown and a towel - how straightforward is that?!


P.P.S. Received something today to put in Bunny Hop Swap pal's parcel - very pleased with myself.

8 comments:

  1. You are a fabulous mummy for making that super-doopa posh frock for Princess C-Dub. Thankfully this year we are not dressing up for World Book Day - instead we are having a book fair to which we have donated lots of old books. This evening the smalls will come home with knackered books brought in from someone else's shelves. Ho hum.

    x

    PS Funky slippers ;-)

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  2. You truly are the bestest Mummy in the whole wide world and I should imagine your lovely girlie will be thrilled to bits!!

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  3. Wow! I'm seriously impressed with your bestest mummy creation! You are amazing and definitely deserve your status!!!!

    Lucy x

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  4. you are so clever! that is a perfect costume.

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  5. Oooh - please could you make one in big-girl grown up size?? It's so lovely and shiny!

    :)

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  6. Oh man, I despise sewing clothing. Props to you for making an entire dress!

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  7. you are a VERY VERY clever lady!!!!!

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  8. you *ARE* officially the best mother in the world ever!!! not only for producing that AMAZING dress...but having raised a child that wants to dress up as one of my all-time-favorite fictional characters! (arthur dent!)

    WELL DONE, SUPER-MUM!!!!!! :)

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