Feelin' like a groundhog...

I've figured something out. I can tell you when spring is just around the corner...'cause I start sewing little dresses like a crazy woman. For your delectation:



This started out as a long skirt of mine. But then it tore something awful right across the whole skirt. So, I chopped off the bottom and made two straps out of the remnants. Gotta love upcycling.



Yes, it's eye searingly bright. And I LURVE it. This was lurking in the UFO pile for a very long time, and I finally got around to finishing it in the sewing frenzy that was yesterday. (Look, I've been dealing with a sick toddler, an on-holiday boy and a "ohmygodI'msickanddyyyyyyying" husband for the past two weeks. It was either hide in the sewing room for awhile or turn up on the evening news.)

The original pattern calls for an apron on the front, but I didn't feel like digging through my fabric stash to find something that went with the existing fabrics. Plastered on some ribbon and called it a day.



I call this one the Ice Cream on the Beach dress. I had this offcut (from one of Fabricworm's bundles, I think) in the stash, and it was just crying out to be a summer dress. Shirring and shirring and shirring the bodice took ... awhile. The hem comes from the Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt pattern. Love it. I'm considering doing a tutorial on how to make it, as I'm definitely going to be making more of these. Let me know if there's any interest and I'll post it.

And finally, a skirt.



Modded from the Made Market Skirt tutorial. The button was a find in the button basket (who knows where it came from).

Of course, I had to finish a pair of thick, wooly socks too. 'Cause it's not Spring quite yet.



Damnit.

Snow paralysis.

Honestly, I've been here.

Drinking buckets of tea.

Reading books. (Go read the Hunger Games trilogy. You'll thank me later. And then go and read A Brush of Darkness. Again, you will thank me later.)

Writing. Editing, to be more accurate.

Watching endless repeats of Wall-E at the small girl's request. Ungh.

Baking.



Sullivan Street Bakery's recipe. AMAZING result. Lovely crackly crust, and a good chewy crumb. I used a cast-iron Ikea pot, similar to a Le Creuset for this loaf. Worked really well, and I'm hoping to try the recipe again, but with rye flour. Anyone know where I can get some?

Knitting, of course. I'm feeling a little bit Groundhog Day-ish. I've been knitting and knitting...but have nothing finished to show you. But I can show you the swap package that I sent for the Mod Swap now.



You see the bag in the back? That's the Keyka Lou Bucket Bag pattern. Made from canvas and quilter's cotton, it's a very fun pattern to make up. Other stuff includes: silk brocade project bag, the Damson shawl from the last post, Uberwench fibre and handspun, Malabrigo chunky, a needle case, the Luxury One Skein Wonders book, and candies. As always, there's a few things missing from the pic. *sigh* Tea, some Kidsilk Haze, and a super secret bonus project. Will post pics of that later.

In the meantime, I'mma go and shovel more snow. Again.