this morning...

...as I took the last swig of my morning coffee I noticed a perfect little frothy heart stuck to the inside of my cup. I've heard of divination by interpreting the symbols left by tea leaves, or Tasseography, but I didn't know that this form of fortune-telling can, and is, also applied to reading coffee grounds.

Now, based on my fleeting research, reading coffee grounds is a Middle Eastern tradition, typically done using Turkish coffee. The subject is asked to open their heart as they drink, focusing on a particular question or situation - much like Tarot... Obviously not done simply by drinking a milky coffee and looking at the pictures left in the cup, but whatever, I figure a heart in a cup can only be a good thing!

Happy Monday!

Hello again

Wow.  It feels like an age since I wrote something here.  I guess the Easter holidays ran away with me. Although to be fair, I was only actually away-away for two weeks.  The weeks since have been spent settling back in, working hard, and clearly neglecting this little slice of the interweb...

I have so much to report, so much more to get stuck into, Me-Made-May'12 starting on Tuesday... But for now I just wanted to check back in, let y'all know I'm still alive, and leave you with a little playlist I've had on loop these days... While I catch up on everything everyone else has been blogging about!

Tutorial ~ Easy Peasy Pleated Miniskirt

So for a moment there it actually looked like Spring... Never mind, armed with my sewing machine and some Hawaiian-style surfer print cotton, it still can be.  At least until it really is.  So grab yourself a couple of metres of fabric that makes you happy*, stick on the following playlist, and let me quickly show you how to make this supercute pleated miniskirt.

You will need:

2m fabric

1m ribbon for the waist fastening (cut in half)

invisible zipper (approx 6 inches long)

sewing machine with matching thread

measuring tape

pins

scissors

Start with the waistband.  Cut a rectangle of fabric that measures about 6 inches deep (double the depth it will be once folded plus seam allowance) by your own waist measurement in inches,  plus 1 inch on each side seam allowance (generous allowance I know, but better to add extra so you can let some out if you need to!).  This waistband will be meeting at centre back (like this one), not overlapping, so no fannying around with hooks and eyes or buttonholes, we'll just be sewing some ribbon into the seam to make for a pretty bow tied in back.

Fold your rectangle in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.  Then open it up and, right side facing you, place your lengths of ribbon at each end, aligned with the fold.

Fold over again, this time right sides together sandwiching the ribbon, and stitch those short ends with a 1 inch seam allowance.  Turn right side out and double check that it still fits your waist before trimming seam allowance!

Now we need to make three little notches along the raw edge that will correspond to three little notches on the fabric for the skirt to make sure the pleats are evenly spaced.  Do this by folding the waistband in half, snip a notch at the fold (centre), then fold in half again and snip that fold (quarters).

At this point you'll need to decide which side of your waistband is the outside and which is the inside.  The fabric I used for the waist had some grass print so obviously I went for the side where the grass was right way up.  Now press the notched edges inwards, with the inside of the waistband slightly deeper than the outside - this is so that when you come to edge stitch the waistband to the skirt, you'll be sure that the needle will go through all the layers.

The skirt!  Cut a big rectangle approximately double the width of your waistband (or wider if you want more pouff) and however long you want your skirt to be, adding at least three inches for seam and hem allowances.  Always better to cut longer and shorten than to cut too short.  Press the side edges in by half an inch.

Make three notches along the top in the same manner as for the waistband.

Open up your waistband so you can see the notches and match up the central notches on the band and skirt.

Pin the skirt to the inside of the waistband where the notches correspond.

Arrange the pleats evenly between the notches and securely pin into place.

When you're happy with the arrangement, fold the top of the waistband over and pin close to the fold.  When you turn your skirt to the wrong side, make sure that the pins are also holding the inside folded edge of the waistband also.

Time to insert the invisible zipper... For some reason, despite having sewn countless invisible zippers, I always find it a daunting task.  Then I do it, remember how easy it is and feel a bit silly.  Either way I'm not going to try to walk you through it myself... I'll hand you over to the professionals at the Coletterie for a proper tutorial instead!  One word of advice though: make sure you lower the setting on your iron if you want to avoid melting/curling up your zip... Like I did...

silly me...

much better

Now you can edge stitch the waistband to the skirt!  Stitch with the right side facing you keeping your stitches as neat as possible and close to the fold.

Seeing as you pressed the waistband so the inside fold would come down a little lower, all three layers should have been caught as you edge stitched the outside.

All that's left to do is the hemming!  Make sure you try on the skirt first so you can be sure to mark the length you want.  Then press the hem in twice and stitch.

Done!  

*Preferably a lightweight woven fabric like cotton, but would look equally cute in jersey too - although I'd only recommend that to sewers with a little experience sewing with knits.  Non-stretch fabrics are much easier to work with if this is your first attempt!

this evening...

...I am, as ever, in bewildered awe of my beautifully talented little sister [anyone get the Four Weddings and a Funeral reference?  Probably just my sister...] after seeing her MA final exhibition...

this evening...

...my feet have never been cosier

this evening...

I am indulging in a little fairisle...

...and getting excited about True Blood Season 4!

this evening...

...I am finally getting around to hanging some embroidery hoops in my studio, inspired by the swatch portraits at Purl Soho in New York.  

I love how personal this project can be; instead of simply hanging a collection of pretty fabrics, all of these have sentimental value to me.  Either embroideries I have done, old family curtains, scraps from past projects.  And most of these fabrics can be found elsewhere throughout my house... on the sofa, in my wardrobe, on my son's bed, even on the walls.  There's more in the waiting, just need to find some more hoops!

...and having a major Elvis revival

this evening...

...I have sock fever

...while I listen to this classic Country playlist

this evening...

...I am admiring the dress I made today

...and listening to

this evening...

...I am working on my Monster Granny Blanket, inspired by the Great Granny Blanket from Pickles.  

...and listening to