Roswell week day 7 (sort of), So long Sarong, Agnetha's legs and other stuff

Ok, so I fudged this, as I couldnt get anything done at the end of the week, I included Sunday afternoon too.

Roswell Week Day 7

Item completed - So long Sarong

State before Roswell Week - taken in at the waist but not shortened

Reason for abandonment - The hem was all over the place and I couldn't be bothered to get my flat-mates to try and fix it on a stretch material. I also thought the waistband looked terrible, but on reexamination, it actually looks fine. I think the stretch fabric had warped my mind a little!

Time spent as an UFO - about 4 months

Time used to finish - about half an hour, after I had fixed Agnetha (see later)

"chump" factor felt for not having done it sooner - not too bad, whilst I only had to re-hem it, it was MUCH easier when I could use Agnetha. 

This is yet another item from the productive Shelter trip when I first started sewing. When I picked it up I thought it was a skirt, but I then realised that it was actually a rather odd sarong. I say odd, because more than half the material was in the front fold, so the whole thing was really weirdly unbalanced wight wise, and I am not really sure why you would want such a heavy jersey sarong.. (it would make more sense as a wrap skirt but that wasn't the way it was attached at the front. 

I cut it off the waistband, and cut the skirt into a rectangle without the odd tie bits from the front. I then sewed it up with a side seam, and reattached it to the waistband. So far so good, except that I somehow had managed to sew it on totally crooked so the hem was all over place. Plus I had forgotten to shorten it. At this point I gave up. I think my fear of stretch fabrics got the better of me. 

And so it sat for several months, even through the previous Spring Palette Challenge, when I planned to finish it and then continued to ignore it! 

But Roswell week was the line I wouldn't cross! I was puzzling at how to fix it, as my flatmates are a little cautious about hemming things, and the stretch made it more difficult. But then I had a brainwave, which I shall come to later, and managed to make Agnetha a stand! so I just popped it on her, chopped off the bottom and zigzagged it. Result. 

It isnt a very complicated refashion or skirt for all that delay, but it is a pretty cute jersey skirt, and I still love the colour and fabric. 

Item completed - Agnetha

State before Roswell Week - body made, but no stand (body phase 1, body phase 2)

Reason for abandonment - I couldn't think what to make a stand out of, I was considering a hat stand or something but I hadn't got round to doing anything, plus I couldn't think how to attach it. 

Time spent as an UFO - only a few weeks since I finished her body

Time used to finish - about 10 minutes once I had worked it out!

"chump" factor felt for not having done it sooner - ok, plus if I had tried before we got the new beds I wouldn't have had lots of spare plastic packaging to use. 

I couldn't work out how to make Agnetha a stand, which made it tricky to do dresses or skirts on her. We have been moving stuff round our flat a lot and as I shifted and tidied I found a lamp that I didn't need in the hall. It was just a standard IKEA lamp, but it had a very heavy base, and I realised that it would probably be robust enough to support Agnetha without continually falling over. Also, as it had big lamp bit on the top, I could use that to anchor the whole thing. I just stuffed the top of Agnetha with some plastic bags (we had some beds delivered and so we have had a lot of plastic packaging lying around!) and then popped her over the lamp. I then just filled up the gaps round underneath with more plastic bags and taped up the bottom. She leans very slightly backwards but is otherwise perfect! Also I marked my knee height on the pole with tape to make hemming easier. I am extremely pleased, she looks very fine and isn't as scarily huge looking now that she is the right height (though admittedly she now does appear to float magically in the air..).

Item completed - Napkins to match the Christmas picnic rug 

State before Roswell Week - had made one, 3 left to do

Reason for abandonment - Ran out of time before going to give them to my bro, and promised I would make the rest later

Time spent as an UFO - since Christmas

Time used to finish - about half an hour

"chump" factor felt for not having done it sooner - high, I should have done these ages ago, they aren't even slightly difficult. 

I also finished pinking the seams of the Christmas Dress, which was shamefully overdue.