Purple Wayne

Last year I hemmed, with great trepidation, MrsSherlock's daughter's lined Wayne Cooper maxi-dress. All went well. MrsSherlock's daughter has been gaining health, and she asked me on Thursday if I could take in the bodice of her dress for Sunday: that's today. She tried on the dress and we pinned and then decided on an amount to be taken in. Which I then promptly changed when I went to sew it yesterday. The dress is boned and has lots of gathered outer fabric over a firm inner lining and the pinned tuck was actually much longer then it was unpinned.

I knew I had a day up my sleeve so I went ahead. I decided to make two darts, a wider and longer one in the front  and a second shorter and narrower in the back at the side seams.

I tacked down the centre line of each dart and then outside the dart sewing line and then I sewed. I finger pressed the darts towards the side seam and then carefully sewed them to the lining. On the outside of one dart I had to catch the ruched fabric to the point of the dart. I took it to be tried on and it fitted perfectly. What a relief, though I had planned extra time in case it needed to be adjusted. Here are the Before and After pictures. I think it looks OK.

Still walking around the block instead of going to the Dam. There is a lot of grass growing on the nature strip areas and Peri and Gilly have been helping by chomping and eating lots. Peri has been full of energy and giving Gilly a run for her money.

Gilly is particularly enthusiastic. I've been worried she's looking too thin and her harness is quite loose,  so I've been giving her a little extra rice and vegetables every day. This morning Gilly was waking us up using her front paw and she scratched up inside one of my nostrils. Can't have a bandaid there and it's really sore.

The Admiral Halsey Notified Me, He Had To Have A Sock Or He Couldn't Go To Sea socks are complete. And I must remember not to have such a long name for the things I knit ever again. I used 'square' 2.5mm Knit Pro double pointed needles and Admiral Druik Opal sock wool. The wool is nice and soft and the colour repeat longer than one of my socks. I am proud of the stripe matching!!

The needles are great, I think my stiches look so neat and uniform and smooth. I am an even knitter, but I can see an improvement. I also can't use my usual Death Grip, so I felt very relaxed all the time.

I knitted a Cat Bordhi Sweet Tomato Heel, and although I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of the heel, it doesn't fit my own heel very well at all. It will be OK, but I'll go back to my normal heel flap and gusset next time. Although, the lady in the wool shop gave me an unusual heel flap and turn pattern, so I could be swayed. All in all, I have really enjoyed knitting these socks, even though I knitted three heels altogether!!

Donna Hay's 10th Anniversary Magazine (and yes I have them all) has a section on Brownies and so I am cooking my way through them all. The first is a plain and ordinary brownie, just butter, dark chocolate, brown sugar, eggs and flour. It makes a 20 x 30cm brownie. I shall be asking MrsDrWho for a review each brownie as I go.

There is also a section on making your own Ricotta cheese. It must be a band wagon, because there's a post here too. I'm all aboard the cheese making wagon and I plan to make some of my own cheese tomorrow, which I shall turn into a tart.

It's "V" this week for my Tuesday's Letters Eat and I shall be cooking with Vegemite!! I am looking forward to the experience!! I roasted a half leg of lamb yesterday and it was so melt in the mouth and tender. I made mint sauce too. And now I am roasting some potatoes in the casserole I used yesterday. In lamb fat. Well lamb and extra virgin olive oil fat. I don't care if it is bad for me, I love potatoes cooked with a roast.

I'm making discs with my DVD today. I'm enjoying the new shows Person of Interest and Unforgettable* so far. Haven't caught up with Terra Nova and though I really want to like Ringer, the reviews aren't good. I will tune in before I tune out. I am especially looking forward to Homeland, with Damien Lewis. My favourite!!! You know when a show isn't rating well as it goes first to the digital channel and then to the HD digital station. I predict a lot of show shuffling.

*It was originally going to be titled The Rememberer. Glad they changed it!!

Comments

[Jan]

Cindy, try Bepanthen on that scratch if you can use it. It should help it heal.

OOPS, nearly wrote "heel." Must have been thinking of your socks. LOL.

Many years ago I used to make my own cottage cheese to use on my homemade bread from my homeground flour. Real earth mother stage! The cheese was nice and it was easy.

My mother always cooked potatoes with the roast and I do too. These days I usually use oil. My sons reckoned she made the best roast potatoes ever. She was a worrier, never happy without something to worry over. Sons said she worried potatoes and turned them till in self defence they went brown and crispy.

[bon008]

We've been watching Ringer. I can see where the reviews are coming from - it's not a high quality production. Especially in the first episode, some of the special effects are dreadfully obvious.

However, I can't resist any opportunity to watch Ioan Gruffudd, so we're sticking with it :) I also found that after a couple of episodes the plot did rather draw me in.

On another note, we've just started watching a show called New Girl which I love! It stars Zooey Deschanel and she plays the most adorable lovely character :)

[Monika]

Both girls look so good. Did you know they can slip out of harnesses? Maggie did that a while ago. She refused to pass a parked car, and when I insisted, she was out of the harness in seconds. My heart almost stopped.

Congratulations on finishing your socks! Cat Bordhi socks never look good on their own, but on the feet they do. Funny, so far all her unusual constructed heels did fit my feet very well, but I can't knit them for other people, because they are not there for measuring!
Your leg of lamp and potatoes sound delicious! I love to eat both too. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and I plan on getting some Turkey drumsticks into the oven. It's only me and my son, and he does not like to eat Turkey, so I have to do something else for him.
Vegemite! No! ;o) Can't wait what you say about this.

[Jennifer Rose]

ooh brownies! love brownies :D

gilly does look a little skinny in the hip area, but its so hard to tell in photos.
sky eats grass in the back, can't imagine it tastes good the amount of people walking on it :p

the socks look good, mouthful of a name :p

[Lois]

Lucky MrsDrWho, who is going to be getting first dibs on tasting your brownies! Yum!

You certainly did a great job in matching the stripes on your socks. I love the colours.

Taking in that dress would have scared me to death....you did a great job on it. I'm sure MrsSherlock's daughter was thrilled with it.

[Kate]

erm, doggy claws - oh dear. Yay to everything else though!

[drk]

mmm brownies. i really wanted to like ringer too, because i am such a fan of SMG after buffy, of course. im hoping it will grow on me, shes wonderful of course. your girls look lovely, so spry and healthy! and i do wish you lived around the corner because i have an idea for a halloween party costume that i think your nimble fingers could fix in a jiffy. sigh.

[RoseRed]

You are brave and resourceful with your sewing alterations! Again I say, clever you!

It always amuses me when I see cats (or dogs) eat grass! My Nelly is so delicate about it, eating by the blade!

I want to like Ringer too...fingers crossed! I have only seen the start of the first episode of Person of Interest but have taped the rest. It seemed interesting (not to mention hello mr cute guy!)

Oh, and I always cook my potatoes (and pumpkin and sweet potato, and sometimes carrot too) in with the roast mea. YUM! Only way to do it I think!

[wildflowerwool]

Looks like an interesting heel. I have yet to try any of her sock patterns.

[Ann]

Lovely pair of socks & the heels look great. I am so fond on my current heel method that I find it very hard to try a new heel. I also have a copy of Donna Hay's magazine & planning to make those brownies too.

[Sarah]

I just made a huge tray of brownies--you are responsible for putting the idea into my head!!! I'm waiting for them to cool a bit before trying them. I love Damien Lewis--we were hooked on a show called Life. It may be awhile before we get to see his cable show. I also liked him in a movie called The Baker, though it may have had another name overseas, perhaps Assassin in Love?

[mrspao]

I commend you as hemming a maxi dress looks complicated. I love the name of your socks. Hope your nose is ok now,