Spring...

I've been back from holidays for almost a week, but haven't touched my sewing machine. That makes two weeks with no sewing. That's a long time.

So, what have I been up to? I'm not sure what's possessed me, but I've been cleaning out cupboards. Spring cleaning I suppose you could call it. I'm trying to declutter and get rid of things that we no longer use. I have a tendency to keep things, just in case I find a use for them at a later date. Whilst I think this is good in principle, I overdo this and end up being disorganised with lots of clutter. With only two cupboards finished, I have boxes of things to take to a charity store. It feels good to look inside those cupboards and see how neat and tidy they are.

Don't think I've been cleaning and tidying non stop since we've returned from holidays. Housework is something I avoid if I possibly can. Believe me, I'm doing the bare minimum.  Forget the housework, gone gardening... a plaque saying this was given to me by a friend. It sits proudly in the garden outside the kitchen. With the beautiful Spring weather we are having, the gardening has won over sewing in my spare time.

I picked these flowers from my garden today: lavender, dianthus, daisies and diosma. The weather forecast is looking good tomorrow, so I'll be heading outside again. 

Even though I may not be sewing, my To Do list continues to grow at an alarming rate. The other day, I was asked if I would sew a dress for a wedding. No, not the bride's wedding dress, but a dress to be worn to a wedding; a dress that has to look good. I said Yes.  Eeeekkkk!!!  What have I done?

Seriously though, this should show whether I really can still sew. Many moons ago, I made my own wedding dress and veil. So, this should be a breeze, I think???

We've been fabric and pattern shopping. We bought a cheap fabric to do a test dress first. Then there was a change of plans. Another idea was thrown into the ring. Could I alter an existing wedding dress to make it into a smart day dress, without a pattern. Now I do like the security of a pattern, but the idea seems easy enough. Cut the existing dress off above the waist, add a skirt from new fabric and add a belt. 

I must admit, I am more than a little nervous about cutting into the wedding dress. There's no going back once the first cut is made. However, that's a week away. In the meantime, I'd better cross a couple of things off my To Do list. I'll see what I can do before the garden calls tomorrow.