Helpful hints on learning to sew:
1. Read the instructions.
2. Re-read the instructions.
3. Sit down and really ponder those instructions.
4. Follow the instructions.
Am I having a wee bit o' trouble? Not this girl. I do feel thankful that I have a nice sharp seam ripper close to hand, since I've had to re-sew about every seam I've made. Two left bodice sides, nicely sewn? Check. Forgot to cut out the entire bodice lining? Check. Who's thankful they thoughtfully ordered a quarter yard more fabric than the pattern called for, just knowing something like this would happen? You betcha'- me.
Today, I have only to rip out the incorrectly basted shoulder straps, re-bast them and then get to work doing sewing the bodice lining together and then onto the bodice. That probably will take me the entire day.
*It is really fun though. There's just something so satisfying about working with one's hands, to produce something functional. Provided I can actually wear it when I'm done.
*The above statement has since been modified to "GAAAAAAHHHHHH!" as the entire shoulder straps placment is wrong, must be taken out, replaced and resewn.
Ok, I said I would never do this, but damn it, I'm just too curious. Who is reading me from Ashland, NH? I know my friend from Florida, I know my family in MN, and dear mystery Rochester, faithful as always. I know Concord, NH and Manchester NH and various other NH locals (Yay for representing the Granite State, people! Live free or die!), but Ashland? Whoever you are, welcome.
In other news, I've been watching this very amusing show on BBC America called You Are What You Eat. This petite little blond woman in her late fifties insults and cajoles her nutritional prisoners into drastically changing their truly horrific diets for an eight week period.
For one thing, it's given me a whole new vocabulary, ie, I went to the shop for some fruit and veg, but the taters were absolutely minging. Wanker. I couldn't eat chips or take aways anymore, but I dropped one stone! Etc.
Secondly, I love seeing the huge displays of what people ate in one week, which is used to shock the nutritional prisoner into submission. It truly is horrific looking. It makes me feel better about us Americans. Our diet is not so bad after all. We may put cheese on our fries from time to time, but across the pond they put gravy on them and call them chips. And chips they call crisps even though they're just Lays and Pringles. They also appear to be addicted to Indian take out ("take aways," as they would say.)
Then, suddenly, they are introduced to things like celery. The hostess of the show appears to be very fond of celery. The display of fruit and veg...er, vegetables is very attractive and never fails to give me a ping of guilt-when was the last time I ate an avocado or aduki beans?
Not only do I watch that show, but I then listen to "How Clean Is Your House?" (the answer to this invariably being, "It's a complete and total wreck, thank you very much") while sewing, popping into the other room to catch the scenes of breathtaking household horror that is the before of the show. The show stars these two cleaning divas with extravagant rubber gloves who putter around England in a little car looking for the most disgustingly dirty houses possible and then shaming their owners into changing their filthy habits. They also sniff stuff they should never, ever sniff.
Anyway, the combination of these shows has left me with this lingering feeling that England is comprised of binge drinkers stuffing their faces with take aways, chips and Yorkshire puddings in the midst of piles of debris, dust and dog poo. Good thing I'm fond of English literature with their delicate descriptions of the country side in spring, Edwardian social mores and quiet, contemplative Anglican vicars to balance all this out.
