Friday 11 February 2011

Amy Butler prints are invading my wardrobe. Hurrah!

(Lifted from my old blog, some links may not work and the layout may be odd)


Here's another fronk (ha) made from a different freebie Prima pattern from last year.  Again in Amy ButlerThis one is from the daisy chain collection. It should have been made in a stretchy fabric so I had the same sleeve issues as with my other dress.  I couldn't move freely in it, not good when your day is spent picking up your little boys to cuddle them or picking up their discarded toys. Nothing a bit of chopping and the addition of a pleated ruffle couldn't sort out though.
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I found choosing the fabric to ruffle the dress rather tricky.  I took a silly amount of time faffing around with two options.  Do I go for this lovely green but boringly plain fabric? (John Lewis plain patchwork fabric)
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Or for this delicious print (Amy of course, same collection) with similar colours...
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I can't tell you how many times I draped and undraped Diana the Dummy with the two fabrics.  Almost drove my self nuts.  I decided to just get on with it, to toss a coin and move on.  So the deed was done the choice was made and "off with the arms!" I hollered as by then I actually had driven myself nuts. Something that is very easy for me to do.
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Ahh look theres the little strawberry pin cushion, always right where I need it.  Ready to pin on the ruffle, the ruffle I'd painstakingly made in my chosen fabric.  I still wasn't sure about the choice but I carried on as I'd promised myself I'd do as the coin directed.  Can any one spot my rookie error?
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 Did you spot it?  Yup, sewed the ruffle to the wrong side of the fabric.  So when I turned the dress the right way around it looked like this.  Grrrrrrrrr!
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I simply cannot do anything with out going wrong somewhere along the line, I blame it on my absent mindedness, fortunately most of my mistakes are easy to remedy but they eat into my time and I get so frustrated with myself.  I think I need to start being easier on myself and not get so upset when I do something like this.  I can be really mean to myself "You're such an IDIOT!, For Goodness SAKE!, Oh Bloody Hell not again, you are a stupid MOO!"  These are the things I attack myself with.  If anyone in the real worl spoke to me like that I would be in floods of tears and incapable of standing up for myself.  No wonder I get in a temper when I go wrong, hearing that sort of dialogue in my head.  Not good.  I'm a nice girl, time to be good to myself and talk to me like a friend.
So anyway, I unpicked and re-did and this is how it turned out in the end.  I'm very happy with it over all except next time I'd do the sleeves a bit longer, I'd use the other choice of fabric (that's gonna be made into a hat) and I'd iron it before the ta dahhhh shots.  I'd also try out a different pose as the dress looks much nicer when I'm not standing like a disgruntled scarecrow!
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Thank you to Vanessa for your lovely comment about my last Fronk (ha), It's thrilling to get comments.  I see I get many a pageview per day but sadly no comments.  I'd love some comments.  I've decided to up my game and be more proactive in the blog world so I cann make some "friends" and get invloved in this lovely community.  Like most things in life, it'll not happen over night and it'll not happen with out some effort on my part.  So watch out you lot, I will be peppering your lovely blogs with comments, I've been lazy in the past, I've enjoyed what I have read but haven't told the author.  Mind you most of my fave blogs have such a huge readership that they get so many comments and probably wouldn't get to my comment! But I shall have a bash at joining in none the less.
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Before I go I thought it was about time that I introduced this lady.  She is my Nanny Dot (was) and I miss her beyond belief.  She is the reason this blog is called "the cuckoo is a pretty bird" (edit: It was called that when with typepad, I began to worry people thought I was saying I am a pretty bird, I'm very vain but I don't think Im gorgeous, I scrub up well but thats about it) It's a song she used to sing to me all the time.  It's not a good photo, she wasn't much for having her photo taken.  She'd say "whadya want a picture of me for? I'm an old woman!" She had a funny little accent and everything she said was amusing.  She was utterly mental, mad as a box of frogs and I loved her very very much (still do obv) and cannot believe I haven't seen her for more than four years.  I miss her four years worth and I'm cross that she hasn't come back to haunt me as she promised she would.  Naughty Cuckoo!

3 comments:

  1. I love that you have a naughty cuckoo. I have/had one too. She was my Grandma Kitty. She taught me to love life. I miss her terrible too. But she is with me daily..a part of who I am, and her photos are in nearly every room (she modeled as a teen so I luckily have many photos).

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  2. I love this dress just as much as the green one. I am suffering from serious dress envy!I don't wear dresses so much as I always assume they won't be flattering (without even trying them on - silly really) but these are both so lovely I would really like something similar. I used to make clothes but haven't in ages, you are inspiring me to get back to it. Love all your colour/fabric choices. You have lots of talents!

    I liked hearing about Nanny Dot - I had a Nanny too, not a Gran or Nan or a Nana; my daughter has one and if I am lucky enough, that's what I will be too.
    Siobhan

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  3. Hey there, I've spent way too much time in blogland tonight, looking through old posts. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing something, like I came too late to the party..anyways, I had always wondered why your blog was called that..makes sense now :)

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I L♡VE your comments. Thank you ever so for taking the time. I do try to get back to everyone but I am rather scatty and I have these 3 big distractions....(and I'm just generally a bit rubbish lately, so please don't feel obliged to leave a note) Sorry about the word verification too, too much spam.