Tuesday toile (on Wednesday)

In which our plucky heroine appreciates things going well...

I have wanted a button front shirt/blouse for a long time, this toile will be one of two possible options (the other example being the brown/black star flannel shirt I made last month).

My "wearable muslin", the toile in brown/white shot linen is a definite success and will probably become part of my winter 6PAC. I started with my TNT everyday dress pattern bodice, which has a bias* front, a deep "U" neckline, and a straight grain back.  I raised the neck to just below a jewel neckline, added a button placket, drafted a peter pan collar, altered the back to have a yoke and side back pleats, and added integral sleeve gussets. I am fairly active, and ride my bike a lot, so garments that let my arms move freely are important.

There are (subtle) things I will improve on in the next go round: lengthening the sleeves a bit, making the cuff band tighter, and cutting the collar parts so that the upper collar is bigger than the undercollar, as well as possibly reshaping the center back of the collar to encourage it to lie neatly... Overall, I feel ready to cut out the pinstripe indigo fabric for the dress I have planned, since this blouse is quite pleasing as far as function and looks. (even if the fabric does remind me a bit of the Brownie scouting uniform I wore as a little child)

Figuring out how to draft the peter pan collar was a bit mind-bending, and the pattern piece has a slightly odd shape, but when it is attached to the bodice, it looks just right and fits neatly around my neck without being too snug.

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Today was quite delightful, with a perfect balance of social time and solitary work time. Dear Drusa came over this morning, and as I've not seen her in what seems like months, it was great to catch up on how her move to St Helens has been working out. Soon she will be able to visit more often, as I am between her new location and the city itself, and I look forward to more crafting and conversation time... Later this afternoon, while I had the kiln on for the repair project I am currently working on, Marya came over to join me in the workroom and do some of her own projects, and we had a good long afternoon of tea and metalwork. Between my efforts to repair the Glymm Mere brooch that was broken, I also made a first attempt at an improved jingle bell...

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As small bells are found in both Norse and Slavic archaeology... here is a homemade jingle bell! 1/2" diameter. I had tried making small bells years ago, with partial success. Recently saw an image online of a slightly different basic pattern. Careful shaping using a dapping block was helpful. This is in copper, intended as a mock up of the design, and I was rather surprised that it actually has a gentle soft jingle. The copper was annealed before shaping, but the progressive dapping work hardened it just enough.

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	brown linen blouse	GM enamel	extra tartlets**
2	jingle bell	x	-
3	x	x	-
4	x	x	-
5	x	x	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	-
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

* Some fabrics, such as stripes, are fun to play with setting at different angles, and the bias fronts will lend themselves to that...