Happy New Year - Love, the Dachshund xxx

Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
Surely that means I can post my December and January Monthly Stitch challenges on time??
no?? These are all gratuitous dachshund shots….. good enough reason? excellent! let's just ignore the timestamps and cover them here….
December's Challenge was "tis the season to Party" and I wore my project top to three Christmas functions, including family lunch on Christmas Day. Did I get a single photo of it - well, of course not ;)

Needless to say this is an 'action' shot as he spied something worth considering leaping into action for

It is Leisl+Co's Weekend Getaway Blouse and I admit, I was completely influenced by Lara Thornberry's two and SewBusyLizzy's versions.

Surely you're not asleep…..

This is another .pdf that I printed at home, used a gluestick to put together and then looked puzzled at when I had a piece of paper with two of the same pattern piece indicators… yes, you cut the piece of paper in two and stick each piece onto the rest of the pattern piece - obvious in hindsight and actually quite neat. This is the first pattern I cut out rather than tracing - I might just be converted ;)

The fabric is a gold coated cotton from Rathdowne Remnants that is surprisingly soft to wear.
I cut a straight size 6 and appreciated the finished measurements chart - 6 is for bust 35 1/2", finishes as 39 1/2; hips 38", finish 41".

I did continue the pattern length down as far as my fabric allowed, not enough for the tunic, and possibly should have been left as the top. I actually wore it tucked in on each occasion, except the photos - oops.

The glossary and sewing instructions are delightful and include instructions for french seams, pattern changes for an FBA, and lots of diagrams of each sewing step.


It was a delight to sew over a weekend and as I move the dachshund from the stash, I can spy some other lightweight wovens that will look lovely with it.

It was a dark and stormy night …. day?

oh, and my January Challenge, to try something new "New Year = New Skill"?? You may have noticed the stormy skies of my photos - It was a delightful, non-stormy day… There were hints with my antarctic jungle January top, and more to come with Anna, …

I now know more than I ever thought I would about off-camera flash photography ;)