Looking forward

I don't do new year's resolutions, the last one (and only one?) that I kept was years ago when I decided I would never make another one.  I am still pleased at avoiding all that guilt!

But I do have hopes for the future.  Not necessarily just the new year, but things to do at the time when they feel right.

I have a few days off before it's back to work, - and here's what I'd love to get busy on: a couple of sewing projects.

I remembered I had the black fabric all cut out, but I'd actually forgotten about the other one!  It was a nice discovery to find that I'd already cut the fabric out.  Only problem is: I don't remember what the blouse/top is meant to look like - it'll be exciting to find out!

The black fabric is nice, it is a solid black but patterned in small squares.  I was relieved to find that I had marked the fabric before taking the paper pattern off.

Here is my mystery project:

I obviously recognise the sleeves (aha, short ones!) and I can see that there are side panels (lying on top of the other pieces) and then the centre pieces for both back and front.  It's a good thing that the paper pattern pieces have numbers on them: 2 and 4 for the side panels.  I am guessing that No 2 goes with the No 1 front centre fronts, and No 4 with the back which is No 3.

So no worries there.  The only thing that's holding me back from getting stuck in: I so very much do not enjoy marking up the fabric - tailor tacks are, I think, the easiest: stitching through both layers but leaving some excess thread between those layers, then snipping the threads apart.  That way you get your marker in the exact same place on both pieces.  That's a distinct advantage because I can be quite ham-fisted when it comes to stuff like that that I don't enjoy.

I am not really sure about the colour of this though: can you call that a taupe?  If so it should suit my colouring (dark hair, light skin) but if it's beige, it'll be a so not good colour, as in: #notagoodlook.

On the knitting front: my WIP count has grown to 18.  I know, I know, I hang my head in shame.  But I did finish a couple that I recently blogged about: the EZ cardigan and the blue summer top.

I am hoping to finish this one soon:

I just need to do a bit of blanket stitch around the lower half of the left armhole.  The sleeves are only attached to the top half.  I wanted them to be a lot more flared but that fell by the wayside.