It's amazing what you can accomplish when you actually sit down and work on things. Once I had interfacing on the arm hole facings I sketched out some new lines and when I was satisfied with them I matched up the two pieces and trimmed them down. I kept the sewing machine nice as slow as I went along and used only the hand wheel in the really curvy spots. I remember when I started sewing and felt like I always needed to go fast to be a good seamstress but the secret is really to know you can go as slow as you want. I followed Gertie's advice and understitched the facings by hand (and learned a new stitch - the pick stitch - at the same time); it actually went pretty quickly and I really like the result. I also tacked the facing to the side and shoulder seams to help keep it in place. The neck facing won't be sewn on until I've got the sash ready to go. I think I might work on that after dinner.

My crepe dress is causing me problems. It should be a really simple pattern to put together but I seem to be intent on making it difficult. My fashion fabric is a rather sheer voile and I added a layer of white lawn under it to make things more opaque. This shouldn't really make things difficult but for some reason it did. I managed to get past most of the problems I was having with flat lining my dress and now I'm stumped by the armhole facing. It just doesn't look right. Should it really be this shape?

I found Gertie's Crepe Sew-A-Long posts which have been really helpful (why did I not look them up before?) but the point where the seam is on her facings look a little smoother than mine. I'm contemplating reshaping that area so I don't have the little V in the edge of the cap sleeve. I'm definitely going to add some interfacing. The pattern doesn't call for it but my fabric is so limp I don't think the sleeve will sit nicely without it.

My goal for today is to deal with that facing and get the bodice finished for my dress. Then I can decide if I want to use the same fabric for my sash or the pink voile I found in the stash (I'm pretty sure I've got enough). But first I'll show you what I made yesterday.

You see I've been trying to make a decision about that facing since last weekend and I've been stumped since then. I've wanted to sew but didn't know what to do with my dress and didn't want to get into a different big project - this dress needs to be finished before I move on to other things. I decided what I needed was a little project. Something very small and simple, and preferably in a light colour so I wouldn't need to rethread my machine. So here it is: an eye pillow. I've been getting headaches kind of frequently lately - it's something that often happens to me when the weather is changing - and I thought a nice little pillow full of lavender would be perfect for those times when I just want to lie still and keep out the light.

Would you believe I actually started out searching for instructions in my craft books? I'd looked through three of them without finding anything and was wondering what I was going to do when I suddenly realized that … um … I probably don't need instructions to sew a rectangle and put some lavender in it. I measured my face to determine how big it would be and cut out some rectangles. The front is a double gauze from Heather Ross's Far, Far Away line (and just so cute), the back is a pink flannel that matched the frog fabric and there is a muslin pillow on the inside to stop the lavender bits from poking through. When I was hunting around for some lavender I found a pouch that also included some rose buds and smelled particularly nice so that is what's inside my  pillow, along with some flax seed to give it some weight. I may have over stuffed it a little bit but I thought I'd wait 'till I'd used it a few times to decide.

I've been meaning to post about Rob's sweater since last weekend but every time I pulled it out to take a picture I thought "I'll just knit a few rows" and the next things I'd know the light was gone and it was time to be thinking about going to bed. Today I did a little better. I pullout of the sweeter and knew I didn't have enough time to get distracted and work on it so I can present you with a picture of the sweater as it exists at the moment.

Ta Da!!

Doesn't look like much does it. There are two sleeves and most of a back in that pile though, so I've only really got the front still to go. I'm hopeful I can get it all finished up and sewn together in time for Rob to wear it before the really warm weather arrives. Last year we had snow on the first of June* so it feels completely possible. I'm still in love with the yarn too which just makes everything great.

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Random Linkage:

Alicia's new garden* is so incredibly cute. I love the little willow fences around the outside.

I've had the Colour Affection shawl pattern in my Ravelry favourites for a while but now that everyone seems to be talking about it I'm itching to make one. Colours are had to pick though. I'm thinking of using Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label Fingering (Tanis is hosting a colourwork knit-a-long starting later this month) - what do you think of Sand, Brick and Chestnut?

I think this calendar is just the niftiest idea and dearly want to find a cute container of some kind to house one of my own.
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*To be fair I suppose I should also mention that it was plus 20 on Victoria Day last year.