Sew Macho.

About a year ago my kind friend Clr (She's from Stoke on Trent and they don't believe in using vowels there) lent me her sewing machine. Since then the most action it's got has been some repairs and alterations - mostly just turning trousers up as I'm a shorty. The only 2 items of clothes I think I've ever made were both costumes rather than clothes. An 80s Flashdance style 

t-shirt (essentially just a big square with 4 holes in appropriate places) and a witch costume (from MacBeth) for my GCSE Drama where the aim was for it to look badly made and raggedy (I succeeded!).  Let's just say the staff of Saville Row are not fearing for their jobs.

Needless to say I've never actually tried to make something that looks nice or wearable. So to complete challenge 24 I needed to up my game a bit. So did I rush to the sewing machine and practice my stitching like any budding seamstress? Of course not! No, I sat on my sofa all morning watching "The Great British Sewing Bee" and claimed it was research. Actually to be fair I did learn a lot of little tips and it gave me more confidence and motivation to make my frock. Plus it's a mighty fine telly show - check it out on the iplayer before it vanishes.

So first step was to buy a pattern and the material. I had a spot of luck here as the girl in the shop clearly didn't understand the pricing policy and instead of charging £10 per metre for the 2.20metres she just charged me £2.20 in total! I might have pointed out her mistake but I was also purchasing TGBSB Book at twice the price it would have been on Amazon so felt that pricing Karma had evened itself out nicely. 

Once home the first step was to print out, alter and cut out the pattern. Typically the pattern only came in sizes 12-16 which infuriates me. If 16 is the National average why would you make that the largest size?! So after some calculations, paper sticking on and a lot of snipping the pattern was ready.

I wasn't convinced my calculations were right mind you so was a bit nervous but had to just go with it and start chopping the fabric. Now as you know I'm off to Eurovision in a couple of weeks time so I'd decided to make a Union Flag dress for the occasion. Here's a little sneak peak of the fabric in Sepia:

  Part of my "research" had taught me that you spend almost as much time at the ironing board as you do at the sewing machine when you're making clothes so I'd set up mine and frankly my iron hasn't been used that much in years. (That's more to do with my failure to be a domestic goddess than the dress needing much pressing).

So with the neckline done I learnt how to do gathering stitches and put in sleeves before trying to tackle a zip. I'm afraid I failed to understand all the instructions at this point so just busked it as best I could. With the final seams sewn and a final press my dress is now complete.

But the keen eyed amongst you will have noticed that making the dress is only half the challenge. I still have to wear it so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Eurovision weekend to see that one. Look out for me on your TV screens... I'll be the one with the ill-fitting dress falling to pieces on air!

And to keep you going until then, here's a little vintage treat for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=999ph8iRT4o 

I'm Loving Angels Instead

Good news 40b440ers... (Feel free to choose yourself a better collective noun - you're no Beliebers/Little Monsters I know) ... Today I crossed off another challenge from the fabulous 40. As you can guess from the title of the post it wasn't number 3 or 13 - and it certainly wasn't number 27. No, today I conquered challenge 37.

I've never been to the Angel of the North, never even driven past and seen the heavenly host surveying the A1. So I thought it would be a good plan to do so - but to just see it: well, where's the challenge in that? Somebody sees the statue every second of every day. That's 90,000 views every day or 33 million every year. Albeit a lot of those will be the people who live locally or commute past it seeing it repeatedly but still it's not enough to just see it. You've probably worked out by now that I'm no thrill-seeking-bungy-jumping adrenaline junkie so I decided to mark my visit by paying homage to the statue itself in a more visual way.

If you've never seen it: It's big! I know this may sound like an obvious statement but its 54 metre (175 foot) wingspan is bigger than a Boeing 757 or 767 jet and almost the same as a Jumbo jet and at 20 metres (65 feet) high that is the height of a five storey building or four double decker buses. I've had the privilege of seeing a couple of Anthony Gormley's other installations including "Another Place" at Crosby beach which I found eerily striking and Sound II in the crypt at Winchester Cathedral but neither of these artworks is on the same scale as The Angel. He's proper big! 

So how do I honour this colossal cherub? Well clearly by dressing up as an angel using my dressing gown, some fairy wings and a 99p halo from Wilkos! Who could argue that wasn't a fitting tribute? 

Here I am looking positively Angelic despite the wind trying to steal my dressing gown.

And here is proof I achieved challenge 37. 

It actually doesn't have a bent wing, it was just my first attempt at taking a panoramic shot! Hopefully you can get an idea of scale when you see the people that are up close to the statue.

Up close and personal, this is what his steel frame looks like. 

I must thank my road trip buddy, Fola, for this escapade: he coped with me winding him up for the 5 hour round trip as well as the embarrassment of taking photos of a mad woman in fancy dress at a national landmark and he even had to deal with his first ever trip to IKEA (we were so close to the Gateshead one it felt rude not to pop in... have I mentioned I have an IKEA obsession? If not more about this next month after my trip to Eurovision).

Now before I head off to start packing my Buck's Fizz skirt I have more news. A while back I won a baseball cap and other goodies signed by Olympic Sailor Ben Ainslie and I promised I would celebrate accordingly. It took a while to think of something that was of suitable level and relevance but I hope you agree that this hits the spot. I drank some pink champagne whilst watching the rather bad movie "Charlie St Cloud" which features Zac Ephron going on about sailing and baseball throughout. Could there have been a more apt celebration? I think not!

But that isn't the end of my 40b440 endeavours for I've also been out an about in Manchester taking photos with my lovely friend Kimberly (who makes a very fine photography assistant/security guard) in order to produce my first Manchester Photo Montage:

It may be that in time this grows but for now I think it's good enough to tick off challenge 34. 

People sometimes ask me why I'm keeping this blog and trying to do these challenges and the answer is simple. Life is about making memories and having fun. It has to be. I'm having a blast on my journey...perhaps you're beginning to make your own list too. Why not tell me about it in the comments section or if you're enjoying the blog spread the word. The more 40b440ites (I've changed your name already) that help me on the way the more fun we'll have. Go on... be an angel!