The dress equilvalent of a hug

 

Lately, I've been on a Spooks kick.  I watched the whole series about 10 years ago when it was on (all 10 seasons!) but wanted to revisit it, so I restarted the whole thing sometime in November.  It was a nice (if slightly paranoid) accompaniment to my stress sewing--ha!  It was also an interesting window into world politics over the past 20 years, since the show first aired in the wake of 9/11 and dove head first into current events.  

Things I learned from Spooks:

1. No character is safe, and the show runners are usually killed off after three seasons.

2.  If a female heads up Section D in MI-5, she dies in a season.  If a guy does it, he gets three seasons, but all his female colleagues will die in some heroic and horrible way during that time.

3.  Americans are the worst allies ever.

4.  Trust no one.

5.  Harry Pearse will always have your back because he knows where all the bodies are buried (literally!)

That said, Rupert Penry-Jones lasted longer than some (almost four seasons) and I love his Adam Carter. (Although, good grief, his character went through the absolute wringer).  So I've been watching some other work he's done in more recent years.  Whitechapel is a British police procedural.  In it, he plays an Detective Inspector in London's East End who suffers from OCD.  I enjoy the interplay of his character (DCI Chandler) and the more earthy Sargent Miles, played by Phil Davis to absolute perfection.  

I also watched a recent movie of his, Getting to Know You.  It's a quirky indie that is billed as a comedy, but I wouldn't describe it as such.  It's more complex than that.  I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, given the premise and the reviews.  The plot is a bit thin, but I really loved the texture and nuance that Penry-Jones and Natasha Little brought to the script.  And the ending was perfection.  

Moving on to the sewing portion of our program, I made a dress earlier this week.  The end.  

Just kidding. 

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Peggy at Sew House Seven had a sale that included fabric, and I couldn't resist the wool-cotton blend knit fabric that she used to make a Toaster sweater.  I bought a yard and a half, intending to make a Coco top from it, but when it arrived, I wondered if I couldn't get a whole Coco dress out of it.  

 

Turns out I could!  I had to go with 3/4 length sleeves, trim the sweep very slightly, and only add 2" of length (3" would have been better, but this is fine with heavy tights), but I squeaked it out!  I might go back and add extra long cuffs to make long sleeves, as I've had good luck with that mod on some Coco tops this week (pics to come). 

 

 

I made a size 4, which seems to be the right size for me overall, and sewed the shoulders and sleeve heads at 5/8" seam allowance as written, but made the sleeve/side seams 3/8" to give it some extra ease. 

I did simple turned hems on the neckline, cuffs, and hem, and like that very much.  The stitches really disappear into this thick fabric.

I'm struggling a bit with my body right now, feeling like a stranger in my skin.  I suppose it is my Nativity Fast podvig or something, but it is discouraging. 

The hives from the mask have turned into eczema, so I'm scratching everything from the neck up constantly and taking high doses of antihistamines and steroid cream.  Oy.  Still worth the trip to see my family, though, and I'd do it again tomorrow if I could.  Preferably with this dress in my suitcase.  

But this dress is so comfortable and soft and warm and such a nice addition to my cool weather closet.  Like adding a hug into my wardrobe somehow.  (And crucially, my husband loves it, so there's that).

*My dad is back in hospital following a post-bronchoscopy infection ahead of his third chemo treatment at Mayo.  The chemo has been pushed to next week.  He's stable on oxygen, although very tired from all the coughing. His latest scans are encouraging, however, and we continue to live in hope and prayer.