Yesterday marked the start of CreativeCamp2012, an event we have decided needs to be annual! We probably need a logo too.
A few weeks? months? ago, we were driving somewhere and I mentioned to my husband about the idea of the Pattern Magic courses held in the UK at Morley College which I’d heard about through Melissa at Fehrtrade‘s write up. Which morphed into discussion about who I could rope in from the local technical college’s fashion department to lead a similar workshop locally (Liz, I’m thinking of you and your custom garment making students), taking over my husband’s office for a day – he’s got large tables and a coffee machine. Or harassing the local adult education mob into running a workshop. Or just getting off my rearend and setting aside a day to play pattern magic at home. Which I did – drafting and testing an asymmetrical cowl neck top which I hope to sew up soon. Rocket the dress form has been wearing the muslin since then.
A short gap between jobs for me made a perfect window for “CreativeCamp2012″, so yesterday we packed up sewing machines, fabric, video cameras, the office coffee machine, sound recorders, wetsuit gear, cameras, red wine, books, and some knitting for good measure and set off for Orford, an hour’s drive from home. Oh, and we decided tender writing also fitted in as creative writing activity – a couple of opportunities to good to ignore.
You can’t tell in the silhouette but [for Me Made May reporting purposes] I’m wearing a dark grey cowl neck Renfrew with a green cord Crescent skirt.
Day one started after lunch with sewing together a pair of Jalie 2908 jeans made into comfy casual trousers by widening and straightening the legs. Soft grey cotton sateen which is so soft to wear. And filling a wardrobe gap for me-made-may.
When I went upstairs that afternoon to get my jeans to cross reference the fly front construction I discovered I was pyjama-less. And it’s chilly here. So I made a pair of pj bottoms out of some flannelette I’d brought along (originally to make a baby rug for niece/nephew-to-be). They are just below the knee to cater to the fabric I had. I used some stretchy tshirt fabric as waistband and cuffs. A quick make. I used the Jalie 2908 pattern for the crotch curves, and ballparked the ease needed for pjs.
Robin went down to the beach for some video and audio recording. His planned shoot went out the window; the oystercatchers’ behaviour triggering some new ideas for a possible art piece. He came back after dark, wet to the knees and happy
Another use for video camera lights – torch in the dark.
My final job for Day1 was starting on four baby rugs for niece/nephew-to-be. My sister in law has a very defined colour scheme in which Spotlight’s range of printed flannelettes for babies just wouldn’t fit. Can you tell her chosen colours? I used the Colette Sewing Handbook continuous bias binding instructions to make 20 metres of red 25mm bias binding for the edges. See, I needed to pack my library and gadgets!

Day 2 started with a sleep in. Bliss. I think I might have been tired.
Me-Made-May report – slept in new PJs and an unblogged red LS tshirt, Daytime: stripy Vneck renfrew and shiny new grey trousers – literally. It’s sateen.
Baby rugs took longer than I wanted and I was getting pretty cranky by the time I had all the binding on to ‘Aunty Kirsty’ standards. Next time I expect to do that I will buy an adjustable bias binding foot thingy for my Elna.
Part of the reason I was getting cranky was that I really wanted to be getting on to the next task…
Can you tell which recently released pattern I am using? It was the straight-across neckline mod that really sold me on this pattern (if it makes sense that I’d already ordered it by the time Tasia posted that, it just hadn’t arrived.)
The main fabric is sewn up, I needed to have taken out some height in the bodice, so I have raised it at the shoulders and will adjust the pattern for next time. Lining is cut in beautiful blue colour as the grey wasn’t right.
Now it’s time for dinner!