the end of 'enlightenment'

Thought I'd use some of my recently purchased 'remnant' bundle and whip up a little short sleeved blouse for work next week - actually, there's a bit of a sub-plot to this story that started at the beginning of the week...

I finished tweaking my 70's inspired tunic with ruffles at the weekend and was about to start ruffling up the 'wet look' leggings I had (to go with) when it struck me that adding some circular polyester fabric to elasticated leggings possibly wasn't going to be as straight forward as I thought (surely I can't just sew them straight on as they'll need to 'stretch' with the leggings so I can get my leg in...yes???...is this right??)

So I thought the solution may lie in sewing the ruffles on not with ordinary thread, but with elastic thread...shearing elastic or something similar... and being unsure I popped off to the nearby fabric/haberdashers close to where I work and sort out some advise.

After spending a few minutes trying to explain myself to the ever so helpful shop assistant, and with her looking at me as if I had at least 4 heads...she guided me over the the shearing elastic selection (pretty poor actually...black or a dirty grey colour...no white??? and told me I could only hand sew it...you must be joking!!! so, I was then taken to the sewing machine needles where I was told I would need a 'stretch' needle ... but could use ordinary thread, so long as I remembered to 'pull' the fabric as I sewed.

I purchased the needles (for the life of me I can't tell ANY difference between them and any other machine needle I have?!?!) and I'm still not convinced that this is the appropriate solution to my sewing predicament - we'll just have to see I suppose.

But while I was there, I stumbled almost literally, into the 'remnant' table....

£38 later (and with not one single centimetre of elastic...which I went in there for!) off I trotted back to work.

Anyyyyyhoooooo - tonight I thought I'd get started on my new blouse....laid the pattern out, pinned it, cut it out, tacks put in, darts sewn in & pressed, attached front to back at shoulders...and 'POP' !!!!

After 35 years of trusted service, the lightbulb on my cranking ole sewing machine finally died!

Fingers crossed I can find a replacement on Saturday...can't sew black on black without a decent light source!

This is my current favourite fabric...

This will make a lovely light summer blouse...

This is the current fabric I'm working on...

but now I'm having to stop...until I get a replacement sewing machine bulb!