More sewing and some gardening news

I made another skirt! I'd tried to make a full length, full circle skirt last summer, but had no idea how to do waistbands and made a complete hash of it. After last weekend's success, I thought I'd have a go at rescuing it. This is the finished result.

It's not full length, because rescuing the waistband and putting a proper hem on it somehow took off quite a few inches... But it's still full circle, now has a zip and you can't quite see it in the picture, but I've somehow made the hem flare out slightly, which I rather like :) It only took a couple of hours too, mostly on the hem (which is much longer than you'd think!)

I was also feeling in need of a new bag, and was trying to think of a way to use the cotton pillowcase we bought for 50p last week. This is what I came up with. 

The bottom few inches is denim from the leg of an old pair of jeans. I generally end up putting bags on a mucky floor, or spilling food in them, or having pens leak everywhere, so I've learned that having a white bottom on a bag is not a good idea! 

I made it just about big enough to fit an A4 folder in, along with general purse, keys, phone etc. If it's not carrying A4, it'll fit the normal stuff plus lunch box, book and water bottle. The ribbon (which we already had, and which goes quite nicely) pulls the top shut. The handles are quite long so I can carry it over my shoulder and can pull things out without having to take it off.

Quite a successful weekend of sewing really! I also took in a top that I love, but which was always a bit big, and had recently become rather baggy and saggy in the wash. Took me all of 10 minutes, I don't know why I put these things off for so long! 

There's lots going on in the garden at the minute too - not much of it being done by me... The chives in the front have got loads of flowers coming, which will look lovely, and I'm planning on eating a few of them - not quite sure how yet! 

The slugs are, as ever, eating lettuces, mint, fennel, and most other things they can get their chops round (although oddly enough, not the strawberries). The broad beans are growing nicely, I planted rather a lot thinking most of them wouldn't come up, but they all seem to have done, so we'll be needing plenty of broad bean recipes later in the year. 

And the lilac is flowering. It doesn't last very long, but it smells absolutely gorgeous, and looks lovely hanging outside the kitchen window :)