You know, I do recognise I am a bit of a cynic. I have never been the type to comfortably undertake the reflection and introspection propounded by the mainstream self-helpers - well, I've tried on occasion, but I usually find myself groaning in cyncism.

It's just not... me.

Those of you who have read my blog over the past year will know it's been a bit of a tough time. But that was merely the start of the year that was. My long absence and low mood wasn't just about that redundancy. I fell into a deep dark hole after a number of subsequent challenges that came my family's way.

But this year has felt... fresh... there is a different sense in the air, like we have all taken a cleansing breath and the world is perhaps exactly as it's meant to be at this time. Profound, hey? Especially for a cynic like me.

And I feel strangely compelled to immerse myself in gratitude...

I have to start by saying this idea was not generated on my own little lonesome. The lovely Yana of White Mouse Creations blogged about this kikki.K 365 Journal back here, and her intent to write one line a day, every day. Once the year is over you start all over again and in a few years you have a lovely memory box full of the little and not so little goings on in your life. There was something in Yana's post and project that just spoke to me.

For my endeavour, I decided I'd write one thing that I feel grateful for on that given day, each and every day. Yes people, I recognise this is not an original concept and I am surely very late to this happy clappy party. But it's just so easy, and you know it's also a little uplifting. Who'da thought it?

I love that this journal's pages are simply numbered 1 through to 365, with no days, months or years to confuse issues. You can start whenever, wherever, for whatever reason you want...

And so here I am, with my journal and pen, ready to start my journey. And it feels pretty damn good.

What do you feel grateful for today?

SEWN: Birthday Negroni

My. First. Men's. Shirt!!!! Each of those words deserves its own emphasis!

Well hello handsome!

Confession: I have never sewn an item of men's clothing in my life. P has been asking for something for himself for quite some time. Soooooo, I got on the Colette Negroni bandwagon. Late to the party, yes I know, but glad I made it eventually.

And what better reason than for my gorgeous hubby's birthday yesterday? Can I just say, there is an awful lot of blood, sweat, tears, and of course, love that went into this shirt. And a fair amount of quite colourful language. I own a few Colette patterns, but this is the first I've made, and the instructions are awesome. There were a few steps that had me screaming scratching my head, but that's more my own idiocy than a fault with the pattern.

Like any sensible sewer working with a pattern for the first time, I felt it was probably a good idea to make a muslin first - a wearable one, but a muslin none-the-less. Try explaining that to a very impatient husband... suffice to say my pleas of "no stripes or checks or repeating patterns" fell on completely deaf ears. Gingham, I tell you, GINGHAM. Self-flagellation is my middle name.

This sucker took me 5 hours to prepare, lay out and cut. Yep, you read right, 5 freakin' hours. P called me from work in the middle of it all and I started to rant explain gently to him in great detail the pain his choice was putting me through. He got off the phone pretty quick.

I decided to use Colette's suggested method of matching plaids and stripes and have to say, it was the only/most exacting way I was going to get any matchy, matchy happening. But, listen folks, it essentially requires you to double your layout and cutting, and also to create pattern pieces that take away the need to place anything on the fold. Well f*&k me, it works but 5 hours people, 5 HOURS!!!

But check out this back view....

Bias cut yoke, exactly centred. Swoon...

I cut a size medium as P's measurements matched pretty exactly. The only alteration I made was to take a half inch of the sleeve length, and we could have perhaps made it an inch. I've read a few reviews that suggest this shirt is designed for an ape very long-armed model, but hedged my bets as the finished arm length measurement actually matched P's RTW shirts. The sleeves are a little long for P's taste, but it's not too big a deal as he almost always rolls his casual shirt cuffs.

Check out those button plackets!
They almost exactly line up with the
plaid of the sleeve body

We decided to create just a little contrast by making the inside cuff from a solid navy blue. It's fine, but I think to show it off with a single turn back of the cuff might require a much stiffer interfacing than the lightweight suggested in the pattern. You can just see in this image that the blue lining looks quite wrinkly and too soft to make the look really work.

Almost matched the flap to the pocket.

And I bias cut the pockets and yoke for a bit of interest.









In the end we were pretty damn happy with the fit and finish. I would consider grading to a small through the waist and hip area next time for a slightly more fitted finish.

Happy birthday P!!!