Cousin shrinkage

Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?
Families are narrowing worldwide, according to a new study, and cousins are dwindling.

I have so many professional anthropological thoughts about this, but the one that weighs most on my mind is that this demographic shift has the potential to hasten the end of existing interesting variety in kinship terminology. And thus one of the most intriguingly-variable phenomena in human culture--one of the things whose diversity sparked the entire field of anthropology--may flatten and homogenise and shrink in the next few generations.

Sewing: ZW shirt | remodelled skirt

(Bah, whole post got eaten!)

The short version: Two new projects completed.

The ZW shirt in purple viscose came out much nicer than I thought it would. C had the great suggestion to sew up the placket rather than risk puckers from buttonholes and I'm pleased I took her advice. Can't wait for warmer weather. I know what I'd do with this pattern next time, and I can use it as a dress base too.

I remodelled a dated and moth-nibbled 100% wool Vilene shift dress into a pencil length relaxed midi skirt. Managed to remove the full-length lining with invisible zipper so that's tucked away for other projects (too big for me). I used the unnibbled bodice for a waistband and a lined sleeve for a feature pocket, and did a wide elastic waist. I relined it with new lining--ordered "petrol blue" which looked much darker online, but hey-ho, it's not a terrible coloour and it's a cute flash at the back-slit. Exactly the kind of "weekend skirt" you want in winter to wear with tights and a jumper, but being wool it'll work for all but the hottest summer days. With new elastic, poly lining and the cost of the dress the whole skirt came to £13. AMAZING.

I love wool. What an amazing fabric.

Have had no patience to take proper photos (also the light is very bad this week) but here are a couple placeholders below the cut.
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Next project is underway - V1966 western-style shirt in William Morris-style fabric. Being from 1975 the pattern is helpfully constructed so an overlocker isn't necessary - lots of flat-felled seams and self-facings. I think the only thing I'll have to change is the armscye; the pattern has a lining (it's a "jacket" shirt) which hides the raw seams there, but I can either give felled seams a go or use some binding. So much is possible with commerical 1.5cm seam allowances!

Then after THAT I'm making a summer dress for C but she's still deciding on patterns, so if I finish before she gets there then it's a new pair of PJs for me as I have shrunk a cotton gauze PJ top in the dryer by mistake (*cries in BIBA*)