[Tamara]

I soent all day yesterday putting together three pdf patterns. Two were Liesl and co and took five minutes but the other…. it was a little confusing because the numbered sheets were mot in order when they were printed out.

Anyway, today I managed to get as far as tracing this Comino cap dress by Kitschy coo in a size 3 for my eldest daughter. I made a muslin bodice for the dress and am yet to create something “real”. But plan to make at least two tonight so she can test them out and give me a verdict as to how she likes them. I am only doing the plain version for now – quicker!

[with love Heidi]

I’ll be interested to hear how the Comino cap dress goes. Kitschy Coo’s Penny Pinafore is my goto patterns for tshirts and knit dresses for myself.
I’m still working on my BB8 messenger bag. I ended up doing some improvised curved piecing of denim for the main flap. I’m really liking how it looks 🙂

[Tamara]

I had a job and a half trying to get her to even look at the patterns. So much for a sewing mother daughter time also. She decided that it would be better if I made them! I think eventually we might use all of the ladies patterns Kitschy coo has available. I was actually a little surprised she didn’t choose the lady skater because of the dress I had made her a few years back from an Ottobre issue that she absolutely adored – the one in rainbow knit which is now way too small and destined to be cut up and used for something in Chloë’s wardrobe (it would make the cutest “baby” skater). And as things have turned out there are no dresses cut out and sewn up tonight which means I have my wirk cut out for me big time tomorrow.

[thejennigirl]

@justsewit, I’m impressed you managed to get her to pattern choose. The older my Korra gets, the more I hear, “you can pick. You know what I like.” Even her excited beginning into the sewing experience has dribbled to a sad nothingness. I’m trying to hide my disappointment and be patient and understanding, but, darn it! She showed so much promise!

[Tamara]

Oh I can so relate @thejennigirl. Imogen received a sewing machine from my mum for her birthday just gone and whilst she has dabbled, I was really hoping this time (and precious time that it is) would help her learn more, spend some valuable time with me and help her to take some ownership in what she wants to wear. Alas it has all fallen by the wayside. And left me in a bit of a panick! She heads off to boarding school in two weeks time! And so I won’t get this chance to spend the quality time with her for five weeks after that. I have to resign myself to really working harder to get to spend the time with her only on the boarder’s weekends and school holidays and then you know that I will have competition even in that. I will probably need to make an appointment to see her as she will have “more important things” on her mind.

I am half expecting her to tell me that bought clothes will only be accepted, depending of course on how closed and opinionated her fellow boarders would be. Personally, I feel as though they are very inclusive but it could change so I am on my guard.

I am sighing with relief though over her choosing this pattern. We now have to sort out and realise that things need to “go together” not clash.

She is in teenage growing mode and sleeping the day away so I thought I would cut out two everyday skirts in fabric she approved (the pattern was met with an “I guess”). One is in Lisette Icecream fabric, something that we have been hoarding for a good while, something she chose in the shop, she still loves it and it fits her personality. It might be seen as a little juvenile but… it is her and will go with tshirts etc for a relaxed around the house type outfit. Knowing her though she will wear it out and about too.

The other one is in an ombre spot in shades of blue. Neutral in the effects of whether or not it would be considered grown up or not. I see both of them as very age appropriate.

So these will be whipped up and then we can cut out a comino dress and sew that. The aim is to have all three items done by bedtime tonight.

Oh btw, has anyone made the lisette pyjamas yet? B6296? I am trying to figure out what the extended waist measurement would be for the pants. Her hips are an 8 (I think) but her waist falls between a 14 and 16 so I am wondering if I made the 14 if it would accommodate the extra inch. I am doing the top in a 14 according to her bust measurement.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Tamara.

[dubhels2003]

@justsewit I can’t believe how much you get sewed! @thejennigirl I hope you managed to crack into some WIPs. The only way I seem to get mine finished is if I also ‘treat’ myself with something new!

I’ve got a second swingset skirt ready to sew, and have cut out a playtime dress in a seersucker that I really love. I still haven’t started sewing he hide and seek dress…need to crack on with it!

[Tamara]

@dubhels2003 do you really think I get alot done? Well probably for someone with three kids it is true but personally all my projects are in danger of ending up in the unfinished basket.

I didn’t get to the white hide and seek tunic or the other butterfly blouse so these will have to wait.

The comino cap dress (Kitschy coo) is literally a five minute dress, meaning you coukd get it sewn up in an hour or less it is that easy. Mind you I am doing the one piece bodice so the two piece bodice might be a bit trickier to put together.

Having said that though, I stuff the neckline and had to unpick the overlocking stitching and reattach the neckband (the correct way this time) without stretching it out of place. Because I used a chevron knit I had some matching to do on the skirt and this took over two hours to get right (interruptions galore). The result was a day’s worth of sewing on something that should have been made within an hour but it does look great. The only problem is summer is not summer this week in terms of sunshine😕

I have another comino dress cut out and ready to sew when we return on Thursday. This time in Lisette knit. And I am making sure I have some left for something for Chloë.

I wish I could find the elastic I need to finish the everyday skirts as they are sewn and just need the elastic to finish. Again another item that would take very littke time to put together but seemed to drag on.

It would have been nice to have a pile of handsewing to do while we are absent from the machines but…. It will be a case of burying myself in the sewing room because there is not alot of time left.

The next project along with the pre cut comino dress will be the lisette pyjamas.

This is probably why you might think I get alot done @dubhels2003. I do talk alot about what I want to do. Like a verbal list I guess. Sometimes I stray from the list and the items don’t get made.

I really must charge the camera again and take some photos.

[with love Heidi]

Looking forward to seeing your photos!
I’ve just traced and cut out the pattern for the birthday party dress, size 3. This is my first time using this pattern. I found some mustangs in mustard from cotton and steel in my stash which I plan to use for the dress with some matching navy. Fortunately I realized it was from a quilting friend it hasn’t been washed, so I need to wash it first before I can cut the dress.

[thejennigirl]

@dubhels2003- getting there. The pants were moved to the “grow into this before finishing” pile, and the 2 vintage patterned blouses need only buttonholes and buttons (awaiting on a button order to arrive in the post before final button decisions are made), otherwise, I only have the seashore dress and vintage patterned dress left to finish before I move onto my personal sewing projects.

Butterick patterns are on sale for 1.99 at JoAnn’s right now, so today I snatched up the new Gertie dress pattern and a reproduction vintage walkaway dress pattern that I clearly need in my life. I came home and sat in front of my bolts of fabrics and played pet and drape for a bit, and the new Gertie dress pattern is rapidly inching it’s way to the front of the pile, with a delicious purple velvet. I’m worth purple velvet. Clearly. Purple is the color of royalty, & I am seemingly the queen of short attention spans it seems, lol

On a silly note, I was in a used bookstore today, & a 1923 dressmakers book (title already forgotten, I wish I had purchased it) contained the following quote, which amused me a great deal:

“[Maternity dressing] A woman may feel her most unattractive during this period of her life, but in truth, her face is thought to be the most beautiful. Dressing properly for this figure will in fact aid a woman in appearing almost as fashionable and beautiful as her normal shape allows”

I suppose it was a tactful way of saying, “You will look like you swallowed a watermelon. Deal with it.” Ha! I love old sewing books!

[Tamara]

@thejennigirl what a pip! It is as much as saying wearing a tent will make you look like a million bucks!

I still have the blue dress on the table waiting for me to sew it. I have only just returned home and during the (long) trip home, I tallied up the sewing items that need to be made before we go (again) in a week’s time. I don’t think I will be doing alot of sleeping!

Blue dress tomorrow then tackling the lisette pj’s, hopefully timesing them by two before embarking on more everyday skirts and jalie shorts. Busy busy!

If it happens to be that I have any of these unfinished items left by the time Friday next week rolls around, they will fast become part of the first of many care packages to my darlng eldest daughter at boarding school – sigh!

[with love Heidi]

I had a lovely evening fitting a RTW top for a friend to wear to a wedding. It was very satisfying to take the dress from a sack to lovely and curve hugging. It was also fun to watch her daughter play with the scraps in my sewing area and hand sew a mini pillow. It was a very pleasant evening 🙂

[with love Heidi]

Pinned and ready to quilt the quilt top I made back in September.

[Tamara]

I am just about ready to stitch the elastic casing down on the two everyday skirts made for Imogen – had to make a trip to Spotlight because the 1/2 inch elastic mysteriously disappeared at the last minute.

I am now trying to get the table clear so I can set the machines up to do this and then I can also get going on the lisette knit comino. Hopefully I can sew this to completion tonight. It is a quick sew when you do it right!

Then this can free the way to draft off the appropriate size for the lisette pj’s and I can be reminded of the preferred choice, made last week alongside many others. I am really looking forward to making these.

[Tamara]

Ok I made the second comino dress this morning (lisette knit) and it took a little over two hours to put together and was met with enthusiastic comment from both daughter and husband.

I am now trying to trace the size 14 of B6296 with really thick interfacing as the “paper”. It works fabulous as pattern pieces but is the devil to trace onto in dim light. So I have to relocate and (quietly) trace the pieces for the top in the sewing room (it neighbours the nursery).

Then it is all about reminding mum of the preferences of fabric etc.

I might trace some pj’s for the baby whilst I am at it.

[with love Heidi]

I bought a dresden ruler today and I am making dresden plates in green for a new quilt 🙂