[Mama_Knowles]

Thanks Ladies! I’ll try the french seams on the pj’s. They are all the Sleep over pattern.

I just finshed cutting out all the stockings, next sewing! This part is way quicker than the cutting out part. (Much more fun too!) I am hpinh to have them all done by Friday morning so the weekens free time is for pj’s.

[Tamara]

Have decided to save the coverstitching until everything JB present wise is ready for that step. Just easier and since I have an unwell child and internet troubles, I will have to watch a video tutorial on how to end off and not get the stitching to unravel – particular way apparently and the manual doesn’t tell the secret.

So today in between being nurse, I will get on with sewing the rest of the things.

My lovely alternative fabric turned up yesterday but of course my daughter was in a less than lovely mood to discuss using them and a different pattern for that dress she needs to wear on Monday night – 3 more days of school and then I can work on getting politeness and respect back into my kids.

[Nicole]

Do do do dee do Started my Fairy Tale dress!

Tamara,do you know the pin and loop method?

[Tamara]

Nicole, I don’t know any method at the moment – it took 15 minutes to load a blog page detailing A method that was recommended (painful wait). You have to pull the needle threads under the presser foot to the front making a loop, snip then take the fabric directly to the back and leave a tail while snipping the other two threads. Apparently it won’t come undone but you still have to knot (don’t mind as long it stays put). So is this what you mean by pin and loop?

Off to try this method after setting up the machine – very slow off the mark today!

Oh goodie gumdrops about the dress … can’t wait and have visions of a sleeveless red and white one for a certain preteen who will probably lecture me on the importance of HER opinion! Oh help!

[Lightning McStitch]

Still working on my hand quilting and until it’s done I don’t dare do anything else in case I run out of time.

Anyone have an opinion on this?: Do I attach my quilt label and then do the quilting, such that the quilting pattern will be over the label? Or do I quilt first and then attach the label on top, such that the label is quite bare? I’m guessing it’s like anchovies on pizza….

[needlewoman]

Hi Lightening,

I would suggest (from much experience of attaching labels) that it’s easier to quilt, and bind your quilt first before attaching label. I usually wash and press quilt, and using ironing board as table, then position and pin the label. This way you can line up the label with the binding so that the label sits “square”. I usually position it about 2 inches away from both the side and bottom binding. I find it easier to sew the label with slip stitching to a padded back rather than trying to keep it from moving when I’m quilting/binding. But as you say, it’s about personal preference.

It’s been ferociously hot here the last few days, and while the next couple will not have the high temps, it’s expected to be humid until a proper change by Sunday. As you can imagine, I’m reading your posts abt making cosy pj’s with amusement. What you/children are wearing when unwrapping Santa’s presents first thing in the morning really isn’t an issue in Australia. Photos tend to be taken at lunch when people are properly frocked up.

Unfortunately, the heat rather slows down the sewing/preps for Christmas; however, I have cut out a couple of O + S outfits, and some others from patterns I have rediscovered (and obviously kept) for over 20 years OMG! Unfortunately, I loaned some patterns to friend some years ago which she has lost c/o of moving too often (and one suspects) not giving sewing equipment/fabric/patterns the high care priority that I know this forum’s members give theirs. Ah well, one lives and learns. Currently, I’m trying to finish two skirts with little aprons attached (Make It Perfect Tea Party Skirt), and two music box dresses. I had to interrupt this project to make the two dresses that I last posted on Flickr; however, should be able to finish the above asap and post them to 5 and 7 yr old before Xmas. Somehow by next Wed. I have to add flutter sleeves to two bought frocks for twins. I worked out pattern for sleeves using bought broderie anglaise which I can gather – I thought to attach them to bias binding and then sew inside armholes. However, realised that binding is likely to stretch too much in attaching lace. Any ideas anybody? I don’t want too much extra fabric inside already finished armholes. I hate doing stuff like this, and wish I was a lot tougher about saying “no”. Mind you, I think the 70 stockings M Knowles is making isn’t her first choice, either. Well done on fairy frocks, Nicole, and Kelly. Feel for you Kelly, it’s such a pip when things don’t work out as you hope. I’m sure it’s better than you think, however. Sewists always see all the flaws in their work because we are the experts; I take heart from the fact that the average person doesn’t notice (usually). They just see the lovely fabric, and the general effect. Look forward to pics. Sympathy for the hot and bothered would be welcome but understand if you are all to busy to spare any.

Fiona

[with love Heidi]

Maybe gather the sleeves and then sew flat bias binding (or ribbon) to cover the seam?

Lots of sympathy coming from here with the hot weather. The apron skirts sound so cute, I’ve looked at them (in the book) but haven’t made them yet.

Looking forward to seeing Zara’s dress.

[needlewoman]

Thank you Heidi both for your suggestion, and your sympathy. Both help, lots! Right now it’s raining which in the driest state in the driest continent is a real bonus but boy, is it humid. Hopefully, some southerly breezes will arrive in the next couple of days.

The skirts are cute; and quite easy to do. For all of the sizes, you can use a FQ for the yoke which helps when trying for interesting combinations. I’ve just put the last stitches in skirts this am, and I’ll wash them before I put in the elastic which will just have to be pinned for the mother to fix. I don’t know if she can sew at all; she might have a generous friend. Don’t you hate that? When you have to send off your carefully crafted ‘baby’ not knowing how it will be finished because you can’t make it perfect yourself? (Sorry for terrible pun).

Re. the flutter sleeves, I bought extra wide lace to give me room above the broderie to gather and fiddle with. Looking at the wide bias binding I bought, it’s pretty sturdy and maybe if I gather the lace to specified measurement, and then sew the gathers down, and then sew onto binding, it will work. Obviously, I need the binding so I can curve to inside the armholes.

Funny, I’ve often been a little scathing about women who blog/participate in forums – as in; don’t they have enough to do? It’s been an eye opener how nourishing and useful I find the posts on O+S. Just shows, no sewist is an island – and probably shouldn’t try to be, either.

[Tamara]

Oh Needlewoman, how far you have come! So glad to know you still require food for your sewing soul and that we can help provide it.

I have put a pause on the pyjama making for the moment and will continue as I have to get going on this “christmas” clothing in the form of a dress. Camera is charging and thought I would upload the fabric choices for valued opinions. I broke the news to miss 10 that her red dress couldn’t be made for Monday night because the zip is not long enough.

THEN I had a revelation! What if I changed the neckline slightly and made it come down a little lower at the back with the front in a sweetheart sort of way??? Any thoughts on this? The child is 10 and the dress is to be made from cotton so not a really really fancy dress. Would this style of neckline be too dressy for a casual look? Would it still be age appropriate? I could use a shorter zip then I thought

Any thoughts?

Going to do a muslin on her to get her thoughts on the style – she may baulk!

[Nicole]

Why not set the zip in lower and do roulette buttoning to fill in the gap?

I did that here after a stuff up.

http://fiveandcounting-motherof5.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/serendipitous-starling-dress-part-4.html

[with love Heidi]

What dress are you thinking justsewit? Fairy tale?

The sweetheart neckline would be lovely for a causal look (think Seahore Sundress), although I’m not sure you need to play with the neckline of the fairytale as there seems to be a number of dresses out there for at least the teen and pre-teen market that have the higher fairytale neckline. I agree with Nicole a few buttons on the top would fix the problem nicely with minimal changes to the pattern.

[Tamara]

Went with plan b and called the nephew who promised to get one on his way out to help sort sheep. The zip was really short! So I would have had to fill most of the bodice with the buttons and it would have not looked good at all with the zip. Buttons would have been another alternative but I would prefer a zip for this one. The tute Nicole is tagged for another time because it is a great idea, but not for this dress. So the neck is staying put for this dress because I can do something different on other dresses in the future. I basically need to use this pattern to death this summer before the child bursts out of it altogether.

Thanks for the input.

[with love Heidi]

Hope your zip comes justsewit. I’m back on the Harry Potter bandwagon today, try and draft a 14 or 16 and hopefully get it at least partly made. But a big win on the HP front, my husband was shopping yesterday and came back with some long decorative slightly twisty sticks, which when cut up and decorated with some hot glue (he also bought the glue gun!) and painted will make brilliant wands! So looking forward to making them!

[Tamara]

I hope so too or else she can wear another one as I asked if she’f like me to make the FT dress from the other fabrics also to which she agreed – I was going to make heaps of them anyway.

I redid a muslin for the bodice and it has come out ten times better than before although my tempter didn’t hold with a fiddly child who was too afraid of getting stuck with pins, exclaiming she isn’t a voodoo doll! The cheek! And yes she is correct but I was careful and the task is now done to the next stage.

I will cut out and work on two dresses that could be suitable just in case M doesn’t come through on the promise – he can forget.

So I will cut on in red and white Christmas Pillow and Maxfield and one in Nottinghill red,green and white from the new Joel Dewberry range. Both will be really nice I should think and then I can either make the red Modern workshop one at a later date or in a hurry tomorrow. That’s if she decides it is needed still.

[Lightning McStitch]

Gotta love a man who buys you a glue gun!

I’ve been distracted by a Spotty Teddy Bears Picnic tomorrow and the lack of spots in my kids wardrobe…. So I’m cutting up an old gauze swaddle and making a No-Tie Scarf (cravat rather!) for P and a Lazy Days Skirt for A.