[Robin]

I am sewing nothing. It may have to do with being up until 3:00 am on Christmas morning finishing a present for my daughter. Any advice on how to find the sewing groove once again? It makes me nauseous to even think about sewing at the moment.

[with love Heidi]

Put the sewing machine away! Don’t try and sew. Only sew something you WANT not have to make as your next project. I hope you can enjoy some time with your family over these public holidays. And don’t worry, your groove will come back, if not before, then when the new fall Oliver and S patterns come out. 🙂

[Nicole]

Goodness-sewing already?

Yesterday(Boxing Day)I alternated sleeping and hanging out washing.

When I want to sew but have the ‘can’t be bothered’s’ I plan sewing. I used to have a notebook,now I have a Pinterest page just for ideas.

[with love Heidi]

Yep I’m already sewing again. 🙂 I’ve finished the shorts and am now onto a lined size 2 badminton dress in eyelet with yellow accents. I’ve been looking forwed to sewing ‘whatever I like!’ as I finished my hogwarts robes leading up to Christmas, and now it’s here!

[Tamara]

I am thrilled for you Heidi!

I haven’t commenced post Christmas sewing just yet. I have a bit of home redecoration and furniture building to do first but hopefully I can get to finish the pjs for the 3 year old nephew and take them down with me when I go and collect the children from their holiday with my parents. I also am hankering to do more t shirts for both children and shorts aswell as a pink out to sea mermaids badminton dress to be used as a nightie.

My lovely fabric turned up on Christmas Eve and I can’t wait to make a mystique fairy tale dress! There is so much planned so I am just going to have to get some sewing done enough to work on with the hand-sewing side of things when we are away.

But first it is home improvement ala Tamara!

[needlewoman]

The puppet show outfit sounds gorgeous, H. I’m really looking fwd to sewing all the outfits I cut out. When I’m over one craft, I turn to another. Do you knit, Robin? Scrap book, card make, crochet, cross stitch? Sometimes making/working on something that requires different skills (or whatever feels like a rest from whatever you’re tired of) can feel like a real holiday, and rather fun/relaxing.

[Robin]

I was just thinking of doing something else. There are enough unfinished embroidery projects in my house to last a life time. In terms of full disclosure, my husband got me a serger for Christmas. I am terrified. It’s still in the box. I’m taking it to the store today to open the box and get my first lesson.

I would also like to actually clean my sewing room, rather than just put things away. Feels like the right time to take this on.

[Tamara]

I have breaking news ladies! I know we are (in Australia) on summer school holidays but I finally received the order form for the new school uniform in the mail. The receptionist assured me that they would include pictures of what the items would look like but unfortunately they didn’t. One dress will cost – get this! $54!!!! The skirts and tops are cheaper but my girl is very into dresses right now! I almost fell over at the price.

So …. This is what I plan to do. I will order ONE! Dress with the other items and find out where I can get the fabric from! That is more than what I would pay for a casual item and I feel it is very very expensive for a uniform.

So it seems that I will be endeavouring to sew the majority of the children’s uniforms this year. Oh and our little country school is having a separate winter uniform when winter temperatures last for 6 weeks! They are going all la-de-da private on us!

Today though, I think it is time to tidy up the mess I made before Christmas so I can make another sewing mess AFTER Christmas.

Having a good clean of any area is fuel for creativity I find Robin. You will thank you for it!

Have you picked out a pattern to conquer first off? Which one is it going to be? Sergers (over lockers) are great and I hope you gt a lot of use out of yours. I find I can’t live without mine now since it has been around for only three years.

[with love Heidi]

How frustrating Tamara! Did you find where you can get the fabric? I am having a similar problem with a friends girls school uniform. She is so tiny that we wanted to make them (probably using the jumprope), BUT this year they changed the school uniform! using a different fabric for the dress that is not available in yardage. very frustrating. I will agree a separate winter uniform where you are is a bit riddliculous. But I suppose if it’s now being run privately they are going to need to make their money somewhere (feeling very cynical).

I have puppet show shorts with matching Badminton dress. I just need to hem it and add a matching ruffle (regular not scalloped hem).

[Tamara]

I will do some research regarding whether or not I could source the dress fabric in yardage quantities. I don’t want to pay that price for any item of clothing let alone a school uniform. I am also imagining how hard it would be for some families who arent that financially well off AND have more than one daughter in the family. The youngest would benefit from hand me downs sure but everyone likes a fresh school uniform if they can and they don’t seem to last through more than one kid.

At least if I can get one item and copy the tops and bottoms, I can still make them. But I am imagining that we will “need” more than one dress and that is my worry. What is worse is that they have a school tie also! In this weather? you have to be kidding! Closed in black shoes means going off to the nearest Clarks retailer – thankfully we are in Perth for a while again so we can get what we need before panicking. Oh I am so not looking forward to this!

I would love to know what the dress actually looks like but there were no photos or examples shown. Really poorly managed!

I have a hunch they think that by making the school uniform private it will magically influence the quality of education our kids get! Not likely – and yes I know I should display a little more support for my school but….. it’s been a rather tough year dealing with them and I have lost my faith in what they are doing. But next year will so much better – I have to remain optimistic.

You know I really wish my daughter was little enough to wear the puppet show shorts. I have the pattern but she got too big before I could sew them. Maybe when we have another one i will be used to within an inch of falling apart. There are so many beautiful examples using that pattern, I feel somewhat left out!

What the heck! Put that on my list to make a Puppet show set this coming year – in a size of my choice!

Has anyone made their “What I must sew before the end of 2013” list yet?

OK break over, coffee is going cold and I have cleaning beckoning me to – clean!

Have a fab day ladies.

[Robin]

Thanks for the support ladies! Some friends are coming over for a sewing day this weekend. We’re going to work on Turning 20 quilts. This is to support our friend who bought fabric to do this 5 years ago in Hawaii! This also provides motivation for the muck out the barn, I mean sewing room chore.

Patty Young has a tutorial for a yoga skirt that I’m going to attempt with the serger.

Oh, what to sew by the end of 2012? Perhaps I’ll look at some UFOs and mending. I’m going to play the what to sew in 2013 on January 1. I think that’s going to be a fun tradition to start!

[needlewoman]

So glad you’ve re-discovered your mojo, Robin. Hope it’s a really productive, and fun weekend.

[Tamara]

The quilting bee sounds like so much fun! Hope you will share how it went.

Possibly still no sewing today as the home improvement continues – bookshelves and wardrobes (finally) in the children’s bedrooms. I won’t know myself when it is done! It will mean more room to put sewn clothes so it has to be done before I finish anything else! Can’t believe it has taken nearly 12 years to get decent storage! Don’t know how the wives of farmers coped in the past with little storage in their houses – it is an absolute necessity!

I need to aim to get into the sewing nook either tonight or tomorrow sometime so that I can complete a now belated Christmas gift. And hoping to whip up some more shorts for the kids.

Have fun making the yoga skirt Robin.

[Nicole]

I sewed up another Portfolio tunic,this time with some added ease to the front and quite a bit shorter to wear with bike pants.

I have also sewed up 3 pairs of bike pants,they are just so handy when the weather is hot.

I have cut 4 pair of rugby shorts for Hugo to take on his geology camp and need to cut out 4 polo tops and have them finished by next Sunday.

Yippee (written in sarcasm font)

[needlewoman]

Goodness, ma’am, you have been busy. I can only admire your industry especially when faced with ‘unpretty’ sewing. I was finally able to sit down at the machine yesterday for the first time since before Xmas. God, it felt good. Despite the work involved, and sometimes the frustration, sewing with good fabric with a child in mind (or a quilt recipient) is so wonderfully absorbing and satisfying. Dusting, washing, ironing etc just doesn’t cut it.

Good luck with making quilts for the Fab Five, Mama K. Given your flair for interesting fabric choices for the kids’ clothes, I really can’t wait to see what you design. Best of British in your search for uniform fabric, justsewit; it’s wicked the way uniform retailers take advantage.