[meleliza]

Hmm, I don’t think I ever wore hoops in an Easter dress. We don’t typically celebrate at a re-enactment. 😉

[Tamara]

I’m intrigued! What would you have to re-enact at Easter time featuring hooped Easter dresses with lace??

Cargo pants not coming along! Dealing with a child adamant of not going to school EVER! And have to go take the girl to the dentist – LOVE Mondays!!

Maybe this afternoon I will get started??

[sayiamyou]

I have no idea what anyone would re-enact. I do, however, have a couple pictures of me wearing dresses with hoops in the skirt. I think the dresses and pictures are cute now, but I remember liking my pigtails more than my dresses. Dresses with lace are still sold, just the same as ones with layers and layers of tulle and ladybugs and colorful butterflies. It is dress overload in the shops here, Tamara.

[needlewoman]

Easter advertising for clothes in Australia features warm pj’s, windcheaters, and shoes and jackets even though cooler weather is still another 6-8 weeks away, at least. Interesting how the season in which a big festival occurs (like Easter) makes such a difference to the kinds of local traditions that become associated with it. We’ve never really taken to Halloween in this country despite the fact that all kids like ghosts, monsters etc because it’s beginning to warm up here in late October, and with daylight saving, it’s light until about 7pm then. And I wonder if Valentine’s Day (and all its red/pink theme) would be so big in the USA, and in Europe if it wasn’t still so cold and gloomy in mid February, and Christmas seems such a long time ago.

[Tamara]

I should really put this in current affairs but because it does have something to do with seasonal wear… We had a tip off that we may have an early break to the season this year here in the west – only a rumour though. But if it is true then sewing cargo pants now isn’t such a bad idea – Despite that fact it feels like over 40 already at 5.59 am!

All I have noticed in the shops is that they have actually listened to their customers and decided to make the girls age group of 7-16 less provocative and more age appropriate. There are alot more dresses though but not of the frilly kind. I see what you mean by dress overload though.

[Nicole]

Finished Hugo’s jeans which were remarkably straight forward. I did a lot of fittings as the pattern was quite ‘boxy’ but we are both really happy and I now I can make more without him being there.

I have cut a shirt for Jed but as it is a light colour I have skipped ahead to Zara as she requested a black linen Sketchbook shirt,why change the (over locker)threads more often then I have too?

I have some navy linen on the cutting table for a Continental skirt for me(Lisette)so I may make that up too while the sewing is dark!

After that I am making a Portfolio top with long sleeves in the last of my pretty speckly voile to wear with the above skirt.

Making something for each family member is working really well for me so far.

I am definitely a person who dislikes UFO’s,be it a book or a dress,even if I hate it-I finish it before moving on.

(I used to be shocking,bags of UFO’s but I sent all the ones I knew I wouldn’t like to St Vinnies.

BTW,anyone in AUS want some cut out little girls clothes? I found a tub of stuff from quite a few years back. Just send me a FM)

~Nicole~

[with love Heidi]

It’s interesting that by Easter we’ll be in our trackies and fluffy jumpers, and puffer jackets if your camping! A puffer jacket is a down filled jacket. i’m planning to make filed trip pants for a March birthday because I f I make shorts they will get very little use before its too cold. But when I lived elswhere in OZ ir didn’t seem to cool down until May!

[Tamara]

I have three birthdays in March, but none will be sewn for! My (big) nephew turns 18 and I thought of doing something but I doubt he’d really appreciate it. My little nephew on the other hand is 4 in April and he will be getting the Doctors dressup and a whole lot of other stuff from his Aunty T. I’d love to make him the field trip outfit with the secret agent trench as a set. Unfortumately with the one hour session of gloom involving a polo top for kindy, I have been informed that the sketchbook is not a good idea – he doesn’t do collars! Anyhoo, at least there is a plan B but I wont get onto that until at least mid March. I want to do the cargos for my own kids first just so I know how the sizing goes.

It is great to be able to sew beyond the immediate family but I am so wishing to sew for a little little girl … Maybe one day.

I was thinking also of using the explorer vest more this year – well I haven’t made one yet and am seriously wondering why. This would be great now the kids are showing more interest in life outside the confines of the house and yard. I cam see it being a rather useful item to have, one spare in each ute just incase you know?! Even the lining vest out of the school days jacket pattern would be good too.

Heidi you mean the West, the wild wild west, don’t ya? Yup! That’s us! The summer comes and sticks around until we are all sick of the heat and then goes on holiday for about six weeks, and then comes back!!! I’m really hoping the source of information is correct and our break comes at the end of March – we need some wet stuff!

[with love Heidi]

Justsewit, The explorer vest is amazing. You will probably need to size up for your miss as the sizing has only goes to 10. I’ve enlarger it to a 12-14, when I made one last year. You may find the schoold days ends up bigger as its ment to go over more clothes even if it’s only size 8. Yep, that WA heat. Hope you gt some good rain this season

[meleliza]

The popularity of valentines day in the US is definatley due to aggressive marketing in the greeting card and now just about every other related industry. I wouldn’t call it gloomy here in the winter. The days are shorter, but it’s sunny, just cold. Easter, however, is about new life and renewal, hence the symbolism of eggs. The tradition stems from ancient pagan holidays too, which the Catholic church adapted in its early years. It’s awfully tough to wrap my head around Easter in autumn!

While I never saw Easter dresses with hoop skirts, I probably would have loved it. 🙂 Still, there are lots of ways to make a pretty dress that don’t involve hoops or lace or frills. I’m planning a birthday party dress for K in some Lecien lawn from my stash with a subtle, sketchbook style floral. I look forward to a pretty dress for myself too, but will it be overkill if I use the same fabric for myself? I bought it for me, but K loves it.

[Lightning McStitch]

Oh I’m definitely a “finisher” too. I’ve sewn quite a few things now with no real need for them, but just because I’d bought the fabric and then cut something out. My worst case of “must finish” was a very thick, Nobel prize winning novel by a Chinese author, called Soul Mountain. My goodness it was slow.

Anyway, my cut out “must finish” pile is now finished. So I can get on to playing with my Haute Couture knock off outfit. Fun!

As a non-believer, Easter for me is just a great excuse for a holiday and copious amounts of chocolate. Always dark, thank you!

[needlewoman]

Hi there, small grovel for including very late night musings on climatic seasons/holidays in “wrong category”- blame our recent hot, sticky nights. Yes, I’m a finisher too – well, most of the time. I find that if I don’t push through/or am sidetracked because another project becomes more urgent, the previous project can lie around for a shocking amount of time before I get back to it. My main difficulty is “not starting” usually because I get too anxious.

Anyway, have finished a peasant blouse for a 7 yr old, and nearly there with a pleated skirt of denim/same floral fabric as blouse. Even though I’ve only really been sewing O+S for a relatively short time, I have come to appreciate their classiness, and the real thought that goes into the construction. Sewing has again become so popular (if I see another apron pattern, I’m going to be sick) that there are a lot of very attractive books/magazines of patterns out there. While they are often attractive, and look easy, they can be real b’s to sew. You wonder if the person who wrote them either doesn’t care how things fit, or if their mother or friend does the sewing for them. The peasant blouse, (the designer shall remain anon) is a case in point. Trouble is, being a ‘finisher’, I push through with a lot of frustration, and many adaptions of my own. In particular, the claim than any of these items can be made “in a night”, or “in a weekend” is one I’ve learned to distrust. Talk about false advertising. Maybe with an overlocker/serger, it is possible, or for a quicker sewist.

Lightning, and Mel, go for it with the sewing for yourself. I admire your bravery. What about a top from the lawn, Mel? – not too “Mummy and Me”. A bday party dress for K sounds gorgeous. Sometimes thinking about the next project helps one struggle through the current one. Hope the Communion frock is ‘cooperating’, Mel, and that you can live with the result. I’m sure the child, and her parents will be thrilled even if you see all the problems with it.

Nicole, I’d like to put my hand up tentatively for your cut-up stash. (Can’t work out what an “FM” is, however.) I’ll get my people to talk to your people with contact info, asap.

[Nicole]

Fiona,its a Flickr Mail.

I have found another 2 tubs,its mainly blouses,skirts,shirts and shorts. Its all clean and fresh and lovely bright colours,just not quite my style any more.

If you send me some postpacks,I will fill them up!

[meleliza]

Yes, Fiona, I have found that planning – and even starting the next project while finishing up the current one helps. I like to have the next one cut out and ready. The commuion dress is going really really slowly and I am not confident at all about it. I really can’t understand why the pintucks are so wonky.

[Sarvi]

Sometimes taking a break and coming back to it with fresh eyes will help? I know how it is to get frustrated by something that seems like it should be straightforward.

I was very squarely in the no-matching mom/kid outfits category, until I had a chance to actually do it. This can go in the same bin as ‘no tv, only organic foods, no plastic toys’ under the label ‘great parenting ideas from before I had kids’.

Trying to get started on a messenger bag today.