[lattemama]

I prepared some sewing this morning before work so I can get started on the Roller Skate Tunic I promised my big girls I’d have finished for First Day of School on Monday.

It will look like this one but blue and white gingham instead.

I have a third one cut out in lime and green gingham.

It turned out to be a weird length though so I will probably have to make a skirt to go with it because it will be too short to wear with just leggings/tights but too long to wear with the fuller skirts she already have.

I’m thinking I could easily grade a Music Class skirt, right?

[Tamara]

Oh yes! Grade away.

[needlewoman]

Finished the orange cord BR, and posted it. Mother of Miss 8 is very pleased – hope kid is too. Can hardly wait to see her wearing it (in pic) as spent a lot of time making adjustments. Currently, I’m working on 3 2+2 blouses at once. Although all are different sizes, and fabrics, I’m making good progress. I always find it challenging to finish one project, and gear up for the next. I’m hoping doing the blouses this way will speed me up. So far so good.

[with love Heidi]

I’ve just coached a 7 year old through his first seven buttonholes on the front of his yellow cordoroy sketchbook shirt I made him and he wants to come back and do the ones on the cuffs and sew the buttons on!

I finished the quilting on my quilt, now just to remove all the pins 🙁 but it looks great, just what I envisioned when I designed it 🙂

I also finished, except for the elastic, a cotton pettiskirt, I like a skirt with so much fabric and so many ruffles that it stands up on its own!

[Masha Richart]

The gingham tunics sound adorable. Heidi, you are certainly a sewing teacher extraordinaire! I am so inspired to try this with my girls … but I have to get some more sleep first.

As for me, I cannot seem to choose a size to save my life. First the Ice Cream dress was much too big. Then the 18-24m Family Reunion (made for my nearly 3-year-old who measures up at 12-18m on the size chart) was too tight under the arms. Thankfully I had not French seamed it, nor even trimmed the side seams, so I was able to rip out the stitches without too many tears and sew 1/4″ ones instead. That helped the situation some. Now to put on the hem facing and try to find some buttons that I like for the tab. Then I have to make a new first-day-of-school dress for older daughter. I have an idea for a Family Reunion with 3/4 sleeves and the neck facing morphed into a Peter Pan collar, but as school starts in 2 weeks I need to recreate the Ice Cream dress first. Just in case I screw up the sizing yet again.

[Nicole]

I think you are a marvel to be sewing at all with little ones. Be kind to your self.

I am 3/4’s of the way through another Portfolio tunic for my girlfriends birthday. I sort of wish it was for me…..

[Masha Richart]

Some days sewing is all that keeps me sane. If I can just grab 30 minutes here or there, afterwards it seems like there is more of me to go around.

[Tamara]

Oh I know that feeling well even now! Today I want to sew – anything will do!

[EllenMCM]

I’ve been working on a pair of Baby jeans from an old Otto. I’m taking a break because they aren’t working and I need to re-cut the waistband. I’m in a planning phase while I recover from my illness, trying not to overdo it. Seriously contemplating something fast and simple like a jelly roll quilt to pass the time.

[with love Heidi]

If you want to sew while under the weather choose something that is not important, to the point it can be thrown away if mucked up. The doll dress from LTTS is one of my favourites when not feeling great as if it really mucked it up it is so little fabric. Saying that, I haven’t mucked one up. Get well soon.

[needlewoman]

I’ve finished two out of three 2 + 2 blouses, and they look good; #3 is underway, and I hope to finish it tomorrow. Today, I spent a lot of time working out pleats for the 2 + 2 skirt for a size 4 because I’m using a checked fabric ( a Kokka with cars and spots). Have decided to omit centre inverted pleat, and fold all the pleats in one direction. The fold underneath the pleat will be deeper than the pattern markings because of the checks on the fabric. It took quite a lot of time but I feel more confident about cutting the fabric soon. I had a lot of practice doing this sort of figuring during the 80’s when I made a lot of pleated skirts on elasticised yokes for myself, and friends. Sometimes the maths involved drove me mad but they always looked good. Fingers crossed for this one pleated to the waistband. Got the measurements for an After School pair of pants for Miss 8. She’s certainly grown width wise, and I think I will have to cut a size 10, and shorten the legs. I’ve requested that the child be measured from her waist to the floor for the outside seam, and crotch to floor for inside seam. Is that what that you do when making pants for your children, ladies? Or do you measure from waist to ankle? Where do the AS pants finish/look best? It’s hard to tell from the pattern envelope. Any advice/experience would be greatly appreciated. Ditto for the Sandbox trousers, please.

[Tamara]

Yesterday I pieced a two hour quilt top and was “told” I “promised” to make a certain costume. I just need to make two pairs of cargo pants and two field trip tops and then two “costumes” will be done! But first I must find coffee!

[EllenMCM]

It turns out the Music Class skirt is a completely easy project that does well with a lot of breaks. And I have these two pieces of cord I’ve had forever. One is from Joanne’s in 2008 and it has cute woodland animals on it. I sewed that up today. The pockets and pleats are so sweet. Bonus feature: if you look carefully, you can see where I decapitated an adorable woodland skunk and, completely coincidentally, sewed a bunny head on to the body.

The second piece is an imported baby wale with tiny flowers on it. I’ve been saving this forever,waiting for the right project, and if I keep waiting, neither of my children will ever fit into anything that can be made with a yard of cord, so I’m sewing it up tomorrow.

The blouse will be waiting until I am fully functional again. When I’m more functional, I have two messenger bags planned, one for older dd (partly so she feels loved and not left out of the sewing frenzy even though she’s a middle schooler and dresses just like all the other kids, and partly because I want to practice before I make my own) and one for me. And some kind of winter-y quilt because I just figured out what charm packs are for.

[with love Heidi]

Ellen, I’m glad you found something to sew while your not well.

I made an apron yesterday with the 4 year old helping, she wanted “pink and purple with flowers”, so she looked the stash and choose pink and grey flower print and neon pink for contrast! Not sure the neon pink went well with the print but she was going to wear it not me and the print was heavier weight so good for the apron body.

Maybe I had better use the rest of the neon up while it is still trendy! Maybe a 2+2 Top.

[Lightning McStitch]

I can’t agree more about the Music Class Skirt. They’re such a joy to make but look so tailored.

I love the idea of the skunk-bunny chimera. hilarious!