[Mama_Knowles]

Today I will finish up two pairs of sketchbook pants in brown suiting for the two middle boys. These ere intended for Easter this past year but better late than never! I have two puppets to finish up this morning and a baby sock monkey. Hopefully I have it all done by tomorrow afternoon.

[Robin]

Please explain to me why every single year I pile far too much on my to do list at Christmas time. Every year I vow will be different. At midnight last night I was trying to finish up a pair of pajamas for pajama day at school. Not finished yet. The list is far longer than the days remaining until the big day.

And the house elf seems to keep missing our place. Someone really needs to start cleaning up around here. : )

[Tamara]

I tried making a sequinned version of a straight hemmed Badminton skirt yesterday. It is still in pieces thanks to a presentation night meltdown And what seemed like endless phone calls. It probably won’t be made until the weekend now.

I had grand plans to execute a larger combination of the Olivine bodice crossed with the little lisette sundress for a Christmas dress but plans to wear it have changed so that is also on the backburner.

[Inder]

Despite sewing machine woes (my machine has been in the shop for 3.5 weeks, SOB, and I’m borrowing my sister’s super cranky old machine), I am attempting to finish up a holiday Playdate Dress and leggings for my baby girl Maggie (17 months). I have to say, this machine is teaching me to appreciate my regular sewing machine – my buttonholes look like CRAP. But if I can finish this on this machine, I will be proud even if it looks more “beginner” than my other items. A great sewing machine is an absolute necessity, people!

[Tamara]

Oh Inder I do sympathise. There have been many moments in my sewing life where I have had a cranky old machine that didn’t like anything I did to it. It often happened right when I had a deadline, ie I was sewing exhibits for the local agricultural show or something. The last time I had it happen I sacked the machine and traded her in on my current one and so far we have been getting along just fine. I hope she comes back to you ready to purr through the projects you give her.

I didn’t sew today and I am still yet to take a decent photo (or two) of the tractor costume. I forgot all about it and it came shopping with me!

Tomorrow I will work on the sparkly skirt that is currently lying in pieces so Imogen might like to wear it to the Christmas party Saturday night. That is after I wrap and post the gifts to family members at a distance (cutting it fine yes I know). After that I think I will work on another unfinished project (I seem to have accumulated a great mass of them this year) just to clear some space. The sewing room is going to be dismantled in January (or just after Christmas) and will be moved to a new location so the more ufo’s I have out of the way the better. I am looking forward to having a space of my own.

Question, if you could choose a colour for a sewing space wall, which would you choose? The walls of this new room have never been painted.

[with love Heidi]

Happy yellow but with one white wall for photos! Or all white for the lovely light.

[meleliza]

Yes, I think I’d go with white for the light and neutral background. With white, I’ve learned it’s really worthwhile to get the good quality paint. When we finished our family room a couple years ago, I splurged on the Benjamin Moore and it made all the difference in the world! It’s really beautiful, if one can speak of white that way. Also, when you look at swatches, it seems scary to go “too” white and you’ll think you want a slight cream, but you don’t. Even a slight cream will look pretty yellow on the whole room.

Oh how I would love to have a sewing room!

Robin, I get grand plans too! I try to remember that you have to conceive lots of ideas in order for one of them to come to fruition. The brain needs to work through things before settling on the one that will happen. Last year, I felt bad not having those matching pjs so many people love at Christmas. (As on only child, this was not a tradition in my house.) So after Christmas! I bought 7 yards of plaid flannel shirting and here I am less than a week from Christmas with all that fabric taking up serious room in my stash. I hope to finish her nightgown today. The boys have touched the flannel and decided they really want pjs too, so I’m hoping to do them over the weekend. I traced the patterns already in the summer, so all I have to do is lengthen a bit. I will simplify wherever possible. I’m using the baseball style one, whichever that is. K’s nightgown is a McCall pattern with a ruffle hem.

[scgoble]

I second the vote for white. I really would like to repaint my dining room, which serves as my sewing room. It’s currently that taupe-y color that was all the rage a few years back thanks to Martha. I would love it to be bright white. And I agree about getting stark white. The folks we bought our apartment from painted the whole place a slightly yellow white and it looked like some kind of institution. They probably pulled it from the “oops” bin at the paint store.

[Mama_Knowles]

Inder I sorry to here about your sewing machine problems. I hope your playdate dress turns out nice. : )

[Tamara]

Meleliza, this is a long time in coming. Had we built a house it would have been allocated as a necessity but we didn’t build with instead having to do up a third hand tiny place that was bought through very dodgy people. The chances are the space will have to double as a guest area and it will most likely be shared by my daughter who is aching to sew but whilst she is at school it will be mine all mine baby! I realise I am luckier than alot of ladies but this is something I can call mine for a little while at least – a pay off for the year of stress!

I will have to go back to Bunnings and look for bright stark white! At the moment is just the colours but I really want something that you can wash down with ease. We were assured last time we painted that the paint we bought would do just that but I have a drawing from one of the kids done as toddlers hiding behind a bookshelf that JUST WON’T COME OFF! I will have to take a photo of it before we leave – for memories sake. I know there is quite a variety but it just has to be easy to wipe off the dirty marks as my kids (especially my son) have the nasty habit of dragging their fingers along the hallway walls and you can see the streaks of dirt! I’m thinking something like microban would be ideal but am looking into it further before the final decision is made.

I haven’t sewn yet. Been so tired after a very very busy term and just coming to terms with the start of the summer holidays. I hope to do the skirt still though and I really want to finish the muslin for the peplum top and skirt. I’d like to make a dressed down version to wear tomorrow night if it is possible. Better get the skates on if that is the case. We have shearing for the next two days so it will be busy all round!

[with love Heidi]

I am sewing up another messenger bag, this time in fake leather, Pleather? It is looking lovley, I have avoided pins after reading that they may leave holes and have been using bulldog clips. I also added extra pockets to the inside as my friend admired my bag but said that more pockets would be great, this was over a year ago and I am finally getting it done for her for Christmas!

[Tamara]

Sounds wonderful. Where did you buy the pleather from? I was thinking of making a messenger bag for my nephew to use for uni but I am not sure if it will be big enough to contain whatever stuff he has to use. I want something really snappy – he is as fussy as my 15 year old niece!

I finished sewing up the peplum muslin but I have hit a snag – fitting oneself by oneself is a nightmare! I really need to clone myself in tape!

[Masha Richart]

FInally finished the trousers to complete the Art Museum set for my nephew. Didn’t manage to snap a photo of it before sending it off but hopefully my sister will send me modeled pictures.

I began cleaning up my sewing space (long overdue) while I decide what to make next. For me, I’d like to do a plaid Traveler tunic and a pair of corduroys from the Sew Liberated skinny jean pattern. But I also want to make skirts for the girls for Christmas – at first I was planning gray cord Lazy Day skirts but then I got side tracked by these cute mesh tutus I saw at a store and want to replicate. We don’t celebrate Christmas until January 7 though, so I’ve got time!

As for the sewing space – if it is a sunny room I might be inclined to go light gray or yellow. If it’s a dark room, white.

[Tamara]

Hmm! Food for thought! It is a closed in part of the verandah that gets alot of sun and is very hot in summer because it has no air conditioning yet. Whatever the colour it does need to be lighter and will most likely be one of those places where it will have to be painted more often than most areas. I was told that white goes brown but I don’t believe that. i have white ceilings and they aren’t brown at all.

I have been having more issues with the fitting process of the attache pattern. I think I will find time to go back to the drawing board and I won’t get to wear it tonight. At least then the pattern will fit me.

[Nicole]

Finished another Tea Party dress for my friends 4 year old in a butterfly fabric as requested.

I have also made a Seashore dress for my 11 year old niece in a pretty soft denim with gold ‘cross hatching’ printed on it. I sent a picture to my SIL to gauge a reaction and she requested the same for her 6 month old grand daughter. I just drafted the smallest size-so cute!