[Masha Richart]

“Sozzled” – new fantastic word for my vocabulary. Purely Aussie or Brit too?

[Tamara]

Hehe! My mum used to say it to term being drunk! But I guess it could mean tired or exhausted also.

I have split and unsuccessfully cloned myself between the kitchen, doing homework (assisting I promise) and sewing. I am half way through the “muslin” for these shorts but spent a good half hour examining the “proper pair” to get a decent idea of how best to copy successfully. I mean these shorts have elastic here and there and the front and back is not sewn together past the pocket. We are talking scientific methods of doing the waistband to get this whole thing working here! No wonder you have to pay through the nose for just one pair!

But that said anything they can do I can at least attempt to do better….

[with love Heidi]

I hope no one at school is looking at the inside of his shorts!

Is the top covered by a shirt or belt? Because if so it won’t normally be seen so as long as it’s vaguely right people’s brains should fill in the extraneous detail. Though I do understand about you wanting to make them just right! 🙂

[meleliza]

Hubby just confirmed that’s it’s British too. 🙂

[Tamara]

I think I am doing it more for Noah than for anyone. He is dead scared of being told off for wearing “the wrong shorts”. Funny though how they crack down on the kids about uniform being the second transition year but they don’t publicly humiliate the high school girls for wearing skirts that still show everything off! I hope they give a lesson in how a garment should fit in those sewing classes they have!

He generally has his shirt out but for photos and formal occasions they need the tie and a tucked in shirt.

The trick is to eliminate the elasticated look to the waist but still include it.

[meleliza]

I’m sewing something I can’t talk about. I’m also sewing a smocked sundress, the Mary De pattern by Children’s corner. I’m fearful I’m getting hooked on the smocking. The pattern is a really sweet vintage design that I haven’t seen by any other pattern company, but the pattern itself is annoying.

[Tamara]

I miss smocking! I used the Mary De to adapt a smocking design in Australian Smocking and embroidery once. The design was on a baby romper and I loved it that much I wanted to use it so made the Mary De and used the design to make a pink dress for Imogen when she about four years old. As to the instructions, throw them out and line the bodice and do it the Oliver and s way. The instructions in the As&e magazines were far better to use and understand when I made it and that was before I knew about Oliver and s patterns. I always feel that with smocking in particular, because you are adding extra weight, the bodice really needs to be reinforced with a lining. It also looks and sits much better too.

The swimming gear idea has gone belly up. Both kids seem to think their current bathers are fine! Boo hoo! I just want to sew something!

[Masha Richart]

Finished half of my gift project, and a Hopscotch skirt this week. Yesterday I got the idea to sew a long-sleeved Washi dress out of three yards of houndstooth shirting that has been taking up much too much room on my stash shelf. I admit, I didn’t take as much time on the fitting as I should have. I just tried on last summer’s XL, noted that it was too big, looked at the pattern measurements and cut an L for the bodice. Except I didn’t really cut an L. I had a modified bodice piece in the XL, in which I had lengthened the bodice and moved the dart down. So I just cut half an inch off the side seams and trimmed the armhole accordingly.

Yeah, it’s still too big in the bust. I might be able to make it wearable with another set of vertical darts in the front but I’ve already sewn everything together and trimmed seams, etc., so there’s no going back.

[Nicole]

I finished my Aubepine dress (skips and dances)!

I found it quite a struggle to work with the fabric but I am ever so pleased with the result. I have enough of the silk to make a Weekend blouse, which I will, after a break.

[Masha Richart]

:runs to flickr to see photos:

[Sarvi]

:also running to flickr!:

[Nicole]

You two are gorgeous!

[meleliza]

I keep having to refer to Mary De instructions because every single seam allowance is different. Very annoying. I didn’t think I needed the instructions at all, but then I kept messing it up.

[with love Heidi]

Every seam allowances is different! 😮 How painful!

[with love Heidi]

Nicole, the dress I gorgeous! Can’t wait to see modeled photos!