[mcholley1]

Not teacher’s college, justsewit. I’m an adjunct instructor teaching a few science classes at our local college. I’m a veterinarian and have done strictly clinical work in the past. This is my first job ever that I haven’t worn scrubs or a uniform. My schedule picks up a bit in the fall…so I hope to have some sort of work wardrobe sorted by then.

withloveHeidi There isn’t much in any of the sewing books I had. When I started opening up a few vintage patterns I was interested in…most of them actually had a little ruler marked on the shoulder where you can pinch it in. So I learned that way. Why don’t they make patterns like that anymore?!

I later found this tutorial…

http://www.sewalongs.com/hawthorn/hawthorn-wide-or-narrow-shoulder-adjustment

But, for me it really is just as easy as pinning a little pinch out of the front and back. Taking the width out there doesn’t affect the sleeves or armscye or bust darts and has made all the difference.

You are right…there isn’t tons of information of fitting around the shoulder out there. And, for me that seems to be the part of my body that needs the most adjustment.

Digging through sewing things I found a little blazer/coat that I started a year or so ago for my son from a vintage pattern that was too big at the time and got set aside and not finished. I slipped it on him now and it is almost a perfect fit and super cute! The lapels are the perfect proportions! I think I want to make him a chambray version that he can wear through summer and fall. I can’t decide on a color. But, I’m leaning towards a blue/denim color so it can be dressed up and down. It is a project that will have to wait until I can give it the attention it needs, though. Oh, how I wish Lisel had a little blazer pattern!

I’m loving everyone’s versions of the new patterns! For once, I’m not buying them yet as I have a mountain of things here that I want to make first.

lattemama I’m pretty sure my girl went to school this morning in a school photo dress that she pulled out of the dirty clothes bin to wear. 🙂 Happy fabric shopping!

[with love Heidi]

Thanks for the link Mcholley!

[Tamara]

Whoops got it wrong sorry Mcholley!

It’s 5 am and I can’t sleep so might go and sort notions or something.

[cybele727]

Well one panel done of my family reunion color block. I am doing a panel a night so I don’t get tired and make a mistake! I debate every little thing. Should this seam be pressed open, or down or up for each block because I have eyelet, which is peekaboo in some places? Because of the color block, I have to do some things out of order since I am essentially reassembling the dress panels.

It is quite fun. It looks like it will be as I envision it.

[cybele727]

Heidi- thanks for the link. Peta’s shorts are great!

[cybele727]

Meleliza & Jenni- I have a 100 year old house with 6 bedrooms, a dining room, breakfast room, and eat in kitchen, yet I am in the basement. Each room is full. Although I did bring my machine back up to the dining room. I tell my hubby that I will take it back down when my project is done. Little does he know, I have projects lined up so I can stay up here! Lol.

I have moved around several times. One day I will get a free bedroom and make that a sewing room!

My basement showers dirt when people walk. It is unheated. And cold and damp. Blergh!

[Masha Richart]

Cybele, the dress sounds awesome ! I am looking forward to seeing it finished.

[Tamara]

I am dreaming of making shirts and tunics for myself. Unfortunately I won’t be able to get into actual sewing until at least Wednesday now. The sewing room has been turned upside down again and I have had to down tools and finish a job that has had to be put aside in favour of higher priorities. Now that the kids are back at school and fil has gone off farm again I can get back into the cottage and finish moving the little items – the last bits. It is a pack up and unpack situation I am not doing the car load thing ANYMORE! Boxes are better!

I am hoping Monday I can sort the sewing studio out and from Wednesday I want to hide in there sewing! Next Saturday is a planned trip to Spotlight as we have just received notification of an all day power cut. It will be a good chance for a family shopping day and I will have gotten the chance to stock take properly for a list.

[with love Heidi]

Nearly there, Tamara?

I need to repair the seam on one of the pettiskirts. And I’m attempting to make a peppermint swirl skirt for me!

[Nicole]

Another cousins wife contacted me and said she would like a little dress for HER baby girl, Charlotte, if it was not to much trouble.

So I sewed up most of a Tea Party dress for her yesterday from the scraps of Tilly’s posh frock.

I just need to attach the bodice but I needed daylight to choose the piping.

[Tamara]

Yes, give or take some obstacles along the way Heidi! I will power through and use my angry feelings toward a certain someone through thorough cleaning! I refuse to let him have the power over me!

That said the power is being taken back, dh is off shearing next door, the kids are boarding the bus as we speak and I am getting myself sorted for the day. I will probably never really be settled in this house but at least it has space and I can have my own comfort zone. That big bully of a fil will always be hanging over our heads. And today is “Bully no way day” yaay!

Anyway, trying to give a positive message here. I am churning over ideas in my head as to what needs to go on the list for Spotlight. I think I will look out for some nice solid fabric for some shirts and tunics also. I was looking at the stash the other day whilst organising it and it just seems that there are mostly prints. I think it reflects my personality but you can’t go with prints all the time. It is nice to mix things up a bit.

All this planning and contemplating will allow me to work on getting this current job done and dusted so I can focus on the fun stuff.

[Nicole]

I finished up the tiny Tea Party dress and I went with a lace trim.

Drafted the size 2 (with size 4 length) Garden Party dress for Tildy.

And I made a good start on some vintage pattern school shorts for Zara, navy with Liberty facings.

Next, more school trousers for Hugo.

[meleliza]

Cybele, that’s how our basement is, but we are scraping, cleaning and painting it all up. A friend is a pro painter and recommended a certain kind of oil based paint. It works a treat! But is very smelly and it takes a long time to get all this done. We paused with painting to do some cement work on part of the foundation wall. While that dries, were waiting for warmer weather so we can air out the paint fumes better. Meanwhile, I’m still clearing out and selling off stuff to make more room. When we moved in, we barely had plumbing and walls, so we just dumped all out boxes in the basement and it’s taken years to sort through all of it. But I plan to paint out the entire thing bright white. I hope it will transform the space.

Yesterday I finished he denim Sunday Brunch jacket. I made a size 4 with 5 length and even more length in the sleeves. She seems to have long arms and I wanted this to last even though she’s a 3 in the chest. I put two huge pink flower buttons on the front and she loves it. There was even a Sunday brunch skirt from last season in the same fabric, so she wore the whole thing yesterday. Got lots of compliments!

I tried a new method of finishing the jacket with a half lining. I used scraps of some pink city weekend floral and edged the facing with a contrast hot pink bias. I sandwiched the sleeves between the jacket and lining, which also covered the shoulder seams and the gathered yoke seams. I only had to properly finish the side and underarm seams. It looks very sweet.

[with love Heidi]

I’m hemming my skirt which is 14m (15.3 yards) around!

[bren5kids]

Oh my, Heidi! By machine or hand?