[needlewoman]

Home from holiday, and a couple of skirts (Music class, and Badminton) on the go for the little girls in Melbourne. All the fabric shop visiting (and buying) has whetted my appetite for patchworking again but need to finish a Playtime, and a Hide Seek (both with short sleeves) for a Miss 5 who is going to Japan mid May to see her uncle married to a Japanese lady.

[Tamara]

Welcome back Fi. I see you have hit the ground running which is great to hear (read, see, find out etc etc).

I spent the whole day yesterday drafting and cutting out a jeans pattern for Noah. He chose three he liked in my ottobre issues but I am only doing one for the moment. Then I found a piece of lovely stretch denim so really I could in all respects cut another pair for both kids and they can have two. I repaired the jeans with the popped crotch and that’ll do me for now.

So today I will have Angela Wolf on pause and play as I work through the first two pairs of kids jeans (not rocket science ladies but it makes it out as if I am “doing a class”) I will leave the distressing for the second pairs which I will get to when their turn comes about again. And hopefully I will churn them out AND get to those linen tunics I promised Imogen also.

It was supposed to my day today but oh well. Maybe Wednesday when the kids return to school. Whatever, it will happen this week. I might get the chance to alter a pattern or shorten the Traveller dress to a shirt or something.

Happy to report we have had 2 inches of rain – 52mm in the gauge over the weekend so that is our “break”.

[Nicole]

I made a good start on the Twins Field Trip Cargoes, so far they are fitting well. They have ended up with a slight World War 2 ‘Land Girl’ look.

The Twins are happy so that is the main thing.

As you say Heidi, it should be easier to modify the other trousers now.

[needlewoman]

Had a look at your WIP, n and Land Army is a good description. So long as the girls are happy with the fit which I think is looking good. I’m just sticking with the sandbox pattern for both sexes at present because I don’t have fitting access.

Thanks, T. Yes, no rest for the recently holidayed. So glad you got some rain!! Adelaide still very dry, and 30C forecast tomorrow! Mostly washing and ironing this weekend but did finish the Music Class skirt for Miss 3 1/2, and decided to go for broke with my prettiest aqua fabric – some lovely butterflies from the The Fabric Stash- for the long sleeved blouse. I auditioned various older pieces of fabric but all looked rather dreary. I’d like to alter the sleeve to make elasticised wrist by omitting cuff. So will experiment with some red ditsy brushed cotton first. My drafting book suggests widening sleeve head and wrist area slightly, and raising sleeve head by about 1/2″, and adding about 1 1/2″ to finished arm length for the casing. I know Nicole has lengthened and elasticised a CC dress for Miss T; has anyone done something similiar with the Music Class blouse. I enjoyed doing the cuff on a bigger size some time ago but size 4 is a bit fiddly.

[Lightning McStitch]

Fiona, those tricky little cuffs are made so much easier if you use Quilters Edge (or heat’n’bond or any other brand) 1/4″ fusible web to fix them perfectly in place with the iron before stitching. then you don’t have lots of pins inside that tiny opening that you’re trying to sew.

[Nicole]

I bound the sleeve end, not elastic Fee, probably just as fiddly as a cuff. I am not a huge fan of elastic cuffs, they can ride up.

I like Shelley’s tip.

[with love Heidi]

I did an elastic cuff on the music class nightgowns I made last year.

There’s a description of what I did at the bottom of the description.

If you need more info just ask and I’ll try and remember 🙂

https://www.flickr.com/photos/73669617@N07/10453479675/

[Tamara]

You know what Fi, I used the Sketchbook shirt pattern for the Prince of Araby costume in our most recent school production held a couple of years ago now. But I can’t remember if I used the cuffs or not. I do know I elasticised the legs but that was using the pyjama pants pattern. I have a feeling I used the cuffs to give the regal look I was after.

I spent ALL day doing jeans and you would think I would have finished at least one pair. Not so. I have only gotten one back done but boy does it look awesome! I am so in love with using the triple stitch with normal thread as my topstitch stitch. I will work on them during the week and by that time I might have some super stretchy denim to make a pair or two for myself along the way.

Besides the fact I have taken so long to do just one back, I am really enjoying making them. I just hope I don’t have as many interruptions next time I get time – famous last words hey!

[needlewoman]

Thank you all very much, both for the advice and responding so quickly. The internet is incredibly slow tonight – must be possums on the line – but I did return to Heidi’s nightgowns which I remember admiring. Between question and answer, I remembered the Apple Picking dress which I have in the smaller sizes, and of course, it has a long sleeve bias bound at the wrist. The topic on short sleeves or sleeveless AP dress spurred my memory (Just shows how useful it is to read all the topics in this forum). So, I have copied the wrist section of the AP onto the Music Class sleeve, lengthened it for a casing using 1/2″ elastic, and raised the sleeve head a little. I may decide to bind it instead when I get to that bit because I know what you mean about the sleeves riding up, Nicole, and the elastic often snaps. Really like your idea, Shelley. I do have that quilters’ tape that is iron on – wonderful for attaching ric rac without pins – but never thought of using it as you describe.

Now, I seem to have mislaid the traced off size 4 that I did of the MC blouse while away. I know I had it in my hand earlier today but it’s “vanished”. Rats! I guess it will eventually “appear” somewhere strange. Congrats to Mel for wedding cape, and Shelley for amazing vests. Did laugh about Kitty not being “told” that ‘purple’ is an option. My parents took the same attitude to carrots and pumpkin, and any desserts except ice-cream. Thank you all again, will let you know how blouse goes.

[with love Heidi]

I’m really looking forward to today, a whole day of sewing ahead of me! I’m not sure what I’m going to sew but I’m looking forward to the relaxation 🙂

Also a link to a modeled photo of the wedding cape I made from the photographer’s Blog.

http://twobirdstweet.com/blog/2014/4/27/john-claire

[vothgirl]

Oh that cape looks so nice! I particularly like the fabric you lined it with. I love that you adapted a children’s pattern for an adult and made it something worthy of being worn (by the bride, no less) at a wedding. So cool!

I just finished a 3-6m size layette outfit for my nephew-to-be, so happy with how it turned out (the Lullaby Layette pattern is now my current O+S fave and the one I’ve used the most – 3 outfits out of it so far!) and that I was able to find boyish/gender-neutral fabric that wasn’t trucks, trains, or teddy bears :-P. So that’s one more project done…

Just in time to join in on “Selfish Sewing Week”! Starting with some selfish pattern buying…Cappuccino Dress/Tunic here I come…already pinked the raw edges of fabric for a tunic and it’s currently getting a pre-wash. Doubt I’ll get much done tomorrow aside from taping the pattern together and starting to lay it out, but it’s a start. I won’t be able to wear the tunic til after I deliver (just under 4 weeks til my due date), but I thought it would make a great postpartum/nursing top as the loose shape & drape looks very forgiving of a mama’s figure ;-). And although I still have up to a month left of this pregnancy, I am already so sick of my few pieces of maternity wear that still fit, and am ready to wear something bright and pretty and different! And I’ve also ordered some yardage from the new (to the US, tho I think she’s already working on her second Terra collection in Australia) ‘Terra Australis’ collection by Emma Jean Jansen, to make a second Cappuccino tunic and a Cappuccino dress, tho I’ll probably wait to sew those for a couple months. The fabrics were so beautiful tho that I couldn’t resist, and didn’t want to wait and risk them selling out as they just (this past week) hit online shops here in the US!

[with love Heidi]

Thanks vothgirl 🙂 The bride chose all the fabrics. It was so nice to be able to use and Oliver and S pattern because I knew it went together with no hassles 🙂

I have just discovered how easy it is to shir with elastic thread on my machine! So I made knit Tea Party bloomers with shirred ruffles and shirred legs and waistband. So easy and cute, unfortunately it’s a little difficult to see the details as they are black 🙁

https://www.flickr.com/photos/73669617@N07/14041478752/

[Tamara]

Vothgirl, I often wonder how ladies can know their size postpartum. I put on huge amounts with my first two pregnancies – I mean stacked it on! I had to go up at least two sizes. I think the ladies who can comfortably sew something for after baby is born and be able to wear it soon after also are extremely fortunate. So exciting to hear of all the new babies to sew for.

I had a very bad attempt at shopping today – went all the way to the main shopping precinct (150km in one direction) without my purse!! Oh well will try again tomorrow! And now that I have had coffee, I feel awake enough to carry on with the jeans – if I can only find the pliers to pull the excess metal teeth from the zippers, life would be extra good!

It has been a day where I literally lost my head!

So glad you found how easy shirring is Heidi! Now to go have a little look at these fluffy shirred undies.

[with love Heidi]

There’ll be another pair up tomorrow morning too! I made a second pair out of the last of a yellow and white vintage floral sheet that has been so useful as fabric for the last couple of years and so soft. I’m finding the shirred version so much more relaxing to sew than the turned under and thread through version 🙂

[Lightning McStitch]

OK, I’m going to have to give shirring a try. It’s been on my long list of new skills to try out for ages. My daughter has a simple denim dress with shirring across the front that I’ve always wanted to copy. Those pants are too cute. They remind me (in a good way) of the very fancy toilet roll covers that some people had thirty years ago!