[Tamara]

Oh yes Meleliza, that dress is stunning isn’t it.

I managed to pull the teeth off the zipper for these jeans I am construsting. Only four on each side, enough to be able to topstitch the waistband easily. I can finish them today and then get on with the other two pairs (kids ones). Still don’t like my topstitching though. Will improve on the next go.

After the jeans though are some much needed t shirts.

And on Sunday I am starting on a quilt for me!

[with love Heidi]

Can’t wait to see those jeans, Tamara!

I’ve had a busy sewing day. I spent the morning making two heat bags and two aprons for a wedding present before the wedding this afternoon. It was a close thing but they got finished 🙂 I have just finished a vintage playsuit/romper in green gingham with lots of shirring and it has come out so cute!

[Mama_Knowles]

I can’t wait to see the quilt Tamara! I have Sarah’s quilt top sewn since last fall but that is as far as I have gotten. I am hoping to finish it up this summer along with all the older boys’ quilts as well. Right now I am summer sewing! I am loving it too. I am sewing patterns that I have not before and it really is a great way to cheer up. It reminds me of the good old summer from a few years ago. I was so excited last night that I could hardly sleep.

What I have finished is Sarah’s Birthday Party dress in a firefly Wee Wander print. It’s the all over green one. I am making Caspian a Sketchbook shirt with the same fabric and Sarah’s dolly a matching Birthday Party dress as well. Today am drafting Caspian the next size up sketchbook shirt and the next size up Sailboat pants and cutting them out. These are for his second birthday. I am going a bit out for his party with a camping theme. I am going to even make some of those tents (ok, five!) that was on the O+S blog this winter.

But first up I am sewing eth Cottage Mama Summer Picnic dress. It’s a free pattern that came out a few years ago. I have always wanted to sew but just have not yet and now she is in the biggest size the pattern comes in. I used a small scarp of fabric form her other Cottage Mama dress to make this one. It’s really a lot like the popover dress here so it shouldn’t take a hour or so to put together. Then I will sew some shorts before I sew Caspian’s birthday outfit up! Yep a full Mother’s Day weekend for me. ; )

[Tamara]

Yes I am slowly gathering all the made items and taking photos. The jeans have been set aside as I am not completely happy with them because I think they are too big – I used the largest size but didn’t go with my measurements because the denim wasn’t as stretchy, thinking they would fit but they are still too big. I mean they look like they fit but they don’t feel firm enough. I just have the belt loops, cuffs and buttons to go and they are complete. And then I have decided to sit a d unpick the front on Imogen’s pair because the fly flap is not over enough and I will run into trouble with the top stitching again.

As for the quilt, I have decided on making the Swoon quilt which is the Carpenter’s wheel block in disguise. I cut all the background and the first two fat quarters and have not much of the two fat quarters left over! Which is what Camille states very clearly in the class (pre cut piecing made simple on Craftsy). I aim to get three blocks at least done today if not more but I am cutting each block as I go so that I can go careful and not muck it up. It is for the show so I won’t be rushing it.

I think I will make the mini swoon as the small quilt and the mini puddle jumping as the mini quilt because they fit the size limits. The tops themselves don’t take long but I find the quilting part is the time consuming bit of it all. I want to work on the quilting in June so that by July I have something to hand stitch whilst on our winter holiday.

The birthday party dress in Sarah Jane sounds magic Sharon. That is one pattern I have but haven’t yet sewn. And the wee wander range! Isn’t it so cute?! I have decided I need some! Sketchbook shirts to match and all. It all sounds like perfect summer sewing. I should think there is nothing that could make us happier than to see our children in clothing we have sewn for them – no one can take that feeling of pride away.

And I can’t believe your baby boy is going to be two! It only seems like yesterday!

[vothgirl]

Just finished my first Hide & Seek tunic using leftovers from the Cappuccino Tunic I made myself a week or so ago. I feel like I should stop saying “it was another enjoyable O+S sew” because everything I’ve sewn from O+S is fun! :-P. It turned out really well and while it was initially my least favorite (by a significant margin) of the newest crop of spring patterns, I’m now in love. So glad some of you on this forum talked me into trying it! I can envision many more to come.

Not sure what I’ll sew next…perhaps some Messy Kid Bibs I cut out a couple weeks ago but haven’t started yet (need to make bias binding). Or perhaps something for myself…I pre-ordered some prints from a limited-edition fabric collection that is supposed to be released later this month…and already have plans for it! Fell in love with the Washi Dress/Tunic and Washi expansion pack by Made by Rae – especially since there is now a tutorial on how to adapt the expansion pack to make it a zip-front nursing top! So I’m thinking perhaps buying that pattern will be my Mother’s Day/having a baby gift to myself. On the baby front…two weeks til my due date and I’m feeling much more emotionally at ease/less stressed now that my mother-in-law is here to help me/be with me when baby girl arrives, seeing as my husband is still away. So now baby is cleared for arrival! Tho I’m ok with her choosing to wait til closer to her due date ;-). The thot of having two small children is a bit overwhelming at times!

[jay_1965vw]

Sounds like lots of sewing has been done over the Mothers Day weekend! I got some done too. My Mothers Day present was Chris playing with Audrey for the afternoon yesterday so I could do uninterrupted sewing. He also washed my car, which was lovely 🙂

I finished the tartan skirt! I’m very glad that I redid the front yoke and fixed the buttonholes, they would have annoyed me every time she wore it otherwise.

Vothgirl – having two small children is overwhelming at times (not just the thought!) but hopefully it won’t be too bad for you. I have a very “busy” two year old, and a nearly 4 month old, and we have got into a good pattern most of the time. I’m getting some time to sew, so it can’t be too bad. It’s just going out alone that can be a bit tricky. I’m so glad your MIL is there to help. Is she staying for long after the baby arrives?

[vothgirl]

Thanks for the encouragement! My 22m old is very active but I really couldn’t be more blessed/lucky in how generally easy and helpful and happy she is – as long as I keep feeding her :-P. She just never stops moving!! No wonder she’s 100th percentile for height but only 45th for weight. All the more reason to make her clothes as that way I can tailor the waistbands to fit ;-). At least that’s how I justify my fabric addiction!

My MIL will be here for a couple weeks after baby is born, then my parents will come out and stay til my husband gets back. So I will have help which is so, so comforting!

Think I decided I’m actually going to print off the popover sundress and brimmed hat patterns and give those a go – about time I try some of the free patterns after all the others I’ve purchased!

[with love Heidi]

I’ve got another onsie to sew for a birthday this weekend, pink and purple this time!

And dinner cookk for a family with a new baby. I have some Tea Party ruffle nappy covers to give the the baby too 🙂

[Tamara]

Oh yes exactly what jay has just said! Take one day at a time and take a deep breath every time you feel overwhelmed. I felt like that when I had my son. I don’t think I was quite ready to have a second but I found it straight forward to care for both and spend time with my daughter while he slept. I feel that is really important. I even gave my daughter a gift from her baby brother – a doll that looked newborn. Making sure you have an activity basket for your bigger girl to use when you are feeding the baby helps also. Reading lots of books – there is a fabulous one about a house inside mummy that I read to Imogen while I was expecting. I had planned to not be holding N when she came to visit me in hospital but it isn’t always one of those things you can plan really well ahead of time. You can plan down to the minute but we all know flexibility is key in the first weeks. Just think of it this way, it is one of the most daunting yet most marvellous times of your life and this particular situation (having a newborn and one older child) will never occur again (because any other babies will have more older siblings). So savour the moments. And hats off to your mil for coming to help you out. It sounds like the nerves are kicking in and another woman who has been there done that can help to ease the mind somewhat.

You are too good Heidi! I did big cooking sessions for a neighbour when she had number four but somehow I think it would be a one way thing and wouldn’t be reciprocated. I love that it helps your friends out – so handy in the early days when you just don’t want to do alot of cooking.

I am still working on the first swoon block – stuffed up the cutting but am making it work!

[with love Heidi]

Tamara, one of our other friends organised a roster to provide a meal for them a couple of times a week for the next three months. We thought that would be better than getting all the meals in the first month.

[Linda]

Well I’ve gone to town with my Oliver+s sewing this week! I am loving these patterns. I have sewn a bubble dress, an ice cream dress, a seashore sun dress, an ice cream blouse, a 2+2 blouse and two lazy day skirts. I have not been working this week though! Talk about addictive! I enjoyed sewing the seashore sundress the best. Decided I need an edging foot and a smaller bias tape maker and having used a rotary cutter for first time, a smaller one for curves. Oh, and I need more bobbins. And more non-roll elastic. And a thing to hold alongside the rotary cutter so I keep all my fingers. And a wider choice of solid fabrics. And more fabric. And more Oliver+s patterns. Think that’s all…

[with love Heidi]

That sounds like a lovely week, Knitting! What’s a edging foot and what would you use it for?

[katybellabug]

Wow Knitting1 that is a serious bit of sewing. Well done! I loved sewing the Seashore dress and it suits my girl because it is long in the body.

I am redrafting the Weekend Getaway with a FBA and have a Music Class Blouse cut out for school uniform. I have 3 new patterns winging their way in my direction and I want to get the uniform sewing done before they arrive and I get distracted. One is the Hide and Seek pattern and I am oh so excited to get started!

[jay_1965vw]

I’m so glad you are getting extra help until your husband is home, vothgirl. My husband is going to the UK for a couple of weeks (leaving in a week or so), and my sister in law is coming to stay. It’s so good having someone else there – even if they don’t do the child care and do all the other stuff (cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping… all the boring stuff!).

One of my friends is having a baby very soon, and I asked her if there are any foods her family don’t eat, with the intention of cooking her some dinners. After she established my motive, she said she’d like me to cook her my cheesecake that she loves. Not quite my intention, but if that’s what she wants! I suspect after the baby arrives she may change her mind.

I’ve started drafting a tartan pinafore for Audrey’s doll Harriet to match the new skirt (I don’t think a skirt will work very well on a doll with no waist).

[with love Heidi]

I made the mittens to go with the onsie and put in the sip and made the pockets to keep the mittens. Hopefully quicker and easier from here 🙂