[jay_1965vw]

Sadly I think you are right. After bedtime it will have to be (as tired as I am then!). Split lips and smashed windows aren’t worth it.

[mcholley1]

I’m an early riser so sew first thing in the morning when my kids are still most interested in their toys or games, or sometimes before anyone else in the house is up. I make too many mistakes at night. I’m sure it has nothing to do with my affection for “happy hour”…..

I finished up the linen shirt. The collar doesn’t sit quite right. I threw it in the wash a couple of times and it looks better. My boy decided it was horribly itchy, but I think I’ll keep washing it a bit. There are also a pair of pink sketchbook shorts. He had a pair a size smaller last summer and wore them out! He loves the color pink!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/35277885@N06/14321145467/in/pool-oliverands/

Now on to a jumprope dress for school. It is in a bright purple chambray.

[EmilyG]

I also sew in the mornings. Or after bedtime. No “happy hour” here lately. Since having my third baby, I can’t seem to handle cocktails and being up multiple time times in the middle of the night. So better sewing at night!

I just finished up one of the family reunion dresses that I had cut. Why haven’t I made this pattern before? I smile every time I walk by it on the hanger.

[Tamara]

What about taking your sewing time to her nap time routine? I know with having to get up during the night it can exhaust you no end but I found that even though I was tired at night and just couldn’t sew then, baby’s nap time (be it in the am or pm you could pick if she has two) was the best of a bad situation. At least then you would most likely be garanteed a time slot and could choose to use the whole time or a portion.

I plan to do that with this one provided baby is as tricky as my other two – my sewing area has bad lighting at night as it is.

I used to do lots of hand stitching and embroidery when my older two were very small and I found that it was doable. But with sewing on the machine you need the machine so I completely understand the dliemma you are facing. Some babies don’t like to be caged in either so it could be a possible nightmare to stick her into a playpen or something similar.

Liesl did a post a while back on sewing with little space and how to be organised if you are time poor. They are very handy tips to read up on because I hate to say it my love, but we mums of the very young do struggle with our limitless time allowances in sewing – the sacrifices we make in order to have off spring hey?! Trust me though, as they say “this too shall pass” we just have to try and help you over the current hurdle.

No sewing for me at the moment. I am in the middle of party prep and with one kid cancelling on me (he had lots of allergies too) I feel that I could just squeeze some sewing time in either today or tomorrow. It would be nice anyway. I have one child home poorly and the other is off collecting his new pair of spectacles with his dad – because the current ones look likely to snap they are so fragile.

So on the sewing table right now is still that pair of jeans for my daughter. I am hoping to complete them and those for the boy this weekend seeing as we can officially go nowhere.

[Robin]

I finished the class picnic shorts. They are fantastic. No hemming required! I followed Heidi’s instructions to make the rear rise longer. It worked perfectly. However the shorts are too small. I made a size 10. Last week I made the sketch book shorts in a 12 and they were huge!

I’m going to try the class picnic shorts in a 12 and drop the front rise. The back should be perfect. After this I give up!

[Tamara]

Robin have you ever tried inserting a zipper? Would it help the 10’s to fit better do you think or is it mostly a rise issue?

No sewing today but tomorrow I will sew and sew and sew all day long (I hope).

[jay_1965vw]

Nice work everyone who has got sewing done! And good luck with getting lots done tomorrow, Tamara 🙂

Thanks for the ongoing suggestions! Unfortunately Audrey has abandoned her afternoon sleep. I used to get in a couple of hours, but it was taking an hour to get her to sleep at night, so we gave up. She’s nearly two and a half now, so there’s no way I could get her to stay in a play pen. I have considered putting the sewing machine in a play pen though…

I’ve been thinking about the sewing situation (as you can imagine!!) and I think I may have a solution. The problem seems to mostly be the benches at the dining table, so if I sew at the tiny kitchen table, Audrey will have padded chairs to climb on instead, and no room ON the table to poke around. I can bring her little table into the kitchen from her bedroom so she will have her own space, and just do cutting on the dining table. I sewed my wedding dress on the kitchen table, so it will be a bit of a trip down memory lane. I’ll just need to put down quite a few layers of padding on the tiles so Josephine has somewhere to roll around.

Thanks everyone for your patience with my sewing angst!

[Robin]

Thanks for the thought Tamara. I’d rather make new ones. : ) I’m lazy like that.

[Nicole]

Ooh no, not lazy!

I would have to have a lot of love to retro fit a zipper fly!

Poor little Audrey, big cuddles for her. Jay, just do what you can, when you can. Its a shame you are not closer, I would send my Twins ’round!

MC,it is stunning, your shirts are sublime.

Its a lovely sew Emily, well done, make sure you post a link in the ‘Look Ma, No Hands’ thread!

Tamara, I think you need to sew those jeans or St Vinnies them. They sound as if they are becoming a millstone.

I am halfway through sewing Hugo’s Newcastle cardy, very pleased with it but there are several places where I would advise pe-neatening raw edges.

[with love Heidi]

Jay, if it works put the sewing machine in the playpen and have Audrey on the outside. It reminded me of a friends house which was very small and the toddler’s room was also the living room! They had a large playpen in the corner which held the stereo and a small table for hot drinks. It worked really well.

[vothgirl]

I’m about halfway done the Everyday Skirt I’m making for my sister’s birthday. I’m already in love with the pattern – the front waistband and pockets have such a nice finish! Of course it helps I’m making it out of an absolutely lovely interweave chambray with a really nice weight. Being a charcoal color, she will be able to dress it up or down to wear for many occasions. I’m tempted to buy more of the fabric to make myself one! 😉

[with love Heidi]

I finally got back to the sketchbook shirt I was working on. I’ve now gotthe side seams sewn up 🙂

[Tamara]

No I have just been struggling with that fly and now that this step is satisfactory I am now struggling for time. But not tomorrow. We do not have any sleep over guests so I can make the time this weekend to sew them – they are a ladies size and I measure often so I am sure they will still fit. And I am following along with the designer jeans Craftsy course so it doesn’t matter if I put it down constantly. They are almost done.

I might St vinnies the ones I made myself though! I really don’t like them.

It tends to be a problem when the schedule is rescheduled by others ya know?

[Nicole]

I finished Hugo’s cardy but I am wondering if we will need to shorten the sleeves.

My turn next, so I drafted and cut some Megan Nielsen leggings in a ‘jegging’ fabric and I have drafted the Late Lunch tunic. I have some very nice winter white wool/modal for that. I want to copy this look https://www.flickr.com/photos/thebigtradeoff/10280307665/ I love this one!

[EmilyG]

ooh Nicole I like that. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

I’m supposed to be sewing another family reunion dress for a baby shower, but instead I am making Ella a Library dress to match a dress that my mom made for one of her dolls. She was sad that she outgrew last summer’s dresses that matched her doll clothes.

And my snaps arrived to so I will tackle the lullaby layette for the baby shower as well. I am tempted to make up one of the pieces for Barrett first just to get an idea of size with cloth nappies.