[vothgirl]

This week has been a week of tracing and cutting patterns – I’m still waiting on the fabric I ordered to sew Ben a sweater to ship, so I’ve been working on prepping some of the patterns I plan to use this fall in the meantime. It’s a combination of tracing paper patterns and printing off new sizes from some of my PDF patterns. So far, I’ve prepped: hopscotch dress, music box jumper View A x2 (size for each of my girls), field trip cargo pants and shirt, seashore bloomers, and Sunday brunch jacket. Still to trace: Finlayson sweater for Ben, apple picking dress/tunic, and alter the field trip raglan to make an A-line tunic/dress. There are a few other patterns I plan to sew up this fall but I think I’ve got enough on my plate for now!

Oh, and I also taped the Cinema dress pattern and have cut out the muslin so it’s ready to start sewing tomorrow. It’s going to be very colorful as I’m working with some mystery-fiber fabric I was gifted, that I don’t see myself using for anything else. It will work well tho, I think, as I cut the yoke out of a different color than the rest of the dress – so it will give me a good idea of how a contrast fabric would work/sit. I can’t wait to sew a “real” version! 🙂

[Tamara]

I printed the cinema dress off this morning and as yet I haven’t started sticking it altogether. I was going through the stash quick this morning to see what would be good to use with it, seeing as I still have a bump. I am tossing up whether or not to wait until after baby is born or to go ahead and make one now. I am contemplating using the pink linen I have along with some Denise Schmidt print that would go to do the centre front in the print with the rest being linen. It will be a tunic I think as judging from the weather it might be more comfortable to wear it with leggings. Still debating with myself over it all.

Before that though, I have navy blue thread on both machines so I want to make a skirt (or two) for myself, plus a sized up class picnic pair of shorts for my big girl, along with the two pairs of puppet show shorts I have already cut out for the baby. That way we all get denim things sewn up. It won’t take only a day of course but this is the priority list to get through. I aim to have these all done by the end of the week.

[Nicole]

I had Zara’s dress pinned out and was ready to cut, and Trixie woke for a feed.

It was a good thing as Zara arrived home from school, panicking, as she had changed her mind!

Same dress pattern but she has decided to use the left over hammered silk I made my D&D dress from.

I managed to get it cut out tonight.

[Tamara]

Well no going back now! Hope she’s happy with the choice.

I am adapting the market (?) skirt to include a panel of stretchy fabric at the front for this bump of mine. I am hoping to have it finished today so I can wear it to they meeting at school this afternoon. I just hope it works.

[Nicole]

Final fitting and a slight panic!

As Zara has such a tiny bust we had a lot of gaping at the halter neck. Chicken fillets not being an option as she won’t be wearing a bra. After brain storming, we knotted the straps, which created tucks and a smaller cup size!

Just the hem to do but it will need to hang and drop over night.

Seriously tempted to burn the last 1.5 metres of the silk…..

[Masha Richart]

I sat bolt upright in bed a few nights ago with the realization that older daughter’s fifth birthday is in less than two weeks and that I had no idea what she was getting. I had already told both girls that mama-made princess dresses were off the table for birthdays this year; we aren’t totally moved into our house and sewing was low on the priority list. But then I started to feel really guilty – she has been anticipating this birthday for 11 months, after all – and before I knew it I was researching Elsa dress tutorials. The fabric should arrive Thursday; her birthday is Tuesday. In the meantime I’m working on a “wedding” dress for younger daughter, whose 4th birthday is in three weeks. Whew.

[Nicole]

You can do it Masha!!!

[cybele727]

You can do it! We always do it even when we say we can’t. It is why we are mother’s.

I just finished a lazy days skirt in an orange and white geometric pattern in baby wale. I added a little pocket with a bow and button on.

I am appliqueing (sp??) a pumpkin on a white t shirt using the same material.

The little miss asked me for an elsa dress for halloween. I looked at her and said, once I start you can’t change your mind. You WILL be elsa! So October 1 is the day of no return. I will keep asking her before I go and buy the fabric. Then I have to decide which pattern to use/alter. Maybe the fairy tale without lining and just some facings….

[Tamara]

Oh Masha! It is certainly doable! My own daughter’s birthday is in just over two weeks and am worrying about what to get her also. She needs some new clothes but is in between the Oliver and s sizes and the ladies wear size 0 so I have to spend time sizing things up. Mind you measuring again would help with that also and at the moment she is just not wanting to cooperate where that is concerned.

I have completed the second run on this bump accommodating market skirt. The first turned out too big for some reason so I hope this one works alot better because I want to wear it today. I made it using stretch denim and a smaller than the first run band of stretch fabric across the tummy area only. I had the denim put aside originally to make a pair of jeans but the weather has turned and it is no longer jeans weather – unfortunately.

Next I hope to get some time this afternoon to work on the class picnic shorts for Imogen and if she likes them enough with the zipper she will be getting some more in the birthday clothing parcel. And some fabulous idea for a skirt has just popped into my head – class picnic inspired! Need to go write it down before it gets lost in the pregnancy brain fog.

[katybellabug]

Masha, I keep putting off the Elsa dress for Boo. I will be impressed if you get yours done in a few days. It may inspire me to cut mine out seeing as I already have fabric and thread and trimmings all ready to go!

I am currently working on a raincoat for myself and I have to confess, it is causing me a bit of grief. It is an Ottobre Design pattern. A raincoat/parka style. I am trying to make it in this fabric:

http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/fabrics/lightweight-breathable-and-water-resistant-fabrics/p32-breathable-microfibre

The first step is to install two welt pockets. I have never done one of these before but got my head around the instructions so thought I would be alright. I put the first pocket in twice after having to rip it out and start again. I don’t think I could have chosen a more difficult fabric, you cannot manipulate it in any way and that is the problem, there is no ‘give’ to help me ease the pocket pieces in properly. There are ripples all around the welt.

The second attempt didn’t produce any better results and the installation of the other pocket looks just as bad. You can’t press the fabric at all, it won’t keep a fold

It is not in my nature to give up but this project is causing me serious frustrations.

[Tamara]

Are the instructions ok for it Katy? I find that Ottobre design instructions are not very detailed so it pays to have experience when sewing them (and of course you have that). Are you able to sew it similarly to the school days jacket? What issue is it from?

I probably won’t get sewing done today, or at least for much of it. We are sorting out our ewes before shearing them – after buying six beautiful boys we can’t just plonk them any old where so it is a job that needs to be done and I would rather it be done today when it is cooler than tomorrow’s 36 degrees! We were supposed to be shearing tomorrow but the guys who are helping are still doing another job. Still, it gives us the weekend back to enjoy and I am really really hoping to get some sewing achieved over the weekend.

[katybellabug]

I love that you have faith in me Tamara, thank you! The instructions don’t look too puzzling, there are a lot of steps to cover though. It is from AW 5/2013 (pattern 18, which is on the front cover). I have ordered the Sewaholic Minoru Jacket as a back up. I really need a new coat!

Glad to hear bump is coming along nicely. Hope you are feeling well.

[Masha Richart]

Katy, I am almost finished with the dress! I only need to attach the cape in the back. I found a few examples online where people used a white long-sleeved leotard as a base for the dress (genius!) so I bought one, cut off the bottom, added a knit cotton underskirt and then put mesh sequins over the whole thing. I basically just draped it and it turned out great. I can’t believe how quick it was. I will post photos once I have the cape attached. My problem is that my sewing machine began refusing to sew on the knit fabric halfway-through so I had to hand-tack some of the sequin fabric. And I can’t decide whether to sew the cape on or attach it with velcro.

[Tamara]

Thanks Katy, although I have to admit that my fence climbing days are now really numbered – spent an hour in the sheep yards SITTING DOWN while classing (and I never ever do that).

I will have to have a look at my Ottobre collection to see if this issue is amongst it – just can’t picture things lately if it isn’t physically in front of me.

Masha, so glad you are making progress with the dress.

Today is going to be fairly hot outside so we have to finish the outside job asap so we can escape to the cooler indoors. I pulled out my AS&E mags last night (Again!) and am now deciding which to pleat and smock. Of course it will be one of those pick up put down projects which are always handy and will count toward the number of baby items.

So once I can actually sew today, I want to spend some time working on some pairs of shorts for the big kids but also sew up those puppet show shorts. Then I need to work on some more warm weather clothes for Imogen. School holidays are in one week so I will have to get cracking on a decent looking pile.

[with love Heidi]

Yesterday I finished a sleeveless vest for a birthday today, Ottobre 3/2014, #40, Collage Look sleeveless hoodie, in yellow and black. I’m hoping to finish a pair of lengthened Class picnic shorts to go with it in black denim with yellow trim. Given the party’s in an hour I’m not sure it’s going to happen!