[Tamara]

Up to buttons on the first bubble and hope to dive headlong into the second bubble this morning before being summoned to do (more) sheep work!! Then it will be all systems go on the little library dress and I will have four items for baby sewn this week.

[honeymadeit]

Hello ladies

After a very stressful summer and needing to get my sewjo back, I have decided to work through the O+S patterns. I will start with the one scissor and work my way through them all. (this will be a good way to make sure I have them all). We live in Texas so we don’t really change our wardrobe for the seasons. We just add leggings and a t-shirt under strappy dresses or through on a jacket. This should be fun. I just finished the Lazy Days Skirt (my third) and am cutting out the Popover sundress and a pair of bloomers.

[Tamara]

Its certainly a fantastic goal to have honeymadeit. I hope you have well and truly gained your sewjo back by the time you get through them all.

Apparently it is “free dress” day at school tomorrow so I have to “down tools” on the baby gear and whip something up for the big kids. What? I haven’t a clue but I hope what ever it is will be “worthy” and worn with a smile on the face.

Then I can get back to my half made bubble and the library dress – and pleat up some daygowns.

[honeymadeit]

Justsewit I sometimes wish our kids had uniforms. Mostly in the morning when I didn’t pick out something the night before. We are raising two of our grandchildren and I do enjoy dressing Julianne for school. She seams to love everything I make her. Her brother not so much. That one is 8 years old and very opinionated. My eldest daughter just found out she is expecting her third. I can’t wait to get started with the lullaby layette. I hope the new one is a girl but will love it just the same if not. I am looking forward to a lot of great sewing now that the kids are in school again.

[Sarvi]

There are benefits to both. In preschool, I loved picking out handmade clothes and honestly, I loved that it became a daily ritual for my kid to show them off to her teachers, who for whatever cultural reasons were super into it. I think a lot of them had moms that made their clothes but with their own teaching careers they didn’t have the time. Now with uniforms I love that there’s an argument-free zone.

Working through the whole ‘syllabus’ is so great! I am trying to do something similar, but starting with the earliest patterns that go only through size 5.

[Tamara]

Oh I wish I had an argument free zone. Apparently I had the “wrong” uniform set aside for my daughter the other morning. I had her checked dress and she wanted to wear her “black” uniform. We eventually resorted to the dress because my rule is that if it isn’t in the dirty clothes basket it doesn’t get washed!

Uniforms are handy but I wish I could make mine because they would fit so much better. The school has the emblem stamped all over the garments so it is rather difficult to “copy” except the shorts and trousers. It just takes time, something of which I am scrambling to keep a hold of lately.

The baby I am sewing for is set to arrive in late December – my third and a very much appreciated surprise. I have had the earlier patterns just sitting there in my stash and haven’t used them because my two children had outgrown the sizes – they tend to do that rather fast.

One bubble almost complete. One bubble needing some hand stitching and buttons and the library dress is still in pieces – until tomorrow I hope. I rang school to confirm free dress day and it isn’t a figment of the children’s imagination. Time to get cracking on something.

[Nicole]

I love our school uniform, it is open to a lot of interpretation and looks so smart!

Plugging away at Liddy’s Art Museum ‘jeans’, what a lovely pattern. And I had to let the elastic out in Trixie’s Puppet Show shorts, her tummy is getting so round!

I am glad I only made up one (Puppet Show) in the 0-3 month size, it is getting tight around her chubby wee arms. She has had such a lot of wear from it though.

[Tamara]

My grandmother always said that it is best just to stick the baby in a bigger size from the start because they grow so fast. There are of course pros and cons to such.

Glad Trixie is growing a belly – I love it when they put on rolls.

I find the 0-3 month size of the bubble dress isn’t much smaller than the 3-6 month but is bigger than the little dress I brought Imogen home from hospital in. That said, I have one needing buttons and trim of some sort but pretty much finished. I think I will make a couple more. It’s such a pretty pattern.

I have been spending the day trying to size up patterns for the eldest only to fish out some bigger ufo’s in desperation to comply with picky wishes. I hate not being told what specifically is required and then told it isn’t good enough! Boys are far less picky (well at least mine is).

I think she has chosen the hopscotch skirt I have had sitting there for ages. Fortunately it still fits and isn’t so short I’d condemn it to the Good Sammies pile.

That means, I can get on with some happy little girl sewing again – yay! Bring on the wee tiny Library dress.

[vothgirl]

Ooh a tiny wee library dress sounds so sweet! 18-24m is the smallest (& only) size I’ve made so far. My sister recently made matching 6-12m & 2T libraries for her two girls, her first apparel sewing and first O + S project. They turned out so well. I really wish we lived closer so I could see them in person, but 2,300+ miles is too far to pop in for a coffee and sewing chat. Sigh. Some days, the world is too big :P.

I cut out a knit everyday skirt and my cinema tunic a couple days ago but haven’t had a chance to actually sew anything yet (so much for selfish sewing week!). Ellie is going thru a phase (hopefully a short one!), either a developmental leap or is teething. Either way my normally happy little goldilocks has been an emotional basket case for the last few days. It must be so hard to be 2 years old!

[honeymadeit]

Question: Would the bloomers from the Tea Party Sundress give my 5 year old enough coverage for the playground? I want to make them for each skirt or dress. Does anyone have a picture of them already made up?

[Tamara]

It is a minute to midnight and I have just finished the t shirt maxi dress Imogen requested at the very last minute to wear today to school. I just hope it isn’t too long.

[honeymadeit]

I wish I could sew after the kids are in bed but I get too tired. After 9:00 pm I am no good to anyone.

[cybele727]

Honeymadeit: I don’t know about where you are from, but if I made matching bloomers my 4.5 year old would refuse to wear dresses saying they were too fussy. For some reason she is worried about kids making fun of what is under her dress.

Instead, I bought a ton of knit shorts that are tight fitting in white, black, blue, and grey and put them on her under all her dresses until we are in tights weather. I don’t need to have matching bottoms as a result. I just grab a pair at the top of the pile. I also like to use these because as she grows and her dresses go from below the knee to just above to suddenly mid thigh, it is like a tunic and shorts instead of dress with bloomers.

But you probably could make them using a playtime leggings pattern and just cut off to the desired length.

I am about to embark on a jumprope dress. I have had the pattern for a while and haven’t felt the right fabric, but this… https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellyellyelephant/15323122182/in/pool-oliverands inspired me. I have a super soft brushed cotton gingham in brown and pink. I just need pretty contrasting fabric. I just need to decide if I am going to do those pockets or a kangaroo pouch pocket that she’s been asking for.

[honeymadeit]

Cybele727 I also was concerned that the other children might poke fun at her bloomers. I asked her if she wanted little shorts or bloomers like under her summer pajamas and she wants bloomers. She has about grown out of the pattern I have now. I liked it because they make a cute little ruffle at the leg opening. Last year I made the shorts from the puppet show pattern for under her dresses and that worked well. She wants the bloomers but the tea party bloomer don’t look like they would cover what I want covered.

I was thinking of making the Jumprope dress out of flannel. I have never made outside clothing out of flannel only pajamas. It’s a new idea to me but I like it. I can’t wait to see yours.

[Tamara]

I forgot to mention that I don’t normally stay up that late. I fell asleep at lunch time so made up for lost time in the evening (that is after the whole dinner bath story bed routine). I only got started after 8 and did feel tired but plugged on to get it done. I used the Metro T shirt pattern in xs to make it and I think it has come out really well in the rainbow fabric I used. If she likes it, I will make her another in the chevron knit for her birthday.

Today, after I catch up on some sleep (I can only just function on six hours) I want to get on with more baby things. Seeing as I had to change the thread from pink to white, I will make the little white layette shirt that will team with the denim puppet show shorts. Then I really want to pleat some daygowns.