[cybele727]

I have to finish the jumprope. All I have are buttons and holes. I get nervous at this point. I always run 2-3 buttonholes on scrap before I do the garment. I had a machine that always chewed up the holes and ruined clothes at the last stage. So even though I have a new machine and it has shown no problems, Pavlov’s dog is always nervous when the buttonhole bell rings.

I have a b&w carousel cut out.

I have to trace the hopscotch dress and cut that several times over. (I think I have 4 fabrics for dresses from my recent sojourn to Mood in NYC.)

I have to make a lazy days skirt.

And GF has asked for a roller skate.

I am thinking this won’t get done by the time school starts on Tuesday. I am aiming for jumprope finish, carousel finish, and lazy days this weekend. 🙂

[needlewoman]

OH yes, J; buttonholes make me very anxious, too. Even when I practice many times on scraps of the same fabrics with interfacing etc, things still go ‘wrong’ too often for me to feel superconfident. Sometimes when the task looks extra tricky, I go for press studs instead – a lot more work but less stressful. Good luck with your sewing for school start. You will really enjoy the Carousel; a very effective, and easy sew. I’m looking forward to making up of them in the next while – both in drill, and in floaty fabrics for Spring/Summer.

A piece of charcoal stretch slubbed cotton has made a very smart looking pair of Sketchbook shorts for Mr T (size 4), and currently, I working on a short sleeve shirt in a dinosaur print for the same little man. It’s so nice to start a project when you’ve done all the cutting etc. Last December I had a mammoth drafting/cutting out session while houseminding, and I’ve now returned to the pile for the sewing. The drawback is kids’ growing out of what’s been cut but so far I’m getting away with it. The challenge is remembering what I had in mind when the project was planned.

Well done finishing the denim quilt, Heidi; what are it’s dimensions? Shelley, the art work on Alice sounds brilliant – many years ago I saw a marvellous exhibition where different ‘famous’ Aust artists had given their version of some of the key parts of the two books by Carroll. I think there is an anniversary on around now, hence the revival. BTW, was it the Polly Woodside whereon you photographed your son? I loved your casual reference to an ‘nearby’ boat. Sympathise with your sewing frustration, T – way it goes, eh. Hope kids well, and all Australian members of this forum enjoy ‘Fathers Day’, tomorrow.

[Tamara]

Well as luck would have it, I placed a carpet rug under the sewing table and an old cot blanket under the machines and I think it has done the trick. I managed to sew successfully throughout sleeptime yesterday without waking her up! Not that there was heaps of noise before hand but the vibration of a rattling table seemed to unsettle her. I also have the “prison bars” up in the sewing room so we can sew safely now (she is allowed into my space to play with the ironing board wheels only when the iron and machines are not in use). So yesterday during all this peaceful existence of playing/ sleeping, I managed to sew the hem facing onto the family reunion dress, sew the sleeve bands onto the puppet show dress and cut the hem facing (which I had forgotten about). I even managed buttonholes on the sleevebands (of course) AND I used the overlocker/ serger without so much as a sound from the nursery (which has an interconnecting door to the sewing space that we don’t use but is behind a bookshelf).

On the sewing table I have ready to pin/ cut out a puppet show tunic which I hope to cut and get started on today in amongst the other projects to be finished. I also have to cut another two back side pieces of the hide and seek tunic I was working on yesterday (don’t ask me where the originally cut pieces went because I have no clue). So four things to work on today and then tomorro hopefully I cstarted on some important things for the man in my life!

[with love Heidi]

The denim quilt is pretty big, 140×225cm (50″×90″). This was what I was aiming for as my friend is about 6’4″ (190cm) and his eldest son is already that height at 15! Being very tall myself, I hated beautiful looking blankets that didn’t cover both my feet and shoulders! So I made it extra long, this should also allow multiple members of the family to snuggle under it at one time 🙂

Yesterday I made a skirt for my nieces birthday and pieced another quilt top from some fat quarters a friend gave me. Now I need to choose some cuddle fleece for the back. My husband and I have decided all quilts leaving our house should/will be backed in cuddle fleece to make them extra snuggly 🙂

Today we rearranged the lounge room and I’m going to make an electronic keyboard cover.

[dubhels2003]

Thank you for all the birthday dress ideas. I’m now totally changing my mind (contrary, moi?!) and am going to finish off one of the two dresses I’m sewing (playtime and hide and seek) for E’s birthday, and do a monochrome playdate for the baby’s first birthday! An Alice dress will have to wait…

I love all the quilting that’s going on at the mo, and the idea of a denim quilt is great. Did you see Sarvi’s hand dyed quilt? I think it’s on her flickr feed, it’s incredible.

@justsewit Pleased you have got a soundproof solution for your sewing space. My daughter is sleeping in mine at the mo which is getting very annoying!

@lightningmcstitch An Alice exhibition would go down really well with us lot, E, my husband and my sister (called Alice) are all completely obsessed. E is Edith Alice, which I think fuels her interest. That and 2 different versions of the book including this really beautiful popup version https://wordery.com/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-pop-up-book-lewis-carroll-9780689837593?currency=GBP&gtrck=bzdzbWFrUk5oV29pRHZGRmU4c1k1N0d0UHRsRmlWRmpoa0lvV05sT2RzUGNTSHhIV3ltb2Z0Smp2Z09vdEhSQm8xWmp2dHI2ZWxmVmRsV25FR2xkOUE9PQ&gclid=Cj0KEQjwyK-vBRCp4cymxermx-EBEiQATOQgh7YbEoWExquiLJ0i3aeUCUmy3rETwXgBCoQXKqxGOSAaApZX8P8HAQ Aimed at older children, but very much loved by E.

[Tamara]

Not enjoying my sewing experience at the moment! I made this very beautiful puppet show tunic yesterday and spent time hemming it by hand. I decided to do the buttonholes this afternoon and this is where we welcome the disaster! The tunic is made of cotton with a raised window pane pattern on it. My machine has decided to put on yet another tantrum displaying its absolute outrage at anything that is not flat! Can’t win! But in the end I did. I just shifted over two of the buttonholes to successfully carry out this seemingly “very” difficult task. It still left a huge unsightly mess that I have to sit there and carefully unpick though!

The family reunion dress has a hem too but I am yet to do the pinktucking and buttons on it. If only I could find the instructions….

[Nicole]

I finished a pair of Named Alexandrina Peg trousers, for Zara, in velvet backed apparel vinyl. It stretched, it slipped but the finished garment has produced far more joy then is decent for an item of clothing.

Total Rock Star moment.

[Tamara]

Currently making Star wars boxer shorts for the hubby! Just hope they fit.

[needlewoman]

Congratulations Nicole; you are a marvel about working with challenging fabrics, and so I’m extra glad for you that Zara is so very happy. Star War boxer shorts – the mind boggles, T!

I got some marvellous feedback re. the shorts, and shirt I finished to fitting point, last week. The grey/cream sketchbook shorts came back today, and I’ve finished, and washed them. Unaltered, they were judged to be ‘just right’. Such a joy to have some definite info to plan the next pants.

The slub shorts, and dinosaur shirt – short sleeved sketchbook were approved but are too short all over. Not really a problem as far as I’m concerned; I’m just pleased to have the information for now, and the future. The shorts I can hem with some bias as the width is fine; the shirt will go to a smaller boy (well, I hope he’s smaller), and I will cut another dinosaur shirt in the next size up, with the length adjustments so that Mr T will get really good use from it over the summer. I also have a lovely piece of teal with black/white/taupe fish on it; and I feel emboldened to cut out a long sleeve shirt for same boy.

He won’t be 4 for another few weeks; yet he is taller and bigger than a couple of 5 yr olds I sew for. Kids – they really all so different.

Nearly finished a size 2 After School shirt in a Denyse Schmidt paisley, and am cutting out mash-up of a Badminton/Swing skirt in same fabric. So glad to be able to use it up, and clear out a few more ‘scraps’. The little outfit for Miss I will look very sharp, I think.

[nzsewist]

I have finished the first of the two gingham music class blouses. I really enjoyed the challenge of the collar, plackets and cuffs. I’ve just started on the second one and making quite fast progress this time. I found some faux cowhide at spotlight yesterday so plan on making some cowgirl vests for their costumes by modifying the school days vest pattern. My husband and I still both need jeans so I need to fit those in as well around sewing some monochrome garments for the girls.

@motherof5 you are so talented to work with fabrics like the vinyl! Did you use a walking or Teflon foot?

[Nicole]

Thank you @needlewoman, she is beyond thrilled.

@ann-maree, I just took my time, and used a very fine sharp needle. Zara would like a peplum top made from the remnant but I told her I need a break before tackling that cloth again.

Thank you!

Trixie was happily playing under my cutting table so I cut out a Butterick Liberty shirt and denim Thread Theory jeans for my husband, this afternoon.

[Tamara]

@needlewoman hope your mind has stopped boggling. Boxer shorts complete and a very happy hubby. He says “I’ve waited fourteen years for you to make me something” – happy anniversary babe!

Next I have to turn my attention back to completing the blue puppet show dress and the family reunion dress which just requires buttons.

The white puppet show tunic is complete and hanging on the line. I hope to have Chloë wearing it with her music class skirt tomorrow weather permitting.

[lattemama]

I haven’t sewn much of anything all summer so I decided to ease into it with a simple project of a Field Trip tee for Picture Day on Monday. I used a soft knit fabric with chocolate biscuits on it and she didn’t want to take it off after the first try-on. I had to convince her that knits need hemming too.

I also need to trace the size 10 Field Trip cargos for Sofia. She’s been wearing the pink size 8s I made her in 2012 until this summer when we lost them in a bus-sickness accident on our way to Cardiff (together with a polka dot School Bus tee and her favourite hoodie). She was very sad to have to leave them behind (as was I) but I promised her a new pair and some new clothes when we got back to London and she perked up.
Better keep that promise.

[katybellabug]

Just checking in, it’s been a while! Blame the holidays.

You have all been so busy! I have been sewing but it has been a run of school uniform, which I am always enthusiastic to start but by the time I am doing my last buttonholes, I am flagging!
I’ve still got to photograph everything, but I have done Lunchbox Culottes, Music Class Blouse, Vintage Simplicity Blouse and Hula Hoop skirt all in school grey and white.

We are in between seasons a bit so I have snuck in a jacket for Boo before I get started on anything else. I am making her the Make It Perfect Uptown Jacket in the largest size. A light blue wool outer and Liberty lawn lining. No insulating layer. Nearly done. Just the outer sleeves to attach, sides and hood.

I have been up since about 2:30am because L couldn’t sleep and was fidgity so I am completely shattered! I have a Dundee cake in the oven which should ping at the same time I have to leave for the school run, so for the next hour I am doing nothing!

[Tamara]

Wow I think you’ve been busier than all of us combined @katybellabug. It is so lovely to hear from you again @lattemama.

The buttonholes are stitched onto the family reunion and puppet show dresses but they are still waiting for buttons. I have commenced work on my very first birthday dress which is rather exciting. I am currently up to blindhemming the facings so I will sit and do them by hand tomorrow and find time to do the buttons on the other dresses also.

When this dress is complete the plan is to turn my attention to some sewing for me – lisette shirt dress shortened to just the shirt first amd then…. who knows.