[Masha Richart]

Finally finished a long-planned outfit for the baby – a long-sleeved Lullaby Layette shirt and set of Playtime leggings using Lillestoff jersey I splurged on while I was pregnant. Most exciting – it was the maiden voyage of my new coverstitch machine! I have been stretching the hems incessantly just to watch them streeeeeetch without popping seams.

[Tamara]

I take it the maiden voyage was a huge success then😜 I am thrilled you have had the chance to sew, let alone finish the project. Hip hip hooray! Have you had the chance to put it on flickr yet? Need to go looksee.

I have been sewing the two bubble dresses I had planned for this week but hit a slight snag. The front outer skirt was a tad longer than the lining. No biggie, I cinched it in with a line of longer straight stitch to pull up the excess. The baby woke just as I was about to start on the second bottom so will probably get the chance to sew it later, when she is more settled and willing to play by herself for a wee while.

[Mardee]

Hello, all! It’s exciting to read about so many sewing projects! Right now I am trying to finish a patchwork quilt (queen size) that I am making for my daughter and SIL for Christmas. All the piecing is done – I just need to add the border, batting and backing and then quilt. This will be my first large quilt using freehand machine quilting, so I’m not sure how long it will take.

My daughter has requested clothes for Christmas, too, so I’m getting ready to make the Cappuccino dress in linen for her, although I think I might change the v-neck to a round neckline. I’m also planning on sewing the Megan Longline Cardigan from Tessuti, which looks adorable in the photos! I bought a lovely heather gray jersey from Girl Charlee for that project. She also requested I make her another hoodie. I had made one for her from the 5/2014 issue of Ottobre Design, and it turned out perfect, so she’s asked for another.

I wish I was retired so I could sew all the time – and while I’m wishing, I’ll wish for a coverstitch machine as well. 🙂 I finally broke down last year and replaced my old Singer serger with a new Baby Lock Imagine. It makes such a difference!

[Tamara]

Hi Mardee

Such a lot of wonderful sewing ideas and what a huge project in the quilt! I have quilted table quilts and a bedquilt (which was really a large lap quilt) each for my two older children. It all depends on the design of quilting you go for. I searched through Leah Day’s site (freemotion quilting project) for ideas and tutorials of the designs. I would recommend practising ALOT!! To get tge tension and stitch length right. Youtend to do a bit of warming up when starting off quilting so it is best to have a piece of quilt samdwich there to warm up with each day so that when you go to the actual quilts, the stitching will be consistent. It is very important.

I used “bed of roses” for my daughter’s quilt and it took me two hours to fill one block 12 inches square. I did the train track design for my son (who loves trains) and it was heaps faster. Both turned out fantastic so I can’t fault the desings at all. They are just more time consuming than first thought. Mind you it all depends also as to how big you quilt as I sort of packed it in and didn’t intend to have it so small (maybe I am a tight quilter?).

I would recommend having a look at Leah’s site. They are not hard but she does rate them in terms of difficulty. My personal favourite is the spirals and the lollipop design for the borders (that was a fast one to do).

I also recommend lots of breaks as leaning at the machine does hurt your back and neck (I’d feel like I was working out all day). Leah also recommends some aids to help – the mat is fabulous!

I hope this is helpful information for you – my table quilt won first prize at the Perth Royal show two years ago so the designs are very worth looking at.

As for a coverstitch machine, they are wonderful things😀

I have two bubble dresses in pieces that I plan to finish today, being the last day of kcw. I might have to take a few days off to recover😜

[Mardee]

Thanks, Tamara! I have done some freehand quilting before – once on a wall quilt I made for my grandson, and then some Christmas stockings, but this will be the biggest thing I’ve done, so your tips will be helpful. I do take lots of breaks – mainly because I work full time and get my sewing and quilting in piecemeal during the week and on the weekends.

Quilting itself is fairly new to me – I’ve been sewing for over 50 years, but have always stuck with apparel (I worked in theatre for a long time building and designing costumes, too). I started quilting when my first grandchild was born and loved it. So now I make clothes and quilts! Prior to getting my freehand machine quilting foot for my Bernina, I used a walking foot, but I love the flexibility of machine quilting.

I have been to Leah’s site, although not recently, so this is a good reminder to head back over there. Thanks! And I envy you your coverstitch! Once of these days!

[Sarvi]

Ooh, I would love to hear more about your theatre work! My daughter’s ballet school puts on performances at a local theater and they recruit family members who can sew to make their own costumes in house. (My daughter’s not performing, but I love theatrical and film costuming and am always amazed at what they turn out)

[Tamara]

Mardee isn’t theatre work fabulous?! I worked on a voluntary basis in my late teens for an Opera company and it was the best fun (but unfortunately not in costuming). It can be long days though – my sil studied at NIDA in production management and toured with Cats through Asia (again not with costuming). I just love theatre in general! But what a special treat to work with the costume department (eyes boggling).

If you have been sewing for 50 something years then quilting should be very easy for you. I love the fact that you get to control the design not have it all picked out for you by the machine. And the designs are really something else. One day, I hope to have my own long arm (when the space needed for it is not taken up by a playspace for a little girl which it is currently).

As for the coverstitch machine, it is a great thing to have but I confess I didn’t plan my table space well and mine sits behind the sewing machine waiting its turn alot. I was allowed to buy myself a treat when I had a massive tax return from when I was working part time over the road (there was a rail upgrade on our section and the neighbours housed the offices in one of their paddocks – yes we are “normally” farmers). I really want to use it more because, even though I don’t have 50 years of experience in anything yet, I aim to become better aquainted with knits.

They don’t scare me, they just annoy me. They seem to not behave as well as wovens but then, even wovens can be tricky to work with.

So I officially failed to finish the bubbles by the end of kcw. But I just have to thread elastic into the bloomers and sew th buttons on we are done with both. I wanted to finish them last night but didn’t get the opportunity. Maybe tonight I will.

[Masha Richart]

It is knit mania over here. My mother-in-law is leaving tomorrow after a week’s visit, which has enabled me to do quite a bit of sewing. Tonight I made a wee Field Trip Raglan for the baby, a pair of Playtime leggings for my oldest (size 4 with the length of a 7) and a pair of undies for my second.

Tamara, I’m fortunate to have a long table on which to sew. My serger and coverstitch sit on either side of my sewing machine. Works very well! I’m REALLY enjoying the new toy.

[Tamara]

Yes, that was my idea but I underestimated how much I’d need. Shoukd have gotten a 2 metre table instead of a 1.5m but there is such a thing as an add on. It is just a matter of getting to IKEA to do it.

The field trip is a pattern I am yet to sew for Chloë but I am looking forward to doing one. She needs basics now but I just can’t help sewing pretty dresses – it gets me everytime!

[Mardee]

Sarvi, I loved working in theatre, and it really is amazing what kind of costumes they can turn out. It’s truly couture work, but with extra durability. 🙂

Tamara, that’s so cool that you worked in opera. I did, too – during the fall, winter and spring season, I worked in a regional theatre company costume shop, but during the summer, I was the costume coordinator for Cincinnati Opera. The costumes are very different for both.

After I left theatre/opera, I was in law school for 3 years, so I didn’t have time to do anything! But it’s so nice to get back to sewing! I will say that I do love knits – they are so easy and practical, especially with a serger. Have you made anything from Ottobre Designs? I ordered a subscription and just love their patterns! And you’re a farmer? That’s even cooler! My daughter and son-in-law are looking to buy land and start farming – it’s their dream.

[Tamara]

I have dabbled with Ottobre patterns when I didn’t have the baby to sew for. I had more luck with my daughter than with my son. My only gripe is the sewam allowances aren’t included on everything. I have some issues but none of the later ones – the bookshelf is getting rather full😉.

Yes what we call broadacre – cropping wheat mostly and oats for hay and we run merino sheep (the main variety in Australia) which we take wool from twice yearly (we breed them specifically to do that) and of course sell on etc.
It’s not a small farm but there are bigger ones (we recently inherited fil’s land). I hope your daughter and son in law realise their dream. It can be hard work and tough at times but extremely rewarding in the abundant seasons and the life style is like no other, especially when raising a family. We are currently harvesting our wheat and after a growing season rainfall of only 110mm it is a miracle we have a crop at all! It has been very dry all year.

As for the Opera Company. They weren’t professionals but they were very professional (if that makes any sense). I worked backstage but got to watch the performances – so magical.

These bubbles are still buttonless! Today is the day to grab the chance to sew them on and thread the elastic finally into the bloomers. I can’t wait to be able to use them, they are so cute!

Then it is on to drafting and sewing a pair of shorts each for my ten year old and my husband – all while waiting for the shirt fabric to arrive.

[with love Heidi]

I finished my Appleton dress over the weekend and wore it all day Saturday. Now I’m wearing it to work today. 🙂

[Tamara]

Did you see the new colette pattern @withloveHeidi? I saw and thought it would be a great one also (for us pears😉)

[with love Heidi]

I did see the new Colette one, it looks lovely, epically as the straight skirt looks very similar to the Mabel. I would be considering it more if I hadn’t just bought Cashmerette’s Appleton and had fantastic success with minimal changes 🙂

[Tamara]

Do you have to make significant changes with the colette patterns?

I just purchased the pdf version to try. It looks like something that could work for the silly season.