[Tamara]

Hi I’m back – 3 hours ago and have only just sat down and heaved a sigh now (had to cook a meal and take it to the man on the tractor and was filled in on what went wrong in the 24 hours I was away but I won’t bore you with those details).

My machine was looked at and fiddled with and played with etc we tried and tried to get it to move with the fabric at the top and there were many comments about the seam at the yoke. I even tried sewing the button hole on the shop machine and even that didn’t go. So it isn’t my machine it is the seam which meant that a trip that far in so little time was a bit of a waste but at least my mind is at rest AND I got a free foot!! Apparently the lady who does the lessons uses this foot with the memory buttonhole and draws it out on scrap commits it to memory and sews on the project with perfection. It is not a normal sensor button hole foot so won’t throw a tantrum with bulky seams and could be the answer without having to undo the neat bound seam or even take the bound bit away at the facing. I found out that you can get a stabiliser that goes on the foot for things like uneven surfaces but it isn’t available in Australia. I may look to get it yet so that I can use other but styles.

Trust me for being fancy and practising techniques on my children’s clothes!!

I am having a no sew night as I do need sleep to try and get rid of the lurgy and also recoup enough to practise a bit tomorrow. I have corduroy purchased whilst in Perth to edge and wash tomorrow so that I can make more things but I think I am reaching the end of the daughter’s clothing list and time to start on the son’s.

Toyota888 you are so very funny!! My 5 year old son said nearly just that before we left “Mummy I wish we could fly to Perth and then we could be home in time for tea!” Oh and TRUCKDRIVERS!!! they need to learn valuable lessons in how to drive on narrow skinny bitumen roads AND allow oncoming traffic to pass instead of demanding they stop so they can hoon down the middle of the road. I am so longing for the lull between seeding and harvest when I get my road to myself again (well sort of).

Lattemamma that is quite a list but it is so wonderful to think you will get to make all these beautiful clothes. Your children will look back with pure awe when they are older at how you managed to make their clothes and do everything else. You are truly making highlights in their childhoods.

[Mandy1977]

I need to get pictures for Flickr but I recently finished another popover tunic, a 2+2 blouse and 2 pairs of Puppet Show shorts.

Next up? I FINALLY get to get started on two Reunion tops! I can’t wait! Then, it’s a music box jumper that I had planned for May but didn’t get around to.

[lattemama]

Well, the Ruffle Halter and the Seashore dress are done. (Seashore dress needs buttons and the Ruffle Halter needs the elastic stitched down [short break] and there Isabel came upstairs wearing it so I got that part done!)

Next up is Sofia’s red and white clothes plus a doll’s dress I have yet to cut out.

We leave for Stockholm on Wednesday for a mini-vacation and her birthday is while we’re away so I have to have it done before we leave. (In fairness I want Isabel’s done too before we leave, but I’m not sure I can manage that.)

[Nicole]

School Social Friday night so new outfits have been requested.

Son has new Sketchbook trousers,I enlarged the pattern to size 14 and I am very pleased with the results. A sketchbook shirt is partially made in a silky cotton shirting with Liberty facings.

I made a pair of skinny Sketchbook ‘jeans’ for Miss E which (at present) she is pairing with a Ruffled Halter top,her sister has requested a Music Box tunic in slate blue gingham. I completely muffed this pattern the only time I made it so wish me luck!

Missy L is quite happy to wear her silk Puppet Show again!

[Tamara]

Wow that sounds amazing – liberty facings.

Having a no sew day – two kids home sick and I’m sorting out the sewing area and dreaming of my own room!

This week though I plan to finish off the Music class shirts (3) finish off the Sketchbook magenta trousers and hem the Sandbox pants with Sketch book pockets (they’re the light purple velveteen ones). Then I need to do 2 Nature walk tops, 2 Icecream tops and finish off the 3 remaining hopscotch tops. By that time I should be ready to finally do the remaining buttonholes on the denim hopscotch skirt and actually make the green corduroy one and I should be done with Miss 8’s clothes (unless I forgot something).

[suse]

I’m really excited – I’m cutting out my first Sandbox pants (for little miss – nearly 12 months) in a lovely lightweight Texan denim. And, even more excitement, I have Stenzo pinwale cord on the way for more Sandboxes, and, (oh be still my beating heart), on the way are the Nature Walk, Class Picnic, Sunday Brunch, Sketchbook, and Hopscotch patterns!! I’m so excited!!! (Can you tell LOL).

[Tamara]

Oh Suse your enthusiasm is bursting at the seams. Good to be excited about sewing projects isn’t it?

I cut out and was sewing a pair of doll’s jeans today from Liberty Jane patterns. Trouble is they aren’t relaxed fit on my doll of choice and I will have to alter them to be so. Mine is an Australian Girl doll (well this one I’m working with is miss 8’s – mine is in her box). I tried the bodice pattern of a dress also from Liberty Jane and it fit beautifully so am now trying jeans with not so much luck.

Oh well, like walking into a shop and asking for a certain size – not everything will fit. Besides she is technically bigger than 18″ but has a similar build to the American girl doll.

I will try again with an altered pattern and we will have cute jeans to wear (the doll that is not me).

I also got patterns today – Lisette patterns from Ebay. I’m going to make one of them up and put it in the women’s wear section of the Royal show this year. I just have to decide which one. I’m still waiting on the Stella fabric from Crafty Mamas and two parcels from the U.S which I hope will get her next week.

We are having a long weekend here in the west so plenty of lovely time to sew.

[suse]

This is totally OT, but it seems like there’s a few Australians frequenting the forum. Hi fellow Antipodeans! *waves*

Justsewit, that’s a pain about the jeans pattern. I’ve been contemplating attempting a Waldorf doll but knowing others who make them I’ve been warned it’s a bit addictive, and the last thing I need is another addiction lol. Possibly I may change my mind if my daughter ends up being interested in dolls, thus far she’s more interested in cars.

I hope your fabric arrives soon – I love the Stella knit but being in Nth Queensland it’s too hot to wear up here, I get very excited in summer when the new season Tamarama is released.

[Anonymous]

suse, my daughter is more interested in stuffed animals than dolls. However, I am enjoying sewing clothes for her new 18″ doll. Not sure if she’ll ever come around to it, but I am sure having fun with it! LOL

[Nicole]

Hi Suse,no need to explain. I remember my over whelming excitement in finding these pattern!

When the twins were little,I made them matching outfits for their doll,so we have lots of clothes as dolly’s don’t grow out of them!

The fun of the Social is over,so back to sewing Nature Walk jumpers for school. Once I have finished those…..Pretty Things!

[Tamara]

Oh Waldorf dolls are beautiful aren’t they? Alas I have no where to put my dolls and so they “live” in a box. I used to make porcelain dolls and dressed one as “Anne of Green Gables” – they live at mum’s in her cabinet.

I wish miss 8 was enthusiastic about dolls like I was as a child but she is more into teddy bears. I bought her that doll so that she could learn to sew but the machine we were given is pathetic so we have to save up and get a cheapie from somewhere for her to learn.

I had to save the doll from the scissors as her hair was slightly hacked – and we all know doll’s hair doesn’t grow back!

I’m just going to alter the jeans pattern and see what I come up with. The idea was to do a mini version of my show outfit to exhibit on the doll in that section but like with lots of things, it is a matter of trial and error.

I have those pants and t-shirts and mc shirts to still do for miss 8 because I spent a whole week tidying up the sewing area and dealing with a boy with a nasty case of Impetigo (school sores)- all over his face poor kid. So I am literally itching to get back to the sewing machine. The jeans was a mini project I got to do in an hour or so just to ease the tension of not sewing anything.

Suse I’m going to give that Tamarama a go when it is available again – it sounds interesting.

[meleliza]

So I ditched some other sewing plans when I learned that our personal paparazzo would be visiting during strawberry picking season. I couldn’t help but whip my stashed mini muu strawberries into a strawberry picking outfit for baby girl! I used the popover dress and sized it down to roughly 12months. There are puppet show shorts and a matching bonnet. What fun it’s been sewing that this week!

[Tamara]

Ok yesterday was a bit of a fiddle day. I made about 4 half made garments for the doll just to try out the patterns. Enlarging the jeans by 10% so they actually look like they fit and also the peacoat because it wouldn’t accomodate a top underneath it.

Today, I’m cutting out Nature walk tops – 2 each for the kids for now and smocking a doll’s dress in the evening. All that in between cleaning a disgustingly messy house and the usual weekend activities.

Can’t wait to be able to just sew and do nothing else for a while.

[Nicole]

A house full of poorly children = little sewing,still plodding with my school jumpers,10 mins here,5 mins there!

Dreaming of 2+2 blouse’s….City Weekend….Have you seen the peek at the new Lisette patterns?

[Tamara]

Sorry to hear the kiddlies are not well at your place Motherof5 – I’ve had my boy off from school for 2 weeks now and not any better – Monday school of bust!

Hope you can get the jumpers on the way.

I haven’t sewn all week as much as I’ve wanted to but haven’t really been home long enough to even sit without being in the car!

Today I have sewn the first half of one Nature Walk top and I am really really hoping to finish all four by the end of the weekend because I am to go NOWHERE!!

I’m in slight panic mode as my patterns haven’t arrived yet and neither has the stella fabric I ordered at the end of last month! Oh well those projects can wait anyhow as the NW tops are crucial.

The modem died on the office computer so we are waiting for that aswell. I have to copy all passwords and things onto paper and transfer them to the laptop.

Motherof5 where did you see the sneak peek? I’m searching!