[Tamara]

That School Days pattern has really got me thinking! I adore it – can’t stop admiring it. And this pattern as a raincoat would be superb no matter how dark the print would be on a rainy day. I’m actually trying to find a laminated cotton that is boyish! Not that we require huge rains coming into summer (we will have a dry harvest – or bust!).

I can’t wait for those new patterns to arrive but I have plenty of other things to go on with in the meantime so I don’t mind that they are not here right now. Those afterschool pants sound delicious!

I stayed up until 2am (unknowingly) completing the messenger bag which I started working on at 7am yesterday morning and went all day (with breaks). Murray had to come and find me saying he thought I was kidnapped and why was I sewing at this hour? His snoring got me out of bed.

Anyway! I’m very proud that my little production line of single items is chugging along quite nicely and the bag is finished. Now I have to change the overlocker to red and make this Sketchbook shirt today and then the ensemble is complete and then it is onto the next thing – smocking like crazy to have one complete School Photo Dress before the week has ended.

Photos will come soon – miss 8 used up all our fast download so we have to wait a few days for fast internet again – the perks of living in the bush!

Tamara

[Emily]

Tamara, this is the laminated cotton I used for e’s jacket:

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=ef71f6e4-8775-4790-a181-33417cfe3e69

It’s not feminine at all – I think it would be equally appropriate for a girl or a boy. I very nearly lined it with the neon green/blue on black Space Invaders print (http://www.fabric.com/quilting-fabric-novelty-conversational-quilt-fabrics-famous-cartoon-tv-and-book-characters-geeks-gone-wild-space-invaders-green-black.aspx?cm_vc=756b1813-cbc1-43b3-84bd-29889bf8fb7b) which could be quite masculine.

There are also the ubiquitous Michael Miller bicyces: http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=e2619781-065e-41c7-a518-9de7d141f3fc

I also think that these blue on brown dots could be appropriate for a younger boy, but probably not an older one: http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=cb3b31a8-d67e-435a-8403-016554ed5761

Or what about these blue and green stripes?

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=306df9cf-7095-42cf-aa00-165c977013f1

OK, off to cut out some pants.

[Mama_Knowles]

All this talk about the new patterns got me in the mood to trace the apple dress! I am getting ready to cut a fall print but I will be adding a bit of lace at the bottom of the skirts to make it a bit dressier. I can’t wait to finish it!

[Emily]

I just finished the After School pants – they went together pretty quickly and easily, and I’m quite pleased with the result. I was up until the wee hours last night finishing the construction so I could put them on Eleanor this morning before preschool to mark the hem, and when she came downstairs and saw them on the dress form she exclaimed, “My dolly has new pants on!” (At this point, imagine me raising my eyebrow archly – “MY dolly?!?”)

I have fabric in the wash for three more pairs, two in corduroy and one in denim, but before I cut them out I’m going to have to force myself to finish the three Jump Rope dresses that are half-done and also the Colette crepe dress for myself that I’m trying to finish before we leave for Cape Cod on Friday. Sigh.

[Tamara]

Well I have finished the rocket sketchbook shirt (except buttons) and had words with my machine (and myself). What should have taken a couple of hours to complete took the WHOLE DAY!! Feeling unwell generally does that doesn’t it – make things drag for all eternity (well not quite). The best thing was that the buttonholes actually worked on the cuffs this time – oh how I was DREADING that!

I was going cross eyed last night so decided to sleep instead of sew – for fear of having to unpick yet again!

I’m now working on a test piece of Italian smocking for the bodice of the School Photo Dress.

[Emily]

Tamara, where do you get your Italian smocking patterns? I have a few issues of Sew Beautiful, but it seems like there’s really a dearth of patterns on the internet. I’d love to know what your source is.

[Tamara]

Emily, I am a subscriber to Australian Smocking and Embroidery and they have a few designs in there. I did a class with Sue Barrows at the last Beating around the Bush (needlework convention organised and run by Country Bumpkin who publish the magazine) and we started doing a cushion with four different designs. That was made of silk and I’ve noticed that alot of the time it is rather lightweight fabric being used. I just wanted to do something different involving something slightly heavier to give an effect on the fabric instead of letting the thread decorate it so I have gone with a 7.5oz denim (the lightest I could find at my local Spotlight) and pleated (really really slowly) through the pleater. I have decided on one of the designs from the cushion we did in class (which is also in a back issue of AS&E January last year I think). I did a test run first because depending on the design, it doesn’t have a great deal of elasticity and even with this one there is just a slight amount of stretch. I was advised to block first before smocking (I do that anyway because I find it gives a better result). I’m doing double the total width of the front bodice and using that as my blocking guide of course (even though I have sized it further than a 12 to fit dd next Autumn)and the reason for this is because the fabric is much thicker and the result is through the manipulation of the pleats not through the thread. I’m just hoping I have worked it out right.

Anyway, it is blocked and dried and ready to go …. and now I have to make a blue shirt for dd because sports carnival is tomorrow and I forgot – blame it on the flu.

[Nicole]

Finished one birthday present,a Class Picnic sewn as a tunic. Next is a Seashore dress is khaki with black flowers at the hem for her sister.

[knitsewreadlove]

Just finished an Ice Cream Dress, a long sleeve Hopscotch Dress, and last night I made the After School Shirt. I love the construction, but unfortunately it came out shorter than I thought it would (and also my sweet daughter has had a growth spurt since I last measured her (2 weeks ago). I was thinking of adding a length of fabric to the bottom and making a deeper hem that would be top-stitched above the seam where I joined the fabric (a la the ice cream dress). Would that be weird? Any other suggestions? I’m open to anything. My little one really loves the fabric and I don’t have enough to make a whole new shirt.

[Tamara]

Finished my smocked School Photo Dress yesterday. I took my time so that I wouldn’t make any horrific and irrepairable error – and it worked out really well.

Today I did my mini stumpwork project – a butterfly of less than 4cm total design area. If that’s not mini I don’t know what is.

I’ve got one more project to complete and then I’m free as a bird to plan my next projects – a birthday dress of somesort and some warm weather gear.

[Nicole]

Birthday presents finished and wrapped,as am I!

Half way through the babies Family Reunion dress.

[meleliza]

I was finishing up a Lisette market blouse as the first piece of my fall pallette challenge over at Colette Patterns, only to discover I had somehow – despite being very careful not to do so, the blouse front with the fabric reverse on the outside and the blouse back correctly. Roll eyes. So instead of starting baby girls birthday playdate dress today, I’m starting the blouse over. Luckily I had just enough fabric to cut new front back and facings. I hadn’t set the sleeves yet. So if you’re working with any of the Freespirit voiles, bewarned – they are so sumptuously printed it’s hard to tell wright from wrong – especially if you’re sewing after kiddie are in bed!

[Nicole]

Finished my City Weekend version of the Family Reunion dress-sigh! So beautiful!

A third of my way through the silk version. My pin tucks are not as even as I have had to do some unpicking and stretched the fabric.

I had planned to top stitch with a ”sulky” thread but my machine is refusing to sew it,very unusual for my machine.

Next up a silk Market Blouse for me for the Ball.

If I get time……

[dkbnyc]

i recently refashioned one of DH’s dress shirts into a dress for my 6yo- turned out a bit like a cross between an ice cream dress and an apple picking dress (it think)

I am almost done with a Cinderella dress for the 3yo and will soon start a costume for the 6yo

[Tamara]

Oh Nicole I have to say the city weekend park ramble suits the Family Reunion dress so well. I’m looking forward to seeing the silk version – you are causing me to salivate over natural fibres (only cos I love ’em).

I’ve literally just walked in the door from dropping my show things off – yesterday – and battling horrible traffic to make my way home to the peaceful countryside where traffic in “peakhour” is much more manageable.

I have to get my bearings again before returning to the sewing machine but I am hoping to finish off the pink Jumprope dress before starting something new. It has turned into winter again so it will give me a little bit of time to make something for sunny weather.

I have to make a birthday dress/ outfit for miss8 soon to be 9 – she thinks the denim one is her birthday dress and was disappointed it wasn’t twirly so I will have to think of something quick. I have a week to get it done before school is in recess again.