Lightning McStitch

Yes this is correct! The yoke is lined but what you do is treat the lining as the underside of the shirt. So, as per the instructions, you pin the undercollar to the shirt with the right side against the outer yoke piece part of the shirt. You pin all the way around and then carefully sew it, being careful not to create little bubbles and puckers…[Read more]

Well the fabric shopping is done and I bought an extra 2 m of the sateen I want to use for my fit and flare dress as an entry for this year’s royal show. I also bought some of another print as inspiration hit me whilst watching “zumbo” and seeing Rachel’s dress. The plan is to use the Upton dress pattern and to use Rachel’s dress as inspiration…[Read more]

I think it would be a perfect alternative to the jumprope dress if it wasn’t included in the pattern stash. But at the same time it would be perfect as an alternative shirt dress style. In short, go for it!

I hope so too Heidi! Tomorrow will tell.

I made a “muslin” of a Stylearc shirt but ran out of fabric to “muslin” the sleeve. I think I made it too long so it’s back to the drawing board and having a think.

I am now soldiering on with an already cut out “tailored shirt” to audition this instead. It’s playing it safe but it just might save time to…[Read more]

Looks amazingly cute @with love Heidi.

I bought fabric to make my “day outfit” for the royal and came home to realise that I think I am short by a metre! Oh well I will have to go back in on Tuesday when I’m there next to claim that extra metre. And I will double check the amount of fabric for the other dress I want to use the same pattern…[Read more]

I can’t wait to make it @with love Heidi. It’s a quarter to midnight, the latest I’ve stayed up to sew in ever so long. I have just finished a pair of stylearc Jilly jeans – the best pattern for jeans I’ve made for me so far. I will be using this pattern again for sure. But not right now as I am in need of sleep!

The next project will be for the show.

In keeping with heirloom stitching but not smocking per se, here are few thoughts for those wee pleats I had in mind but will probably never get to do:

Stitches in between the pleats:
http://creationsbymichie.blogspot.ca/2013/06/white-daygown-with-blue-collar.html

Stitches on the…[Read more]

The garden party dress is gorgeous @mama_knowles as is the sketchbook shirt on C! Fun colours on him too!

I have only just received notification that my emailed entry form to this year’s show was accepted after all! I have about three weeks to get everything sorted – eek! This year they have a design challenge section – tailored shirt – yay! Have…[Read more]

There are sequins all over the rug
Each one looks like a shiny blue bug

@ldk237 too funny!

My eleven year old has just come to me asking where his pants are as we are not at school today and going to a field day instead. He was wearing his dad’s shirt! Miles too big! Please don’t ask how it got into his wardrobe😳🙄

@mama_knowles, I hope you’re feeling better! When can you sew again? I can finally start exercising in three more days! (Although I might cheat a little bit and start early…) It’s no fun to be laid up, I know. Hang in there!

@mama_knowles any surgery on limbs can be tough. We take them so much for granted and with the heat of summer it makes things so uncomfortable. What happened? Smocking would be the perfect solution to sewing frustration.

Sewing has been slow here too. I have been “trying” to make a button up short for four weeks now and I haven’t even cut it out…[Read more]

Ha! In New York, you can always tell it’s the end of the month because all the bad furniture has been left on the curb for pickup. You can find some treasures, but there’s always a risk of bedbugs, which have become a real problem.

We don’t start school in Spain until September 8, either. Suddenly, summer isn’t moving quite so quickly as it…[Read more]

Most schools in Ontario (Canada) go back after Labour Day on September 6th.

We call the Labour Day long weekend, “Bad Furniture Weekend” because that’s when the highways are full of parents driving their kids off to college towing some fairly horrid looking furniture for residence.

Out curiosity, when does school start in your neighborhood? I think some schools have started already, yes?

Thanks @needlewoman he wants to surprise Imogen when he gets to Perth which will be thrilling. He will be rather busy though. He has to sort out selling the house he inherited from his grandfather (it’s the house he lived in with his mum before she was killed). I think we are going to be busy helping him sort the garden out and to organise some…[Read more]

The pattern was rated “advanced”
The truth of it may be enhanced
The instructions were vague
They came from the Hague

The pattern was rated “advanced”
The truth of it may be enhanced

Oh yes! Important to do a “good copy”😀

You can generally tell the emerging tastes and interests of children very early on. My 19 month old daughter loves music. Just now we were watching a beautiful little program called La-la’s adventures, an Australian produced program that incorporates a music lesson without knowing it. In this episode, one of…[Read more]

Hi @kpennycufftntech-edu the hopscotch top and dress is drafted for knits so it will be tight to get into because patterns for knits generally have negative ease to accomodate for the stretch of the fabric. You could try it but it probably wouldn’t work without changing a few things like adding a back opening for example and you would possibly…[Read more]