[wendy]

A blog post is always welcome! I’ll check out the tutorial before I start. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!
It’s 1/2″, by the way. 🙂

[wendy]

Perfect, thank you! Should I be using a thinner shoulder pad since the coat will be much less bulky?

[wendy]

I haven’t posted here for a while, but this topic really struck a chord with me. I started sewing when my daughter was just over a year old and at the time, as much as I was enjoying the very different and all consuming experience of being at home with my baby, sewing was a godsend. It allowed me to explore creatively in a medium that easily fit into my context at the time, and that was the equivalent to a door opening. After a year plus of full on mothering and not much else, I remember feeling like I’d reconnected with a part of myself that I’d temporarily shelved and didn’t have the time to notice how much I’d missed. It was hugely important to me.
Sarvi, if this happens to be your creative outlet right now, I strongly encourage you to feel no guilt about it and just enjoy! As someone else pointed out, it’s not forever. One day your previous, more ‘serious’ creative pursuits will need your attention once again.
I think we feel a certain degree of guilt about sewing clothing because it’s largely utilitarian, but as all of us here know it’s a craft that engages our senses, minds and emotions just as much as any other can. In my mind, that alone nullifies any thoughts of ‘too much’.
I live in a small community where tons of stuff gets passed around, including heaps of kids clothes. It’s a total pleasure for me to add all of my daughters outgrown handmade clothing to the pool. I like to think that it helps to balance out all of the cheap, ‘unethical’ clothing that there is no short supply of. Plus, it’s fun running into one of my dresses when I’m out and about. Call me sentimental, but I like the idea of them traveling. 🙂
These days, I’m working more and so I have drastically less time to sew. I use what time I have to sew for myself, my daughter and the little people in my life. It feels like a good balance, although the Cookie Monster in me will always crave more sewing time and fabric. 🙂 No guilt!!

[wendy]

Ooh…I like the idea of the exposed zipper at the back. I hadn’t thought of that, but that should look pretty good. I’ll definitely get some extra fabric to play around with, and also post photos if it all works out. Thanks for the advice!

[wendy]

There are some absolutely beautiful versions in the Flickr pool done in plaid flannel, and very nice for that particular age. Here’s one example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62965189@N02/6306350753/in/faves-wendyls1/

[wendy]

I like to mark my pintucks by measuring out from the center line of the dress with a ruler rather than transferring from the pattern. I measure and mark at the top of the dress and then at the bottom of the pintuck where the stitch ends. I only mark the middle line of each pintuck since I know that I can just sew the proper seam allowance and therefore don’t really need to have that stitch line transferred onto the fabric. Then, as I’m pressing them, I use my little ruler again to make sure that they’re equidistant from one to the next. I find this faster and more accurate than using a tracing wheel and shifty paper. Just a couple of marks per tuck and some careful pressing. 🙂

[wendy]

Oh, scratch that! I just looked at my serger and realized there isn’t anywhere to place a repositional seam guide!

[wendy]

I do the same as Lightning; I find a point on my machine to use as a guide. One of those re-positional vinyl seam guides could be handy, though. 🙂

[wendy]

I really like the rolled hem feature. It’s a nice option for more airy, lightweight tops. I absolutely love that it’s so easy to make things like lounge pants and leggins with a serger. I don’t think that I would bother with those things unless I had one, and in realty it’s what my daughter wears mostly.

I now use my serger to finish all of my seams, unless I can use something like a french or flat felled seam. I just find it faster to set up both machines and go at it, plus I love the tidy job of finishing it does.

I kind of hoard serger cones when they go on sale and also scored a few sackfuls from a dressmaker who was closing up shop. If didn’t have such an abundance of it already, I’d probably look into that translucent serger thread that someone on the forum mentioned some time back.

I’m surprised at how well my Brother 1034 has held up. As long as I pamper it it performs very consistently. Much more than my new sewing machine which is supposed to be of better quality.

[wendy]

Here you go, Sarvi:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendyls1/9257535796/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendyls1/9257534458/in/photostream/

[wendy]

Sarvi, I’ll try and get some photos in the next couple of days. This is the dip dyed linen version of the Satsuki that had me sold:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60056118@N05/8651410874/

I’ve never tried hand dying, but am pretty stoked to try it after having seen this.

[wendy]

I’m back in the saddle after the disruption of moving house. I’m entrenched in Victory patterns, the kaftan one in particular. it’s so gratifying: sews up in an hour, flattering, COMFORTABLE! I made a blouse version in a precious silk linen remnant that was given to me and it’s all I want to wear. I just might do up a third to be used as a beach coverup. And then onto the Nicola, which is the wrap one with button closures.

I’m making a birthday Family Reunion dress for my daughter. We’ve picked out some green and yellow chicken fabric that should be pretty cute. And then, next in line is a Roller Skate dress in Kaffe Fassett woven stripes. I’ve seen a few versions in the pool, and they’re perfect!

I’m mostly sewing for myself these days and it’s great to feel like I’m finally building a wardrobe of wearable garment. I think I might finally be ready to tackle the mystery of pants this fall.

[wendy]

Where can one leave feedback on the new Flickr setup? I agree that it’s just awful to navigate, and so cluttered. I couldn’t even get to the bottom of the page where all of the contact info was because photos wouldn’t stop loading. I can’t say that I’ll be using it anytime soon.

[wendy]

Oh dear. Somehow I’m always humbled by the sewing machine store clerks, even though the rest of the rest of the time I feel fairly competent. The trouble is, I’ve tried disassembling every possibly part of my serger and there are some areas that just can’t be reached. I was actually wondering if one of the differences between a low end and high end serger is how well the wee parts are protected from the inevitable dust bomb.

[wendy]

Anytime my serger has started misbehaving, a good clean has fixed it. I brush it out regularly and use a can of compressed air to get out the harder to reach bits like in between the tension disks. I’d never thought to use a blow dryer; great idea! Much cheaper than buying air in a can!