Blog Quiz

I saw this on Elbee's blog and thought I'd play along...

Here's the rule: Bold the things you've done & post on your blog!

Many of these that are not bold are on my "bucket list".

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii and danced on a lava cliff with the roar of the Pacific below.
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland and DisneyWorld. Haven't taken the kids yet.
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning When my girls were babies. Not fun!
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables Well, tomatoes and herbs...
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill Not often...
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise A long time ago. It's time for another...
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person I was born and raised in Toronto...
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing There are some ugly fish down there
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling In Cozumel.
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater Many times. I guess I'm showing my age.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies With my daughters.
62. Gone whale watching In Cape Cod. Amazing.
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. Tried, but my iron was too low...
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check Only once!
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy I still have it.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job Only once!
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle My first BF had a bike...
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper I was in the background...
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year's Eve
86. Visited the White House Just outside.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous Depends on your definition of famous...
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one Mother-in-law and Father-in-law.
94. Had a baby Two. At once!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee Stepped on it. Ouch!

I am so mad at myself!

I bought myself a new camcorder a few weeks ago. I've been so busy, I didn't even open the box until Christmas Eve, and even then just plugged it in to charge the batteries. So on Christmas morning, I am glancing at the instructions before my kids arrived from their dad's.

Well, last night, I decided to look at the movies from Christmas morning. Ahhhh! The only thing that turned out was when they first came in the door. After that, it appears that when I thought the camera was on, it was off, and when I thought it was off, it was on. BF didn't take pictures because I was filming the whole thing. So I don't have ANY pictures of my daughters opening their presents. I cried...hard.

My daughter saw that I was upset, and drew me this picture of us opening gifts. How cute is that??

A little late...

but here are the pics of the nightgowns.



Yes, the are both missing their two front teeth...

My daughters loved them. For some reason, at first they thought I bought them, but when I told them Mommy made them, they loved them even more.

I did wait until Christmas day to give them to the girls, mostly because Christmas Eve turned into a wrapping marathon! I hadn't done any wrapping ahead of time. I will not do that again. Next year I'm going to wrap as I buy.

Christmas Day was a bit stressful for me but overall we had a good day. And BF bought me a TiVo! It rocks!!

Done.

I finished the second nightgown yesterday...I may even have some time now to sew my daughters some fleece hats before Christmas.

I'll post pictures of the nightgowns later today...

One down, one to go...

I finished one of the nightgowns on Saturday. All it needs is buttons which I'll pick up this week. It turned out great. I really love the pattern I'm using, Kwik Sew 3105. This my third (well, times 2, so sixth?) time using it. And my daughters wear their nightgowns all the time.

Since I don't have enough fabric for slippers, a friend suggested hair scrunchies, but I may have thrown out the scraps from this one. Oh well...maybe next year.

I'm way ahead of schedule compared to last year when I made two nightgowns on December 23rd...

Size does matter.

I spent yesterday afternoon cutting out the nightgowns (and watching Gene Simmons Family Jewels - one of my current guilty pleasures). The flannel fabric I bought for these was very wide, 90" I think. So I had purchased 1 metre for each. Or so I thought... When I was pre-washing, I noticed that one piece looked smaller. Then it dawned on me. I had ordered that one online, and since the seller was in the U.S., I had only ordered 1 YARD. Believe me, that 4" made a big difference. I was able to squeeze all the pieces in, but the back yoke on that nightgown will have a seam that shouldn't be there.

I was hoping to make my daughters slippers to match their nighties, but that's not going to happen now...

December?? Already??

It seems to happen to me every year. One day it's Halloween, and the next day it's December 1st. Where does November go??

So I didn't get much sewing done for myself since Halloween(a little on my coat...), and now it's time to switch into full gear for the Christmas gifts. I started a tradition with my girls that they would have new pjs every Christmas Eve. Last year, I made them nightgowns, and am planning to make nightgowns again this year. Unfortunately, they are going to be with their father on Christmas Eve this year (boo hoo). This is one of the worst times of year when you are separated, especially when your kids are young. They aren't going to be many more Christmas mornings with the excitement of Santa's visit... So, I'm not sure if I'll save the nightgowns for them to open on Christmas, or send them over to Daddy's to be opened Christmas Eve.

Lest we forget...

In Canadian tradition, the poppy is worn by many members of society during the two weeks prior to November 11.

Change is good...

Whew...

It's all over!
The costumes were ready for them to wear to school this morning...Of course, all did not go smoothly.

Click on the pattern numbers to see my Pattern Reviews for the details...

Simplicity 3997



Simplicity 3663



Time to get a little sewing done for myself before I have to start on Christmas gifts for them...

What have I gotten myself into??

I'm working on my daughters' Halloween costumes. The soldier costume is almost finished. My daughter just needs to try it on so I can hem the sleeves and pant legs and do the buttons.

The bluejay costume, on the other hand, is turning into a nightmare. Part of it is my own fault for procratinating and now being in a rush to finish. The silky fleece I'm using is crazy making. I have shiny blue fluff all over everything in the house because it sheds when you cut it, or touch it for that matter. Then the sewing. It's slippery!! And to top it off, I sewed the wrong pant legs together and had to rip the seam out - one stitch at a time. Of course, my thread was a perfect match and my eyes aren't what they used to be...

I did have a bit of an a-ha moment this morning...maybe my walking foot will help with the slippery sewing?...I hope so!

Did I mention that the girls have a Sparks meeting tomorrow night and they are supposed to wear their costumes?! And I have to take them to a birthday party this afternoon?

Wish me luck...

Beautiful

My daughters' hair looks great! They had VERY long hair and I had a good three inches cut off the back, and gave them back some bangs. My stylist did a great job, as always, and the girls were very well behaved (not always the case...lol). All night long they kept talking about much they loved their hair, and how nice the stylist was ...I'm so relieved. And it didn't cost that much more than those chain "chop shops".

Where does the time go?

Here it is October 17th already and I haven't started the Halloween costumes yet... Remember how I was going to get a head start on these?? Why do I do this to myself? And I just realized that the costumes probably need to be ready on October 27 because my daughters are in Sparks (Girl Guides) and will probably be having a Halloween party that night. My goal for Sunday is to get a GOOD start on these by getting them both cut out, and get some actual sewing done.

I'm taking my daughters to have their haircut tonight. They have only had 2 or 3 professional haircuts in their entire lives (I usually just cut their bangs myself), but their hair is down to their butts and really needs a good trim. They have also been attempting to grow their bangs out for the past several months, but it's just not working out. Their hair is always in their faces. I figure it's time for a good haircut, so I'm taking them to my stylist. Hopefully she won't charge as much for them as she does for me!

It's cut!

I finally cut out my coat yesterday. I still haven't puchased my lining fabric and am hoping to do that today. I want to get something a little flashy rather than just a plain fabric but we'll see what they have.

Today I'm planning to serge all the pieces and maybe start putting it together. Tomorrow night is the last class...

Tonight I'm going out with my daughters Sparks troop to sell Girl Guide cookies door to door... We'll need to dress warmly - it's getting cold here in the evenings.

Win a free handbag

Thanks to Sheila for pointing this out. Who doesn't love a new handbag? Especially when it's free!
Check it out here.

Still working on it...

I had my coat class again tonight. There are five women in the class. Not one had completed their "homework". So now we have even more to complete before next week, in order to catch up. At least I'm not alone...

I'm dragging...

I've been sick this week, so I've been too tired to do anything...
I did go to the coat class on Tuesday and I have a lot of homework to do. By Tuesday night we are supposed to have the main body of the coat put together. I haven't even cut mine out yet! And my BF, who I haven't seen for a month(!), is arriving today...

I'm not sure I want to cut out my fabric with this head cold. I'm feeling a bit fuzzy and I don't want to make a mistake. I hope I'm feeling better tomorrow...

Coat class has started

Our first coat class was held last night and we had our muslins fitted. We also picked up our fabric and we are happy with it. Sylvie and I were both worried after spending so much money that we wouldn't like it (after all, we were ordering it based on a 10" square sample). But it looks great and I'm looking forward to getting started on the coat...

She scores!

As you know, I have two daughters. They watch hockey at their dad's. One daughter is a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and the other is an Ottawa Senators fan.

So when I saw the Leafs fabric on Saturday, I had to buy it. But the owner of the store said they had sold out of Senators fabric and he couldn't get anymore. Well, guess what I was able to find on the web?? Ordered yesterday!

It was going to be tricky if I only had one hockey themed nightgown on Christmas eve...

Progress...

I spent a great at Sylvie's yesterday and we worked on our muslins for our raincoat class (which starts Tuesday). It was really nice to spend the day sewing together. She also took me to a fabric shop near her house and I picked up some hard to find Toronto Maple Leaf fabric to make my daughter a nightgown for Christmas. And to top it off, her BF made us a great dinner!

I went to see the movie Mamma Mia on Friday night. I'm not usually a fan of musicals, and I'm not even particularly a fan of ABBA, but I highly recommend this movie if you're looking for a fun escape! I'm thinking of going again to the sing along version! It would be so much fun!

A couple of useful items

There are a couple of things I've made for myself that I use frequently but have never reviewed them because they're pretty simple, but I thought I'd share them with you here... They are all made using towels.

The first two are items I made for when I shower at the gym - a spa wrap and a hair wrap. Much better than using the one small thin towel my gym provides as "towel service"... I'll even use the hair wrap rather than a shower cap if I'm not washing my hair.

The spa wrap was made using the instructions found here.

The hair wrap was made using instructions similar to these.

The other thing I made is a bathroom organizer that I hang inside the shower. It hangs from the shower curtain rod and keeps small items handy. It can also be thrown in the washing machine when needed. It was made using instructions found in Sew Simple Volume 2 (2006).

I think too much...

I purchased some twill fabric on sale to make the muslin for my coat. I wanted to use something a little heavier that would show how the final coat would hang. But now I'm having second thoughts. I got a great deal on the fabric, but it's a dark khaki colour. Maybe I'll have trouble seeing the markings the instructor will make?

Not much time to dwell on this...the muslin has to be finished by September 15...guess I'll just jump in and hope for the best.

Ouch!

Sylvie and I went to order our fabric yesterday for our raincoat class. It was $71. a yard. Ouch! That should be incentive enough to finish the coat! I chose red and Sylvie chose a really nice wicker colour.

We're using McCall's 5060 and we're both making view C (the green one in the picture):



We need to make our muslins before the course starts in a couple of weeks...

Obviously...

I am not going to finish my mini-wardrobe by the end of the month. I haven't gotten past the storyboard stage! But I'm not going to stress about it. At least I now have some projects lined up that will go together.

I've been spending most of my "spare" time trying to get my house a little more organized. I've been in the same house for 16 years - a long time to "collect" stuff. And having twins did NOT help! Two of everything! I'm finally starting to make a dent in the piles of stuff in the basement. I can't even start to think about finishing the basement until I get most of that stuff out of there...There's no need to save it anymore - no more babies for me (which makes me a little sad.) There's even some of my ex's stuff down there and he moved out 4 years ago! Time to claim the house as mine.

Just what I need...more fabric!

After work yesterday, I went to Fabricland with my friend Sylvie. They were having a 40% off sale. I was able to pick up some of the fabric I need for my daughters' Halloween costumes. I want to get an early start on these since Sylvie and I have signed up for a raincoat class at Darrell Thomas Textiles during September and October, so I'll be working on that too.

Daughter #1 wants to be a bluejay (the bird, not the baseball player). I'll be using Simplicity 3663. I picked up this slinky fleece (this a not a great picture...). They had just enough for the wings and back. I think I'll use regular fleece for the belly.


Daughter #2 wants to be a soldier. I'll be using Simplicity 3997, but, of course, she'll be carrying a Canadian flag... I picked up this cotton camoflauge twill.


I also picked up some stetch lace to make the Jalie Brazilian panties for myself.

I sewed yesterday!

Of course, it wasn't for myself...

My BF drives a truck - a BIG truck. Although there were curtains to separate the sleeping area from the driving area, he found it a bit small back there. So I made him curtains that go beside the doors and across the windshield. That way he'll have more room to move around when he shuts down for the night.

I first ordered the curtain rod for this back in April, but had several problems with Sears and didn't receive it until two weeks ago. BF installed it and then I measured for the curtains. But he didn't get back until yesterday so I finally got the curtains made (He's leaving again today, so I had to do it yesterday...)

While I didn't actually accomplish any sewing for myself, it felt good to actually make something, and he is very happy with them.

Maybe I'll actually do something for myself today.

This morning I was browsing the preview of the September issue of BWOF and absolutely love this dress! I think I'm going to have to pick this issue up when it comes out!

2008-09-109_Dress

Feeling guilty...

I was home alone yesterday (my girls left in the morning for weekend away with their father) and I didn't do any sewing. I had to stay home as I was waiting for my new clothes dryer to arrive.

I did cut the lawn (if you can call the weeds in my backyard a lawn) and cleaned out some of the girls toy boxes (how many toys can two girls actually play with?? I can only throw things away when they're not here...) but I didn't do anything sewing related, except play around with my storyboard, (again!), and spend too much time on the computer reading about sewing.

I think part of my problem is that I don't have a dedicated sewing room (or space even). My sewing machine and serger are on a table in the corner of my bedroom. I need to pull out my cutting table and/or ironing board when I want to work on something, and then need to put it away afterwards. With two kids, two cats, and a BF that occasionally stays over, I can't leave my stuff out. So it often just seems like too much work...

I think I need to look into either finishing part of my basement to use as a sewing room, or merging my small home office with a sewing room. At least I'll be able to shut the door. Of course, that may not last long as my daughters are currently sharing a small bedroom and may one day decide they'd like separate rooms...

I love to sew...

or do I?

I love to read about sewing, I love to see what others are sewing (I'm addicted to Pattern Review), I love to look at, and buy, patterns and fabric. But when it comes to the actual sewing, something gets in my way.

I have several unfinished projects that I just can't seem to finish. And many, many projects in mind that I just can't seem to start.

It's time to make a decision. To sew or not to sew. That is the question...

Saving money?

I save a LOT of money because I "sew", but not in the way you'd think. Most of the time when I go clothes shopping, like I did today, I will see something I like and say to myself "I can make that". So I won't buy it. Or even try it on. And odds are, I won't make it either. So I keep wearing the same clothes...

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the same thinking doesn't work with shoes... LOL!

ETA: Oops. I forgot about the money I spend "collecting" patterns and fabric....

Of course...

Gorgeous Fabrics has not one but two silks that would be perfect for this blouse.

The first is a stretch silk charmeuse (STC1979)



And the second is a silk charmeuse (CHA1621)



I'm not going to order until I actually DO some sewing...hopefully tomorrow I'll get something done!

Look what I found...

at Banana Republic. An aqua tie-neck silk blouse. What are my chances of actually finding a similar fabric??

It's not looking good...

Here we are, August 7 already, and I haven't made any progress in the wardrobe contest. I've had a busy couple of weeks... I took my daughters to Montreal for a couple of days, and then my mother came for a visit, so I haven't had much free time for sewing.

I'm pretty sure of what I'll be making, and it's all from my stash, so I just need to get the storyboard done. And I'll have Saturday to myself this weekend, so I'm hoping I'll get something accomplished!

Gotta go to work now...I'd rather be sewing!

Rethinking...already.

I was starting to work on my storyboard today for the Mini Wardrobe Contest and I came across the wardrobe plan I had saved on my computer. It is a suggested wardrobe for a "light spring" - I had my colours done many years ago. I'm not sure where I got this from...it may have been MissusSmartyPants.

Anyway, here is the suggested 12-piece wardrobe:

1. Jacket: Ivory and Camel
2. Jacket: Camel
3. Dress: Ivory and Camel
4. Skirt: Camel
5. Skirt: Ivory and Camel
6. Skirt: Camel and Ivory Weave
7. Trousers: Camel
8. Blouse: Ivory and Camel
9. Blouse: Ivory and Clear Aqua
10. Blouse: Clear Aqua
11. Blouse: Peach and Aqua
12. Sweater/Wrap: Ivory

As I mentioned before, I have some camel in my stash for a skirt or possibly pants. I also have an ivory and camel polyester print that I'd like to make a bow front blouse with (Burda 04-2007-124? - see below), and a camel and black animal print knit for a top. Maybe I need to add an aqua top/ blouse to the mix? Still working on it...stay tuned....

You'd think I'm in mourning...

I just got back from doing a little shopping. I bought a pair of cropped pants (black of course) and four knit tops (all mostly black). Of course I didn't try the tops on at the store, so some may be going back. I also bought a pair of shoes - but they're not black! They're dark grey! LOL

Am I Crazy??

Here it is July 25 and I haven't even started my July project...So what did I do? I signed up for the Mini-Wardrobe Contest at PR. I'll need to complete 4 garments in August! 4 different garments using at least 3 different colours that make up 4 different outfits. What was I thinking?

The three different colours for me is basically a no-brainer. Black, white, and something else. I am known for the fact that I wear a LOT of black. So right now, the third colour is camel, as I have some fabric in my stash I want to use.

I'm going to try and work on the storyboard today, without obsessing! I could easily spend the next two weeks fussing with my storyboard, fabric and pattern selections, and not do any sewing. LOL!

All is forgiven...

I LOVE my new washing machine! I splurged a little and bought a canyon capacity high efficiency top loader. I can't believe how much I can fit in this thing! I used to need to do laundry almost everyday, but I think that is about to change...once I get caught up with the backlog of course! The problem is that I now need to buy a canyon capacity dryer!

Watched another movie yesterday - The Good Shepherd with Matt Damon. What a fascinating story.

We are NOT amused...

Ok. It's bad enough that Sears gives you a delivery window of 5 hours (mine was noon to 5 p.m.), but my washer did not arrive until 8:30 p.m. last night! C'mon! Three and a half hours late?!? The worst part is that when I called them after the washer had not arrived during their "window", they couldn't tell me what was causing the delay or when I might expect them to arrive. In an age of cell phones and GPS, you can't tell me where your truck is? At 5:30, I'll buy the traffic excuse, but at 7:30?

The good news is that Customer Service refunded the $50. delivery charge. And I'll be able to get through my laundry backlog this weekend (the washer is canyon capacity!). The bad news is that my evening was spent waiting and getting more p.o.ed by the minute...

I did watch a good movie yesterday afternoon while I was waiting - The Great Debaters with Denzel Washington. If you haven't seen it yet, go rent it!

No progress...

It's been a week since I updated my blog and I haven't accomplished anything. Well, I did manage to cut out and sew together one of the swimsuits for my daughters but need to do the elastic (which I'm afraid of...). Luckily, the fabric was cheap and I have enough to start over if I need to...but I'd better get to it before summer is over!

I've been carrying that Simplicity pattern around with me all week and still haven't made it to the fabric store.

I'm stuck at home today waiting for Sears to deliver my new washing machine (thank goodness! the laundry is really piling up!) so I'm hoping to get some sewing done today...

The rest of the weekend will be spent "testing" the new washer...

Project for July

I picked up this Simplicity pattern during the sale at Fabricland last week (even though I've told myself I'm on a pattern fast, I think I've bought about 10 patterns in the last couple of weeks...)
I really bought the pattern for the top but I think I'll make the jacket for my July project.
I bought the dress below last year and have never worn it. I really think it needs a little jacket, so I'm going to look for a suitable white fabric (on sale of course) and try this pattern out. Of course, I may have to wear the dress to the store in order to find something that goes well...wish me luck! And I may also need some new shoes...LOL

Ta Da!

I wore the skirt to work on Tuesday... I can't remember the last time I actually wore something I made...
It sits a little lower on the waist than I'm used to, but it was actually quite comfortable (once I got used to it...). And it didn't wrinkle as much a I thought it might.
I think it goes well with the blouse. What do you think?

Sidetracked

It's July 6th already, and I still haven't decided on my July project... I picked up some knit fabric at the summer clearance sale at Fabricland yesterday and I'm thinking of making a top for myself. Maybe the Jalie sweetheart top pattern I just received from Timmel Fabrics. The fabric is green and white and reminds me of a DVF dress my mother had eons ago...

I'm also planning to make swimsuits for my daughters this week. I bought the swimsuit fabric on clearance a few months ago, and finally picked up the elastic and swimsuit lining last week.

Happy Canada Day!

I made these dresses for my daughters to wear today - it's tradition to wear red & white on Canada Day, especially in Ottawa. The matching headbands were made using this great tutorial.

We went downtown this afternoon to join in the Canada Day festivities (and even in a sea of people dressed in red & white, the girls stood out from the crowd), and we are heading out to see the fireworks shortly...

For some reason, this picture reminds me of the 1930 oil painting "American Gothic" by artist Grant Wood. LOL

Finished!

Ta da! I finished my June garment last night! Here's a picture of the skirt alone, and with the RTW blouse. I'll post a picture later this week of me wearing the outfit.

I still haven't decided on my July garment...but I will make something!

Pictures of the Apron

I managed to take a few pictures before I wrapped the apron up for the teacher this morning. What do you think?






See my review.

Yawn...

Today is my daughters' last day of school, so of course I was up late last night making a gift for their teacher. I decided on Monday that I would make an apron for her, so I purchased the fabric on Monday. Yesterday at lunch, I went to the bookstore to pick up In Stitches by Amy Butler so I could make the Short Pleated Apron.

After work, I went to the gym and then had dinner - I finally started on the apron at 8:00. I think I got to bed around 12:30, but it was finished...luckily there was a CSI marathon on TV last night to watch while I worked (I love CSI!).

Since I was only using one fabric (a border print twill that called to me), I had to make a few adjustments, but I think the finished product is cute. I hope she likes it. She is a great, and very caring, teacher.

I'll post pictures, and a review, later..

Second thoughts

I'm not sure that the jacket is the right choice. There is something stopping me from committing to it...


I'll have to check how much of the fabric I have, but if I have enough, I'm now thinking I'll make this dress. The pattern has been in my stash for a couple of years, and it gets a lot of good reviews on Pattern Review.

Project for July?

On the premise that I will actually hem the skirt before the end of June, I am already planning my July project. I've had this linen/cotton blend in my stash for at least 2 years, and am considering this jacket pattern (the shorter version). I've never made a jacket before, but this one looks like something I could tackle. And I think the colours are close enough that I could wear the jacket with my skirt.





What do you think? Any other suggestions for this fabric? Maybe a dress?

Finally...a picture

As promised (several days ago), here is a picture of my skirt. It just needs to be hemmed and some kind of fastener at the waist. The pattern calls for a button, but I think I'll use a hook and eye.

Thanks to my friend Sylvie for pointing out that one of the front darts is shorter than the other. I'll fix that tonight.

Check out the invisible zipper...zipper? what zipper? LOL!
I'm hoping when I add the hook and eye that the waistline will line up correctly :)

Once I have it hemmed, I'll post a picture with the blouse.

Now I need to decide what to make for my July project. I have a cotton/linen blend in my stash I'd like to use. I'll post some pattern options later this week.

Progress!

I had the whole day to myself yesterday (which RARELY happens), so I actually made progress on my skirt. The skirt itself is put together - now I need to insert the lining, add the waistband, and hem it. I'm pretty happy with the way it looks so far. I found a video tutorial (via Pattern Review) on YouTube on sewing an invisible zipper. I needed a refresher since it's been a couple of months since I did the last one. It turned out great! I'll try and post pictures tomorrow...

Life happens...

Once again life got in the way...One of my daughters wasn't feeling well this morning, so she stayed home with me. We made a quick trip to the fabric store to pick up a zipper and some lining material (It's very hard to linger in a store with a 6 year-old) She was feeling better by lunch time, so I did get her off to school in the afternoon which allowed me time to cut out the lining and use it as a muslin. Unlike the last New Look skirt I attempted, this pattern does seem true to the given measurements (the last one I made was huge!). So I'll need to make a few minor adjustments and should be able to cut out the skirt tomorrow.


I also found time today to put together a storage unit I bought at Ikea last weekend - my house is FULL of toys!

Time to start

I'm not working today and the kids are at school. Time to start my skirt... I would usually make a straight skirt, but I think I'd prefer something a little looser for hot summer days, so I'm going to try view D, which is an A-line. I also want to line it. I'm thinking I'll line it with a light cotton to keep it cool, but that would mean a trip to the fabric store, which could be dangerous and time consuming.
I'll update later today and let you know how much progress I made...

Project #1 ?

After seeing Sheila's reviews of New Look 6843, I think this will be my June project.

I already have this pattern in my stash and some fabric that I think will go nicely with this embroidered linen blouse I purchased last year but never wore (yup, the tags are still on!)

To blog or not to blog...

I'm toying with the idea of starting a blog...I was thinking I might be able to get some advice on which sewing projects to tackle now that I've committed (on PR) to making one wearable item per month...
I've spent a significant amount of time on PatternReview.com (mostly lurking and coveting) and now have a considerable stash of patterns and fabric, and a few unfinished projects, but seem to get paralysed by a fear of failure (maybe fear of wadder is a better description...). But at this point, I figure I've already spent the money, I might as well tackle my stash and see if I can't get some wearable clothes...