The Kath Look

Halloween Again

2011-11-01T07:16:00.000-04:00

Here you go Sylvie :)

I got off easy this year. My daughter Rachel wanted to be Stitch (from Lilo & Stitch). We bought her the hat when we were in Disney World in May, and my boss happened to be going to Orlando in October, so he was tasked with picking up the gloves :). I had intended to make the jumpsuit, but couldn't find the right colour fleece. Luckily I saw this suit at Value Village and it was perfect. It was a Men's size Large, so I did need to hem the sleeves and legs, but that was easy.

My other daughter wanted to be a pirate. As I was looking for a pattern, I was told that it wasn't just any pirate - it had to Elizabeth from Pirates of the Carribean. I didn't see the movie so I went searching for a picture. I picked up McCall's 5446, morphed the jacket and vest patterns, and made the shirt out of fleece for warmth. I think see looks adorable, and she loved it. She was very proud when a "teenager" told her that she liked her costume while we were out trick or treating :)

Next up ... the traditional Christmas Eve nightgowns. Stay tuned...

A new toy :)

2011-03-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

Konad Nail Stamping. I know I'm a little late to the party, and I did buy this mainly for my daughters, but it is pretty cool. My friend Sylvie showed this to me at her house, and I had to buy it.

Here is my first full manicure using the stamps, a subtle animal print using You don't know Jacques by OPI as the base, and Gold Get 'Em by Revlon for the stamping. Several people commented on my nails when I wore this.

It's a tradition.

2011-01-19T12:36:00.000-05:00

Every year since they were 4, I have made my daughters nightgowns for Christmas that they open on Christmas Eve.
They didn't think they were getting them this year, but they did.

And here they are on Christmas morning, with their brand new sewing machines!

Maybe I'll have a nightgown to open next Christmas Eve!! LOL

Almost done

2010-09-06T22:11:00.000-04:00

I've been continuing to enter my fabric stash into MyStuff on my iPod and am almost finished. At this point, I have 105 pieces of fabric and a total of 170 metres (186 yards).

The best part about this exercise is that I now have all of my fabric in one room of the house and it is sorted neatly, and easily located, in numbered bins. I figure I have about 10-20 pieces more to enter, that are currently in a bin under my bed, and I'll be done.

The exercise has also been successful in stopping me from buying any more fabric; at least for now ;)

After reading about the size of Gigi's stash, I don't feel so bad, but she also cranks out many, many more beautiful, garments than I could even dream of!! :-)

Scary...

2010-08-15T20:54:00.001-04:00

I use an iPod app called My Stuff to keep track of my pattern stash, and wish list, because I don't have WiFi access at my local fabric stores. The number of patterns I own is a bit scary considering how many I actually use :)

But last week I decided to start cataloguing my fabric stash as well. I'm already at 56 pieces of fabric and I haven't even started! And I'm not entering any pieces of fabric less than one metre, of which there are several.

I have stashes of fabric spread throughout the house, all aging quite nicely. As I pull each piece of fabric out, I can remember exactly what I was going to make with it. I just never did.

~~I'm sure~~ I hope that this exercise will keep me from buying any more fabric for a while until I actually sew something, but then again, there are several good sales on right now ;)

This and That

2010-07-04T07:38:00.016-04:00

I attended the PR Weekend in Montreal a couple of weeks ago. The organizers did a great job, and I enjoyed the weekend, but the weather was hot and humid and the dorms where we stayed didn't have air conditioning. Luckily it was OK as far as sleeping since the room had a fan, but I must say I was uncomfortably hot for much of the weekend. I just can't take the heat anymore. Must be an age thing :) But I do feel like my sewing mojo got a boost, and it was nice to meet a couple of women who I have only known through reading their blogs.

Although I have wanted a coverstitch machine for some time, it was watching Jeanne Binet from Jalie at PR Weekend that really got me itching for one. And thanks to a classified ad posted on PR shortly after I returned, I am now the proud owner of this Janome CoverPro 900CP! It was just delivered yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to play with it yet... I have a Christine Jonson top just waiting to be finished. It may actually happen now!

The end of another school year means another apron made for my daughters' teacher. Unfortunatley, I forgot to take a photo before I wrapped it. I used the Amy Butler pattern from the In Stitches book again, see last year's version here, using these fabrics that my daughters picked out...

It looked cute.
I hope that spending the time actually making a gift for a teacher shows them that I appreciate the work they do and the care that they give my daughters all year.

Dresses!

2010-06-01T16:02:00.006-04:00

But not for me! I wish I could be more like Elaine, aka The Selfish Seamstress. Seems like the only time I sew lately is for other people. I've replaced a zipper and hemmed a friend's pants, hemmed same friend's shower curtain, let out and hemmed pants for DBF, and made birthday dresses for my daughters. For myself? Squat. What am I going to wear to the cocktail party at PR Weekend in Montreal? How about a toga?? :)

Here is a picture of the dresses I made for my daughters. They just turned 8 years old. The pattern is Simplicity 2380.

They each chose the fabric and the lace themselves. It was an easy pattern to sew, (thankfully, since I didn't start the dresses until two days before their birthday and they wanted to wear them to school on that day), and they are happy with them. I will definitely use the pattern again, probably for the short jumpsuits. But first, I have to sew something for myself to wear on PR weekend... at least an easy knit top...

Spring is here! Hibernation is over...

2010-03-22T09:05:00.006-04:00

Apparently, I hibernate for 6 months. I can't believe I haven't posted here since September.
My excuses are:

1. I haven't really sewn anything all winter (except for the now traditional Christmas nightgowns for my daughters),

2. I started a few posts, but they never made it past draft mode, and

3. I had to cut down on the amount of time I was spending on the computer, which meant less time on Pattern Review and reading blogs.

I thought it was time to start blogging again, because I just registered for PR Weekend in Montreal. Why, you may ask? Because despite my lack of actual sewing, I am still somewhat enamoured with the "idea" of sewing...

I still wander around fabric stores, touching everything in sight and thinking about what I could make, but I am not allowing myself to purchase any fabric until I use some of my stash.

I still check out the pattern catalogs, and occassionally buy a pattern or two, even though I have MANY patterns that I have never used.

I'm excited to meet sewists who actually complete more than one project a year.

I'm hoping the weekend will inspire me to start actually sewing... gotta have something to wear...

And, I love Montreal, live just two hours away, and rarely get there.

I'm really looking forward to it!

Better late than never?

2009-09-13T10:14:00.003-04:00

For some odd reason, I never finished my daughter's dress until last week, even though it only took about an hour and a half to finish...

Luckily, the weather is still warm here and they were able to wear their dresses to a birthday party yesterday. They don't usually dress the same, but sometimes it is cute.

Ignore the funny face on the one in the turquoise...

Wow!

2009-08-25T07:12:00.003-04:00

I came across this on Yahoo news this morning and had to share it. You may have already seen it, but this is Danyl Johnson's audition for X Factor (another Simon Cowell show in the UK). He is an elementary school teacher. Personally, I didn't get the whole Susan Boyle thing, but this guy has star power!

Watch the audition

Long time no sew?

2009-08-08T20:22:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted anything here for over a month, but only because I've been busy. My boss retired last week. She announced her retirement just 6 weeks ago, and my friend Sylvie and I made her a quilt as a retirement present. A king size quilt! We actually had it finished before she left. Although I had dabbled in quilting several years ago, I had never actually finished a quilt. However, Sylvie has completed several quilts, so I learned a lot from her. We had a good time working on it, it really looks beautiful, and my boss was happy with it. Sylvie has the pictures... I'll post one when she returns from her adventure in China!

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T17:37:00.003-04:00

Another school year over...

2009-06-26T10:30:00.005-04:00

Another apron made.

If you've been following my blog, you may remember that last year I made my daughters' teacher an apron as an end of year thank you gift. So I did the same thing this year. I made the apron from Amy Butler's In Stitches again, and this time I made it in two fabrics as she intended. I love this apron. It goes together beautifully in one evening and I think it's a cute and thoughful gift.
I took a couple of pics before I wrapped it up. My girls tell me that their teacher loved it.

The Birthday Dresses

2009-05-25T13:18:00.005-04:00

My daughters turned 7 last week. I know that every parent says this, but seriously, where did the time go??

In honour of the occasion, I decided to make them each a dress. Of course, they weren't ready on time, but I did finish one today, and the other is half done. I used Kwik Sew 3542 View B.

Both dresses will be in the same fabric, just different colours. One is pink, the other is turquoise (aqua?).

Here's the pink one:

I hope they fit...I'll post pictures of them wearing them in the near future.

On another note (pun intended...)

2009-05-06T19:05:00.003-04:00

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a great show at our local performing arts theatre. I hadn't heard of the artist before buying the tickets (I bought them solely based on the newsletter I receive from the theatre, and was lucky enough to get front row seats).

My friend and I were totally blown away by this fabulous show, and I wanted to share with you. He was born in Cuba, but now lives in Canada. He sings in Spanish, but as one reviewer noted “Even if you don’t understand a lick of what he’s saying, you’ll feel him” - NY Post

Check out his website at AlexCuba.com and if you have the chance, see him live. I purchased his CD the day after the show, and have already purchased tickets for a show in August in a town two hours away...

Project Runway Canada

2009-04-19T08:52:00.004-04:00

I finally watched the last episode of Season 2. (I LOVE my TiVo!) No surprise that Sunny won. He is absolutely amazing. Especially since you consider that he completed most of his collection in 8 weeks! Unfortunately, I will never be able to afford any of his clothes...

If you didn't catch it, you can watch Project Runway Canada here.

My new acquisition

2009-04-18T13:50:00.000-04:00

My friend Sylvie is a little obsessed with sewing machines (she has several and multiple sergers...). She is always on the lookout on Kijiji and similar sites for machines. She has sent me a couple of ads over the last couple of months, mostly because she convinced me that I must have a machine with needle down (and I agreed after giving her Husqvarna a test run...).

Well, she recently sent me an ad that I had to check out. It sounded like a good deal, and the seller lived practically around the corner from me.

Meet my new Pfaff Tiptronic 1171.

I told my BF I got him a great deal on my birthday present - LOL.

I've had it for well over a week and haven't even had a chance to play with it yet. Tomorrow is the day!

Sewing Limericks

2009-03-21T09:36:00.003-04:00

Someone started a thread on PatternReview.com of sewing limericks...I can't resist the opportunity to write a limerick...

There once was girl who could sew
At least that's what she said, but we know
Although much money was spent
On fabric and patterns, not rent
In the end there were no clothes to show!

From the mouths of babes

2009-03-21T09:15:00.003-04:00

I turned on Project Runway Canada last night when my 6 year-old daughters were playing in the same room. It was the first time they had seen it and I thought they would want me to change the channel, but they really got into it.

It was the episode where the contestants were designing a dress for supermodel Coco Rocha. There are 5 contestants left at this point: Sunny, Kim, Adejoke, Jessica, and Genevieve. Sunny is the only male designer left. During the runway show, they are making comments like "I can't wait to see it on Coco" and "I love the colour" and "I think that one will win" But the best line was when Sunny's dress is on the runway. One of my daughters says "Wow, for a boy, that is really good". LOL! Girl power!

If you don't watch, Sunny won that challenge...

Jalie 2449

2009-02-21T15:33:00.012-05:00

I did it. I finished something for me. Presenting Jalie 2449.

The fabric was a great deal at Fabricland. Unfortunately, I think the top looks better on the dress form than it does on me. I'll wear it to work next week and see what the reaction is...

I have a couple of knits in my stash that I'd like to use:

I bought this one with New Look 6648 in mind after seeing Gigi's version that I can't seem to find a picture of right now.

I was thinking of making Jalie 2794 with this one, but somehow I think it may be too "cute".

And I now think I should have bought more of this one so I could make New Look 6429 but I only have 1.5 metres. This fabric is so soft...

Any suggestions??

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-02-19T07:10:00.002-05:00

Where does the time go??

My gift to myself is to spend tomorrow sewing to make myself something to wear. I plan to make Jalie 2449. The pattern is traced and the fabric is prewashed...No excuses.

Apparently, I am a Jackie...

2009-01-30T18:27:00.003-05:00

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Jackie!

You are a Jackie. "I do everything the right way."

Jackies are realistic, conscientious, and principled. They strive to live up to their high ideals.

How to Get Along with Me

* Take your share of the responsibility so I don't end up with all the work.

* Acknowledge my achievements.

* I'm hard on myself. Reassure me that I'm fine the way I am.

* Tell me that you value my advice.

* Be fair and considerate, as I am.

* Apologize if you have been unthoughtful. It will help me to forgive.

* Gently encourage me to lighten up and to laugh at myself when I get uptight, but hear my worries first.

What I Like About Being a Jackie

* Being self-disciplined and able to accomplish a great deal

* Working hard to make the world a better place

* Having high standards and ethics; not compromising myself

* Being reasonable, responsible, and dedicated in everything I do

* Being able to put facts together, coming to good understandings, and figuring out wise solutions

* Being the best I can be and bringing out the best in other people

What's Hard About Being a Jackie

* Being disappointed with myself or others when my expectations are not met

* Feeling burdened by too much responsibility

* Thinking that what I do is never good enough

* Not being appreciated for what I do for people

* Being upset because others aren't trying as hard as I am

* Obsessing about what I did or what I should do

* Being tense, anxious, and taking things too seriously

Jackies as Children Often

* Criticize themselves in anticipation of criticism from others

* Refrain from doing things that they think might not come out perfect

* Focus on living up to the expectations of their parents and teachers

* Are very responsible; may assume the role of parent

* Hold back negative emotions ("good children aren't angry")

Jackies as Parents

* Teach their children responsibility and strong moral values

* Are consistent and fair

* Discipline firmly

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Happy New Year?

2009-01-26T09:06:00.001-05:00

Here it is already January 26, 2009(!) and I haven't posted at all. I also haven't sewn at all, but that doesn't seem to stop me from buying patterns and fabric...lol.
I think that instead of saying that I sew, I'm now going to say that I collect patterns and fabric. It's much more honest.

I do have MANY projects I want to do, I just can't seem to get to them.

And over the weekend, my main computer crashed! The one with all of my pictures on it! I do have backups, but I'm not entirely sure how recently I backed up. I hope I can recover my hard drive. After the whole Christmas picture fiasco, all I need is to lose more pictures.

I hope to post soon with something I've actually sewed.

Blog Quiz

2008-12-29T08:19:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-12-28T07:54:00.003-05:00

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...

2008-12-27T13:36:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-12-22T10:12:00.002-05:00

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...

2008-12-17T07:32:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-12-08T07:26:00.004-05:00

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??

2008-11-30T12:03:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-11-11T07:36:00.000-05:00

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

Change is good...

2008-11-05T07:43:00.002-05:00

Whew...

2008-10-31T20:37:00.006-04:00

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??

2008-10-26T08:42:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-18T17:27:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-10-17T14:52:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-10-06T08:53:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-03T12:03:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-09-30T22:38:00.005-04:00

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...

2008-09-26T09:17:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-17T07:54:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-09-15T18:24:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-09-14T08:52:00.005-04:00

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

2008-09-12T10:56:00.008-04:00

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...

2008-09-07T09:44:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-08-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-08-26T07:32:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-08-22T08:55:00.007-04:00

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!

2008-08-17T08:30:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-08-16T09:12:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-08-13T07:53:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-08-08T20:56:00.003-04:00

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...

2008-08-08T07:48:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-08-07T19:22:00.002-04:00

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

It's not looking good...

2008-08-07T08:00:00.002-04:00

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.

2008-07-26T19:00:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-07-25T14:39:00.003-04:00

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??

2008-07-25T08:06:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-07-21T12:52:00.003-04:00

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...

2008-07-19T11:02:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-07-18T07:33:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-10T16:53:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-07-10T08:19:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-06T17:30:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-07-01T20:10:00.009-04:00

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!

2008-07-01T08:51:00.010-04:00

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

2008-06-25T18:40:00.006-04:00

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...

2008-06-25T07:58:00.003-04:00

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

2008-06-21T08:56:00.005-04:00

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?

2008-06-19T20:52:00.007-04:00

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

2008-06-19T07:19:00.013-04:00

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!

2008-06-15T19:21:00.005-04:00

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...

2008-06-13T20:05:00.005-04:00

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

2008-06-13T08:03:00.003-04:00

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 ?

2008-06-10T11:17:00.014-04:00

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...

2008-06-09T19:47:00.005-04:00

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...