Cheeky Monkeys

Ava

Otto

I made these a while ago but just took photos. They are made from a wovern back synthetic fur from FabricMart.com with wool felt. I used a pattern called "Bubbles" but I cannot find it to list the company.
Ava, in the first picture, needs ears yet. I think she is cuter than Otto who was the first attempt. My son prefers Otto, but maybe because Otto is for him and is complete.
They were both pretty homely until I did the sculpting stitches. I had forgotten what a difference that makes. The eyes in Ava were from www.laboursoflove.com in British Columbia. It might be hard to tell, but they have a dark line around the outside and a larger iris that makes them look cuter. The backing is also shaped to indent them. It is hard to sculpt this kind of eye to sink it in, so this really helps in the face shaping.
I named them. I always used to say that I wanted to have four kids and because of my dyslexia I wanted to name them Hannah, Ava, Otto and Bob so I could spell their names right even if I wrote them backwards. My son named his monkey from Build a Bear "Bob" and it seemed to make sense to carry on in the tradition. Guess what the next one will be called?

Embroiderer's Guild

I joined the evening group of the Canadian Embroiderer's Guild in my city again. I haven't been a member for a few years. It was too hard with working full time and being pregnant or with a little baby. I ended up missing so many meetings that I just gave up.
Well I made it to the first meeting, then had to work during the second. I showed up last week, but it was the wrong night. However, they hold a first Tuesday meetup at the church, so I was able to catch up with Maria (one teacher of the course I had missed) and get an update and some paper work.
Last night was the election, then after supper Maisie had a meltdown. Finally I got her dad to take her upstairs and I snuck out. I couldn't get my Guild bag, but I knew I had some crocheting in my purse. Everyone was so nice about it. Grace (the other teacher) let me use her example hoop and fabric to practise some stitches on and then someone else whom I had never met gave me some of her fabric, needles and thread to work with.
I didn't get any crotcheting done, but the camaraderie was great.

Thanksgiving, family and some jackets

I took the kids to my mother's/brother's for Thanksgiving this year. My husband could not come, so we took the train. The kids seemed to enjoy it, but it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. When someone asked Maisie if she had taken the train, she replied "Not yet."
I finished a jacket for myself before we left, but the weather was very warm and I did not end up bringing it with me. I had enough to cart onto the train, what with needing to bring the car seat and all. Fortunately my sister in law picked uu up about halfway home so we didn't need to wait for 1 1/2 hours at the station for our connection. It was late afternoon and Maisie really needed a nap by that point.

Back to sewing- here is the jacket. I was trying to emulate the style of this image from Vogue patterns. I don't like a raglan sleeve on my sloping shoulders though. I drafted either the neckline too small or the collar too big, so I have turned it down and basted it like that. I want to get a feel for it before I alter it. The fabric is a tapestry from Emma One Sock and ravels like crazy, so changing it will be a nightmare.

I am disapponted, as I usually am when I cut in a hurry, that I cut a long jacket and full length sleeves. I wanted to have of the fabric to make a purse from and now there is not enough. The jacket looked very "patterny" so I sewed on the grosgrain ribbon down the centre fronts to break it up a bit. I will look for a velvet ribbon to replace it. I think the busy-ness of the fabric calls for a trim with more depth than the grosgrain gives.

I tried it on for my family and overheard my husband and son whispering together and giggling. The only thing I could make out was " Why did she make a jacket out of a rug?". Nice guys, eh?

I am also posting one of the white cardigans I made in the summer as well as a teal WIP.

Fabrics for me!

The fabric I have been waiting for fabric finally arrived! It coordinates beautifully with these two pieces, which I already had, so a skirt from the wool/rayon in the top photo, a jacket from the silk tweed below and a blouse from the new fabric are in the works. Also planned are a jacket and trousers in a cotton teal that coordinates with teal shown here. I will use the same jacket pattern for both the teal and the silk.

Sewing for me! I am so excited!

Princess Blackie

Two dancers got bored while waiting for me to finish their dress. Blackie never comes into the sewing room unless there are girls there for a fitting. The younger sister in this family LOVES Blackie and the girls decided to try a tiara on her.

Waiting for Fabric

I placed an order in August for some fabric from a place in the US. It has never arrived. The purveyor of the store (Unnamed and with no criticism of them on my part) has been wonderful and twice has offered to re-ship the fabric. Friday is our agreed on deadline, but finally today came a knock on the door, suggesting to my delighted self that the package was here!
Imagine my dismay when it was the Canpar man, picking up a return for a shop in Toronto. Not my sueded charmeuse in peacock at all!
Not only that, the TO store did not let me know they were finally acting. Thankfully that roll of unfusible fusible interfacing was wrapped and ready to go. Actually it had been waiting in my foyer for over a year. Thank goodness I am not much of a housekeeper.

On a happier note, my Maisie wore a dress again today. This is the third day in a row and might even lead to new shoes on her part. Yay, the girl wants to look like a girl! I swore I would not be that kind of Mum, but it turns out I am. I thought I would be resigned to sparkly and swirly and put up with it, but instead I rejoice in it. I wasn't particularly encouraged in this respect as a child, so tutus and tea sets and swirly skirts are just fine with me!