Maisie posing

Maisie decided to wear a pair of pink patent sandals she had been given. I thought she would give it up once I told her she could only wear them with a dress. She hasn't worn a dress since Easter and it was a battle then. Imagine my surprise when she asked to change into the once despised dress! She agreed to wear tights, even!
I put her into the dress I made for her birthday last year and she let me take some pictures of her. Et voila!

Latest dress

This is work and not personal, but it is a picture of something I have sewn recently.
As soon as I can get personal pics I will replace it!

Sales, work and my mum

It is the Surprise Memeber's Sales at Fabricland today and tomorrow (and yesterday actually). 50% off on all non sale items. I stocked up an basic satins for work as well as picking up a few peices of teal for me. I got a Ponte de Roma (sp?), some boiled wool, which is really 60% rayon 40% wool, as well as some Bemburg lining. Now if only I had time to get to work on something for myself.
That leads to: I am swamped at work. Most dresses have been started for the regional qualifiers for the World Cahmpoinships. The regionals start the first weekend of November and there are seven of them in North America, with the last one on the first weekend of December. It is full on until they are over. Usually December is dead though, so
1- I get a break and
2- I need to work as much as possible up until then so I have money to tide me over during the lull. My mortgage company doesn't really care if I am busy or not. They just want their money.
Mum has been transferred to a hospital that specializes in rehabilitation and is no too far from her home. She gets therapy in the morning and again in the afternoon. She is able to write and walks a bit with a walker. My sister in law is a saint and goes to see her daily. My brother also visits every day after work.
I spoke to her today on the phone and she sounded like mum. I cried. She even offered to help me sew and then burst out in laughter when I said "Come on down." She is back.

Updates

Thanks Leanne and Laura for your comments.
I lost a fair bit of time last week, which really cuts into my non-work sewing. However, since I haven't been able to post any pictures in weeks, that doesn't really matter much, does it?

Mum is feeling much better. Thanks, Laura for asking. She is back in Canada now. My SIL is trying to get her into Shaver Hospital in St. Catharines so she can get more physiotheray than she would in Niagara Falls. Her situation really makes me worried about our health care system. The cuts started with Mike Harris years ago and has continued with the Liberal gov't, but hasn't really affected me or my family much til now. It is easier to form an opinion after having a problem.
Re: the brown pants-I think I will try to add a cuff. The samples I did with just a hem extension looked too bubbly. I have worn the pants on a bad laundry day already, despite the fact that they are missing a hook and bar as well as just having the overlocked hem. No one at the park noticed.

When she awoke she said "I need this like I need a hole in the head!"

My mum just had surgery in a hospital in Buffalo. She was on a blood thinner and must have knocked her head which started her bleeding out. Her Doctor did not listen to her concerns and put her on antibiotics without doing any bloodwork. Well, she got sicker and sicker and finally my sister took her to Emergency. They found the bleed and wanted to admit her, but there were no beds available in Canada. She was considered stable until she passed out and could not be resussitated which bumped her up to critical. They planned tp put her in an ambulance to Hamilton, but she awoke when they tried to intubate her. Bump, down she went to stable, no more need for surgery! Then they realized she was still bleeding, couldn't get her to Hamilton so shipped her off to another country for surgery. Good God.
She had a hole bored into her skull tonight and the excess blood removed. She woke up in recovery and could recognize my brother and sister and sister in law. Thank heavens. My husband and I are going to see her tomorrow. It is a five or six hour round trip, but we should make it back before school gets out.

August Sewing, part 2

I managed to get one pair of trousers cut and sewn. However, I forgot to add hem allowance, so they were cut off to cropped pants. I did need me some cropped pants though. I have worn them a lot. I cut and sewed another pair, but again without a hem. They are the right length now without a hem. I don't want to wear them with serging around the bottom, but am at a loss for what else to do.
I did manage to knit a sweater and two scarves though. We were in the car a lot last month.

August Sewing

It seems that I will not be getting much personal sewing done in August.
We were away in Northern Ontario for a week, and then my husband took a long weekend golf trip as soon as we returned. Neither of which left me with much personal time at all, much less sewing time. I don't like to sew around the little one yet. She has no fear and sharp, shiny things like scissors and pins fascinate her.
I have promised to make my son a stuffed monkey and will hopefully get that done and show a picture. Maisie did help me trace off the pattern and played nicely beside me which let me cut some of it. Then she decided she had to cut something (anthing!) with my best scissors because the were blue. I let her, with my hands on the scissors as well but it still got dangerous.
For anything else we will just have to see what happens after Saturday. It should slow down a little after that.

July Sewing

I know this is no longer July, but I did finish more in July. We left for holiday the morning of the first of August, so I haven't had a chance to mention them. I hope to have photos soon.
I was able to complete a white cotton pique jacket from Mcalls 5329. http://img.sewingtoday.com/cat/40000/itm_img/M5329.jpg
I omitted the empire band and added about 4" to the sleeves instead of the ruffle. I might add the band at some point. Since I have young children, I wanted this to be machine washable. The cut of the collar is good for this, since it is sewn on and not a revere (sp). I also chose not to line it.
While I was doing the mock up I decided to cut it in a lace-ish fabric that had been hanging around. I changes the neckline shape to a smoother "V",didn't sew the darts, added a facing on the top side in the pique and made a quick, no-close cardigan.
I am hoping to get pictures of all these up soon.
ETA: I forgot something: I didn't list those two blue garments I made in July, bringing the total up to eleven!
I admit that the skirt was a UFO but had to be recut, fitted and finished and the top was cut and sewn in July.

So for July:
2 Teal t's
1 Brown print skirt
1 Khaki skirt
2 White cardigans
1 Denim trousers
1 white jacket
1 Blue skirt with cream embroidered edge hemline.
1 Blue tie front top with cream embroidered edge sleeves
That comes to a whopping ELEVEN garments!
I won't be able to do this again though. I hope to get three done for August and doubt if I can.

More July Sewing

Finished the denim trousers. I hesitate to call them jeans, although I did try to treat them like jeans initially. I topstitched the outer side seams and fly area with cream heavy-ish thread. It made a nice stand out detail, but was too bright for the dark denim. I think it needs to be used as a more decorative effect to work, like on pockets and in rows and rows of topstitching, rather than my two little areas. I discovered this once I had completed the pants, so instead of taking them apart and redoing it, I took the lazy route and coloursed over the thread with a Sharpie marker in a brownish gold. Looks just fine to me and saved a fair bit of time.

This blog looks prety boring. I have to learn how to use my new digital camera soon. Maybe after our little holiday.

UFOs

I am trying to empty out the sewing room of items that need repair or completion. There have been a lot of these.
I have finished a skirt that was nearly done.
Almost finished a top that matches it. I was mainly cut out and fitted already. It looks cute and I will try to get pictures. I need to pick up more thread and buttons. The inner thread was a bit dark to use for topstitching/buttonholes. I got around this when doing the zipper by hand picking it. The fabric is pretty. It is a denim-ish blue with flocked dot overall and a 6" cream embroidered edging on it. I cut an 8 gore skirt to use the edge at the hem without too much bulk at the waist. There was a little bit left, so I used that at the sleeve edge. I have about 4" of edge and some yardage left, so I might make a v-neck tank and fill in the "V" with the embroidered bit.
I have found two pairs of teal-ish trousers cut out for SWAP, a pair of trouser jeans cut recently and a black and white silk jacket from last December. There is also a pair of taupe cotton trousers that need to CB seam sewn up and a pair of camel trousers that need a new hook. I am going to cut out a pair of brown trousers (to use the trouser pattern from fabric rather than paper) and try to get the jeans finished next. The teals can wait until August when I hope to make another capsule.

Monday Sewing

I spent too much time on Monday trying to fit an a-line coat on me. I have given up. I think I am too curvy to not have some shaping seams or some kind of darting.
I may try it again, but for now I have given up.

I have started to sew a white cardigan that I cut out for the SWAP back in February. I miscut it and was so frustrated I just put it aside. I was using a pattern for a top, but cut it up the centre for a no-close cardigan. I meant to rotate the gathering at the CF bust area into either an armhole dart or an underbust dart and left it at the CF. It is a fairly substantial knit, so gathering it there would be very bulky. I wasn't sure how to finish the edge. I ended up pleating it and binding the entire edge in satin bias, then applying a decorative elastic over the edge. It looks fine as long as it sits properly. I will add a hook and always need to have it close or else it sags around the bust and any kind of sagging around the bust is out as far as I am concerned.
Also, I found the three Vogue patterns I had misplaced. Of course, now I don't have time for them, but at least I know I didn't throw them out.

July Sewing

I work every weekend. Not all day on both days, but usually a full day or both mornings. It is convenient for people come for fittings on weekends, so I do it. The idea was that I would take Monday off, like a hairdresser, but that hasn't been working, either. Well, I am determined to take at least part of Mondays to do some personal sewing. This week I made a short sleeved top in teal and started a brown/teal/camel skirt in a feather print. I liked the t a lot, but needed an FBA. I ended up darting the t into the armscye, which I don't love, and taking out the excess in the sleeve. It made the sleeve a bit tight, but it it wearable. I cut another in the same fabric but with 3/4 length sleeves and eased the dart end into the sideseam. Now I look like I have lumpy underarms, so I might re-do that into a side seam dart. Otherwise I like both t's.

Last Monday I made a skirt in a tan/robin's egg blue reversible cotton from EOS. I did not take advantage of the blue at all though. It started out as a gored a-line with a flared section on all but the centre front section. I ended up straightening the side seams so that I didn't look quite so big. Now is is a bit snug across the thighs, but only when I sit. I figure I can wear it when I walk somewhere, just not for a car ride. I can easily hike it up to sit on the ground at the park, for example. When I have lost the recently gained 10 pounds it should still be fine.

Oooh, I also purchased a new brown purse. I was trying on all the expensive ones at Winners, but this one ($39.95) stayed on my shoulder best. That was enough for me and home it came.

It looks a bit shiny and plastic-y in the picture, but it really is leather and looks it.

Canada Day

Yesterday was Canada Day. We dressed in red and white and took the kids to a local park for a walk and picnic. I wore my very comfortable new tan pants.

Maisie enjoyed the Merry-go-round and wouldn't get off after the first ride. It was a good thing I had purchased some extra tickets.

We had to change horses from "Baby black one." to "Brown one.", then finally onto the "BIG white one." Everything is either big or baby.

Notice the mismatched socks. Leo did it first and Maisie had to copy. This pose is actually uncontrived, despite the face that Leo pulling.
Maisie is wearing a pair of shorts I made her brother ten years ago. They have certainly held up.

JCC write up

This extremely practical capsule was designed to expand my existing wardrobe. I have many pieces that don't get worn and needed some neutral basics to put with them. I will likely not wear the pieces altogether, although you can see that it would be possible.
I think I have created a basic capsule that is eminently wearable. The items go with many things as well as each other and most are multi-seasonal.
The jacket is a modifeid version of Vogue 8480. The skirt, cropped pants, and purse were all self-drafted. The tops is a purchased item.

JCC

The Only Tan I Will Get This Summer
A capsule designed to expand my wardrobe.
I won't wear them together as much as with other pieces, I think.


The top doesn't look as green as this in real life. It is actually a good match to the pants and perfect with the skirt. I might end up hemming the skirt a bit shorter and taking it in a bit soon. In fact, everything has been made to be taken in easily. I have put on about 15 pounds (which I had lost earlier in the year-eeks) and hope to lose it. I have been so busy with work that I let myself go in diet and exercise to save time. Ordering in is expensive and probably not healthy. Just home cooking should help with the weight loss. I should get a better picture of the side seams on the skirt- the pattern is matched up brilliantly, IMVHO of course!
The pants are elasticated at the waist. I also took four darts in the back and two in the front. I had planned to add a fly, but the fabric was so stretchy I decided against. I wore them yesterday and they have stretched out a bit already, so they will need to come in sooner rather than later.