i just thought of it as DD1 has so much trouble figuring out which button goes into which hole.. so snaps it is for us for a little while then ill mimik that with buttons and do teh button holes in the same colour thread
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i just thought of it as DD1 has so much trouble figuring out which button goes into which hole.. so snaps it is for us for a little while then ill mimik that with buttons and do teh button holes in the same colour thread
When I pay ot off, depends on how much I invoice out this month ;):
The PJ's look fantastic, what a great job!! :clap:
MiniMe's sling looks fantastic Maz, I know a lot of people who would be keen to get one :D
Love the train idea Nelle, I never thought of a magnet to pick up pins, great tip!! Look forward to seeing your cushions!
Wow ryatha, you've got lots of things on the go!
Goodluck with the PJ's Kawazuki, great idea on the snaps as well :dance:
Not a lot new for me, I helped another BB'er make her first cloth nappy last week, was lucky as a few of the pieces that were supposed to come with the kit didn't, thye had normal elastic and no inner lining fabric (was supposed to be microsuede, liky I had swimming elastic and some microfleece to do the job :D
Those with Snap Machines (I have the one from Snaps Australia), I am finding that it can be inconsistent in the pressing of the snaps, and if I redo them I can't get them to flatten int he centre :wall:, is there anything I can adjust to help???? TIA
xxoo
C'mon ladies, we need to resurrect this thread!
So, I've got my new machine (sorry everyone who replied to my thread when I was deciding, I ended up with the Brother and manages to pay it off way before I thought I could) and after a few initial problems (the problem occurred between machine and chair :lol: ), I LOVE it! I love the decorative stitches, I love the auto-threader, I love the little light... It's awesome. I've already knocked out a dress for DD, tried and failed to make a skirt for myself, and my shutting elastic has decided to play nice and work in this one :D I'll be making lots of little things for everyone shortly :heartbeat:
I have been making heaps of skirts this year. Last few years it was shorts and pants. A tiered skirt can look awesome and is pretty easy to do.
I haven't worked out the perfect system yet. Sometimes i cut out, sew, overlock and finish - whch is good, but i don't think it is very time efficient when i have a big list of things i want to get done. Other times, i cut out lots in one session, and then try to sew more than one thing at a time - time efficient, but sometimes then i have a heap of things half done and it takes awhile to get back to them.
My sewing machine is in the lounge atm. I have a sewing room, but it is too messy for DS to play in, and if the kids are asleep (you can always hope) the sewing room is too close and it might wake them up. I will be moving my sewing stuff soon, combining sewing room and spare room, so that we DS can have a room or move him in with DD and then have a playroom. I am looking forward to it.
I have made a heap of santa sacks for christmas. thiking i might start to make some present bags, and do away with wrapping paper forever! Just have reusable bags in different sizes and designs.
Hey, Cool, sewing thread :) just in time as with the change of season and my knitting needles sitting idle and my machine was pulled out of hibernation yesterday!
Teni - I am jealous of your new machine! Sounds like lots of fun. I love the sound a new machine makes… or the lack of sound! All efficient whirring etc. Sounds like your machine is going to get lots of use.
HotI - I am also jealous of you! A sewing room - I can only dream. Mine is in the living room too as we are in a cramped apartment and when I sew I usually try to get a few days done in between everything else so that I don't have to pack up and set up continually. However, the room is a complete mess in the meantime.
I am a bit like you, big list, lots of cutting and sewing at one time. (and lots of begging, just 5 more minutes kids….) I recently organised my sewing supplies and fabric stash again so I was ready for the summer sewing frenzy. First cab off the rank - an octonaut costume for each of my octonaut crazy kids. Two cute blue sailor hats, two collars and a pink skirt for Dashi. DD1 is off to kinder today dressed as Dashi so it was a success.
Next plan, maybe something for me?? Has anyone seen/made the Washi dress from Made by Rae? I think it must be done...
Great idea Teni, might get me to finish the shorts for DS that have been sitting on my table half done forever.
My sewing room is half nursery (a huge office just off our room) so I drag my machine out the the toy room, bit of a pain at night cos I never remember everything I need. DD1 also loves to have a crack. Actually even DS will have a go at 'sewing'. He only does lines but he loves it. I have a detachable presser foot and a go/stop button on my machine so he can use that as he can't reach the peddle. I can also slow the machine right down (it has an accelerator lol) so on the slowest speed it's just right for little people.
I love Rae's patterns. I love her blog too. Have lusted over the Washi since she brought it out. I think you might have inspired me Jackrose. How neat does it look in the prints.
I've been thinking about fabric bags for pressies too HotI. Might do me some fabric stash adding today :D
ETA, I also have a list of things I have fabric to make, but haven't gotten to yet...a cover for the ottoman, recovering my glider cushions, skirts for the girls, embellished t's for the girls....
I'm babysitting a friend's machine so am going to pull out my material and start making clothes.
I want to make a pair of shorts to wear to Day on the Green on Saturday, just simple ones with an elastic waist.
Forgot about this thread. I am sewing again!!!
First finished project - reversable, wrap circle skirt. Not bad, think my fabric choice was not quite right, so it wont be that reversible, one of the fabrics it just a tad too sheer. Don't think DH is that impression :rolleyes:
Next project - a line skirt for wear around the house. Have the fabric, washed and ironed. Forgot to buy a zip, but then thankfully found one in the sewing kit just the right colour and length. Oh, worked out the pattern for this one myself from looking at an existing skirt, as well as looking at tutorials for similar skirts online ;)
Future - skirts and dresses for DD2. She is such a girlie girl, loving dresses, but such a tom boy in that she just destroys/dirties everything she wears. So if I can knock her up something from scraps, she gets something new, that I wont mind being a bit trashed!
Have a bit of a pattern stash, plus I can sometimes work out a pattern for myself.
one of my mates is coming to stay tonight, he is a gun at hand-stitching (he is a reenactor) so going to get him to help me make something tonight.
i took some time out from my sewing 'list' to make something fun. 3281
I've got into sewing a bit more lately. Recent projects have been a dresses for DD1 and DD2 for their birthday parties - DD1 a colour block June bug (does that make sense to people??) and a basic tunic with a frill for DD2. I've also made a quilt for DD1s big girl bedroom and some other bits and pieces with the same fabric (cushions, hair tie and clip holder thingy). I've made a couple sets of soft blocks for friends who have had babies (different texture material 'sides' and tags) and at the moment I'm doing some very basic pants for the girls for child care - very light cotton so cool on hot days but more sun smart than shorts.
I have a back log of projects - almost all clothes for the girls! Some basic cotton summer dresses and some dresses for Christmas day. More than one Shwin&Shwin pattern is on the list :)
Stuffed up a dress yesterday trying to be fancy. It's now a rather lovely skirt instead :lol:
Where do you girls find kids clothes patterns? I'm thinking about some pants/skirts/dresses etc
Also, do you have to use an over locker? I don't have one.
Tenibear that sounds like something I would do LOL!
BrightSparkles if you look on pinterest you can find lots of patterns people have pinned. Also Etsy has some good patterns to buy.
Other than that I have a few bloggers that I like and follow them on fb and see when they do a new pattern. At the moment the ones on my list are 'Craftiness is not optional', 'Shwin&Shwin' and 'Sewing in no mans land' (all girl focused). They tend to have a combination of patterns you can buy, some free patterns and free tutorials. Once you get your nose into some of the sewing blogs you tend just find other ones that they link to.
No you don't have to have an overlocker, I don't have one and just use the trusty old zig zag stitch.
I've bought a couple of patterns at Spotlight and Lincraft, but I haven't made anything from them yet. If you want, I can PM you the link to the tutorial I've used for Amelia's dresses? Once I had the basic one down, I started playing with it to make it my own :) The way I make them now only bears a passing resemblance to the ones in the tutorial. I make the skirts more ruffle-y :lol::
I find almost all my projects on Pinterest now :)
Teni could you please pm me the link too? I'm a learner but getting into sewing for DD :) thanks!!
I also look on pinterest a lot. Recently made a dress from a kwiksew pattern and it turned out pretty well but took about 6 hours (well two of my three hour classes I do sporadically!).
Ive recently gotten back into the sewing side of things.
This is a Christmas dress made for one of our girls. Click here - Free pattern online "The Party Dress" I just didnt do the sash. :P
And a reversable vest - can't wait to do this in pin stripes... Click here - also a free pattern.
i found the party dress, where did you get the vest pattern?
I need sewing lessons. Where did you girls learn to sew? I failed home ec in school... I sew very very very basic quilts at the moment. But I want to be able to do things like skirts and dresses...
I'm pretty much self-taught, I read the instructions to my sewing machine thoroughly and look at a lot of tutorials online. If I don't know what a word or phrase means, I just google it.
I've only just started on clothes about a month and a half ago, before that was simple bags which were atrocious in themselves :lol: I want to do proper classes.
Just got back from Spotlight. Geez I spend too much money there! I only wanted a couple metres of one cheap fabric and I ended up with ten metres of various different fabrics, as well as some elastic and 50 refills for my glue gun :rofl: This is why I always ask if DH or my mum want to come with me, I can curb my spending if I have a chaperone!
Adapt and overcome Teni! Well done :D I stuff lots of stuff up. I either change the original vision or bin it lol.
MG mainly self taught here too. My mum used to sew and I learned a lot from here when I was a kid, but didn't really come back to it until the last couple of years.
Sagres, thanks for those blogs!!! Awesome patterns on there.
Abigail, love the vest!
BrightSparkles, mainly online for me too. I find the paper patterns you can get at the major fabric stores now are usually outdated or tricky or daggy or not what you want.
Try; Make it and Love it, Prudent Mama, You Can Make This, MADE page, Little Bird Patterns, Melly Sews, Ucreate
Hi, I might join in here. Ive been doing heaps of sewing and other crafty stuff lately. In fact this last month or so has been the first time I've used my sewing machine in eight years! because I never had anywhere safe to set it up with kids underfoot. But I bought a secondhand sewing cabinet off ebay ($20! bargain!) and have been usuing my machine alot ever since. I used to sew all the time growing up. I was using mums sewing machine unattended (doing drawstring bags and such) before I ever started school. Thankfully it has all come back to me very quickly. Lately I've been making christmas bunting, skirts for my eldest, embellishing t shirts, ring slings, all of that basic kind of stuff that doesn''t require patterns and can just be freehand. I'm wanting to make a waldorf doll though, but am a little worried about screwing it up. :lol: I'm thinking I might by a kit off etsy, so I know it has everything in it that I need - and then if it turns out well I will have an idea of everything I need / want and source the materials myself. But I might have to wait until after christmas to start that project (just because of lack of time and money until then - I already have a dozen projects on the go). Has anyone here made a waldorf doll before?
Ooh more blogs. Got my pinning finger ready!
No I haven't tried a waldorf doll, they look like they would be the kind of thing that looks simple enough but when you got into it, it would be tricky! Good luck!
Semi self taught, along with learning from when others have helped me.
Have some bought patterns, if you keep an eye on spotlight or lincraft, they often have deals. Otherwise they can be exxie. If you pick right and find a pattern that has some good variations, it can last you awhile. Also I don't cut along the size lines of the patterns, I do my best to trace the pattern onto the fabric following the size line I want. That way I can use the full range of sizes for the girls.
i buy cheap interfacing (99c/metre) and transfer patterns on to the interfacing and then cut them out in the size i want. this way i can also adjust the patterns to fit measurements better (eg size 10 waist and size 14 bust)
ladies I have a WHOLE bag of pillow cases if anyone is interested. I used to be a linen chick so these are all out of my kit.
I've been doing some general sewing classes sporadically over the last two years. I find I don't really have time to sew except when I get to the classes! But I am obsessed with buying fabric and can never resist a spotlight discount voucher! I also buy from Sew Mama Sew and Hawthorne fabrics.
I was taught by my mum to cut the pattern to the largest size and then fold to the smaller size where needed and to trace the bits you couldn't fold (ie if it was a round curve) onto another piece of paper and just use that piece for that section. Not sure if Ive explained it right, but its easy and simple to do.:
nuh-uh, no dolls for me. I made a teddy once. It was a disaster. I still have him. His arms are on back to front and he has no nose lol.
Interfacing for pattern pieces is a good idea HotI, I tend to use anything lying around so have some in newspaper, butchers paper, Ikea painting paper… the best I have used is some baking paper on a roll. That lasted me ages but I have just run out so I might need some more.
I am also pretty self taught, after a few classes at high school making useless items - and generally mucking them all up. I practiced and mucked around for years but it is having kids that has got me properly sewing. I now find I can draft patterns pretty easily, make something from what I see online based on the few basic patterns I have at home.
As for pattern resources, I rarely, if ever by traditional patterns from Spotlight etc any more. I just find them too expensive and limited, one style per packet. I have made an exception for the Oliver + S patterns though as they are just so cute and I do like the look of the Oliver + S book, little things to sew. I subscribed to Ottobre and that has been awesome for getting a bank of basic patterns. I highly recommend a subscription for those of you wanting to build up a pattern library. Maybe Santa could orgainse one! Otherwise, I am a bit of a fan of the Japanese pattern books and have used a few patterns from Sew liberated and Heidi and Finn. Anna Maria Horner has a great sewing book with pattens for kids and my local library has some really good sewing books with fold out pattern sheets in the back you can trace: Amy Butler, Make it perfect, Growing up sew liberated, Sewing clothes kids love, Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross and anything by Lotta Jansdotta or Anna Maria Horner.
Misty, I like the idea of a Waldorf doll. I looked into it once but decided it was a big investment and a lot to learn for the likely one doll I would make. In the end I knitted one for DD instead. I say go for it after Christmas so you can take time and enjoy the process.
Im going to join this =) I got a sewing machine a couple of years ago, and made my wedding dress, got a handful of different patterns and took bits of pieces from different ones and put it together. Since then all I have done is sew muslin wraps together to make them bigger, and hem the edges of terry flats I cut up for cloth wipes. =P but keen to make some clothes for Spock =)
I think I'm going to join in too I've been sewing for about 6 mths now and love it.
I have the "Sew clothes kids love" book. Really need to pull it out and sew something. The problem with me is that I look at the harder patterns and want to do them, but I know I should start with the easier ones, so of course I don't end up sewing anything :rolleyes:
I've made a couple of teddy's before ( I have a *ahem* 'decent size' collection of teddy's - over 50 at last count ;) ). But waldorf dolls, especially good waldorf dolls look much trickier to perfect - they do not seem as forgiving of errors. lol. Still, I'm thinking I will give it a shot and see how I go. I have enough kids that I can make more then a couple, and then of coursee I have 26 neices and nephews (with plenty more yet to come in the future) and already have 4 'grand' nieces and newphews. So I'm sure I wouldn't run out of people to love them if I didn't just decide to put the in a collection foe myself! :lol:
Give the 'harder' ones a go Astrid. The thing I find about sewing is that if you take it slow and follow instructions carefully (and keep a calm head with a seam ripper close by) it all works out fine! The most important thing about sewing, or doing anything creative, is to have the strong passion to keep at it when it gets tricky. I go for the patterns I love rather than the ones that I think I should do and it keeps my interest. i threw myself into pattern adaptation before I thought I was ready because I wanted to make a Rapunzel costume for DD and couldn't find one that would fit out needs. It worked a treat and spurred me on. Hit the back of the book I say!
TT40, I can't believe you made your own wedding dress. You are officially my hero!
Misty, If I had all those kids keen for a doll, I would go for it too. Can you imagine all those little tweaks you could make to give them their own personalities!!?! Divine. Then there are the outfits…. swoon…
Basically I knew exactly what I wanted, I had it in my head and couldn't find it anywhere, and figured, the only way to get exactly what I wanted was to make it =):
Well I've just started seeing a patchwork blanket. Trying to decide if I should sew it as is and give it to chantelle as a cot blanket, or buy more material and make it larger and give to Angel. Or make it larger still and put on my bed - but I'd prefer a red one, and this one is pink and purple. Hhmm decisions. It's the first quilt I've ever made, so I do like the idea of keeping it myself. I'm not sure if I'm going to put any batting in it or not either - I like the idea of keeping it very lightweight for summer when it's 30degrees overnight. So more of a blanket then a doona. But maybe I could get some lightweight batting, or make it a quilt cover instead. All these decisions I'd usually make before starting a project, but I just felt like sewing and didn't know what, so patchwork seemed the best bet. :)
Misty, that is exciting! I want to make a quilt/blanket something for each of the kids using their baby clothes and materials that i have made their clothes from. I am also wondering what to back it with. One idea i have is to do the patchwork, then back it with a blanket or polarfleece or similar, so that provides some of the 'plumpness'. i have the thought that they can take it camping when they are older and wrap it around themselves sitting around the fire, but i am probably dreaming and it won't be cool anymore. I should make it before they can tell me it is uncool. For now, when DD puts something on that i have made she asks "mummy make this?, tank you mummy"
I saw photos Misty, looks great!!! I say make yourself a new one with your colours =) and keep this one for one of your girls (and then make the other one one =P).
Thats a cool idea HotI with the clothes!
Yeah, I'm thinking it might make a good birthday pressie for Angel. The actual quilting is scaring me a bit though! lol. Not sure where to freehand it, or just do straight line quilting on it. So afraid I'll stuff it up at that stage!