I thought I could have it all...

four kids, a husband, full time job an haour and a half away from home, and time for crafting too...
I guess I was wrong. This past month since I returned to work has been really busy.
At night, when all the kids are asleep, I took a few minutes each day to work on my 5 years old birthday cakes (yes, as always, 3 different cakes), so I had no time to sew at all!
I did manage a few items before all that...
one is 11-2008-125


Here's the way mine looks


It is part of my pattern stash sewing.. I'm trying realy hard to buy nothing new... (OK, a friend of mine baught some Jersey fabrics for me, but I really didn;t have enough of those).

The pattern review:
I made size 40, and it is wide... I think it runs big.
it is pretty simple to make. The instructions were simple.
I like it a cute simple summer top, but I don't know if I'll make it again, it's not special in any way...

I also made many cakes this month...




I need more pink edible color!!!

Last evening, once we had all the parties over, I placed my sewing machine back on the table..

My plans for the feture (note, I don't plan for the 'coming month' anymore... )
- A new winter top for myself
- summer dresses - four of them, two my 8 years old and her best friend, and two for my 5 years old and her best friend..
- two dolls...
- two quilt cushions
I wonder how long it'll take me...

Ok, now that I have a couple of minutes (little ones are playing near me, two big girls and husband all a sleep, no work today..) I;m going to see what change on blogland this past month I was not around..

Golf top from World Fashion Magazine

Hi there!
I still have a couple of things that I didn't blog about, and that deserve a post.
They all all from the past month, but from before I returned to work...
I really have no time to do anything these days. I hurry to work early in the morning, hurry to get the kids back after work, hurry to do all the chores at home after all the kids are asleep... (OK, not ALL the chores, but some I just have too...). If I finish it all in time, I let my self 'play' around for a short while...

These two tops are from a 'golf top' pattern from the Israeli Magazine 'World Fashion' number 2. I liked the top since I saw it, and it looks really simple.
In the magazine it appears with short sleeves, I made it twice, once with short sleeve with some lycra that was difficult for my machine to handle, and once with long sleeves, that I copied from another pattern that I have (the sleeves are wide at the bottom, I like it that way).
Here is the picture from the magazine.
Here are my versions of it




The pattern review
what can I say??? so easy!
Only 3 pattern pieces, very good explnantions and drawings...
Tne result has anice fit. The only issue I have is with arranging the collar nicely, I have troubles with it, it doesn't 'sit' on me ar evenly as on the model. I may need to pin something there, same as the model. WHat do you think?

Anyway, both these tops are from my faric stash, so I am good there.

I have some more to show... later. Babies are crying here...

Encinitas - and a new decision...

First... my decision...
Hard as it is, I've decicided to stop buying fabric and patterns until I make better use of what I have.
I think it is called 'sewing from stash'... right? Stash of fabric and patterns.
There will be exceptions, I suppose, (for example, I hardly have any nice stretch fabric at the moment...) but I'll try to limit it. The reason is both the ecomony and the limited space in my closet...
So, all of the projects I am currently doing are from my fabric stash, and when it is reduced I'll have the pleasure of buying again... I can't wait!



Now, The Encinitas... I wasn't sure about this pattern... still not sure. But my 8 years old loves it...




The patterns arrives only in German, but it's not difficult. It is basically a regular peasent top with a 'leaf' skirt. There are two layers to the skirt, the inside one is sewed as usual, the outer one has pockets (not visual in my pictures), but you could just as easily leave the pockets out and that would make it a really easy and quick little dress.
I finished the wo layers of the skirt with bias tape, which makes it a bit 'jumpy'. My dd loves the effect.
I'm not sure how I feel about this dress. It is special, sure, and twirly, and my 5 years old already asked for a dress 'just like this one' too... so for the girls it's a success. But something doesn't look right to me, not sure what. If I do it again I'll lengthen the top part, I think it is a bit too short, and I may leave the pockets out.

This dress is all from stash fabric... so I'm OK so far!

I'm returning to work tomorrow morning... I guess my limited crafting time will be far more limited then...

Till next time then.. :-)

new beginings...

Well, I was away again... but this time I have the best excuse... I really had no computer.
I was informed about a month ago, that the company (a startup) I worked in for the past 5 years, was sold.. that's great news of course.. for the share holders. Not so much for me. It means looking for a new job...
So, I had to return my computer, hence my limited computer access, and worry about finding a new job.
I will start my new job in two weeks, in Tel Aviv. That's pretty far from my home, I hope I will be able to do that... I worry about seeing my babies for only 3 hours before they go to sleep... not being able to do anything with my girls...
well, work is a MUST at this stage of our lives... I'll just need to make it work, right???
On the good side, I think I'll be able 2-3 times a year to travel after work to Nahalt Binyamin, the fabric street of Israel.... Up until now it was ajust too far, took months of arrangements.. but when I work 20 minutes from there... :-)

But in the meantime, I made quiet a few things. Some deaseve a post of their own, as they are new patterns Ive tried, but some are just old stuff I made again.
For example - This bag is made according this Simplicity 2396, which I already made several times. see here for example. I made it again, this time a bigger version, as I will need a space for a book, now that I'll have to take the train to get to work... and I added a zipper to fully close the bag, so nothing can fall out.



I also made a new Jalie sweetheart top for myself... But I made a mistake, I didn't follow the instructions (I thought I remembered them so well...) so it looks a little different, but I like it! The sleeves turned out a little short, so I think I'll cut it to be a short sleeve top pretty soon..


I made some more stuff, but I think those deserve their own entry... So I'll finish with this adorable pictures... don't you think???

I hope that now, when I have a computer, I can blog more often, and more important - keep track of what haooens in the sewing world, in other blogs!!!!

Burda 11-08-139 - two new jumpers

I have made it before, about two years ago.. before this blog existed, but you can look at the pattern review right here...
So I made it twice more last month, as it is so easy and great with a top under it for the winter...
made it out of baby cord.



I like it... Not too much, so they can wear it anywhere, but not too casual.

I will back at work in a month... I feel pretty bad about it, but I need to get back to life...
I suppose I will have time for nothing then, so I have huge plans for the coming month, I plan on making my self two more winter tops, I plan on one more dress for each girl, and a big bag for myself.
I wonder if I'll manage it all...

That's it for now...

The search for the best winter dress...

There is really no problem in the summer, right? There are so many great dress patterns other there... you just have to choose.
On the winter, however...
Both my big girls were born in the winter... and a girl must have a special dress for her birthday, right? So, I have been looking for long sleeve dress patterns... well, forever.
Three years ago I made by 8 years old (back then she was 5) a long sleeve dress from Ottobre.

Looking at this picture... I may make this dress again.
I then looked for more. Didn;t fund any that looked good to me.
Og course, jumpers are veru good for the winter, but it requires me to make sure thereis a close fitting, color-matching, top under it, which I don;t always have available...
But I have used Farbenmix Sasha made out of baby cord and Farbenix Feliz several times and winter dresses.
I even tried to make the sleeves of my Tini pattern longer


but none of these.. though I did like them all, became my favorite winter dress pattern... The problem is that they are all very fency, while a winter dress should be warmer, more comfortable.
Until last month I came across Henrika!!!
Don't know how come I missed it until now!
Ignore the faces of the girls... I was in a hurry to take pictures... though the girls were in a really bad mode..






As with most Farbenmix patterns.. there are so many examples over the net, hard not to get inspired.. and I have little to add, except that I followed an example I saw on the net and made the dress out of stretch fabric, making the dress so easy to sew and easy to wear!
I just need to get my hands on more patterned stretch fabric.
I like that it is a great casual winter dress. and yet, endless combinations...
I hope to have better pictures soon...

Tennis skirt and some cakes..

My girl turned 8 today!!! what a young lady!
Lately she has displayed signs that maybe these dresses I love so are not always her first choice... I mean, she still loves them, but she sometimes prefers wearing more 'adult' clothes (can you believe it??? I don't remembr myself at that age caring so much about my outfit...). I do not always approve... I wouldn't let her walk around with clothes that are too revealing, but some clothes I do approve of.
So, when I so the tennis skirt (see here) in the new Israeli fashion magazine, I thought this is something we'll both like.
Now... I had a problem. The second issue of the magazine is great. really great. It has plenty of girls patterns that I will make. Not so great for me for women' patterns, as I am not pregnant and since the styles there just don't fit me.
But -as girls clothes go, the sizes are given by numbers, and not by height as I am used to. So I chose size 8 for my 8 years old girl.
After I cut the parts, I realized the belt is about 5cm too short for my girl... I should have chosen size 10 probably. But since I already cut it all, I decided to cut only the belt again... longer this time, and make it work.
SO I have a cute skirt... but sinze it is the wrong size, it is too short.
Here's the outcome..



I need to make it again, size 10 this time... because I think it's a great little pattern with a great potential! I'll report back on that!

Tomorrow is the party, and for the past week, every nap the babies had - I made some progress with the cakes..
Here are the birthday cakes...





My wonderful big girl - Happy birthday!!!!!