Pink Fig - Mia top

Hi all,
This is my first try with pink fig patterns, I have also shirred very little in the past...
I wanted cute, uncomplicated dresses for my girls for the coming holidays. As with most new patterns, I started with the little one (so if I missed something in the pattern, I would not ruin that much fabric).
My 3 years old picked up the fabrics.
I finished the dress yesterday, and put it on just for the photos... She refused to take it off!
look at her!


I have a prolem with shirring... First, I was afraid that my girl will find it uncomfortable to wear. Luckily - no such issue was noted, she seemed perfectly comfortable to dance and run and sing in the dress...
Second - and I think ths is MY problem - I shirred many many rows, and it looked well, but I think the thread I'm using is not good, because when I stretched the dress a bit, the thread was torn on some of these rows, It didn't affect the oberall look of the dress, since most of the rows are intact, but I think the thread is just not good (even without sewing it, just looking at it and stretching it, it looks very thin, and get torn really easily). Where can I get a good thread????

Changes from the original design - I made the top a bit longer (the skirt part) since I want it to be a dress. Next time (sure, there will be a next time!) I'll make it even an inch longer. I also didn't make the sash, thinking that my 3 years old wouldn't need that...
The ruffle of the skirt - I made shorter then indicated, since I just didn't have enough fabric.
All in all - it came out really cute. and I love it! I'm starting the dress for my 6 years old, so I really need to get a good thread...

Yes, another great pattern!

What I've been up to...

First, thanks all for your good wishes for my daughter, She's much better now. Still weak, but improving :-)
I have been busy!
I started summer sewing! Isn't that great????
It's only March but is very warm here. I know it'll rain next week, but for now I enjoy this short, lovely Spring!
I made a couple of Redondo skirts!
I love this pattern. It was my first Studio Tantrum pattern that I got a year ago from dots and stripes, and I have made it a couple of times since... But as much as I love it, I just can't get a good picture of it, unless my daugther is wearning it.
I am still not sure what to do with these skirts - I love them both, but my girl has too many skirts as is. I originally planned to give them as gifts, but frankly, it's really difficult to give them! I still need to think about that.
Anyhow - I let me girl wear them for a few minutes just so I can take a picture... and then I put them a side to keep thinking...




Really, so what if she has about ten skirts in her closet, and no time to wear them all?????
I also had a success with my pants project! More on that - in the next post...

Good IMKE and bad, bad pants experience...

Well.. I had a really hard time these past couple of days. There's so much I want to do and so much that I have to do (at work) and all of a sudden, 9 days ago, my 6 years old got sick. high fever, not eating or drinking, so tired...
9 days after, still the same...
We got the diagnosis now, it's probably Infectious mononucleosis, and she's got it pretty bad...
Anyhow, all my best made plans... will have to wait! The dresses I wanted to make my girls for the coming holidays... the stuffed animal for the March challenge...
But, before it all started - I did manage to finish the IMKE for SCKL!
When I first got the book, I didn't think I'll make this top, but my daughter saw it in the book, and really really wanted a hooded top!
I chose lovely fabrics (but really thin, because I want the top to be good for the coming spring season).
I don't have good pictures yet.. my daughter really doesn't have the energy to model for me :-(



I didn;t finish it well... I tried - finish with a serger then folding it inside, iron and top stitch - but it's not holding there.. I'll have to find another way to finish the curved edges! How do you do that?
I really like it - for next winter I'll be making more of this top!
Many more..

As for my pants experience - I set up a goal for myself for March to make myself a pair of zippered pants! I really need some pants and I HATE shopping for 'lower body parts clothes'! Having to try on clothes and look at myself in the mirror in front of other people... having to ask for those sizes... I prefer living in denial... I don't think of that. Can't do that and shop for pants!
So I chose a pattern, made some dummy version, practiced on how to put on the zipper... and then got started on the real thing - a lovely color of corderoy!
BUT - only after I sewed the two legs together I remembered - this fabric is 'with nap'. I never dealt with this type of fabric before! Even if I finish this pants, and the fit will be ok (not amazing, OK is good enough for me), the back part of the legs is darker then the front part. How's that for a woman trying to HIDE her back part???????????
I got really upset over that! The wasted time and fabric.
well, I did learn something.. I'll try to look at that as my learning fee :-)

Purim, Riviera, Embalishments...

A lot to write about..
Well, first - it is PURIM here, and it is raining so hard... too bad.. Still, we found a few not-raining minutes yesterday to take photos of the girls. Both were princesses, of course. My young one, 3 years old, decided she wanted to be also a cat...
So she was!



The big princess dress is from Burda 01-2010. A great pattern, that I already reviewed a month or so ago. The little princess is from an old Ottobrre issue, from 2003 I think.
Both were very happy with their costumes!

What else?
I have worked hard these past couple of weeks on patterns from SCKL. I made the Riviera Leggings - twice! what a great pattern.. I initially wasn't too thrilled about it, then, a couple of weeks ago, when helping my girls into their under garments, it hit me! Legging is indeed a great idea, and this pattern is so easy!
So I made it - twice... once the long version and once the short (which I didn't take photo of yet, since it's winter here...).
Anyhow - here it is..
The photos don't do justice by them...




The fit and instructions are just great! I'll be making so many more of these, they are so useful!
I also made IMKE, turned out just great... on that - in the next post.

One thing I have to comment, and this is entirely SCKL fault.... I have spent way too much money getting embellishments on etsy and eBay these past couple of weeks.. After seeing the book, and looking over at the flickr group... well, I could not resist it...



I bought a lot, The world turns out to be a very small place, if I can place an order and get it withing a week or so from Singapore!
I bought from several online shops that I know I'll return too!

This is one - earthfile
and this is second (especially recommended for the great service! I even got a bonus ribbon) myluckynumner9...

what would I do without the Internet?????

INSA Skirt

Hi All,

So I got this book last week

I already mentioned how pretty it i, and inspiring!

My first project from it was the INSA skirt. No, my girls do not any more skirts (or dresses, for that matter... :-)), but it seemed really easy, fast and cute.

And it is!

I made it as simple as possible, just to try the sizes, and see how it looks on my girls. My only embellishments were a rickrack at the top. I LOVE the outcome! My girls love their skirts (I had to make two identical ones...) and they fit real nice. I still may add some elastics on the sides of each panel to add some embellishments to the skirt...




The skirts are slightly longer then my girls are used to, it is nice, buy I may shorten the top part a bit next time I make them.

Another pretty pattern!
I hope to manage some more simple projects from the book, building my way for the more complicated Dortje and Manhetten soon. Still, on March I plan to take a little break from sewing for the girls - and attempt a pair of pants for me! I really hope to make something wearable!

Good day!

One more challenge!

A friend gave me her Burda Magazine of 01-2009 to trace a pattern... a 2009 winner!

I saw it in the best patterns of 2009 article... (what a great idea - these articles are so full of tips !)
I had to have it!
Once I had it... well, I did manage the construction of the sleeve, but I must say that seeing the tip by sew-4-fun (here is the link to the tip) made it so much easier!
Thank you, sew-4-fun!
so I did it, I don't have good pictures of the top just yet... but here's what I do have!

You have to trust me - It does look good!
Now for my review - I perfectly understood Burda's instructions... The construction was simple enough. However - I found that following sew-4-fun instruction makes no difference to the outcome but makes the construction ever easier.
As for the size - I have no issue. I made size 38, I usually make 40, but I've recently found that 40 is too big (No, I didn't lose weight... I don't know what happened...), and size 38 fit perfectly.
I don't usually wear 3/4 sleeves... but this one seems special enough - I'll wear it, I think I may even make another one when summer comes, and a good fabric!

On another note - some recommendations -


I think the whole sewing world already knows about Sewing Clothes Kids Love by Nancy Langon. But just in case you don't... I have ordered it last June, and got it a week ago! What a great book. I love the pictures, the patterns! There are 10 patterns there, and I love almost all of them! And I'll make most of them! I've already made INSA out of the book (will be posted soon!), I plan to make IMKA shirt next, then the leggings and the Manhetten. The book never arrives to the patterns drawer.. It's on my table all the time.


Well, till next time...

Burda 02-2010 - my knit challenge!

Hi,
After many many months that I found no interest in my Burdas... It finally arrived - a simple cute knit top that I liked!
(The image is from the Burda magazine)

I thought it would be the perfect challenge for the February challenge at My Favourite.
It's a good thing I decided on that pattern as my month's challenge... Or I would have never completed it. I started at size 40. I'm not as thin as I'd like, and last time I made a burda top, that was my size...
First - I couldn't get the directions. The part of putting the small band between the upper front parts.. I don;t know - maybe the band was supposed to come on top of the top parts, bot between... I sewed it between the parts.
Other then that - there was no need for instructions.
but it came out HUGE! I know I'm pretty small there, but so is the model in the magazine and the top fits her...
Anyhow - I started modifying the pattern - making it longer in length and smaller in all other parts... I have never before made such big changes in a top! I'm pretty proud in myself!



I already made it twice - both sleeves variations.
I'll make it again for sure - so here are the things for me to remember for next time -
1. leave very little seam allowance!
2. use steady knit... medium weight. the thin fabric also works, but less well for me..
I like it!