Here's another one...

...just like the other one.

Modkid Maya dress - size 5

Heart interlock from Spotlight.
Watermelon pink super stretchy stuff with lycra blend (can you know I don't know my knit fabrics!!) GJ's Fabrics on a remnant table.
Cute kid by me and the man of the house!

She doesn't seem to mind...

That it took me all weekend to get it done!

Of course now both her sisters want theirs done, back to the machine for me.

This is the size 7, which I did according to her height and it seems to be a good fit - generous but not huge. Hopefully it will fit for the entire summer.

PS - and the hem really is even - she's just catching it up with her hand a little!

I think I failed....

My intention was to post this pic on Friday, or if it was Sunday to post a pic with two completed Maya dresses in it, not quite all went to plan!!

Making the dress was fine, it was, as are all Patty's patterns - quick, easy to sew and well-written.

It was just the extra things that were planned for the weekend or that cropped up at the last minute that waylaid me from the task at hand; the work that had a Monday 9am deadline on it, the dinner with the basketball girls, football with my husband to watch the demise of my beloved Bulldogs and all the other little things that take time on the weekend.

Lara however was remarkable!
She took up the challenge to sew and made two Maya's on the weekend.

Thanks Lara for posting your finished dresses - I can honestly say I would not have stayed up to finish this if not for your success spurring me on!

Are there any patterns you've had lurking around your stash for ages that you haven't got around to trying??
How about we do them together?
Leave me a comment and perhaps if a few of us have somethng to try we can do it together in preparation for summer sewing - maybe starting in October?

Until then, I still have one more Maya to make tomorrow - wish me luck!

PS - will try to get a modelled pic of this tomorrow - it looks pretty bland just hanging on a hanger!

My Creative Space : Maya

I've been a bit idle in My Creative Space of late.

There are so many things I want to make I keep putting off making any of them, overwhelmed by my 'Want To Do' list.

Crazy logic I know.

By the end of today I want to turn this pile of fabric into...

One of these dresses, the version on the right.

Come back and kick my behind if I haven't blogged it by Saturday at the latest. OK?

See what more productive 'spacers' are up to at Kirsty's place.

She's never idle!

Ottobre 301 - the basic T

Sometimes after a long or difficult project you want something fun and easy to sink your teeth into. Like these Ottobre 301 long sleeved T's.

I finally made up the dinosaur pants I promised to a friend (and gave them away with no photos - doh!).
It was the first time I had done a proper zip fly, so I procrastinated for a while (well, ages really)then finally got into them.

Then I sewed the back pockets on in the wrong spot, forgot to add seam allowance to the fly shield and had to recut it, cut the waitsband wrongly and misplaced the belt tabs that I had already sewn and had to make more.
So by the time I gave these pants away I was very happy to see the back of them!

Tanya asked me one day how I was going with my list, the one in my sidebar of things to tackle in 2010.
It included sewing stretch items other than knickers.


So I dug out my Ottobre 301 basic T's pattern (that I have only ever made once before!) cut into some stretch fabric and got stuck into making two Ottobre 301 long sleeved 'boy' tops and two 'girl' tops.
(I made a 'girly' one with hot pink stars on grey for the body and hot pink sleeves but it's in the wash!)


There are some great stretch sewing tips around at the moment.

Including these on Sew, Mama, Sew by Patty Young (she has a fabulous colourful new range of stretch knits out), one of which was to use woolly nylon in the bobbin - which is what you see above on the reverse side of the bottom hem.

I also used a twin needle for a bit of a mock coverstitch finish, on the sleeve and bottom hems and also the necklines.


There are more tips from Patty on hemming stretch fabrics at the bottom of this post.



Leisl Gibson, of Oliver +s patterns fame also offers some stretch tips to be found here.
They are releasing a great line of knits later this month, and their new Hopscotch skirt and shirt pattern uses stretch fabrics.

Also when it comes to stretch guru's, you can't go past Sara of Willow and Moo fame.
She provided some stretch sewing advice earlier this year on Carolyn's blog when the monthly challenge was stretch.

• So what did I learn??
  The fabric I used for the sleeves (the white and blue) did not have enough rebound for me to 'self trim' the necklines of these shirts, and as such they are a little wide and loose.

• I folded the neckbands over twice (like bias) so there are no raw edges, one of the techniques shown by Ottobre in the pattern, but maybe I need to only fold once to the inside as it felt a bit overstretched?? (advice welcome!!)

• The woolly nylon works a treat and with the twin needle gives a lovely neat finish with a bit of give.

• I must use this pattern more - it goes from 92cm to 170cm and there are close-fitting and loose-fitting options. With embellishment there is a wardrobe of T's here, both long and short.
  

Do you stretch sew?

What tips and hints do you have to offer for a professional finish?

Ducky love

I've been very remiss in not posting about the birthday celebrations of the smallest member of our family, maybe it's because I am in denial that she has turned two - and is no longer a baby...

I can identify so strongly with this post, written by Kate on the occasion of her youngest's 2nd birthday, and I feel quite sad, yet at the same time very joyful to watch this little person blooming before my eyes.


Our little ducky girl is a fan of anything duck related and so there was really no question of what her cake would be, a duck of course!



This funny little person who is so social and interactive, put her head down and frowned at the world when all the attention was on her as we sang happy birthday!

You are such a bright and funny little girl, who loves her big sisters with all her heart and just wants to be the same as them.

You never fail to make me laugh with the outfits you arrive in, wearing them as though they were the most normal thing in the world.

Your bright eyes and cheeky smile make my heart feel warm and we love you very much my baby girl!

All quiet...

This could be the view of my sewing room.

There's nothing much going on in there, so the tumbleweeds could be rolling through soon....

One little girl overnight in hospital last weekend, lots of juggling of remaining children with very helpful friends and mum to the rescue, some freelance work with very short deadlines, credit card fraud and forking out more money on a new hot water service have left me feeling a little too weary even to sew.

That's a first.
Let's hope it passes soon...