Week 4 of the 52 Week Sewing Challenges on Facebook

I seemed to have most of this week printing patterns and cutting fabric. The Racing Car fabrics I used for the Grandies Short and Tank sets are a bit much together so I am making a checkered (black and white) Tank and plain black shorts to go with the previous makes so the Girls can separate and mix and match the Grandies outfits.

I have cut out six Tanks using the Wren Tank pattern from Wicked Fabrics but only sewn one together so far to qualify for the Week 4 Challenge of the Aussie 52 Week Sewing Challenge on Facebook, Sewing Using Fabric From An Australian Supplier. The checkered fabric I used on the tanks came from Jennilea Designs (no longer in business) and the black solid is from Keffyn Sewing Haven. Both fabrics are Cotton Lycra.

This tank pattern is a pretty easy sew. The pattern pieces for the neck and the armhole bands are included, so no measurements required. The pattern also comes with a few options. You can add sleeves and the hemlines come in different lengths. I chose the Tank version and the sloped hem on the back piece. The hardest part of this pattern then was the sewing of the hem. I find curved hems a fiddle to get them to sit nicely, so I now use hem tape, iron-on web like, and my Babylock Coverstitch to hem. The webbing tape holds the hem in place really well, making using the coverstitch much easier to use.

Week 4 Challenge for the 52 Week Sewing Challenge (International Group) is to Sew Something Red. I chose the Brindille and Twig T-Shirt Dress pattern which I have used several times before, using fabric from Orinoco Designs which I have been hanging onto for ages. The little knickers are the Chicka Chicka Bum Bums pattern from PeekABoo Patterns. Both items are sized for 18mths. The red lycra is from Crafty Mamas Fabrics.

The T-Shirt dress is a breeze to sew and includes a pattern piece for the neckband. Once again, my web hem tape comes in handy for the curved hem, but I also used it on the sleeves and the used the Coverstitch machine to sew down all hems.

The knickers pattern come in two styles, Bummies and Shorties. Both styles can also be used with a skirt option. It is also possible to use a knit waistband but I used the elastic waistband option on the Bummies style. The leg bands have a pattern piece so no measurements required.

Thanks for reading, have a great day wherever you are!

I finished the puff sleeved T-Shirt to go with the Pinafore finished yesterday. I used the Fun Tee pattern by Sew By Pattern Pieces and made a size 2. Love the way it came out and it goes well with the pinnie. Next time, for such a small size, I will sew the sleeve band on flat as it was a real fiddle to sew in the round. The pattern goes together beautifully though. Self fabric for the neckband worked really well and the instructions in the pattern are great, very thorough.

Shown here on my 2-3yr old sized mannequin.

Have a great day wherever you are!

Hi all, I am taking part in a Sew-A-Long for the Tui Pinafore by Below The Kowhai, a New Zealand Designer.

I chose a fairy fabric I have been hanging onto forever and a lilac poplin as the lining. There are several options in the pattern and I chose the curved bodice with the curved straps.

Interfacing on the bodice, straps and the front waistband

Sewn the main and the lining bodice pieces together, turned, pressed and topstitched

Added the straps to the bodice

Added the front waistband to the bodice

I had already added the back waistband piece but forgot to take a photo of this step. This step adds inseam pockets

Add elastic to the back waistband, stitch in and then close the front waistband

So I trimmed by bodice pieces with my pinking shears way too close to the seam line. When I then turned the strap linings over to stitch down, they didn't quite catch the seam from the bodice in all spots. I grabbed some bias binding from my stash, which unfortunately was not quite the right colour (although closer than this photo appears) and used it to cover over that seam line. Works well and no-one is going to be looking at the lining.

Tested for strap position on my mani

All hemmed and straps sewn down. Not sure if sewing the straps so they can't be adjusted is such a good idea, I may unpick them and use button and buttonholes yet.

I am going to add a puffed sleeved t-shirt to this in the colour of the lining, so another post on that shortly.

Have a great day wherever you are!

Merry Christmas all

I really must get better at this!

So we are nearly up to Christmas and what a wild couple of years have pasted since I last posted on here.

2017 was not the best of years for us as a couple or as a Foster Family. The eldest went home in November, but gave one hell of a year before she left, which was extremely difficult for all of us. Gary wasn't coping at all with the stresses of Foster Care and the issues that came with that responsibility, especially as, apart from our wonderful Caseworker, support from the Agency we were with was limited to say the least. After a month away from the family, Gary was feeling better able to cope, until he actually got home, then it was as if he had never left. This situation had to be resolved and so one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make was made. We resigned from Foster Care at the end of 2017, moved out of Orange, NSW, to Northern Tasmania near the mouth of the Tamar River.

Gary found a house for us to rent whilst he was away, meant to be as we had been seeing it advertised on the internet for some months. Turned out the owner was being very picky about his future tenants as he had turned away many applicants before approving our application. We arrived on the 7th January, and then began the most awful 2 months whilst we fought with the Removal Co to get them to deliver our furniture. The first truck delivered a load of the furniture a few days after we arrived, in spite of assuring us it would arrive the same day we did. The rest was supposed to arrived within the week. Unfortunately, we didn't get anything else for two months!! So we had drawers, but nothing to put in them, we had cupboards, but no clothes, we had a kitchen, but NOTHING in it! we had to go and buy clothes, new kitchen stuff and borrow a heap from Gary's Mum and StepDad, who fortunately lived close to where we had settled. It wasn't until we got a third party involved and the Police, both here in Tassie as well as in Orange, that we finally got a delivery date for the rest of our gear. It was a nightmare!, one I hope never to repeat! It took us a long time to get over that stress, but now we can finally enjoy this gorgeous place we have chosen to live.

We are so close to East beach that we can hear the ocean at night! A short walk and we can stroll along East beach or Lagoon Bay. Beautiful places.

I lost my Mum in the middle of 2018. I am still not over it. I find myself wanting to ring her at odd times, or share my sewing with her, she loved to craft, and it makes me sad that I cannot do that anymore. I was booked to visit Adelaide in August and was looking forward to spending some time with her as well as the rest of the family. Unfortunately she passed away two weeks before I was due to arrive. This photo is my Mum with my youngest, Nicholas. He hadn't been back to South Australia since we left in 2008 and he chose to visit with his girlfriend, Sienna, for a couple of weeks in the middle of the year. He got this photo with his Granny, taken by his big sis Rebekah, three days before Mum passed away. Amazing timing and I am so glad they got to see each other again. 

Four of my five children out for a meal. Cassandra, Nicholas, Rebekah and Aimee.

With all the little ones

and Nicholas with his best childhood friend, Brodie. Brodie is older by five months

I have been doing a lot of sewing now that we are retired. No other family members sharing the house means I have taken over the two spare bedrooms for my craft and sewing. This house has some major built ins, which are great, and I have filled them to overflowing with my stuff. Poor Gary, he is relegated to the shed. Mind you, we have two 3X3mtr sheds, which we have joined together and made into a workshop for him. It is well setup and he loves it.

First up in my new sewing is a pair of Embrace Togs from Boo Designs. These are a size 2 which I made as my participation in a Sew- A-Long. I am sending them to my Granddaughter, although I think she might not fit into them til next Summer as she is a tiny thing. First time doing binding, so I was quite pleased with the result

This is a dress I have made for my eldest, Rebekah. It is a Shirtzie Dress by Stitch Upon A Time (SUAT), but modified to be sleeveless. She is getting this in time for Christmas so I hope she loves it.It is hard to make clothes for people when you are in another State! lol

Another item from a Sew-A-Long. This time a pair of Boxers, pattern also from SUAT. These are a bit snug on my hubby, just goes to show you should measure and actually pay attention to those measurements taken lol! he measured across three sizes so I just went with the middle, and I should've graded to suit him. Oh well! lesson learnt for the next pair.

This Dinosaur dress is one of my favourites. Made for Skye, who is now 2 yrs old, it is a Marissa Peasant Dress by Create Kids Couture in a size 12-18mths. The coordinating knickers are Peek A Boo's Chicka Chicka Bum Bums, yellow cotton lycra fabric from Rubyjam Fabrics, Dinosaur cotton fabric from Spotlight.

Another Marissa, I used fabrics I had purchased from a quilt shop in Orange that was closing down and the pink knickers are again a solid from Rubyjam Fabrics.

This dress is just gorgeous in real life. I have used Brindille and Twig T-Shirt Dress pattern in a 12-18mths size. The knickers are again Chicka Chicka Bum Bums in a gorgeous solid from Rubyjam, the floral came from a custom order who is no longer in business.

In this two piece, I have used fabric that I ordered from a supplier that is no longer doing custom orders unfortunately, it is so cute! The top is the Tiny Tulip Top from Patterns for Pirates and the bottoms are the Air Balloon Pants by Puperita, one of my favourite designers.

The fabric for these Air Balloon Pants came from Crafty Mamas Fabrics some time ago.

Aren't these Ooga Booga monsters sew cute!

I now have 5 grandsons and one granddaughter now, another Granddaughter on the way due March 2019 and another baby, sex yet to be determined, due in the middle of next year. I also sew for my eldest daughters best friend's two boys, and for Christmas I have made them PJs as well as other clothes. For their PJs I used Kwik Sew patterns and Movie Night PJ pattern from Sew A Little Seam. Most of the fabrics came from Crafty Mamas Fabrics.

These are going to make my Grandies very happy. Fabric is from Keffyn's Sewing Haven and the pattern is Sunday T-Shirt by Felicity Sewing Patterns. I have made one size 9, three size 5, and three size 2.

For these shorts I used the Side Swipe Shorts pattern from Duck Butt Designs and the fabric is from Keffyn's Sewing Haven again.

As a set they look amazing I think.

Something different. My eldest Grandson, Lachlan, was an owl in his end of year school play. I made the wings using a quilted calico base and corduroy for the feathers. So.many.feathers. !! The Owl mask is a machine embroidery file from The Applique Place as part of their Woodland Animal Set.

Back to the bulk sewing. Here we have eight Tatum Tanks, pattern by Ellie and Mac. I used fabrics I had ordered as a custom order from Sew Unique Fabrics. I made one size 9-10, three size 4-5, three size 2 and one size 12-18mths. I feel like a processing plant! LOL

For winter I made the kids a Hoodie each using Noah and Nele, a German pattern by From Heart To Needle. The pattern was a little difficult to follow as I don't read German, but I was very pleased with the results. I used french terry from Crafty Mamas Fabrics and Wicked Fabrics. The pants are from Made By Runi and the pattern is Harem Pants. The clothes are being modeled by my Masterpiece Doll, Sleeping Beauty.

The kids also got a reversible vest, pattern is Campbell Vest and Jacket by Goober Pea Designs. Corduroy is from Spotlight and the minky lining is from Greenbeans AU. The vests had snap closures, which I forgot to photograph before posting them off, snaps were either from Greenbeans AU or Snaps Australia.

Some of my gorgeous Grandies and their parents. Thing 1 (Lachlan), 2 (Ryan) and 3 (Skye) belong to Chris and Rebekah. The other cutie in the front is Alexander (Xander) who belongs to Aimee.

Things 1, 2 and 3 cleaner and not quite so red! lol

Xander, also not quite so red. They were red to support Lachlan in his School's Sports Day.

My second eldest girl, Emma, with her boys, currently expecting a girl, Logan (inset) and Chase. Aren't they gorgeous?

Well, I still have more things to finish on the sewing table to get  in the mail for Christmas so back to the sewing room I go.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I'll be back soon to show off my latest creations