August 28 - More Bears

Continuing to tithe my time with Bears. 

August 27 - Bears and Squares

This morning it was Hug-A-Bears.
This evening it was Prayers and Squares. 
And in between a little self care. 

August 26 - Shirt waist

This is shirt waist # 5. I drafted the pattern off of a favorite dress. I am certainly getting my milage out of this one. I have two more cut out, but am trying to get creative with them. 

Today I had to do the button holes, buttons and a little hook on the inside of the waist to hold it together nicely. I took a lot of time using water soluble stabilizer around the buttonholes and waxing all the thread for the buttons and even used different color thread for the button holes depending on which color the button hole rested in. I am pleased. I love the colors, and the linen fabric. 

 Found the buttons yesterday.

Here you can see a purple button hole and a turquoise one. 

August 25 - Cardigan

I think I am going to like this pattern and use it over and over. Wearing this over a T or a shell is perfect. I am excited about making this for my oldest. 

August 24 - T

A T or me.

August 23 - Hat, skirt and T

Bits and Bobs today. Easy stuff. 

 Hat for very blond, thin haired son-in-law. 

I used a button from an old Norwegian sweater.

 Short bias skirt for daughter.Black wool crepe.

T-shirt "muslin" for oldest, to test fit. Used a free T-shirt.

August 22 - Fruitful day

Today was certainly a most fruitful day in the sewing room. I woke and headed straight in and messed about, had some coffee and breakfast, ran out to the farmer's market and grocery, then back home to sew. I took a pause for lunch and a delicious dinner (thanks chef hubby) then right back to work. Ready to stop now. A good day in the sewing room. 

 Pattern prep for cardigan. 

 Pattern prep for daughters bias skirt. 

 Cut, press, fuse and serge polka dot shirt waist.

 Cut and plan dragon fly shirt waist. 

This one will require a trip to the fabric store. I ran out, so have to do some creative planning. Will do a different color for collar and facings, plus want some trim. Also have to purchase more fusible interfacing, I have used all I purchased at the conference. 

 Washed and laid out cardigan pattern. 

The one I am using.

Gonna go watch football now. 

August 21 - Shirt waist - No buttons yet

I am almost done with my shirt waist. I like how I managed to pad my dress form, although the hips are not wide enough, but there is plenty from front to back to accommodate my size, it just hangs differently on me. LOVE the colors, love the fabric, can't wait to find just the right buttons! 

August 20 - New shirtwaist start

I dragged out my favorite shirt waist dress pattern. I made the pattern from a dress I bought in Norway in 1997 or so. I loved the way it hung and fit and the proportions and realized I could make a pattern from the dress. It was an all day effort, but I am very pleased with how it ended up. This is the fifth dress I have made from the pattern. I have a blue plaid, a colorful dragonfly, a custom logo fabric and an ombre dragon fly with an edge pattern, my favorite, although this one may replace as my favorite. It is a linen. I used my new fusible interfacing, so expect great things! 

August 19 - Bias skirt

Today I had to work around a doctor appointment and lunch with a friend, which was sorely needed. A good day. 

Here it is with the T-shirt I made earlier. 

I am pleased with the pattern and process. 

I think my girls may end up with some of these.

August 18 - Muslins

Today was muslin making and planning.

Muslin for dancing daughter. 

 Muslin from jacket pattern. 

 Plan for bias skirt. 

August 17 - Shirt Done

August 16 - Almost Finished

Got the body done, just the buttons and button holes to go. 

August 15 - More shirt progress

Some sewing time today. Along with some laundry and such. 

August 14 - No Sew

No sewing today. We have a very special friend getting married this evening and the girls are spending the night, at least oldest with her family. Bathrooms, beds, vacuuming and resting are in order for the very festive evening. 

August 13 - A Bit on the Shirt

I spent the morning at the computer, then a friend came over to see my Chanel jackets and have a cup of tea. Enjoyed that. Then it was time for lunch and a nap. I am recovering from a surgery after all and sometimes it catches up on me. Then it was time to prep dinner and I ended up only having about an hour in the sewing room before PR came on. Watching THAT! YES! I got the interfacing fused on to the pieces, made the tab and pinned them to the sleeve vent, and did some pre-pressing. That was enough. 

I may not get a lot done tomorrow either. The girls are coming. We are attending a wedding and they are spending the night including son-in-law and Gare Bear, so bathrooms to clean, beds to prep, vacuuming and laundry to do and all those little things, plus I have more computer stuff to take care of. We'll see. 

August 12 - Dress Form and Dress Shirt

I wasn't sure I would want to be in the sewing room today, so didn't plan anything. But, after a great check up at the doctor and a lovely lunch with hubby I thought I would head in there and see what I might do. First thing I did was to pad my dress form so it was a better reflection of my shape. When I put the twin set on it, it showed a big difference in the fit and I am very happy with what I learned at the ASG conference on fitting the dress form. Nice. 

I decided I might as well try the PerfectFuse LIGHT interfacing on a shirt for hubby. He wants a dress shirt to wear his cuff links with, as most all of his have buttons and he enjoys wearing his links. So I was able to cut out the shirt and fuse the collar and collar band. I will do the cuffs and down the front band tomorrow. I do enjoy making men's shirts and since I have a book that goes into all the details that are tricky, it is a fairly satisfying effort. I sure do like the idea that they fit nicely and are well made. Shirts are tricky. They look simple, but they are NOT! 

August 11 - Day Off

Today I had my second cataract removed, no sewing. I may not do anything tomorrow either. But because I post every day in August most years, you get to hear all the boring bits of my life. 

On a happy note, my son and his family are enjoying the beach, I can dream! Plus a best friend and her family are enjoying another beach, again, I can dream! I just might give up sewing (for a week) to go to the beach! Ahhhhhhh. 

August 10 - Cardigan and T-shirt

Detail of tank and cardigan. I am always challenging my matching skills. This one was a little tricky, but I did a pretty good job. Had plenty of this knit left to do a T-shirt using my new pattern. Pretty pleased. I did the T-shirt in the next size up as I am NOT a tight T-shirt kind of a girl. I wanted the tank nice and snug though, and the cardigan I wanted to fit close through the shoulders and match up with the fit of the tank. I am pleased with both. I need to press the neckline of the T. I also need to adjust my form and add a few inches to the top part. For some reason I grew after chemo, or hitting 60, or whatever. 

August 9 - The TANK is done

 Fabric, pattern and interfacing for tank.

 Applying stay tape to shoulder seam. 

Serging shoulder seam using the technique in the book. I think this would work in some cases, but prefer threading a needle with the tail and tucking it into the seam between the fabric. It doesn't show doing it that way and can be completely tucked. I will be doing that with the cardigan that is next on my list.

 Stay stitching at neckline and armholes. 

 Hem stay tape applied. 

 Finishing up the neck and shoulder openings. 

 The finished tank.

 Detail of tank. 

Now to start the jacket part of the twin set. 

August 8 - more washing prep

Some days there isn't a lot of sewing done, but that doesn't mean nothing is getting done. The guest bed is getting crowded with washed and pressed ideas. 

I am also continuing to contemplate which patterns will go with what fabric.