Sewing Queue

Ok, my sewing queue for Autumn/Winter:

Oliver+S Music Class Skirt for Miss Five
Oliver+S Sunday Brunch Jacket for Miss Five
Oliver+S Jump-rope Dress (OOP); Long sleeved variation for Miss Five
Cord Pinafore for Miss FX
Crescent Skirt Sewalong
Wool Jacket Butterick 5087 (OOP) Pattern and fabric below:

Source: mccalls.com.au via Jane on Pinterest

Source: fabricmartfabrics.com via Jane on Pinterest

Stash building - Oops

We got back from being away on Monday and had Tuesday at home to get sorted for back to school etc. Hubby came back from the shops and said facetiously "Looks like something is going down at Spotlight. People coming and going like crazy. You'd better get down there!" Well, I did wonder...so I looked online and saw they had some interesting looking fabric in. I usually find Spotlight very hit and miss but I like cruising their sale table for the odd find.

Get down there I did, with Miss Five in tow (not usually a good move). Oh my goodness they had some amazing fabric! I bought waaay too much. I bought quite a few designs in their stretch sateen and some fine wale cord for the girls. Plus a couple of $2 a metre bargains.

I now have so many dresses in my queue, if I actually make them all I'll never be able to wear them!! I'll be the best dressed mum in the car line at school and have a dress every Sunday for the whole of Summer! I'd best get some nice cardigans and tights so I can stretch them out over Autumn.

Easter time away and a little sewing

Well I ended up sewing while we were away for easter. My mother-in-law was aghast that I would take my machine on holidays and....SEW!!

I finished the Music Class skirt for little Missy. She likes it, yay! I think maybe I will make it in a softer fabric next time. The denim looks really nice and was great to sew with but the pleats kind of sit out a bit...kind of too perky.

I also did the pattern prep and muslin for the Sewaholic Crescent Skirt sewalong. It's the first time I am actually caught up with a sewalong. I did more prep than I would normally because Tasia kind of said so, lol. No, really, it was great to take my time and trace off the pattern and then sew up a muslin. I have never sewn the seam allowance on a muslin before. That felt kind of weird doing all that sewing for a muslin, but I was determined to do it right!!

We had a lovely few days away. Charlotte did lots of swimming. I had a facial. We all had naps. But the trip was a bit long so by the time we were back I was exhausted :-S

To Sew or Write: This is the question

We are heading away on a spur-of-the-moment road trip up North to a Rainforest resort. This is VERY unusual for us might I add. We haven't had a break away though for over 12 months. The place we have booked has a huge verandah with a day bed. The verandah is enclosed by a mosquito net -- very handy for rainforest territory I would suppose.

Hubby suggested I take my sewing machine and sit on the verandah and sew -- what a tempting idea!! But I'm wondering if I would be better off using the time away to make some progress on my writing. You see, I was introduced to someone new on Monday -- she has a daughter about the same age as my eldest. We had a really nice morning getting to know each other over coffee while the girls had a fabulous time. This woman urged me to write my book. I keep putting it off.

To Sew or Write?

Janome My Excel 18W + Oliver+S Music Class Skirt

I am in love with my 'new' machine.

I relieved my mother of her sewing machine last weekend and I am so enamoured with it I haven't stopped sewing. The stitches are so even I could weep! It has knob controls which I like. Just enough stitch options without being over-the-top. This is heaven.

I'm currently stash-busting...sewing Miss Five the Oliver+S Music Class skirt. This is my second Oliver+S pattern and I think I will only use their patterns for children's sewing. The results are so professional. Nice little finishing touches. I'm using a medium weight red stretch cotton denim. It's very nice to sew with. My daughter thinks I should make my Sewaholic Crescent skirt out of the same fabric. Cute :)

Stash Busting

I need to do some serious stash busting. Can't close the lid on one of my boxes.

Jackets

I have had a jacket on my 'to sew' list since last Winter. I was going to participate in Gertie's Lady Grey Sewalong but I found myself unexpectedly expecting and sewing for me was kind of put on the back burner.

But I'm back into it now and I still have my eye set on a jacket -- although now I think it is THREE jackets.

I spent a long time searching for just the right pattern and I ended up really wanting to make three very different jackets. Now, would you believe, all three patterns I painstakingly selected are out of print? ALL. THREE. One is still in stock at the supplier and one I found on ebay, in my size. How lucky?!? The glitch was, the seller doesn't ship to Australia. In comes my natty new myUSshipnshop address in Florida. I'm feeling a bit smug :) But not too smug -- I am still yet to source the third pattern.

The first one is a blazer that I want to sew in navy linen with cream trim. I saw a picture of one and loved it and I think this pattern is pretty close.

Out of Print - Linen Blazer with cream trim

Blazer inspiration

The second is a wool winter jacket. I love the Lady Grey pattern by Colette but didn't want anything too bulky because bulky coats make me look short and dumpy but I think this pattern fits the bill. Also out of print but available from the supplier still.

View B with self belt - Out of print

And finally, I saw a really nice tweed jacket and loved it! It's an Emerson 1960s jacket at $238. This pattern seemed a good match, but also out of print!:

Tweed jacket -- Out of print

What are the chances of me making three jackets??