sewing circle...come join : )

[mystic~mama]

I'm working on sewing ~

panties (finished 1, almost done w/another)

adding velcro to my cloth pads

making mittens and hats out of wool sweaters

a few a line skirts

i have bamboo jersey and lots of cotton calicos to use...

what are you working on? Lets inspire and encourage each other to work on our projects!

[Neuromancer]

Well, I'm a newbie, but I'll join this thread. I'm taking a sewing class (once a week for 6 weeks). Our first class was last night (hand stitching and machine orientation) and next week we start making dresses for ourselves. I need to go to the fabric store and buy some medium-weight cotton. You sound like a pro!

[orangefoot]

I had £20 from my mum for my birthday so I bought this pattern and some light-ish weight knit to sew it up. That was mid September so I need to get going with it soon. Life gets in the way though you know?

The fabric is washed and dry now so I'm one step close to cutting it!

Dd2 needs some nightdresses to keep her warmer in bed

Dd1 wants another lined fleece waistcoat (vest?) now that 'hers' is too small and her sister is wearing it

Ds2 needs some length added to a pair of favourite slouch y trousers and I'm planning to add a band in the thigh or across the knee where there are holes so as to keep the hem.

Then... I need to think about some Christmas gift sewing and perhaps some sewing to make some money.

Oh and a quick skirt. I made one in the summer and it really was easy. I have some wool I want to try it with for winter.

[mystic~mama]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

Well, I'm a newbie, but I'll join this thread. I'm taking a sewing class (once a week for 6 weeks). Our first class was last night (hand stitching and machine orientation) and next week we start making dresses for ourselves. I need to go to the fabric store and buy some medium-weight cotton. You sound like a pro!

hi neuromancer ~ glad u posted...thats awesome your taking a class

I'm not a pro haha, i dive right in I guess...I bought a bunch of bamboo jersey and I'm working on using it up.

I needed panties and hate buying them so I started making my own pattern and got lazy and bought one, I'm making each kind and seeing how I want to adjust it.

I ordered stretch lace trim and foldover elastic last night from sew sassy...

I have the book Sew What! Skirts and some Rayon and I want some comfy spinny skirts as well as some yoga type pants to wear underneath...

I'd love to post pics as soon as I can

back to cleaning my kitchen, eating paella and hopefully finishing the panties, I just need to sew on some decorative lace is all

[mystic~mama]

Originally Posted by orangefoot

I had £20 from my mum for my birthday so I bought this pattern and some light-ish weight knit to sew it up. That was mid September so I need to get going with it soon. Life gets in the way though you know?

The fabric is washed and dry now so I'm one step close to cutting it!

Dd2 needs some nightdresses to keep her warmer in bed

Dd1 wants another lined fleece waistcoat (vest?) now that 'hers' is too small and her sister is wearing it

Ds2 needs some length added to a pair of favourite slouch y trousers and I'm planning to add a band in the thigh or across the knee where there are holes so as to keep the hem.

Then... I need to think about some Christmas gift sewing and perhaps some sewing to make some money.

Oh and a quick skirt. I made one in the summer and it really was easy. I have some wool I want to try it with for winter.

I love the wrap dress on that pattern!

I am totally here to help inspire and get myself moving!

blessings~

[selena_ski]

what am i not sewing (he he)

I have about 2 dozen pocket diapers waiting to be done- cut out

3 yo-yo monkeys
cloth blocks
i need to embroider 7 aprons
i need to embroider baby blanket for nephew born last NOV.
cloth book for dd's xmas
1 book pillows
bean bags
some new clothes for DDs waldorf doll.


things i have recently finished-
1 yoyo monkey
i book pillow
15 pocket diapers
bedding for a crib and for a twin bed
a mei tai
2 pouch slings
a few other random things.
20 momma cloth pads
some tub mitts for DDs xmas

[caedmyn]

I'll join...my to-sew list is long! I'm currently working on a quilt top duvet cover for DD's queen size bed...it should be done by the middle of next week. Then I want to make...
a duvet cover for our bed
living room curtains
2 shower curtains
a blender cover and two mixer covers (Christmas gifts)
two plastic bag holders (more Christmas gifts)
a Bible cover
some diaper doublers
a mini diaper bag to attach to my soft-structured baby carrier
a few wool soakers and sleepsacks to try to sell

Did I mention I want to get all of this done in the next seven weeks before my due date?

In the past couple of months I've made:
a soft-structured baby carrier and two skins/covers for it
an Obi-style baby carrier
half a dozen wool diaper covers
half a dozen wool soakers
3 prs of wool longies
two wool sleepsacks + a footed sleepsack for my almost 3 year old
wool cover, soaker, and sleepsack for DD's doll
baby carrier for DD's doll
carrying bags for my 3 baby carriers
a sewing machine cover
a nursing poncho
a whole bunch of postpartum pads and inserts (they're pocket style, so stuffable...I sure hope they work for me!)
a little carrying bag for my PP pads with one side waterproof and one side for the clean ones

Can you tell what I spend my free time doing (when I'm not surfing of course!)?

[selena_ski]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

Did I mention I want to get all of this done in the next seven weeks before my due date?

a little carrying bag for my PP pads with one side waterproof and one side for the clean ones

I am trying to get my sewing done before my due date too, but at least you still have 7 weeks, i am down to 3.

and i so need to make a bag like that.

[mystic~mama]

wow mamas! very inspirational to read your projects...

Caedmyn~ what kind of fabric are you using for your shower curtains? Are you using Grommets?

That sounds like a fun project....Our curtain is getting moldy...I've added some shower curtains to the website I work for and I've considered buying one of the those. I've definitely learned about the harm of PVC while working on that.

I finished the lace detail on the panty last night...this thread helped motivate me to do it.

I'd like to make a simple quilt and some curtains also.

I made some organic cotton flannel moon pad covers, I put the button too far over and they didnt stay in place so by next moontyme I need to fix those.

hoping for a few hours of sewing time today...

one thing I want to do is organize my sewing space it feels stagnant to me...

blessings~

[courtenay_e]

Let's see... (great idea, by the way!):

I'm in the midst of making a two hour 3 tiered skirt out of tie dyed pinwhale for my dd. I have been working on it in 15 minute spurts, so it's taken a while...

I have to make dd's Halloween costume (Laura Ingalls, including dress, apron, and sunbonnet)--obviously by Halloween.

I have to make ds' Halloween costume (a brown bat), again, by Halloween. With his, I bought a waffle knit shirt and brown canvas pants, and brown knit to match. I will make the knit into wings (that I plan to sew to the sleeves of the shirt and velcro to the legs of the pants) and a "hood" with bat ears on it.

I have two jumpers to make for Dd.

I have three pair of pants to make for Dd...preferably before mid-november, when it gets cold around here.

Nine sock bunnies. I traded a friend for them for some web design work.

An ABC. Just made a sale, and I need to make it in a timely fashion.

I am hoping to make my neice a couple pair of flannel jammy pants for my neice for X-mas.

I am hoping to make each of us (dh, dd, ds, and myself) a pair of jammy pants for Christmas Morning.

Friend is due Christmas Day. I am making I think a dozen diapers and six covers for her in a size small.


Wow. I need to get busy!!

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by orangefoot

I had £20 from my mum for my birthday so I bought this pattern and some light-ish weight knit to sew it up. That was mid September so I need to get going with it soon. Life gets in the way though you know?

The fabric is washed and dry now so I'm one step close to cutting it!

Orangefoot, that's a cute dress pattern! Which variation are you going to make? The skirt you made and linked to the pattern is also cute. Do you have a serger?

I have the book Sew What! Skirts and some Rayon and I want some comfy spinny skirts as well as some yoga type pants to wear underneath...

Mystic~Mama that's what I want to do, too - make myself some skirts once I'm a bit more confident. I did take a sewing class in college, but need a major, major refresher. In college I made a pair of yoga type pants by tracing a pattern using a pair of flared pants I loved and then made it out of a stretchy black jersey. They weren't perfect, but I was pretty proud of them.

[Neuromancer]

Selena and Caedmyn and Courtenay_e, your lists are so impressive and inspiring! Wow. One of the reasons I am looking to really be able to sew is so that I can make things for children (potentially mine) like my mom always did. I love the idea of making slings/baby carriers.

Caedmyn, I love the brown bat costume, too!

[orangefoot]

Well the fabric for the dress is now cut. It took me a night to trace it then think about how to get rid of the pleats at the shoulder and smooth out the princess seam so the whole thing would (hopefully) fit my AAA bust. Then another night to actually do the alterations and cut it.:

I'm doing version B, the mock wrap but at some point last night I was beginning to think that I had bought the wrong pattern if it needed so much work just to cut it!

I do have a serger and I have got to the point now where I can just switch it on and sew without a crisis or frustration:

Good luck to Selena and Caedmyn working against the baby clock! I remember having a long list with dd1 but only managed three elasticated bottom sheets for the bedside cot. I'm sure you will both do better than that

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by mystic~mama

Caedmyn~ what kind of fabric are you using for your shower curtains? Are you using Grommets?

I think I'm going to use microsuede for one and a sheer fabric for the other...or else microsuede for both. I'll still use waterproof curtains for the inside, though I don't know about the grommets yet. I was thinking about making tab tops for them instead but I'm not sure how that will look. Grommets are kind of expensive and I'm trying to save money with these.

[Ceinwen]

I'm another newbie.

I managed to hack my way through a bib for my nine month old, but I'm definitely not intuitive at this. Lessons it is! It's just been difficult to find a class on the weekend. Everything seems to be offered weekday/am and I have class and work.

Anyway, everyone's lists are very inspiring!

[mystic~mama]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

I think I'm going to use microsuede for one and a sheer fabric for the other...or else microsuede for both. I'll still use waterproof curtains for the inside, though I don't know about the grommets yet. I was thinking about making tab tops for them instead but I'm not sure how that will look. Grommets are kind of expensive and I'm trying to save money with these.

I was thinking of tabs, like with window curtains, I think that could work for shower curtains.

I use a plain old cotton curtain i got from k mart years ago...no liner.

check out www.pvcfree.org for the movie PVC, the poison plastic..it is really one of the worst plastics ever made...in every part of its cycle it is very poisonous. maybe you can get a hold of "pack cloth" this is a man made but earth friendly fiber as it is very water and mildew repellant and lasts and lasts...we sell curtains from this material, I am not sure about finding the fabric itself.

I just scrubbed my bathroom it feels sooooo good to have it sooo clean! so today I am pretty much cleaning,,,i feel like I wont sew very good stuff until my space is clean and organized...

blessings~

[Neuromancer]

Nursemummy, I know how you feel! I hope you can find a class that fits your schedule. Mine is on a weekday evening for two hours and is offered through a cute little dress store just 10 minutes from my house that also does alterations, and it only has 3 students to 1 teacher, so I know I got lucky.

[inthezoo]

What a fun thread. For me I never really get sewing done in the summer despite my best intentions. My current project include:

Apron for my 3yr old (just finished today!!)
3 dolls
2 pairs reversible print pants in a Halloween prints
2 pairs reversible pirate print pants
Many many recycled wool sweater pants (just finished 1 pair today!!!)
Wool sweater diaper covers
2 pair Maternity yoga pants
4 pairs toddler slippers preferably out of wool scraps
4 pairs toddler mittens preferably out of wool scraps

I have bags and bags of clothes I was going to either remaster into kids clothes or donate and I need to go through them this week to decide what to keep and what to toss. I like making t-shirts into little t-shirts and pants.

I hesitate to put this on my current list but I did buy the fabric so I guess I should.

I need to make winter jackets for both boys and one for the baby coming in January. I have to make at least two sleep sacks and I have fabric for 5 newborn sleepers. Dh just asked me to make him more boxers too. I don't have a pattern for them, anyone have a good one?

I know I probably won't get through my list, but all I can do is try!

[pampered_mom]

I just started sewing again after a very long time...since middle school maybe? I bought an old Singer sewing machine and had some repair work done on it. I've used it a few times so far and love it!

I've mostly been doing repair work - reattached the hood on a hoodie sweatshirt and fixed the bottom of the pockets on my robe. I've also been sewing together the strips for a denim braided rug that I've been working on since this summer.

Otherwise it's mostly Christmas presents. I'm making or need to get started on-
-Some handkerchiefs for dh out of some camel colored flannel
-A tent from "Sewing in No Time" by Emma Hardy for ds for Christmas
-A floor cushion from "Sewing in Not Time" to go in ds' tent
-Some fabric boxes from the same book for my sisters and my sister-in-law for Christmas
-A clothespin bag from the same book for my mom for Christmas

I'm waiting on the book from the library since the last time I checked it out and made my project list I didn't have a machine yet. It's due back tomorrow so hopefully whomever has it will return it on time! After Christmas (I hope to get the book as a gift) I'm going to get started on some curtains for my dining room patio door w/coordinating placemats.

[Neuromancer]

Pampered_mom, I bought a used machine, too. Mine is an old Viking Husqvarna that I've named Pippi. I had to get it repaired (bad eBay shipper) and it still won't do buttonholes, but I am pretty please with the machine itself.