Saturday, July 24, 2010

A few recent happenings


Golf cart rides are great--and she's driving!

Scrabble games and sewing


APT--Elise loved it, Albin tolerated it
Caterpillars
Chrysalis 

Thursday, July 1, 2010

how I stay out of trouble

Here's a few things I sewed this week.  An apron from a 1929 pattern using vintage reproduction 1930s fabric.  I looked for the right apron pattern for months to make this one, after buying the rest of the bolt while visiting my mom in the spring.  I love love looove this fabric.  So guess what.  The apron does not fit me.  At all.  The 'one size fits most' really means 'tall, long-waisted folks.'  It ties right over my backside, which is not where I usually secure my apron ties.  I've got two yards of this fabulous fabric left, so no worries, only three strikes til I'm out (...shopping for more fabric, that is...).

I wanted to make Elise a vintage style nightdress, but our budget kept sending me to my stash instead of the stores this week.  (Everything I made was from the stash, actually.)  I didn't have enough of this fabric left for a full nightgown, and I didn't have a pattern, either.  I used one of Elise's old costume patterns to make a chemise style top.  It turned out better than the online directions I found for an authentic chemise--this one has a better armscye.  In fact, with the drawstring at the neckline, this top almost fits me--I'll have to keep it in mind when I'm ready to sew my own linen chemise.

And last but not least, I found a free online pattern for baby pants this morning, so now I've got something to bring to the new babies at our family reunion this year.  Albin dyed the fabric a few weeks ago at a friend's house (tie dye party), and gave it to me.  There was just enough for two pairs of pants.  I also finished up the other puppet theater I started years ago, and that's ready to give to the little bit older cousins at the reunion.