Kilt (NOT Quilt) Sewing on FNSI

Working on a UFO... I started this 2 years ago taking a class.   A Kilt for my daughter.... and I'm nearly done.  One more night of hand sewing... then onto the vest (either raspberry or black).  NOTE:  this was a UFO on purpose... I needed to wait for my daughter to grow so it would fit her!

I worked for 1.5 hours on this last night.  Note that a Kilt is mostly hand done, some of the facing/lining is done by machine and the buckles.  I don't like how we were taught to put the buckles on, but they are on.  I may take them off though and stitch them only to the under layer - I don't like the showing stitching.

The black threads are the basting threads and will be removed after a final pressing.  There are some stray pink threads that need cutting, but I forgot scissors last night....

Kilt Front

Kilt back, basting still in
Pleats are first pinned, then basted (top & bottom),
the top is then stitched down with 12-18 per inch
Buckle on left still needs attaching after final fitting

Some of the machine sewing...
This buckle is on the lower flap so the stitches don't show

Close up of the  hand stitches

And some other projects... some quick mending and finished up 4 blocks for a baby quilt.

Back to School Sewing

Here is a list of the patterns and projects I'm planning on using for the kids back to school clothes. I'm sure they'll also help me with the sewing...

For my 10yo son:

• Pants from Ottobre 1/ 2011 #39
  we'll make 1 pair out of a not so favourite fabric and then more if he likes the pattern/fit
• Tshirt from Ottobre 1/2010 #24 (with short sleeves)

 For my 8yo daughter:

• Skirt from Ottobre 1/2011 #31 - in grey/pink plaid
• Tunic/Dress from Ottobre 4/2011 #28
• Leggings to match above from Ottobre 4/2011 #32
• White Blouse

For my 5yo daughter:

• Leggings and Tunic/Dress 3/2008 #11&12
• Blouse (to match a previously made skirt) Ottbore 1/2010 #11
• Pinafore from Ottobre 4/2011 #14

All fabrics except the fabric for the Pinafore are from my stash... and some is the fabric my husbad brought back from Finland!


Off to trace the last of the patterns -- pulling out 3/2008 to trace leggings and the tunic!

The following items are maybes... don't know if I'll make them, unsure if they'll wear them....  So these aren't traced, and won't be until all the other sewing is done.

• For my older daughter - the jacket  3/2008 #27/40 
• For my son - the jacket Ottobre 4/2011 #40 - don't have any fabric for this....
  

More Costume Sewing

Only one costume to go!  My oldest daughter highland dances and she recently moved from Novice to Intermediate.  Now that she is an Intermediate, she requires 2 new costumes.


The Irish Jig
The first is the Irish Jig Costume.  This is a "fun" costume because there are so many different options!  We've gone quite simple for this one... She'll wear her white blouse and petticoat from her National Costume, and red & green reversible skirt, a white apron and a cummerbund.  She also wears red jig shoes (they are like a tap shoe), and it allowed to wear bows in her hair.  This weekend will be the first time she competes the dance in competition.

Fully reversible
Closes with Aplix (velcro) at the back

Bows
She wanted two bows for times when she can wear pig tails.
I think red ones might be brighter, but had the green ribbon in
the drawer...

This costume is one of  the least expensive to make... it uses poly-cotton broadcloth...  I chose the poly-cotton so it won't wrinkle as much.   I've found a great sale on broadcloth when a local fabric store was closing out... or another good time to buy is after Christmas when needing red and green.  At the next good sale, I will need to pickup some more red fabric as I'm nearly out...  My guess is the Aplix (left over from cloth diaper days), stabilizer, interfacing, ribbon, rivets, and hair elastics are the most expensive items...  Estimated total cost of the skirt, cummerbund, apron, and elastics is around $5-10 plus my time...
Sailor's Hornpipe
The second costume is the Sailor's Hornpipe.  We found one second hand for $20... including the Sailor's Cap... BUT it needed altering....so now I'm altering it.  I plan to finish this today.

Hopefully later today I can get photos of both costumes modelled..

Sewing Distractions:  Last night my 5 year old didn't want to go to sleep so I had an "assistant" helping me... Until WAY past her bedtime, so I had to quit sewing to get her to bed....  But I did clean up the sewing table and draft a pattern for a pair of pants for my daughters build a bear...

Finally Posting - Fall Dresses

OK I forgot to post these... a while ago!  These are the dresses I made for my daughters for my cousins wedding... and back to school... These are both Ottobre patterns. The pink one is Ottobre 3/2010 #27,28. I think the purple one is from 2002, but I'm not sure...

They absolutely love these dresses and get lots of wear out of these!

My grandmother is 94 years old and still doing well, although she is currently recovering from a fall. She loves visiting and seeing the kids!

With their Great Gramma!

Catching up with some other projects

A Quick Project

I've been needing a curtain for my door.  This was a no sew project, but did use some yucky sticky velcro from my stash!  I was shopping yesterday and came across these sliding blind panels.  They had velcro at the top, and a bar/weight at the bottom and instructions were included to shorten them.  I figured it was a nice quick project to hide my sewing room.  My sewing room has a wonderful glass door...  And the best thing was it only cost $5 (plus the yucky velcro in my stash) and took less than 10minutes to install.

And no you can't see into the room.  Its a disaster....

Christmas PJs

OK, these aren't really Christmas themed, but the last day of school before Christmas holidays is PJ day at my kids school.  Now I don't really get the idea of this, but my kids can't go wearing well worn pjs from last year, the year before, or even hand-me downs.  The last few years I've been giving them their Christmas PJs early... So this year the girls got dance nighties and fleece pants, and my son got a pair of green pants & a top.  In typical procrastination fashion, the last item was finished at 10pm the night before they were needed.

Arm warmers for me.  A quick project made from some left over fleece

Some boots for the boys in the Christmas Concert

Some progress

Quilt Progress

More blocks for Quilt 3

I am making progress - I have 6 sets of blocks... but they are 4 different sizes!!! Oops... I have 3 sets of 4 blocks at 12.5inches, 1 set of 4 blocks at each 6.5, 8.5 and 9.5inches... and how will I lay them out in the end... OK this quilting as my mood strikes me may be a problem...

And how about some leftover blocks... some half square triangles, squares and quarter square triangles and hourglass blocks.  And just how do I make these blocks of various sizes (1.5, 1.75, 2.25, 2.5, 3 and 5 inches) all into something to fit the quilt....

Christmas Sewing

I`ve also been working on Christmas presents.  Mostly embroidered projects... many designs downloaded from emblibrary.com...  maybe a few from other sources (but can`t remember off the top of my head...)  I also have started 4 sewing related mug rugs, which I think I`ll give out with a Christmas mug to a few of my friends that sew...

Other projects ongoing - I have started a few gifts for the kids and some `boots` for the kindergarten boys for the Christmas concert.


Thank you... I won a giveaway over on Cotton Cocktails for 3 episodes of the Quilt Show...

And also recently received a pattern from the giveaway on Moose Quilts and used the flower from the pattern today!

Today's Progress

The box of stuff I have cut out...

• shorts (1pr for each girl)
• skorts (1 for each girl)
• back to school dress for my youngest
• back to school skirt and blouse for oldest daughter
• tshirt and pants for my son
• two tshirt remakes for my husband

This is my dress. It is started, darts have been sewn, basted, test fit, basting pulled out and the skirt has been sewn together on one side. Now to sew the bodice together, then to add the skirt

My sons new back to school top. From the latest Ottobre - more info once the pants are finished.

And two bread bags out of Australian fabrics (birds and flowers) as well as a newly covered food cover.

The blankets I embroidered for my mom.

Swimsuits in action!

swimsuits in action!
Originally uploaded by l3designs

New swimsuits for this summer... I won't lose them at the beach! Wow! The yellow fabric is bright!

And swimsuits...

Its summer and I'm now sewing swimsuits and exercise wear...

My son and I have been going out for long speed walks so he wanted a pair of exercise/bike shorts as most of his shorts have been causing some chafing...

I didn't have a pattern here as I only brought a few of my Ottobre magazines (and for some reason ended up with more winter ones than summer ones...), so I modified the Ottobre "Print for Free" swimsuit pattern (its not available in English!). The pattern name is Uikkarit and was a great quick pattern to make up. I added 7" to the leg length, and added a little to the back waist, straightening out the back crotch curve. I didn't follow the directions as I don't read Finish, but after making many pairs of leggings and undies, its not too complicated.

The picture isn't great, as I used black lycra!

Summer Time Sewing

At the Beach!


I am currently enjoying the beach for the summer and have brought my sewing machines with me.



We did some painting...







I frantically sewed the first week... It was kids club at church and the theme was









Some sewing for the girls... two new outfits each. The first was pink zebra print quilting cotton - this was beautiful fabric found in the $5 clearance section... it was on buy 1m get 1m free! The bodice for the dress and the peasant top are both from The Handmade Dress Miss Madeline Pattern. For each I added ribbon trim across the chest with inserted elastic. My oldest wanted a blouse and skirt, so her skirt was just gathered panels with an elastic waist -- I used my gathering foot on my serger and this went together really fast. For my youngest she wanted a dress, so onto the bodice, after only sewing one side seam, I used my serger's gathering foot and added ruffles until I got to the desired length. Both dresses were trimmed with beige eyelet, that I applied using the same gathering foot.




Their second dresses were made from some gorgeous knit fabric I picked up at the same "Buy 1m, get 2m free" So I picked up some spotted leopard print that has pink hearts in it. The knit is really nice, a good heavy weight and if it didn't have the pattern it does on it, I would make myself something with the left overs! For a pattern I used Ottobre 3/09 #29 and flared it out (and lengthened it) to make it a dress....





And some things for my son... a pair of shorts based on a pattern from 4/09 and modified to have contrast hem bands and pockets & elastic waistband. As wells as two tshirts (Ottobre 3/10 #35) - one with animal print and some solid grey & black and one made from a recycled sweater of my moms. It had some stains on the front, so she didn't want it anymore...








I spent the week helping in the craft room! Where else? We painted bags, decorated pots and made necklaces and coloured walking sticks.







We came home with some drums! These were hand painted by one of the very talent young girls at the church. She also did the paper mache animals and other decorations in the church. The whole front wall had a huge mural hanging on it, painted by a professional artist who each year paints a mural for church camp.

After a busy week with the kids at church camp, sewing them clothes, having my mom and 94yo Gram here, I then took a week offT Yesterday I started sewing again, prompted by the need of another gift! I'll post some gift sewing photos soon!