Sales

Just in case anyone has missed them, here is a link to a round up of PDF pattern sales

Black Friday Sales

Also, 50% off Sewaholic printed patterns with code BF2015 and free international shipping on orders over $50.

Sewaholic Patterns

Enjoy!

A little sewing for the little man

My older two kids (now 22 and 20) are not so willing these days to have me make clothes for them, which is fine, but my 17 yo will still wear shorts and shirts I make for him (as long as they are plain and nothing fancy). Little man (almost 10) is the one I can still have fun sewing for, he is happy to choose fabrics and patterns and I can make him almost anything and he will happily wear it.

Yesterday i pulled some brown drill and some camouflage poplin from the stash and set about making him the Alpine shorts from Terra's Treasures. The pattern can be found here for anyone interested http://terrastreasuresdesigns.com/shop/alpine-shorts-and-trousers/ .
These are the shorts as per the pattern (pic from Terra's Treasures Blog).

While the pattern calls for cutting different fronts and backs to create the upward sweep of the contrast over the legs I decided to go a different way and create the legs with the contrast lower at both sides of the legs and higher in the middle. This allowed me to cut two fronts and two backs from the same pattern piece (instead of the 4 separate pieces that would be required if following the pattern).

I also decided to cut the contrast from the poplin as a double piece to account for the difference in weight from the drill of the main body of the shorts. I also left out the side seam pockets, as these shorts were the first trial of the pattern and were basically a test run to see if any changes had to be made. Well the shorts were a hit and little man has not had them off his body since they were completed. I was a little disappointed with the non-roll elastic I had on hand and will have to find some of a better quality before I make him another pair.

Hopefully I can get these off him in time to launder them and pack them in his bag for camp, he goes in a few days and wanted shorts that cover his knees so he won't get scratched on the rope swing. These fit the bill perfectly.

Swap 2015

The rules for this years Swap on Artisans Square have been announced and, in a nutshell, anyone who chooses to participate needs to sew:

1 "3 pack" of Colour(s) A (3 garments)
1 "3 pack" of Colour(s) B (3 garments)
1 "Combo Pack" of Colour(s) A & B (2 garments)
1 "3 pack" of Wild Cards (any colour but will work with at least some items from other packs)

These rules re further clarified to state that A "3 pack" can be any of the following:

2 tops + 1 bottom
1 top + 1 bottom + 1 outer layer
1 dress + 1 top + 1 bottom
2 bottoms + 1 top
2 dresses & 1 layer.
1 dress + 1 top OR bottom + 1 layer.

Time limits and other rules:

Two garments may be previously sewn but do not have to, one may be purchased if you like and two may be sewn up before the official sewing start date of Dec 26, 2015. Muslins, pattern fitting, cutting, interfacing, and other preparatory work may begin right away. All garments must be finished by April 30, 2016. While this is a competition the only prizes are the satisfaction of completing the challenge and the enjoyment of planning and sewing.

So far I am not 100% sure I will be participating this year but I am considering it. I have not sewn for myself for quite some time but Uni is finished for the summer break so I should  be able to find the time, all I need is for the RA to co-operate so I am physically able as well.

Today I sorted my fabric stash into plain knits, patterned knits, plain wovens and patterned wovens so I could clearly see what I have to work with. I tend to buy fabrics in lots of two or three that co-ordinate so it should not be hard to find fabrics that work together. My pattern stash is not too bad, with an ever growing collecting of pdf patterns, but whether I have patterns to suit the fabrics remains to be seen.

My sewing machine is good to go but the 22 year old overlocker may need a bit of an overhaul first, I will have to get one of the kids to unearth it for me (from the depths of the garage) so I can determine what needs to be done (hopefully it won't be much).

I need to think some more ...