First pair finished

This morning I decided to leave the housework and start on the pyjama top before I got bogged down with all the other stuff. This worked well and the sewing was a breeze. Ok so the dishes didn't get done till later and the floor is still waiting to be vacuumed, but hey I have a new pair of pyjamas :)

Update: The pyjama pants are fine, very loose and comfortable, but I am unsure about the top. Although suggested fabric types included all types of cotton I think it would have been better in a softer fabric, this fabric has very little drape and the top does not sit very well. I will make more pairs of these pants but think I will use a different pattern for the next top.

First day of the year, 1st piece made

Happy New Year everyone.

I am not one for new years resolutions but among other things I have decided that this year I am going to make some time for me, every day, something I have not done for a long time. I really need to take time to slow down and have some fun, time to enjoy things like reading, sewing, walking in the fresh air, or just plain relaxing. I intend to do whatever needs to be done (housework, shopping, laundry, study etc) early in the day and once it gets to 2 or 3pm then it's my time until I need to start making dinner or have something urgent to deal with. I don't know how long this will last but I am going to give it my best shot.

I worked hard today to get things done so I could have some me time and it just happened I was finished with everything when my little one decided to have a nap.


Today I have sewn up a pair of pyjama pants in a stripe cotton using Simplicity 9505. They are nothing flash but I really need pyjamas. I altered the pattern slightly as I didn't want shorts and I didn't want full length either, I made them just under knee length.

It's time to make dinner now and I won't have any more me time today but tomorrow I hope to get on with making the pyjama top from the same pattern as the pants, view F. The top shouldn't take long, the fiddly bit will be making the drawstring but I made one today for the pants (not in the pattern but I wanted one) and it didn't take very long.

Once these pyjamas are given a trial run to see how they stack up comfort wise I will either make another set the same (with perhaps a different top) in the other fabric I purchased, or wait till the McCalls pattern I ordered a few days ago arrives. Either way I am so looking forward to have some new 'jammies and having two pairs to choose from will be nice.

What are you working on?

Ready to sew

The going has been slower than I would have liked but my darling little one so lovingly shared his flu with me and I am dragging myself around at a snails pace.

Despite feeling pretty average I really want to get these done, and I have managed to wash and dry the fabric (even though I was tempted to skip this step as the washing machine was working overtime anyway), cut out and make a few adjusments to the pattern, and cut the pieces out for one pair of pyjama pants and one top.

The pattern placement took some extra thought as I believed I had purchased just enough for pants from this particular piece of fabric, but with the addition of a centre back seam and altering the length of the pants from full length to 3/4 (as I wanted anyway) I managed to squeeze out a top as well.

I am hoping tomorrow I will feel up to sewing, but if not the next day ...

Fabric update

I escaped from the house this morning on a little fabric finding mission.

Unfortunately in my travels I discovered that the store I wanted to check out will be closed till after New Years. Oh well, not wanting to go home empty handed I decided to make a detour via the local Spotllight store, which was only a few streets away from where I was anyway.

Spotlight did not have many fabrics in but I settled on some lightweight cottons. The first one has a blue background with lemon, pale blue, pink and green outlined hearts on it, I purchased enough of this to make one pair of 3/4 pyjama pants and hopefully a pyjama top.

The second fabric has a white background and stripes in navy, blue, green and pink (much the same colours as the other fabric) but unfortunately there was only enough of this for a pair of pyjama pants. I will need to go back at some stage and get something that co-ordinates for the other pyjama top, but it's better than nothing.

So off to the washing machine these go. If the kids don't need me too much today, which is highly likely as 3 of them have the flu (as do I), I might get some patterns traced off or cut out, not sure which way I will be going with that yet.

I am hoping to start sewing tomorrow but that depends on how well I feel. At least I am making some progress ...

A late WIAW

Ruthie is holding a WIAW over the Christmas break, with prep being done the week prior to Christmas and the sewing starting on Boxing Day and some of the girls are already producing finished garments.

I fianlly decided I will join in but I will be a little late.

I have been searching for PJ's but cannot find what I want in the style, colour or size I want, so I have decided to use the WIAW to create 2 pr pj bottoms and 2 tops. It might not be what most people have in mind for a WIAW but it's what I need right now.

Despite best intentions I haven't made it to the fabric store yet, but I have found the pattern I want to use and decided on how much fabric I will need. I spent the day today catching up on housework so hopefully tomorrow I can venture out for a little retail therapy and get some fabric so the WIAW can begin.

Once I get these pieces done then I might still consider the Winter (Summer down under) 6 pack. I could do with some more summer tops and thin pants (probably linen or linen blend), so we will see ...

Happy Sewing.

Will I or won't I?

This is a mad time of year for everyone, is it not?

With the boys on summer school holidays there is so much to do and, with Christmas approaching at lightening speed and me still trying to tame the spring cleaning, there are simply not enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do, never mind the stuff I want to do. So why I am I wondering if I have time to get some sewing done amongst all the madness?

On the Sewing Guild there is always something happening and at the moment there are three tempting options to ponder. There is the Wardrobe in a Week (which is actually one week prep and one week sewing) to complete 4 garments, the Winter sew along (or Summer for those of us down under) with a 6 garment goal, or the more challenging SWAP (Sewing with a plan, 11 garments to be made). Any of these choices would add some much needed variation into my currently lacking wardrobe and each has it's pro's and cons, but I am not sure I can complete any of them.

I haven't had time to sort through my patterns or fabrics to see what I might like to make with what I have available, and for now I am still pondering, but I am leaning towards the WIAW. I have done this once before and know I can do it, so that might be my jumping off point and if I can manage it then it could morph it into the Summer Six Pack. I don't have any TNT's yet so I am pretty sure the SWAP is beyond me atm, but I'll get there.

Time will tell ...

Where are the patterns?

We live in a part of the world where being at the beach, pool, or lake is a big part of our lives, especially in Summer (which is approaching fast), and you need appropriate clothing to protect yourself from the very harsh sun. I prefer longer length board shorts and either a tankini top or rashie, but finding something suitable in shops is almost impossible (and always expensive). I decided to make my own and that's where I hit a stumbling block.

I have been searching pattern websites for ladies board short, tankini and rashie patterns, to no avail. Surely somewhere out there they exist? After some time I discovered a mens board short pattern made by Jalie, but that's it. I am so disappointed, I was really hoping there would be half a dozen or more patterns to choose from but sadly there aren't.

So my question is this, if you want to make your own sun safe swim wear what patterns do you use? Do you adapt another pattern, have you drafted our own, or have you given up as it's all too hard? If you have sewn your own what fabrics have you used and where did you get them from? They seem to be almost as hard to find as the patterns.

Hopefully someone has been there done that and can point me in the right direction. Right now I am feeling rather down about the whole thing but the kids are hoping I find a solution fast as the school holidays are just a few short weeks away.

I await your words of wisdom ...