tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26515669234160390122024-02-21T03:42:29.853+01:00dawnberriesdawnberriesdawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-24678444878672055032012-09-30T10:46:00.001+01:002012-10-03T18:57:28.434+01:00Setting the TableRemember a while back when I tried to make a paper napkin holder and ended up with a pattern holder instead? Well, I finally came across another fabric "basket" tute that I thought would work for napkins if I just made it bigger. And I had just covered some new dining room chairs we bought (which were extremely dirty as they were stored outside behind the store or something) in this paisley fabric, so I made them to match!<br />
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The <a href="http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2010/12/jennifers-fabric-focus-happy-hostess-gift-box-pattern/" target="_blank">basket tute</a> was on Sew Mama Sew and mentioned <a href="http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2012/09/free-fabric-friday-contest-amazing-prizes-reminder/" target="_blank">this contest</a> where you upload pics of things you made for your dinner table to enter. How perfect! I already wanted to make a table cloth for the big table as well as one for the kids' table, which we break out if we are having guests over to eat who have kids. And I thought I may as well make some cloth napkins too...... and we ALWAYS need dish covers....so:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDqnLOO5YVvxo2yhearb-_DHmF5TIs98EZA-ruF4xhj-AJq-jh0OCTz5GvrQ1vBxICz0iO6C-gqqOmt9OAJP6xZ94GSdF_zr7rSFBCg7ptID0XlUOLfttb74i2DDA-bV8pZwrBlexYAQ/s1600/117JVCSO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDqnLOO5YVvxo2yhearb-_DHmF5TIs98EZA-ruF4xhj-AJq-jh0OCTz5GvrQ1vBxICz0iO6C-gqqOmt9OAJP6xZ94GSdF_zr7rSFBCg7ptID0XlUOLfttb74i2DDA-bV8pZwrBlexYAQ/s1600/117JVCSO.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two types of dish covers, mug rugs, and kids' and adults' napkins</td></tr>
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I had been wanting to make the <a href="http://thecottagehome.blogspot.com/2011/05/color-my-summer-purple-potluck-bowl.html" target="_blank">elasticized dish covers</a> for some time and then I saw the square ones with the beads hanging from the corners (to weight it down) on the Sew Mama Sew list of table tutes, so I decided to make those too. Unfortunately, I learned that these only work for tall bowls, otherwise the beads touch the table (which doesn't look so great, but is probably just as effective). I should have taken a little more care in deciding which dishes needed covers....... I also saw the tutorial for the "mug rugs" and thought I'd make one of those for each of us too. We used them the other day for a gelatin snack. And, of course, I made 4 adult napkins and 4 kid napkins too. <br />
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So, here is the table set for dinner:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgLf9i0_u5ltpMaC9Z2Eae_27oIfvat1fiFCvQCFzwOJ6NgaXUQtXh8O4fVa_lzP47hNHc3TzOkuSeKTSLOKogTCqA0utQ4Gn7Y9BdTNvQFmTRqfiyu62DMeXAyEe6Y-V9Iv9-Z2HId8/s1600/PIC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgLf9i0_u5ltpMaC9Z2Eae_27oIfvat1fiFCvQCFzwOJ6NgaXUQtXh8O4fVa_lzP47hNHc3TzOkuSeKTSLOKogTCqA0utQ4Gn7Y9BdTNvQFmTRqfiyu62DMeXAyEe6Y-V9Iv9-Z2HId8/s1600/PIC_0021.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That little rooster holding the toothpicks was a souvenir my husband brought me from Portugal several years ago. And the Fiestaware I brought over from the U.S.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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And the kids' table:<br />
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I had to hand dye the lace I used to trim the edges of both table cloths. That took two tries for each one. It is very hard to match colors when dyeing!<br />
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And here is the table set for a cup of tea:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoyas4WMJwollAQIHXXOxggbttT-hgeZlmFIHIg0J-4WcSL4DaUEEHrxGIWiSgyKSrVo8PHu9N2f1GNYPi3BRL2Usgno4Z0SmAxCqr7YwWFPePaEWJ1Xcw-c4BAra4EEUh9FTrwYSRaY/s1600/PIC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoyas4WMJwollAQIHXXOxggbttT-hgeZlmFIHIg0J-4WcSL4DaUEEHrxGIWiSgyKSrVo8PHu9N2f1GNYPi3BRL2Usgno4Z0SmAxCqr7YwWFPePaEWJ1Xcw-c4BAra4EEUh9FTrwYSRaY/s1600/PIC_0036.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The green teapot with the flowers was a hand-painted gift from my cousin; and the red teapot was a gift from a friend.</td></tr>
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So, there you have it. Loads of linens to set our tables! I think the colors are very cheerful and go nicely with our new chairs as well as our everyday dishes. I think my husband thinks they are a bit loud and maybe don't go together as well as I think they do. Ah, men! <br />
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One special challenge I had making all of these things was the fact that our electricity supply has been particularly bad the past 2 weeks. We have only had power in the middle of the night (if that). And I cannot iron if we are using the generator. This means, I had to FINGER PRESS both table cloths and all 8 napkins! Man! That was tedious and time consuming. And my patchwork mug rugs aren't quite as neat as they might otherwise be. Incidentally, we haven't had any power at all from the grid for over 48 hours now, so I guess I shouldn't have been complaining the past couple of weeks....... Oh! And it turns out that BOTH of our cameras are broken now, so I had to take all these photos with the video camera. *sigh* See why we need such cheerful table linens now?<br />
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<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-89248614412630370262012-09-25T09:20:00.001+01:002012-09-25T09:20:50.930+01:00Minnie Me DolliesI have a group of crafty mom friends who are forever inspiring, encouraging and supporting me! They really are a wonderful group of women! Without them, it would be much harder to cope with all the challenges of life in Angola. So recently, some of them were making <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_doll" target="_blank">Waldorf type dolls</a> for their daughters. It all started when Steph Carton (<a href="http://www.theelimonster.com/" target="_blank">The Eli Monster cloth diapers</a>) made this darling doll named "Wei" for her daughter, using a doll form. I don't know if you know this, but waldorf dolls are expensive! They are made with all natural materials and are hand-made with care. One way to make them a little more affordable, is to make some parts yourself, that way you can customize it too! So, she purchased sort of a blank doll and then embroidered the face, added the gorgeous hair and made her darling outfits.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtoq9bVNovHaNwKesbKPDuIvzRD2bmxA6f6MwkU9Gt7yhUXw0Lr9gyhJxj9008vtJpJoS2F4hoPYb-4j61ysOMoZtynTRfXqXUHY8WxeUMJBiYCZkPtjgg3w7c-7Gq0A9b4xxvqTubtY/s1600/Dolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtoq9bVNovHaNwKesbKPDuIvzRD2bmxA6f6MwkU9Gt7yhUXw0Lr9gyhJxj9008vtJpJoS2F4hoPYb-4j61ysOMoZtynTRfXqXUHY8WxeUMJBiYCZkPtjgg3w7c-7Gq0A9b4xxvqTubtY/s1600/Dolls.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Wei. Her favorite color is "rainbow". She wears custom undies made by The Eli Monster (pattern soon to be released) and likes to bathe in the kitchen sink.</td></tr>
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Next, Karin Baker (<a href="http://www.dominopads.com/" target="_blank">Domino Pads</a>) decided to make one too! She spun the hair herself from wool roving. And she made the entire doll from scratch! She started out buying a doll form but ended up wanting more details, like the more life-like eyes and the sculpted fingers and toes. She even made her a dress to match her daughter's dress too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIIMLF6Iel1aOQ_dZO2s0yWrvEpt3494V0xnsjOFPxVHoEq6ueBm-VnguLVQuxXok4L1kLx4pBFxdXRO7B4_YOtzuR7fE9d21KqZEktdtRgHLgZPZm3lEaxMfBbVUhAG5Blj278UFqK8/s1600/Dolls1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIIMLF6Iel1aOQ_dZO2s0yWrvEpt3494V0xnsjOFPxVHoEq6ueBm-VnguLVQuxXok4L1kLx4pBFxdXRO7B4_YOtzuR7fE9d21KqZEktdtRgHLgZPZm3lEaxMfBbVUhAG5Blj278UFqK8/s1600/Dolls1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karin's daughter just got this gorgeous dollie for her birthday! Aren't they both just adorable?! And those matching frocks (*sigh & smile*)!</td></tr>
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Actually, Karin got bitten so badly by the doll-making bug, she started making some to sell! They are unbelievably gorgeous! When she takes up a new interest, she really goes for it! She is all about the fun, the love and quality! Here are some of the dolls she has been making:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNCIBVc7MbQHm_W6agSavu4W1p6XGMlazbXcCI4ZHVoe_V2KZjiczRrz-eisqF3hMhofcfJudhpK1yOxVPAx442A5WKZJxDz51BXueR6MqqDNk7w3vXiji0GM2-WQzWxLaIa7ne8yWl4/s1600/Dolls7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNCIBVc7MbQHm_W6agSavu4W1p6XGMlazbXcCI4ZHVoe_V2KZjiczRrz-eisqF3hMhofcfJudhpK1yOxVPAx442A5WKZJxDz51BXueR6MqqDNk7w3vXiji0GM2-WQzWxLaIa7ne8yWl4/s1600/Dolls7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't they amazing?! Check out her shop, <a href="http://hyenacart.com/stores/SpinstersFairytales/index.php?c=3" target="_blank">Spinster's Fairytales</a> to see more. She even sells the yarn for the hair if you wish to make your own doll.</td></tr>
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And then, Gretchen (formerly of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/smox" target="_blank">Smox on Etsy</a>- we have two of her art smox that we LOVE) decided to make "Astoria" for her daughter, also for a birthday present. She also used a doll form and chose beautiful aqua hair.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWNV27rAOixMoJQw26yoHIiXcJ9AW1QUZx3gb1nmEIFFPYmMAak7aIjYAZNy0Xp1WuwkHU7xrI3aKZWmnvmyidHkI_mnMlvjdCgLxlxvdt5882Bbn3DwcMXbTdwpEHj9ZKiywQsDgAo8/s1600/Dolls6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWNV27rAOixMoJQw26yoHIiXcJ9AW1QUZx3gb1nmEIFFPYmMAak7aIjYAZNy0Xp1WuwkHU7xrI3aKZWmnvmyidHkI_mnMlvjdCgLxlxvdt5882Bbn3DwcMXbTdwpEHj9ZKiywQsDgAo8/s1600/Dolls6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the left is the doll form with the yarn laid on top. Look how happy the little birthday girl looks! So sweet!</td></tr>
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So, of course, my kids needed dollies too! I so wished I could buy a doll form (or be as quick a learner as Karin)...... but, alas! I have to make due with what I have on hand. I knew right away which yarn I would use for their hair. It is hand spun wool that I got through trades from another crafty mom friend (<a href="http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8446802#post8446802" target="_blank">Spindle Spun who I know from diaperswappers</a>). I have been trying to come up with worthy projects for a long time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo5k_f0X0oHGVbwcqfkREvXS-Tzk7Sy-E9qWm5teHfcnx1WnLe4jd_PUCNi9mokucWCha6p9vrFp6nLepzzzRfarBF5b-EIPODu2wi3cPpZeT4K5pSzVRqEc8gNGjZUPMuqtuanXSCzE/s1600/Dolls3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo5k_f0X0oHGVbwcqfkREvXS-Tzk7Sy-E9qWm5teHfcnx1WnLe4jd_PUCNi9mokucWCha6p9vrFp6nLepzzzRfarBF5b-EIPODu2wi3cPpZeT4K5pSzVRqEc8gNGjZUPMuqtuanXSCzE/s1600/Dolls3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow wool for my daughter's. Sarah hand dyed and spun the blue/green/rust wool (middle pic) for my son. We experimented with dyes (coffee, tea & fiber reactive) on suedecloth and bamboo jersey to try to match their skin tones. I decided to leave the blue marker off the doll's skin though.</td></tr>
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I started with the boy doll for my son since there is no shortage of girl dolls in this house already. I roughly followed <a href="http://doingwithout.livejournal.com/30295.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>, but I had some batting that I decided to use for the head and then I used some stuffing for the body. For the girl doll, I was all out of stuffing, so I unstuffed a throw pillow that I didn't need. The boy doll turned out kind of heavy, and
the girl doll much lighter (& a little smaller).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2azyd1c18e3DSOKM6tb4LtPw6HWvv0YCtHcBpbnPle5ikZxHst2ja_Pg5AkAh6Ie3RE9AOpaT79Le8ex9mELjCH_KuV18ehT5HVVviQecQoabtS5FXOh-tl1G_BfMpdDOTMmu4OkSdNk/s1600/Dolls4-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2azyd1c18e3DSOKM6tb4LtPw6HWvv0YCtHcBpbnPle5ikZxHst2ja_Pg5AkAh6Ie3RE9AOpaT79Le8ex9mELjCH_KuV18ehT5HVVviQecQoabtS5FXOh-tl1G_BfMpdDOTMmu4OkSdNk/s1600/Dolls4-001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made the eyes and mouth bigger than a usual Waldorf doll just because I was trying to make him look a little more like my son.</td></tr>
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So, here they are, both dolls along with their current wardrobes:<br />
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Obviously, I have been making some clothing for the dolls too: Undies (girl's from The Eli Monster's pattern, boxers from my pattern). I made some jeans, a cardigan, and a hat for the boy, and a sweater, a lacy knitted skirt, and another pair of undies for the girl. All the other clothes (the two knitted vests, the knitted dress, and all the booties) were my kids' newborn clothes. What luck they fit their dolls! I had been wondering what to do with those things I spent so much time making.....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjildZpiZHlAdQNX2M-BhVjNo7bSY_4zLOzEmv0X8g67H9vQq3_wh1vaEQhOSZ4ZWPP1QtqakmrQpdLQZ2M0n8ptCnS9Ufm4E_5SARzi6iD6c3hvMdgxnv3YTITsjv5p9ygv48l6O22s/s1600/Dolls8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjildZpiZHlAdQNX2M-BhVjNo7bSY_4zLOzEmv0X8g67H9vQq3_wh1vaEQhOSZ4ZWPP1QtqakmrQpdLQZ2M0n8ptCnS9Ufm4E_5SARzi6iD6c3hvMdgxnv3YTITsjv5p9ygv48l6O22s/s1600/Dolls8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son on the left wearing the white knit vest, and in the middle wearing a hat made from the same yarn as his dolls' hair. My daughter on the right wearing the knit dress. Do those two babies look alike or what?!</td></tr>
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So, I know my dolls turned out very crude, lumpy and wonky, especially in comparison to the dolls above, but my kids love them, so I am calling it a success.<br />
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dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-65878715015983973932012-08-23T11:47:00.000+01:002012-08-23T11:47:23.788+01:00I won! I won!So, you know how I keep talking about the <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/contestreport.pl?ContestID=163" target="_blank">Pattern Stash Contest</a> on <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/" target="_blank">Pattern Review</a>?<br />
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<a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/blog?s=1394044#.UCVCOKCpHp0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Read more about this contest"><img alt="Pattern Stash 2012" border="0" src="http://images.patternreview.com/siteimages/contest/2012/patternStash_iwon_200px.png" /></a></div>
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Well, <b>I won</b>! I sewed 33 different patterns in the month of July! Woo hoo! I really use sewing (& knitting) as a way to cope with the difficulties of living here in Angola. As long as we have power, either from the grid or a working generator with a long extension cord, I'm usually sewing! Sometimes I have to use a flash light to find things in my sewing storage room after dark (generator usually doesn't power those lights and there is some problem with the wiring, I guess so that light doesn't always work anyway). And even when there isn't power by any means, there is always the planning, the pattern tracing and all that other stuff to do. So, the bottom line is, I made a ton of stuff in July (even a few more things than those for the contest- 42 in all), and I was able to cope with all the upsets of life in a 3rd world country in the process. So, here's all the stuff I made:<br />
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Whew! That's a lot! Now, I'm taking a little bit of a break and doing knitting and crocheting instead of all the sewing (well, obviously still <b><i>some</i></b> sewing). For instance, I had to make a matching hoodie for my daughter:<br />
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as well as a matching pillow cover:<br />
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and a pair of jeans for my son's doll:<br />
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And of course, I am also working on a doll for my daughter, but I've run out of stuffing and haven't quite decided what to use instead...*scratching head*... I am considering un-stuffing a couch pillow with a recently "decorated" velvet covering.<br />
<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-54022734967269976202012-08-16T13:21:00.000+01:002012-08-16T13:21:01.877+01:00More Décor.........During the Pattern Stash Contest, I sewed some more things for around the house (i.e. non-clothing).<br />
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I swear I have been wanting to make some super cool wall thingie to measure the kids height on almost since my son was born. And I finally did it!<br />
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I just need to figure out which type of thing we will use for markers. I am thinking worm and butterfly to start (with height and date).<br />
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And I finally made some covers for the kids' throw pillows.<br />
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I have also wanted to make one of these for a very long time.<br />
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And I finally did. It was just in time for my son's birthday party. All of these items were made from patterns from the book Sewing Bits & Pieces. This book is wonderful for inspiration, but the patterns themselves and the instructions are variable. If you aren't good at winging it, you might hate this book, I mean, unless you just want to look at the pictures.<br />
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The last non-clothing item I made in July was this little pouch on a belt for my son.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Su5UYUp7xSz5zF9-g27eO-a0nfbFbU0K10XtPPG2lNXJ7tevEJJIl5SbINXxlmkgX-nEPJZW3B1D-KYXqf9q68vK-0aSsVUPDyoa1eI-D724YL5P0rBvvvJbfhF2hDsbM8VEUOxddkU/s1600/robot+pouch+980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Su5UYUp7xSz5zF9-g27eO-a0nfbFbU0K10XtPPG2lNXJ7tevEJJIl5SbINXxlmkgX-nEPJZW3B1D-KYXqf9q68vK-0aSsVUPDyoa1eI-D724YL5P0rBvvvJbfhF2hDsbM8VEUOxddkU/s1600/robot+pouch+980.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern is Simplicity 9080</td></tr>
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He can use it to collect rocks & leaves or to carry tools or Bakugans. I mean, pockets alone just aren't enough! Plus he can use this on clothing without pockets............. you know, like underpants!<br />
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<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-72272657649354666872012-08-11T11:38:00.002+01:002012-08-11T11:38:46.286+01:00Some Things to Keep the Kids Warm....It is winter here right now in the southern hemisphere, and although it doesn't get real cold in Angola, we feel cold sometimes. We even have to use a sheet or blanket to cover up in bed lately! *Gasp* <br />
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So, I decided to make the kids each a pair of warm, fuzzy, fleece pants.<br />
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The black ones I made using a Kwik Sew pattern, and they turned out great. The blue ones I used a Butterick pattern for, and their sizing is ludicrous. My daughter calls these her "big, blue, monster pants".<br />
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Then I realized that she really just needs lots of little knit pants or leggings to wear under all her dresses, so I whipped up a few.<br />
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For the aqua ones I used French terry with lycra and the Riviera leggings pattern from Sewing Clothes Kids Love, and added a little ruffle. The navy and purple ones were made from the Lil Blue Boo leggings pattern using a cotton/lycra jersey. They all fit great; and I know she will get a lot of use out of them. I don't know why I ever buy leggings. They are so easy to make. I guess it's because good knits are a bit hard to find.<br />
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But then, I thought they needed a new long-sleeved top each, and they love hoods.<br />
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I made these using the Imke pattern from Sewing Clothes Kids Love. I used a really thin cotton jersey for these since I don't want them to sweat too much.<br />
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And then, lastly, I decided to make one more little warm thing the night before the Pattern Stash Contest was over. My daughter never seems to have the right color of sweater. So I made her this (because she has a lot of dark pink stuff).<br />
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This shrug pattern is also from Sewing Clothes Kids Love. I used an old Gap sweater of mine that I loved but accidentally shrunk and felted a little. I used part of the belt as the binding around the shrug and then I decided to add some cut in half as a little tie so it doesn't fall off her shoulders.<br />
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I have been considering knitting everyone some socks or slippers (because I feel the need to knit lately for sanity), but I just don't think I could tolerate how quickly they would be ruined and/or worn out. Our socks don't last long at all here, so I just can't bring myself to hand-knit something that will be used up in a short amount of time. Oh well. It looks like I'll have to knit more doll clothes and wash cloths.....<br />
<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-55717336883021239722012-08-02T12:09:00.000+01:002012-08-02T12:09:08.047+01:00A Few Things for MeIn addition to the <a href="http://www.dawnberries.blogspot.com/2012/07/japanese-sewing-part-ni-aka-2.html" target="_blank">Japanese pattern flops</a> and the <a href="http://www.dawnberries.blogspot.com/2012/07/pattern-stash-part-1.html" target="_blank">brown, scrunchie tank top</a>, I made myself a few other things in July.<br />
<br />
I made another French terry tank top, this time in dark purple.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrl-J-Ll39174DxYcISdoHNjrqDirwrDGltc8xE-va0cMMqlJN9v5eRTR8hrX_kx8pVigo4vk5tOwws21ACQUn-4Zcp-chMUTkEb-IqAyoJMcD_u17-dVqe81HUmFYIN8oRQ4TAmpeOo/s1600/KS+purple+tank-980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrl-J-Ll39174DxYcISdoHNjrqDirwrDGltc8xE-va0cMMqlJN9v5eRTR8hrX_kx8pVigo4vk5tOwws21ACQUn-4Zcp-chMUTkEb-IqAyoJMcD_u17-dVqe81HUmFYIN8oRQ4TAmpeOo/s1600/KS+purple+tank-980.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern is Kwik Sew 3467. Great pattern!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am pretty happy with this one, and I think I will make some more of them when the weather warms back up. Also, I just can't say enough good things about this French terry fabric. I don't know why I horded it for so long. I think I've used it all up now, and I want more! It's such a stable knit, with plenty of softness and just enough stretch. <br />
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And I made myself a little, purple, knit skirt.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKf0GDl43geSzkCi-aiuDN1J42tONZX7NzFAm-rjAjJDiUjGi_U6KoPeu4Wvu3RdDZj7mMjGbc7pS-S1-Sh0QHXOQI-EYc7DHu2WFIoJNnOFxepyj-g46W9E0W6f992f9_dRPrvBr98k/s1600/purple+skirt+600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKf0GDl43geSzkCi-aiuDN1J42tONZX7NzFAm-rjAjJDiUjGi_U6KoPeu4Wvu3RdDZj7mMjGbc7pS-S1-Sh0QHXOQI-EYc7DHu2WFIoJNnOFxepyj-g46W9E0W6f992f9_dRPrvBr98k/s1600/purple+skirt+600.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern from Ottobre 2/2010.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's a little bit too little though, so I am thinking of adding something to the bottom, like maybe a ruffle. This is a thinner, stretchier knit, obviously with some lycra in it. I can't remember if it's cotton or bamboo.<br />
<br />
And I made myself another knit item, a navy blue sleeveless dress.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4qOOmm5OcgHS5GPv3LioH05u0aLTyizEm7XaMSHHPsD98AHap2UHTec74GYQF61LhE68JroWsuw04ko3llC-U8z2ZmItPhD0vJ1ErKuZPbnrj47dLMu9upnrhxXIYDWa1ENQqfUzTII/s1600/navy+otto+dress+980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4qOOmm5OcgHS5GPv3LioH05u0aLTyizEm7XaMSHHPsD98AHap2UHTec74GYQF61LhE68JroWsuw04ko3llC-U8z2ZmItPhD0vJ1ErKuZPbnrj47dLMu9upnrhxXIYDWa1ENQqfUzTII/s1600/navy+otto+dress+980.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also from Ottobre 2/2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This one is also a little short. I haven't decided if I should add to the bottom, shorten it to a tunic, or just wear it as a nightgown...... It's lovely and soft though and I think I will make more of these.<br />
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<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-80859957082725564622012-08-01T13:25:00.002+01:002012-08-01T13:25:38.831+01:00Hooray, Hats & Headbands!While sewing for the Pattern Stash Contest, and also sewing away the crazy, I made a bunch of hats and headbands. I made these two hats for my son:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaqODJZpl49jwwfXN7LcQWI1x-VKPig2mYtVtq-5XcWtDiQGNqcs0TgqIfpn8NnQ6RvAFTLjNUDNKCKjI3Wn5Jm4eZoZpQ18NRpHARUIIfb3GYs5euG7b9gBkue25U5ASH5dRP1QGQH8/s1600/Dawn%C2%B4s+stuff1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaqODJZpl49jwwfXN7LcQWI1x-VKPig2mYtVtq-5XcWtDiQGNqcs0TgqIfpn8NnQ6RvAFTLjNUDNKCKjI3Wn5Jm4eZoZpQ18NRpHARUIIfb3GYs5euG7b9gBkue25U5ASH5dRP1QGQH8/s1600/Dawn%C2%B4s+stuff1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's Go Fishing Hat from <a href="http://www.sewing-for-boys.com/" target="_blank">Sewing for Boys</a>- A great pattern and a great book!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IsEHatvkEWtZU_LHZqSF9PfgzeAGt41084j6JDIwag6THKpyNTZjZJlsvrVh5U3QvyRhqmeWzgrXwzlh4PuixHGEQN43yWTakF-rI4_-Y-K_zUssmGkuUBuisopGSNrMmFNkQkKMXzA/s1600/109PHOTO12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IsEHatvkEWtZU_LHZqSF9PfgzeAGt41084j6JDIwag6THKpyNTZjZJlsvrVh5U3QvyRhqmeWzgrXwzlh4PuixHGEQN43yWTakF-rI4_-Y-K_zUssmGkuUBuisopGSNrMmFNkQkKMXzA/s1600/109PHOTO12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McCall's M58118. A green, twill cowboy hat with little rope buttons holding up the sides of the brim. I expect him to wear this while lassoing.....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />I also made two hats for my daughter:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPxudn3EHIn7ZEdzruAWiXCl-tey9clIPMr7yCaZ1x7MC3bPfRCKbNMDooN-bcv9VcIA7Kqm4JnB5_q7XpUlS6htYw7gdiwnXJ_GsU68_m1EHVOaWfZUaQw5uxd_AsT13tQI3HnxhB9w/s1600/Original+pics1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPxudn3EHIn7ZEdzruAWiXCl-tey9clIPMr7yCaZ1x7MC3bPfRCKbNMDooN-bcv9VcIA7Kqm4JnB5_q7XpUlS6htYw7gdiwnXJ_GsU68_m1EHVOaWfZUaQw5uxd_AsT13tQI3HnxhB9w/s1600/Original+pics1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Look 6193. This hat wasn't supposed to look like a pirate scarf. It had 13 pieces and turned out HUGE!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77lcvckEZjjBm8Vlk1W9zw9YNiHWPgirHwDt6R_FNvjcdg0KjhHd5NUKvvZKT30rZd9pXXTm4JKAZhzEWbqE1A9QAG8iUmSK5gXTXbyphniViadgT_6Ec4UpagfA7B1gGZVuKIw6d7Ug/s1600/111PHOTO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77lcvckEZjjBm8Vlk1W9zw9YNiHWPgirHwDt6R_FNvjcdg0KjhHd5NUKvvZKT30rZd9pXXTm4JKAZhzEWbqE1A9QAG8iUmSK5gXTXbyphniViadgT_6Ec4UpagfA7B1gGZVuKIw6d7Ug/s1600/111PHOTO.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bananafana Lollipop Beanie pattern. There is a darling strip-work dress
in this pattern as well, which I intend to make eventually.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span id="goog_960151640"></span><span id="goog_960151641"></span><br />
And I also made a bunch of headbands:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5XQdNWCUQOmP2KL-JT2akETXmCO_C8ExgeiZz0VWow8lMYQws3YoTqXLWWpWamc7e8zYdM7_NsctyYI_Q3HmwmcwbbeWKPFq-EdW7iNIiOgHPUmX7YrP89U_GfpSURUznWG0gLrYFtk/s1600/turq+braided+headband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5XQdNWCUQOmP2KL-JT2akETXmCO_C8ExgeiZz0VWow8lMYQws3YoTqXLWWpWamc7e8zYdM7_NsctyYI_Q3HmwmcwbbeWKPFq-EdW7iNIiOgHPUmX7YrP89U_GfpSURUznWG0gLrYFtk/s640/turq+braided+headband.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/06/repurposing-tshirts-into-5-strand-braided-headbands.html" target="_blank">Braided t-shirt headband</a>. I had been wanting to make some of these for a while! Now I have (others not shown)! She and I can both wear them!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctqxVhFkcaC6oqV3wRFnhLYYLvWlX8qrCJkdWgeLUXUbQ-VDR_804YJHduABecOUd1ZwMOGJNNxwTCeD8-PdRVDvW2syIQAYQ9GCRz5NYzjf_3KH_jroEyZKgsvqwO9LbaOes6ODCg0c/s1600/2012-08-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctqxVhFkcaC6oqV3wRFnhLYYLvWlX8qrCJkdWgeLUXUbQ-VDR_804YJHduABecOUd1ZwMOGJNNxwTCeD8-PdRVDvW2syIQAYQ9GCRz5NYzjf_3KH_jroEyZKgsvqwO9LbaOes6ODCg0c/s1600/2012-08-01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sewmamasew.com/blog2/August2010/JCasaSMSAflutterHairBands.pdf" target="_blank">JCasa's "Aflutter" headband</a> and <a href="http://www.youcanmakethis.com/products/author/MTAzOTI5MjUyNw==/free-fabric-headband-sizes-baby-adult.htm" target="_blank">PatchworKids velcro headband</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Okay, so now that our heads are tamed, we can get back to not worrying about the fact that our water tank is nearly empty and there is still no water coming in from the grid........dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-50831339924892665792012-07-26T13:55:00.001+01:002012-07-26T15:46:37.159+01:00Japanese Sewing, part 二 ("ni", aka 2)I have been admiring this Japanese pattern book called Stylish Dress Book for a long, long time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8IjSqPQ6cogQ_ndsICM7bN2lioOtqChRz4oJukqGgqeTgxMNyqV8XSm9posSjgAJnSzopJfwh6Ju7Y_PS3a4PPlq3mqSKCZ_G7BnN_8smGqk8vmJtUxnsdzJ36LWk8BjHAJFTg4hoVQ/s1600/SAM_9643-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8IjSqPQ6cogQ_ndsICM7bN2lioOtqChRz4oJukqGgqeTgxMNyqV8XSm9posSjgAJnSzopJfwh6Ju7Y_PS3a4PPlq3mqSKCZ_G7BnN_8smGqk8vmJtUxnsdzJ36LWk8BjHAJFTg4hoVQ/s640/SAM_9643-001.JPG" width="493" /></a></div>
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I have had it for two years, but could never get up the guts to make anything from it. I was mostly worried about not having any written instructions I could understand and having to rely on drawings alone. But recently I made a bunch of things from a Japanese children's pattern magazine called Cucito; and that went so well, it bolstered my confidence. You can see <a href="http://www.dawnberries.blogspot.com/2012/07/japanese-sewing-part-1.html" target="_blank">my post about the Cucito patterns here.</a><br />
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The <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/contestreport.pl?ContestID=163" target="_blank">Pattern Stash Contest on Pattern Review</a> gave me the little extra push I needed to finally leap. So, I decided to make the dress that is on the cover because it is just so cute and looks so comfy, especially for how hot it is here in Angola. I decided to use a lovely and soft quilting cotton by Kaffe Fassett for it because it reminded me of two vintage light blue cotton dresses I used to wear all the time in the 1990s. I did a full bust adjustment on this pattern, my first, and that seemed to turn out just fine. The rest of the fit, however, was a bit of a nightmare.....<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXvPA7OU3n7JcUWdbZZHKoCJfil7KYu1qSXenDZuhr8oA_sQZxIbfdSCq0SCvLFiD5mA454sD_5dXqrE73PXinuOjfVWAILhyqk8c0GKyBCs5LjtW1tCtvjm-Or_E6plDKdr18M_Ajq4/s1600/Japanese6-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXvPA7OU3n7JcUWdbZZHKoCJfil7KYu1qSXenDZuhr8oA_sQZxIbfdSCq0SCvLFiD5mA454sD_5dXqrE73PXinuOjfVWAILhyqk8c0GKyBCs5LjtW1tCtvjm-Or_E6plDKdr18M_Ajq4/s1600/Japanese6-001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't I look sad? I am very disappointed.....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
It turns out if you're not all svelte, then you look like you are wearing a tent! I tried it with a belt too, but then it was too short on the sides. What a let down! I have received a few suggestions on how to fix it, perhaps by lowering the neckline and shortening it to tunic length. I may try something like that.<br />
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I decided to try one more, this time a top. and in a drapey knit fabric to reduce the tent probability. I used a smaller size (because the dress was too wide and I had to reduce the width of that) and did the FBA again. With this one I actually think some translation of the instructions might have made a difference. I didn't study the drawings well enough, I guess, and I sewed the pintucks on the outside (as they usually are done); but they were meant to be on the inside! So, I just made the inside the outside and vice versa. I used a soft bamboo jersey for this top, and that stuff is not easy to sew!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5jaaxfFJIwxoSxo_5u70EZ41eFmmtjwuvgyGTJ8lHbUdO3XYJ2vSIFdi53R2Av-p50Rc6vVHbrAPbml1mRFQKVVX1KzEo3OedMN1VF7rf8BxIToZfQWVmy6gPQQd7MTZQNXkhyzn7rw/s1600/109_FUJI12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5jaaxfFJIwxoSxo_5u70EZ41eFmmtjwuvgyGTJ8lHbUdO3XYJ2vSIFdi53R2Av-p50Rc6vVHbrAPbml1mRFQKVVX1KzEo3OedMN1VF7rf8BxIToZfQWVmy6gPQQd7MTZQNXkhyzn7rw/s1600/109_FUJI12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great. And this one makes me look pregnant......</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Alas, this ended up too wide also, even with a bunch more pintucks to try to decrease the width of that panel a bit more. So, I had to do a weird tuck thing on each side, and then I decided to add some flowers. At first, I added them in accidentally obscene places (pasties anyone?), so I relocated two of them and ended up with a semi-tent-like jersey top. I am coming to the conclusion that these patterns just won't work for me because they are designed for a different body shape. Such a pity! I wonder if all Japanese pattern books would be equally unsuitable. Probably. What a bummer! I was thinking of getting one of these next:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51hNO-aX1UIEfzGEgO3-zdryhVkEJQwda9gohyphenhyphenzWoDEGS3U_lUUlMoQIvLplLPCHiHu8EBR4_1BWKC7VXKJIsjz1SU87NWGVvbHzlJOVb-_smEmc0a7KxZRyqBphaLSD6KGp3kyoUi2Y/s1600/Japanese7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51hNO-aX1UIEfzGEgO3-zdryhVkEJQwda9gohyphenhyphenzWoDEGS3U_lUUlMoQIvLplLPCHiHu8EBR4_1BWKC7VXKJIsjz1SU87NWGVvbHzlJOVb-_smEmc0a7KxZRyqBphaLSD6KGp3kyoUi2Y/s1600/Japanese7.jpg" />O</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On left:<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76629041/sweet-dress-book-by-yoshiko-tsukiori" target="_blank"> Sweet Dress Book by Yoshiko Tsukiori (same author as Stylish Dress Book) </a> On right: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/59356573/i-love-to-make-now-dress-and-tunic" target="_blank">I Love to Make Now DRESS and TUNIC </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Or maybe I should just stick with Japanese children's patterns..................<br />
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* You know, now that I look at the pics together, if I just lower the neckline a bit and shorten that blue dress, I would approximate the top on the cover of the book here on the left, wouldn't I? The sleeves are a bit shorter and looser, but I don't know if I could change that. Maybe there is hope for a wearable item yet.....<br />
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** And, you should ask me if I finally remembered to add seam allowances before cutting these out of fabric....... I DID! So, perhaps, lesson learned? <br />
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<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-29488281586758396502012-07-17T11:07:00.001+01:002012-07-17T11:07:43.290+01:00Pattern Stash SleepwearI am still very busy working on items for the <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/contestreport.pl?ContestID=163" target="_blank">Pattern Stash Contest</a>! I am making all sorts of things, clothing for the kids, things for around the house, clothing for me, and maybe one or two things for my husband even. <br />
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Our washing machine has been broken for like 2 weeks now, and it is getting to be a real problem. We are supposed to buy a new (better) one this week, so I am trying to hold out and not have to do any hand washing. We are really running out of clean clothes and towels....... so, what did I do instead of getting my hands dirty? I made some new stuff instead!<br />
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I made my son this robe, and he is totally in love with it! It´s a thin, cotton woven on the outside and French terry on the inside.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKRAkm83eUukCZcQDsd_PqSF4n0VGv4MydxyB01IMBxbfAlY63wbFZSKh5qpKLq8BpWgeH-fBVtvNOWcWbzuDX1SeyddBW7yKwUCmA5h5xmj_FljXYkv1VNQiaTuNg1z93bGlYH8yDCM/s1600/109PHOTO7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKRAkm83eUukCZcQDsd_PqSF4n0VGv4MydxyB01IMBxbfAlY63wbFZSKh5qpKLq8BpWgeH-fBVtvNOWcWbzuDX1SeyddBW7yKwUCmA5h5xmj_FljXYkv1VNQiaTuNg1z93bGlYH8yDCM/s1600/109PHOTO7.jpg" /></a></div>
He said he is never taking it off, and he has remained fairly true to his word. The other night, his dad took it off of him after he had fallen asleep, and when he woke up, the first thing he said was "Hey! Where´s my robe?". This pattern is from the book <a href="http://www.sewing-for-boys.com/" target="_blank">Sewing for Boys</a> by Patterns by Figgy´s, and it is another great pattern! There is, however, one error of omission in the instructions. You must tape together the two pieces that make up the front of the robe <i><b>before</b></i> you cut out your fabric! Sadly, I did not realize this and had to work hard to match dinosaur heads and such.... still, excellent pattern, and I´m sure my daughter will be getting one soon too.<br />
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Instead, she got a new nightgown:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD_6zWkn600QnltuY47bqYNQ3wqL8egb64juJv30l4AKFjXcNHMVkv0XSRNp9-LzxI_Cnd_qvKSewN22mjfwnSAUh1DtRfyHnbex7_Uqo_cM7i88T7aM9fpQ2OTCPgCrMXtNZ6YOtRrA/s1600/Dawn%25C2%25B4s+stuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD_6zWkn600QnltuY47bqYNQ3wqL8egb64juJv30l4AKFjXcNHMVkv0XSRNp9-LzxI_Cnd_qvKSewN22mjfwnSAUh1DtRfyHnbex7_Uqo_cM7i88T7aM9fpQ2OTCPgCrMXtNZ6YOtRrA/s1600/Dawn%25C2%25B4s+stuff.jpg" /></a></div>
This sort of looks like a 70s maxi dress to me! To her, it´s another princess dress (as almost everything is), and I think she looks pretty cute in it!<br />
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I also made my son another pair of boxer briefs (from my own pattern). I decided to use white and let him decorate them with fabric paint. I could only find black.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI0elnjM60PWIrpZL0Py2wNBFj_sAygwR8_EXvMXqWMeDQi_wuO5DXpfcvJvZGx9NmmKC5I8VG_J7vAw-QsP5Qvf8mVBWntMI354JZzYlPCBV8t-K_yIxDQwVbVYTtM6_ASICdsVv8R4/s1600/109PHOTO8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI0elnjM60PWIrpZL0Py2wNBFj_sAygwR8_EXvMXqWMeDQi_wuO5DXpfcvJvZGx9NmmKC5I8VG_J7vAw-QsP5Qvf8mVBWntMI354JZzYlPCBV8t-K_yIxDQwVbVYTtM6_ASICdsVv8R4/s1600/109PHOTO8.jpg" /></a></div>
I thought they looked really cute when he had only drawn the face...... and then he went a little nuts. And the little sister decided to paint herself and the table cloth as well..... *sigh* I have a feeling I am going to need to make him a few more pairs before our new washing machine is ready, but I think I´ll choose prints instead of paint next time.<br />
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Now, the power is on at the moment, so I better get back to it before it goes out again. Wish me luck!dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-86754286475058665382012-07-10T09:52:00.001+01:002012-07-10T09:52:22.265+01:00The Long Awaited Farbenmix Tasche Isabella BagSome time last year, I bought the pdf pattern for <a href="http://www.farbenmix.de/shop/Downloadable-patterns/Tasche-Isabella-Kreativ-Ebook::10276.html" target="_blank">Farbenmix´s Tasche Isabella bag</a>. I just fell in love with the messenger bag version after seeing a few made up. Look at all the beautiful versions that Natalie made:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-lR77E5O2utxaZNlMxET7jfcaKKzyVRECX5S_5HVfrGP8j22zNXYwG5uBdFDWt8HaND_j-ax-fN8-frttXpxDnGDiULQJhmrTwsX-Q1OHjjnGjUzWCchtoTiOUur8Pd04fImnIALkhs/s1600/2011-12-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-lR77E5O2utxaZNlMxET7jfcaKKzyVRECX5S_5HVfrGP8j22zNXYwG5uBdFDWt8HaND_j-ax-fN8-frttXpxDnGDiULQJhmrTwsX-Q1OHjjnGjUzWCchtoTiOUur8Pd04fImnIALkhs/s1600/2011-12-09.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mynata-sewingroom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Check out more of Natalie´s beautiful creations by visiting her blog (it´s in German).</a></td></tr>
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You might remember that I posted a pic of another of these bags that Natalie made. This one is my favorite. <br />
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Isn´t it just so........<br />
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So, last year when I bought this pattern, I didn´t have any of my stash, only the African wax fabrics. And I just didn´t think those were quite right for this. So, I waited. And I am so glad I did. Here is what I made:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_vEPCkZ1hrcg37kqlddvoupmRVI1sR9wWwZfHjTQ2CnIih9VzGM1ziD31MIKyL7k6bhTb4zPM42vfnp4bMSh01OAKwDJX53JCWiGnXN9EbZpVWanG2OEoSEJU-b9mCWDh9CkMNlECMg/s1600/109PHOTO6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_vEPCkZ1hrcg37kqlddvoupmRVI1sR9wWwZfHjTQ2CnIih9VzGM1ziD31MIKyL7k6bhTb4zPM42vfnp4bMSh01OAKwDJX53JCWiGnXN9EbZpVWanG2OEoSEJU-b9mCWDh9CkMNlECMg/s1600/109PHOTO6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two middle pics here are interior pockets.</td></tr>
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I am really happy with how it turned out. The big red flower on the front is a pocket, which is closed by the fabric "clasp". And I have had that flower button for many, many years! It might have been my grandma´s. There is also a cell phone pocket on the strap which is the perfect size for my cell phone (I will have to forever use this size cell phone now). <br />
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As for the pattern, there are English instructions and it was surprisingly easy to follow, except for them missing out one instruction entirely. You see those little gathers on either side of the round, flower pocket? Well the pattern never tells you how or when to do those! That is actually just one piece of fabric, not two sewn together like it looks. You have to cut into the pattern piece several inches from the sides in toward the center, gather up the bottom bit and re-attach it to the upper bit. I don´t know if I ever would have figured this out without the <a href="http://www.craftymamas.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=365089&posted=1#post365089" target="_blank">help of the ladies over at craftymamas.com. </a> They were a HUGE help!<br />
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Also, this pattern does not include seam allowances. Ask me if I remembered to add them. I did not. Luckily this pattern doesn´t need to actually fit anybody, so I decided to go ahead and sew it. To be honest, that was a happy accident because now the bag is not way too big for an everyday purse! All in all, I am delighted with this new bag. And this pattern was so much easier than I expected and way more fun too. It took me a few days to make this, so it wasn´t good strategy for the Pattern Stash Contest, but it was definitely in keeping with the spirit of that contest since this was a pattern I have been wanting to make for a long time.<br />
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<i>Pretend I put in a cool, German idiom here, something like "Long live the handbag!" Sadly, my one semester of German in college did not leave me with any long-lasting vocabulary</i>. <i> I do remember how to say</i> Wie geht es Ihnen?, rouladen, bier, and liebfraumilch......dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-58191754305914302762012-07-07T00:23:00.000+01:002012-07-07T08:09:45.059+01:00Japanese Sewing, Part 1Two years ago I bought a Japanese sewing pattern book and magazine off of Etsy. I was terribly intrigued, but also terrified. So, I looked at them, planned projects, but never actually started anything. Fast forward to now and the Pattern Stash contest. I finally did it! I decided to start with a children´s pattern from the Cucito magazine. I chose a pattern; but then I could never actually find those pattern pieces on any of the pattern sheets, so then I chose another. I found the relevant lines, traced the pattern pieces, and cut the fabric. And then I realized I forgot to add seam allowances! <b>I always forget to add seam allowances. </b><i>--Let me just say right now that I think it sucks to have to add seam allowances! I mean, I can see overlapping the patterns to save paper and make pattern books and mags less bulky and less expensive. But come on! You can at least add a standard seam allowance. And then if someone wants to change it, they can. It´s not just a second tracing that is required to add seam allowances, but a decision on every single line of the pattern about what kind of seam to sew. It sucks! And if I ever sell patterns, I will do more of the work to make it easier on the sewist.-- </i>Okay, rant over. So, I forgot the seam allowances, and I had to decide whether to re-cut it or to go ahead and sew it. I was torn about whether to do a size 90 or 100 for my daughter (she is 90 cm tall), and I went with size 100, so I decided it might be okay to sew it without added seam allowances. To double check, I basted together the pattern pieces and tried them on my daughter.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyqMH93MNbStaLk5HLGLEaUGUT4LRNoQVoweBOfP__DUabR_6lIs6SucIarDWKve4Hoq5zhpuMBQXxWx36sfRgpu9obHEb1MpReM6yPNablkhVVaT3glNolfoYKvCQYGtBN_V8aYfcrs/s1600/Japanese1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyqMH93MNbStaLk5HLGLEaUGUT4LRNoQVoweBOfP__DUabR_6lIs6SucIarDWKve4Hoq5zhpuMBQXxWx36sfRgpu9obHEb1MpReM6yPNablkhVVaT3glNolfoYKvCQYGtBN_V8aYfcrs/s1600/Japanese1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: magazine cover and the pattern I selected; middle top: the pattern sheet; middle bottom: the instructions; right: dd wearing Swedish tracing paper.</td></tr>
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I found that locating and tracing the relevant pattern pieces was the hardest part of this whole process. Even though I don´t read Japanese, the instructions have very good drawings that show you the order to put the pieces together. They even tell you what seam allowances you should add (<i>*cough, not good enough*</i>). So, it was pretty easy, apart from a few hiccups with the facings. Here is the result:<br />
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I was very encouraged by this result, so I decided to go for another pattern from this magazine (the Pattern Stash contest allows 4 patterns from each book/mag). I decided on a pair of pants that roll up and button into shorts for my son. I have been promising him a pair of pants like this for some time and have a Farbenmix pattern for such a pair (<a href="http://www.farbenmix.de/shop/Patterns/Boys/kleinJUIST-Schnittmuster::8069.html" target="_blank">Klein Juist Cargohose</a>), but I am feeling hesitant to go for another German one right now. Then I saw a similar pair that looked easier in Cucito. Now, OF COURSE, I forgot to add seam allowances <b>AGAIN</b>! Can you believe how slow I am to learn this lesson? I decided to go ahead and sew them because he is really skinny. They do fit, but they are quite slim:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr6Nwg0YHVVmwlw0RrcSyNaNsTZcFiFcAfDcMyvdiqa6ZbY0_OfaUGkgaYx5ommh8u3EenynyObVTmT7MKOzqmUPqBjdtfuZx7w8Uz805_a1636nbdkSGzFmxpD0DQg4tREECQNHk-eU/s1600/Japanese3-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr6Nwg0YHVVmwlw0RrcSyNaNsTZcFiFcAfDcMyvdiqa6ZbY0_OfaUGkgaYx5ommh8u3EenynyObVTmT7MKOzqmUPqBjdtfuZx7w8Uz805_a1636nbdkSGzFmxpD0DQg4tREECQNHk-eU/s1600/Japanese3-001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has decorated himself to be a zebra and chosen this pajama shirt to go with the plaid pants.....</td></tr>
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I was really on a roll now. And my daughter wanted a pair of pants like these too! I made my husband a pair of sleep shorts with this same fabric, and now her brother had some, and she was feeling left out. And Cucito had a cute cropped pair that looked simple enough. So, I whipped these up:<br />
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So, they were all matchy matchy and it was the 4th of July! They might wear these to the Marines´ Independence Day party this weekend here in Luanda (but maybe not. I might feel like a dork).<br />
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But that was only three, so I had to do one more. So, I did this flower, just to see if I liked it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ9Hm3LnKasPei1bRH1r1IJKmptPGHXUMbb3FmSvoRx3HWMzswg8PiGJORxH3Gtfw9RUG0IYZM0cMwV-n94H1kI3eS8y6GiPN-FO1l2uoo7JFuDAMU1JL6VqduVudfe21VU95DQTBteg/s1600/109PHOTO3-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ9Hm3LnKasPei1bRH1r1IJKmptPGHXUMbb3FmSvoRx3HWMzswg8PiGJORxH3Gtfw9RUG0IYZM0cMwV-n94H1kI3eS8y6GiPN-FO1l2uoo7JFuDAMU1JL6VqduVudfe21VU95DQTBteg/s1600/109PHOTO3-001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">meh.</td></tr>
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And then..... I found out that you can do four items from a pattern book or mag <u><b>only</b></u> if they are <i><b>distinct types</b></i> of items. So I would only be able to enter one pair of pants in the contest. Therefore, I decided to sew a dress/nightgown for my daughter. She is sorely lacking in sleep clothes. Here it is:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4mOVwjbSrZqAyPoHz4p9PYyjbUfe4IaIlYwrbA5tG2bfAXnh-VsBwSQxLmkOv2DJdf246FOHeGgYNmKxyZB45Ms934NBCI9v_faS9P7kRP0cUgd2Gt5T6RmYiHaQJUCcDvJz7LGYodk/s1600/109_FUJI6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4mOVwjbSrZqAyPoHz4p9PYyjbUfe4IaIlYwrbA5tG2bfAXnh-VsBwSQxLmkOv2DJdf246FOHeGgYNmKxyZB45Ms934NBCI9v_faS9P7kRP0cUgd2Gt5T6RmYiHaQJUCcDvJz7LGYodk/s1600/109_FUJI6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage buttons (might have been my Grandma´s).</td></tr>
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This particular pattern was a lot harder to follow than the others. I think a little translation would have made a big difference. Unfortunately, I just tried to wing it and ended up with a pieced skirt. But, she likes it, and that´s all that matters, really.<br />
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And now I will put this magazine aside for a little, until the contest is over. But I think the patterns are great! There are several more things I want to make. Here are some of them:<br />
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So, the conclusion is- everyone who said Japanese pattern books and magazines are actually pretty easy to sew from were telling the truth! I should not have waited so long or been so intimidated. Ah well, live and learn. Now, I´m off to make something Japanese for myself!<br />
<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-43095300273562601342012-07-03T13:18:00.001+01:002012-07-03T13:20:39.878+01:00Pattern Stash Part 1 ...................................................<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2651566923416039012" target="_blank" title="Read more about this contest"><img alt="Pattern Stash 2012" border="0" src="http://images.patternreview.com/siteimages/contest/2012/patternStash_ientered_150px.png" /></a> </div>
I am off to a great start with the Pattern Stash Contest on Pattern Review! In the first 3 days, I made three things:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfv86lhBlsJbPNiC7Pp-K3o7D6DjZfjiAJwrtQrE8BPXAGg4L_xAHHzDPkz-QKryUqMDYiIkGuWX16Ou5hbYG7Z4Bl_f90zMYOvAbE4O3RUG6dZ5EHxH3pz4cxR3KuRyCll5Bf689Aio/s1600/KS+3497+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfv86lhBlsJbPNiC7Pp-K3o7D6DjZfjiAJwrtQrE8BPXAGg4L_xAHHzDPkz-QKryUqMDYiIkGuWX16Ou5hbYG7Z4Bl_f90zMYOvAbE4O3RUG6dZ5EHxH3pz4cxR3KuRyCll5Bf689Aio/s640/KS+3497+done.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I made this chocolate brown French terry tank top, which is very comfortable (but a little low cut). What a quick and easy pattern! I will definitely be making more of these. I love the side ruching.<br />
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Then I made my daughter this swirling twirl skirt:<br />
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This is an unusual pattern! It seems complicated at first, but once you really get into it, it´s pretty simple. She loves it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7c-LScV-g1eOjAXIbKgAtTX7roGh2S2dCkHsAzl4YnLASL6zZ_-JdpPTYPHhqaO2LKJbFulFarC-5c2jZkQaSMP1bkjLMWqyz0sMqbJpRvLp_4QlOxnTRdHUpRprnLsccX2Qi_sCC6kI/s1600/laguna+triptych-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7c-LScV-g1eOjAXIbKgAtTX7roGh2S2dCkHsAzl4YnLASL6zZ_-JdpPTYPHhqaO2LKJbFulFarC-5c2jZkQaSMP1bkjLMWqyz0sMqbJpRvLp_4QlOxnTRdHUpRprnLsccX2Qi_sCC6kI/s1600/laguna+triptych-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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And then my son got another new pair of cargo shorts:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-M4GoV28TqjZmmyLwsDW5C7K25BbDBkw0dad8WfFP5CXIJlgG4E9nlM_0B15uU2uDHwyWIXHwabQbbyQmVyTfr23jQ6Lm9nmFfnDtv1YjwuvMlQ91XTihUG0kSwkvhB1TBbPYX3LUaw/s1600/109PHOTO2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-M4GoV28TqjZmmyLwsDW5C7K25BbDBkw0dad8WfFP5CXIJlgG4E9nlM_0B15uU2uDHwyWIXHwabQbbyQmVyTfr23jQ6Lm9nmFfnDtv1YjwuvMlQ91XTihUG0kSwkvhB1TBbPYX3LUaw/s640/109PHOTO2.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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I didn´t care too much for this pattern. The sizes are enormous (this is a 2T!) and the instructions are totally indecipherable. I just winged it. They turned out pretty cute though. And they should fit him for several years.....<br />
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I have many more patterns planned, but the elements seem to be against me. The power has been off most of the time the past few days. Although we figured out how to make the water pump and the lights to my fabric & notions room work on the generator, I cannot iron or wash anything. The washing machine broke like a week ago, and we can´t figure out what is wrong or find anyone to fix it. (And you might remember from a previous post that I HATE hand washing, at least more than one or two things at a time). I have also just discovered that I cannot iron when we are on generator power, not even if I turn off the water pump and extra light circuits. I don´t understand it. I <i><b>used</b></i> to be able to iron with the generator.... *sigh*<br />
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I have some exciting things on deck, including my first attempt at some Japanese sewing patterns! Wish me electricity and an appliance fairy. *fingers crossed*<br />
<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-70685881729547015332012-07-01T07:38:00.000+01:002012-07-01T07:38:34.550+01:00Fabric arts around the house Sometimes I like to sew things other than clothing. The other day, I sewed what was supposed to be a solution to our paper napkin problem (I feel like they need a home). <i>Side note- I really like to use cloth napkins, but the vagaries of the utilities here make that not so nice. </i>So I made this little cube without a top, but it turned out a little bigger than I expected and a lot more girlie. And then I thought..... I know something else that is about this size....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfe5nFUzFHXXl-vyY3YHFh0RBjBWq-6Gwcios1D0qVojDiNWv0_KiD21T3maexvHCjrKzQwbH7hJpLZOF2VhIM7c-y_5Fsx3cdImU4cmFhENWMlmv5mZf5yvO-Pmt6NG2nfqpaG5oGCyY/s1600/109PHOTO1-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfe5nFUzFHXXl-vyY3YHFh0RBjBWq-6Gwcios1D0qVojDiNWv0_KiD21T3maexvHCjrKzQwbH7hJpLZOF2VhIM7c-y_5Fsx3cdImU4cmFhENWMlmv5mZf5yvO-Pmt6NG2nfqpaG5oGCyY/s640/109PHOTO1-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So now my smaller size patterns have a home, but my napkins still don´t. And I had used up the entire package of peltex or whatever that stiff stuff is that I put in the sides and bottom..... So, I have picked out what I hope is better fabric for the dining room, but I haven´t found anything to use to stiffen up the sides and bottom yet. I have also decided to add a lid (attached at one side) to keep the dust off. If anyone has any suggestions of everyday things I might use that are waterproof and stiff, please let me know.<br />
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I have made a few other things for around our house since we received our container of belongings and moved into our new house. Here is some fabric wall art (no sewing, just gluing) the kids and I made for our living room wall:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OPaFYZfuyVcvInxR-jExeb_gKiEeb5z03oG3I15BM7e8GxAqnOr3ieKsBUIhLxDxO9hL9VbaY0W-gbUErwzq9mZd0CIisqKI0drH7fD7afNFP6xd_D7i9jqsRTIWYj7gliR0lJopPpw/s1600/DSCF8572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OPaFYZfuyVcvInxR-jExeb_gKiEeb5z03oG3I15BM7e8GxAqnOr3ieKsBUIhLxDxO9hL9VbaY0W-gbUErwzq9mZd0CIisqKI0drH7fD7afNFP6xd_D7i9jqsRTIWYj7gliR0lJopPpw/s640/DSCF8572.jpg" width="602" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got the idea for this from seeing <a href="http://itsdoable.squarespace.com/blog/2012/1/23/its-doablethe-flower-wall-art.html/" target="_blank">this</a> on Pinterest.</td></tr>
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I couldn´t just run down to Michael´s and buy a canvas, so I took 4 pieces of wood that were laying around from one of my husband´s carpentry projects, nailed them together and stretched some muslin over them. Then the kids and I used a tiny bit of white glue to put the leaves/petals in place. And lastly, we painted on a coat of watered down white glue. Et voilá!<br />
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I also made a maharaja mosquito net topper for my son. I had brought a really cool mosquito net with us for our daughter (that I got from someone on Freecycle!), and then we bought a green one here. But, alas, no cute thingie on top. So, I made one, and now they both have them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ygkm0XKfq-s-yuq3GLE4FHlY7b076GDWWZC5STi6DhO3apVSvZkwWWF9lMG-W3MgXqtYwJYlBqPIgd0x6E1T2Dm_KtuBpDcTd0kxADo0sn8VYksWPN4PuZQXfulhgokXEvKnV0Avt2s/s1600/Luanda+part+Dois.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ygkm0XKfq-s-yuq3GLE4FHlY7b076GDWWZC5STi6DhO3apVSvZkwWWF9lMG-W3MgXqtYwJYlBqPIgd0x6E1T2Dm_KtuBpDcTd0kxADo0sn8VYksWPN4PuZQXfulhgokXEvKnV0Avt2s/s640/Luanda+part+Dois.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also have some robots from that panel of fabric where I got those round thingamajigs for the teal net topper. I plan to make those into 4 pictures for the kids´ wall. And I have some family silhouettes I have been meaning to make for our (other) living room wall. Just as soon as I feel like breaking out the glue again..... I ran out of steam after searching, in vain, for more white glue FOR WEEKS! Can you imagine not being able to find any white glue anywhere to buy? <br />
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As for now, I am gearing up for the Pattern Stash Contest on Pattern Review that runs all of July. I have so many things planned. Hopefully I can try out a bunch of patterns that I have been hoarding for years now...... Wish me luck!<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2651566923416039012" target="_blank" title="Read more about this contest"><img alt="Pattern Stash 2012" border="0" src="http://images.patternreview.com/siteimages/contest/2012/patternStash_ientered_150px.png" /></a><br />
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<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-18928398229410424562012-06-26T17:04:00.002+01:002012-06-27T19:04:46.209+01:00My Foray into FarbenmixlandSo, there is this sewing pattern company in Germany called <a href="http://www.farbenmix.de/shop/index.php?language=en" target="_blank">Farbenmix</a>. Their style is so stinkin´cute, I can barely stand it. I long to make clothes as cute as these! Here are a few of my absolute favorites done by others:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQRpJ6wEOhIUA7ciowNTBCzgyLE9P18gvzjBYpPIb4in_sURyj2Eh65lyOv3Q3_Y7vgu2FnmuS2sH8OBdCHImAMS0xWFwnNvLuwhhqZpwI-DW3p1e32AwABNZXF3ClpB-jvQ5g449LZ0/s1600/My+Nata+pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQRpJ6wEOhIUA7ciowNTBCzgyLE9P18gvzjBYpPIb4in_sURyj2Eh65lyOv3Q3_Y7vgu2FnmuS2sH8OBdCHImAMS0xWFwnNvLuwhhqZpwI-DW3p1e32AwABNZXF3ClpB-jvQ5g449LZ0/s640/My+Nata+pieces.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Is Natalie amazing or what? I am so in awe of the cuteness and impeccable sewing! </i> <a href="http://mynata-sewingroom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Visit her blog to see more.</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28SvgNCuyrpUmYi_tVr7_BWGMJCp1vgkNv5vcvE05qL10WtXc86mgw7-In32MQHKoqJc13rG2ztmVOphr7jvJUs1VRL4pM3Mu7B4l7jfG-fP7apCpJvuAbf9Ki86tt3pFCd99mx1cvtY/s1600/pollywoggold+vitas+and+floosygirls+kim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28SvgNCuyrpUmYi_tVr7_BWGMJCp1vgkNv5vcvE05qL10WtXc86mgw7-In32MQHKoqJc13rG2ztmVOphr7jvJUs1VRL4pM3Mu7B4l7jfG-fP7apCpJvuAbf9Ki86tt3pFCd99mx1cvtY/s640/pollywoggold+vitas+and+floosygirls+kim.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Aren´t these the cutest little dresses?!</i> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40265216@N02/" target="_blank"> Visit Rachel´s Flickr to see more.</a> <i> </i><br />
<i>And I´m in love with these pants!</i> <a href="http://nomoa.co.nz/" target="_blank">Click here to visit Suzie´s blog, no moa.</a></td></tr>
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How could I<u><i><b> not </b></i></u>be inspired after seeing patterns to make things such as these? A little intimidated, sure, but I just had to try!<br />
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I actually sewed my very first Farbenmix pattern last year, a skirt called Tess, but it didn´t have all the little embellishments, just an interesting shape for the pieces:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtum0yH-uGd3fMp_K4QPBEg9-66xHeEfs4BeiafnePZ5D_MXBkjUYRFgxukiaHZYlb7MNLJjgFxJ6biSSFQructRT4Uh6EWdDE6xVROaYRJ9pIXnISUNC-7FbOVlIHTnM3kPoidFj-e4/s1600/Farb+Tess+skirt+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtum0yH-uGd3fMp_K4QPBEg9-66xHeEfs4BeiafnePZ5D_MXBkjUYRFgxukiaHZYlb7MNLJjgFxJ6biSSFQructRT4Uh6EWdDE6xVROaYRJ9pIXnISUNC-7FbOVlIHTnM3kPoidFj-e4/s640/Farb+Tess+skirt+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wax" fabrics made here, in Lubango, Angola.</td></tr>
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I also have their book (with <a href="http://www.studiotantrum.com/shop/" target="_blank">Studio Tantrum</a>, an American pattern company)- <a href="http://sewingclotheskidslove.com/sewingclotheskidslove/Welcome.html" target="_blank">Sewing Clothes Kids Love</a>. I have only tried the Brooklyn Tank Top so far from that book. I made three last month:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXitBIfrzYmVxX1tCIRhwx8vleR0_2FntBQvpR_zKofGx3oPpx-rf_gcNyzLuHDxaWkySMeXItADOPYXR8K7X0TbPNMCQpSeCxvvoDTZHi1yPDxrRNodMKbKiNrSQU-ojFwDrum-j77bM/s1600/Brooklyn+tank+tops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXitBIfrzYmVxX1tCIRhwx8vleR0_2FntBQvpR_zKofGx3oPpx-rf_gcNyzLuHDxaWkySMeXItADOPYXR8K7X0TbPNMCQpSeCxvvoDTZHi1yPDxrRNodMKbKiNrSQU-ojFwDrum-j77bM/s640/Brooklyn+tank+tops.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But this was my first attempt at a full-on, all-holds-barred Farbenmix pattern. I decided to do three pairs of pants called "Bo". I wanted to make some for my nephew who is turning 13, but figured that I needed to try a smaller pair first, so I decided to start with a pair for my son. I went with the 3/4 length because it´s different, and besides, it´s hot
here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM67UbU4sRUgJ6gZubgCn3r7v0GXGwx_WdtJ2vnwMZziBxOk67ioZv_2r5XkMTT50Y9QDA8ucu8r4pwpMbfAMO8Vc5bsGU12If5OLn-UCauBg2W7l5gu2QkfvE8UwP2tGSkBWQlriQiwE/s1600/KBL+Farb+Bo-for+blog-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM67UbU4sRUgJ6gZubgCn3r7v0GXGwx_WdtJ2vnwMZziBxOk67ioZv_2r5XkMTT50Y9QDA8ucu8r4pwpMbfAMO8Vc5bsGU12If5OLn-UCauBg2W7l5gu2QkfvE8UwP2tGSkBWQlriQiwE/s1600/KBL+Farb+Bo-for+blog-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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Choosing the fabrics for my nephew´s proved hardest of all! They needed to be suitable for a 13 year old (not too wacky), durable (I´ve seen him play), but still cool. I finally settled on some navy tiny plaid, only to find that I didn´t have enough. *sigh* I considered other plaids, solids, old jeans..... and settled on this tan linen with brown twill (like denim) pockets. <a href="http://www.farbenmix.de/anleitungen/schnitte6/bo/25.jpg" target="_blank">These were my inspiration.</a> But alas, the linen hadn´t been washed yet, and of course the power was out (the generator powers the sewing machine, but not the washing machine or water pump). So, I got the kids to help me hand wash the fabric...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3wdAk-pHsdQSfQBl8SDTWfeV09LTm6MtgN79-HmVgJqcpvcLW8e7KbwRGhYrv_m1jjkKCOLrHf9WlCovwezyWflYTDmhqxuW4lTY0xxLnmstUeYX8k7tVbP7Ku1W4r3lJmiRXSqwNj0/s1600/washing+the+linen+for+erivaldo%C2%B4s+shorts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3wdAk-pHsdQSfQBl8SDTWfeV09LTm6MtgN79-HmVgJqcpvcLW8e7KbwRGhYrv_m1jjkKCOLrHf9WlCovwezyWflYTDmhqxuW4lTY0xxLnmstUeYX8k7tVbP7Ku1W4r3lJmiRXSqwNj0/s640/washing+the+linen+for+erivaldo%C2%B4s+shorts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and while that was drying on the line, I started on these for my daughter (and finished them later):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzop6FYX0n-nk0WGZw2eYsun6tMmIqBCsrun7Go4pPpoM1-dRdJDeCOowI1nyUNs2M5QG7HoAYLuLTAV2HcwiZMOgGktjj_qRAMNkY5YocU87_Djxi5AmqTNEO12QvROccvzcGLZqwW8/s1600/Lulu%C2%B4s+pants-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzop6FYX0n-nk0WGZw2eYsun6tMmIqBCsrun7Go4pPpoM1-dRdJDeCOowI1nyUNs2M5QG7HoAYLuLTAV2HcwiZMOgGktjj_qRAMNkY5YocU87_Djxi5AmqTNEO12QvROccvzcGLZqwW8/s1600/Lulu%C2%B4s+pants-002.jpg" /></a></div>
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And here are the ones I set out to make in the first place, finally done, just in time for his birthday party.<br />
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Did I mention this pattern is in German? Well, I don´t read German, and this thing was complicated! I would never have even finished the first pair without the help of my German friend,
<a href="http://www.dominopads.com/aboutme.html" target="_blank">Karin Baker</a>- thanks, Karin, you´re a peach!<br />
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And it just so happens that Pattern Review is having a contest through June called "One Pattern, Many Looks", so I decided I may as well enter these 3 pairs of pants in that!<br />
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<a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/ContestGallery.pl?ContestID=162" target="_blank" title="Read more about this contest"><img alt="One Pattern, Many Looks" border="0" src="http://images.patternreview.com/siteimages/contest/2012/onePatternManyLooks_ientered_150px.png" /></a> Great coincidence or what?<br />
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<span style="color: red;">***UPDATE*** </span><br />
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One more thing- I decided to write my own English instructions to go along with <a href="http://www.farbenmix.de/en/bo-fotoanleitung.html" target="_blank">the photo tutorial Farbenmix has on their website</a> to make the Bo pants. <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2P0Q1CfuJ_za2VZRUdvWEZLa00" target="_blank">Here it is (English version)</a> in case you need help.<br />
<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-84785572589314081002012-06-19T12:26:00.000+01:002012-06-19T14:29:47.381+01:00Necessity is the mother of invention (or I´d rather make something from scratch than do laundry by hand)Well, that bout of malaria totally stole my sewing mojo! I have only completed a few things this month, mostly underpants for my son. I made him several pairs during the 8-1/2 day power outage during which I could not do laundry. It was either that or buy more (bc I really didn´t want to wash them by hand).<br />
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Have I mentioned just how expensive things are here in Angola? It is, after all, the second most expensive city in the world. (<a href="http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#City_rankings">http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#City_rankings</a>) This is largely due to the cost of housing, but almost everything is ridiculously expensive, especially if you are comparing prices to the USA. Here is an example:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghel_5CAGNaj9SCLwZm4ZDY4F40Z44-CjN3SNbdFVayZw1ZEh973eWwBFJbDZiryBV3SPOiPYMoioFvVucsvVLxPEw-OmStsBeehYI_4Aui9ecGx003Y7zj4o28VRIF22U-3Hb4KuAgk0/s1600/toy+prices+composite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghel_5CAGNaj9SCLwZm4ZDY4F40Z44-CjN3SNbdFVayZw1ZEh973eWwBFJbDZiryBV3SPOiPYMoioFvVucsvVLxPEw-OmStsBeehYI_4Aui9ecGx003Y7zj4o28VRIF22U-3Hb4KuAgk0/s640/toy+prices+composite.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exchange rate is 90-100 kwanzas per US dollar. So, that´s $38 for a Bakugan and $60 for a 5 pack of Hot Wheels!!</td></tr>
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A pair of boy´s boxer briefs costs about $12 at our local superstore. I think that´s too expensive, especially when the quality is suspect as well. It´s not like he will be wearing these things for years.<br />
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Have I mentioned how quickly clothes wear out here in Africa? It
might be the poor quality detergent, the water, hanging clothes on the
clothesline..... not sure. But it´s really true. I always thought my
husband was giving away or losing his clothes when he would come back
to CA after visiting Angola <i>insisting</i> he needed to buy new clothes
because so many of his had worn out. But I swear, things I bought less
one year ago already have wash wear and holes!<br />
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Anyway, the point is, I decided to make him some myself! And of course, I do have a stash of knits after all (I wish I could say the same for elastic). So, here is most of his new stash of custom undies (he helped in the fabric and elastic choices for some of these).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UNDIES OVER AFRICA....</td></tr>
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These sewed up so quickly and easily. I´m sure I will be making him even more. He really loves them. I am currently working on making a pdf sewing pattern for these. So, sometime soon, you could make some of your very own too!<br />
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I only managed to complete one other thing since contracting malaria, a pair of sleep shorts for my husband for Fathers Day. These were made to his spec´s to replace a pair that wore out (remember what I said about Angola being hard on clothes?).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwUsGtBFguorYZHM-Aphwu1UpkZ4VG3z5v2l7G4JJ2UreCsmrF0WQo_QSbR1KTfI0EhyH7HFA7dMewnVkkivcB4utrvMOzeiWwJRXP7VJtNgvdnCyn-EQc4EVeTrI5-0HRWOYdxYUyg8/s1600/DSCF9059-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwUsGtBFguorYZHM-Aphwu1UpkZ4VG3z5v2l7G4JJ2UreCsmrF0WQo_QSbR1KTfI0EhyH7HFA7dMewnVkkivcB4utrvMOzeiWwJRXP7VJtNgvdnCyn-EQc4EVeTrI5-0HRWOYdxYUyg8/s640/DSCF9059-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, I couldn´t talk him into modeling them. Oh well. He likes them and they fit just like he wanted. And I even got them done for Fathers Day night! <br />
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In other sewing news, I have a dress for myself cut out at the moment. It will be perfect for the 4th of July because I am using a plaid in similar colors to those sleep shorts. I won´t start sewing it though until I make some pants for my nephew who is about to turn 13. And I have to make a pair for each of my kids too. This is my first attempt at a Farbenmix pattern with lots of embellishments, and it´s all in German (yikes!). I am really excited about these! <a href="http://www.farbenmix.de/en/bo-designbeispiele.html" target="_blank">Click here to see the pattern I am using and what some others have made with it.</a> Oh! and did I mention that my nephew´s birthday party is at our house this Saturday? I guess you know what I´ll be doing.....dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-16002296241324440702012-06-05T17:50:00.000+01:002012-06-05T21:12:10.103+01:00Angola is kicking my butt...So, I had all these plans of things to make. I was so excited. Then the power was out for 8-1/2 days in a row. We do have <i><b>some</b></i> electricity when the power from the grid is out because we have a small generator. But it is only powerful enough for the lights and one row of outlets. Sadly, our water pump is electric, so no grid power means no running water. This is very hard to deal with. On the ninth day I finally broke down and hand washed, rinsed, wringed and hung up a few essential bits of laundry. And guess what happened a little bit later- the power came back on- d´oh!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02RrceLAf25YH-Foj9Zoe8B25TYslEBZjH9t3TSJEANURipEf1PbDHVR0-3EBg1OEFeqSk3WiESJZyaY2JJCIEu4MfhcLrOH5TGANe6Sl1zPIFdlRa9dUt63iHtqcNFODKyDttQT8D-8/s1600/washer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02RrceLAf25YH-Foj9Zoe8B25TYslEBZjH9t3TSJEANURipEf1PbDHVR0-3EBg1OEFeqSk3WiESJZyaY2JJCIEu4MfhcLrOH5TGANe6Sl1zPIFdlRa9dUt63iHtqcNFODKyDttQT8D-8/s400/washer.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wash tub on the left, spinner on the right.</td></tr>
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So, then I tried Saturday to start catching up on all the laundry. But I can only fit 2 loads on the clothesline, so that´s all I could do. Also, my husband fixed the hose so it connects to the tap now, so the second load was pretty easy even. Previously I had to fill up buckets of water and pour them into our weird semi-automatic washing machine. Now, never mind that I forgot to check that the drain hose was securely in the floor drain and I got dirty wash water all over the floor.<br />
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And then on Sunday, I just felt <u>horrible</u>. Every joint in my body hurt! And my head was killing me. The only relief I could find was to soak in a warm bath. Thankfully, the power was still on. Never mind that the first bath I tried, the shower nozzle (no faucet in our tub) that I had laid on the bottom of the tub decided to change its position and started spraying water all over the bathroom and into the hall. Twice, I took 1000mg of Tylenol (Paracetamol), and it didn´t do anything at all.<br />
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When I still felt this bad on Monday, we went to the clinic. I wanted to go to the clinic only one block from our house so we could walk. There are much better clinics, but they are further away. All the roads right around our house are dirt (read bumpy) and my spine was killing me. Alas, the waiting room was packed and the doctor wasn´t even there yet. So, we decided to go to one that had been recommended in Viana, only a 10 minute drive away.<br />
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We found parking about a block and a half away, went in and waited maybe 30 minutes before being called back. While in the waiting room, which was packed and all seats taken, a woman saw I was in agony and offered me her seat. Then she asked me what was wrong and I tried to tell her with my limited Portuguese. She then put some oil on a handkerchief (which had writing I read later is made just for this purpose). She stuck this cloth inside my bra strap, pressed her well oiled hand on my chest, squeezed my shoulder and leg, all the while praying in Portuguese. It didn´t work, but I thought it was super nice of her. She even gave us some snacks for the kids when they were leaving (& we were still waiting on results). We ended up being in the clinic about 4 hours. I´m not sure why it took so long to give us the results. But while waiting for them, a stretcher was wheeled in, and when they brought it back out, there was a small body all wrapped in African fabric. I´m so glad my kids were too busy fighting and complaining to notice because I, myself, found it hard to hold back the tears.<br />
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..........and so, it turns out I have malaria. Drat! Honestly, I´m really glad it isn´t something worse. This is possibly the only thing they really know how to cure here. And it´s an easy and quick cure too. Just 3 days of anti-malaria meds, a week of antibiotics, some vitamins and acetominophen. I have been on these for a day now, and I´ve only improved maybe 25%. That is something, but still don´t feel well enough to do laundry. It´s all I can do to feed my kids and wash a few essential dishes. I did find something that helps even more than the hot baths..... a coffee-Nequick-lechera slushie.....yummmmmm.<br />
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This might come as a shock, but we actually have a maid here, 4 days a week. It´s awesome! And it doesn´t cost very much. Actually, I just learned that we pay her a little more than the guys who remove landmines here in Angola! However, sometimes she just doesn´t show up, and she seems to have a weird way of doing this when we <i><b>really</b></i> need her (like now). And she never calls, so we always think maybe she quit. So, of course, she didn´t work yesterday (Mon) and showed up today to tell me she couldn´t work, but will try to send us someone in her place tomorrow. I´m grateful she came and told us something (she seems injured), but would be more grateful if someone would do the dishes and mop the floors.<br />
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So, that is why I haven´t done much sewing or posting. I did make my son several pairs of underpants during the outage to delay the necessity of hand-washing. I will post about those soon. Oh! And I honestly didn´t post this to whine. I just wanted to explain and thought maybe those of you living in the first world might appreciate a few of your modern conveniences today knowing that some of us never realized how good we had it!<br />
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<br />dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-74603445622649968992012-05-31T14:55:00.001+01:002012-05-31T15:50:52.249+01:00My Very First TutorialI created <a href="http://dawnberries.blogspot.com/p/covered-hanger-tutorial.html" target="_blank">a little tutorial on how to make a covered hanger,</a> along with tons of pics. If you click on the link on the right hand side that says "Covered Hanger Tutorial", it will take you to the page. Why not use up a little of your leftover fabric and make a hanger to match whatever you just made (provided it gets hung up)?<br />
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While I am here, showing you the Ta Dot hanger, I may as well show you the dress I made it for:<br />
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I used the Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress Pattern and Flora and Fauna fabric by Patty Young for Michael Miller. I made this dress 3 weeks ago, and, as usual, I reviewed this pattern on Pattern Review.</div>
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Wow! She´s looking all grown up here in this dress. What´s that about? Maybe it´s the watch.<br />
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I hope you enjoy the tutorial. I have it in pdf form too if you prefer that. Just leave a comment.dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-76938275140259628492012-05-28T18:50:00.000+01:002012-05-28T20:28:32.600+01:00Fiona of the Rainbow Butterflies<i><b>I have been going nuts wanting to post this all weekend, and I´m sitting outside now (to get an internet connection) right at dusk (prime mosquito time) in hopes of finally uploading it.</b></i><br />
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I made another new dress for my daughter that I am very proud of. So much so that I am entering it into a contest on Pattern Review. Wish me luck. This is another pattern by Patterns by Figgy´s. This one is called Fiona. I actually finished it a couple of days ago, even got pictures taken, but then we ran out of internet credit (on Saturday). And we weren´t able to get more until today (Monday). *SIGH*<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyIsuFzKn3qL2CJb-skK7E1XJSkKaM1f-esLWJmpAqDqbGNMg_4V2bYlh2UMXeryzbMAtLQvrdR6qVKyRCHpRW3CoI84nWkl5a73v__A0u_b9QCtaf6SiSbAWUfcRvpdWu9-wvKWOtdY/s1600/Fiona+triptych+with+borders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyIsuFzKn3qL2CJb-skK7E1XJSkKaM1f-esLWJmpAqDqbGNMg_4V2bYlh2UMXeryzbMAtLQvrdR6qVKyRCHpRW3CoI84nWkl5a73v__A0u_b9QCtaf6SiSbAWUfcRvpdWu9-wvKWOtdY/s640/Fiona+triptych+with+borders.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterfly fabric on the outside, green floral on the inside, and stripes in the pleats & hem facing.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I actually got the idea to make <u>this</u> pattern with <u>these</u> fabrics when trying to decide which fabrics to use for the<b> <i>previous</i></b> Figgy´s dress pattern I made a couple weeks ago, the <a href="http://figgyspatterns.com/patterns/sunki/" target="_blank">Sunki</a> dress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2vZjadECQ3bfQqaGMdCCH-roV9R3QTZSVrcUOJGBW2bAaeNrrxce3uXPddR25P0icmXrO5vauZJzazzotYLQ84rzB2PydEzv1feBn80j3nB1XI2Z0Mm6qzTNg_TTQDHj5Dg37u3emVQ/s1600/DSCF8813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2vZjadECQ3bfQqaGMdCCH-roV9R3QTZSVrcUOJGBW2bAaeNrrxce3uXPddR25P0icmXrO5vauZJzazzotYLQ84rzB2PydEzv1feBn80j3nB1XI2Z0Mm6qzTNg_TTQDHj5Dg37u3emVQ/s400/DSCF8813.JPG" title="Patterns by Figgy´s Sunki dress" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those are great big, curvy pockets on the front. She LOVES pockets!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FXpnicpoUIB7SXldOwbbvAGhnnF5uQo8zQIXolPqzCtIbNGw8GS1BXfvB-_LOkljXbr3ci0trM_Az_21BCOicwBb1WAe7yUHXKr3HDZBBHj6R43YHqW5oByWXPfkPjZnyobRfrdVyy4/s1600/DSCF8821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FXpnicpoUIB7SXldOwbbvAGhnnF5uQo8zQIXolPqzCtIbNGw8GS1BXfvB-_LOkljXbr3ci0trM_Az_21BCOicwBb1WAe7yUHXKr3HDZBBHj6R43YHqW5oByWXPfkPjZnyobRfrdVyy4/s400/DSCF8821.JPG" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry it´s a little blurry. She just won´t stand still!</td></tr>
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The fabrics I used for the Fiona dress I considered for Sunki, but then I realized they would be cute for this one! <br />
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I bought the Fiona pattern in pdf form last year, but couldn´t make it work (in my head) with African wax prints, which is all I had before the stash arrived on the boat. I´m really glad I waited, because I think these fabrics were the perfect choice.<br />
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Here is my daughter modeling the dress:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLAAflETzx3bgxJ2YzhpEfjcmDd-vjfqdTmBLLow8BETxjSkLFcQbqLTu5NxnpdmqEQ6TeR35J5s34_Dj62yKADW93WcSylZ249pMYSldtxGiL7R9TQKAhqrp-NeL3qiwb2fATZARmlw/s1600/Fiona+modeled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLAAflETzx3bgxJ2YzhpEfjcmDd-vjfqdTmBLLow8BETxjSkLFcQbqLTu5NxnpdmqEQ6TeR35J5s34_Dj62yKADW93WcSylZ249pMYSldtxGiL7R9TQKAhqrp-NeL3qiwb2fATZARmlw/s640/Fiona+modeled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As for the pattern, this one is pretty involved. You need your wits about you when cutting out all the pieces. Or you just need to look closely at the cutting layout pictures (which I never do). Since this is an <i><b>asymmetrical</b> </i>design, it matters which way round you cut some of the pieces (duh!). Ask me how I learned this lesson. I did <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/75592" target="_blank">a detailed review of the pattern on Pattern Review.</a><br />
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This project took a few days to make, in part because we experienced a lot of power issues, and in part because I didn´t have my wits about me enough (bc of said power issues). Also, having children interrupt every five minutes doesn´t really help when you need to concentrate. My son did help me to find the off white thread in the dark though (the "marquise", where the sewing room is, doesn´t have power when we are on the generator). And I had to use the big extension cord to power the sewing machine most of the time. I can´t always do this though because sometimes the kids need this for their movie player.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzXhFF-oIxJQSii2iUJjeme1k5_tohTrcGxgEEeVEJF-mA3H-VzYg4bxUsf9xoht8_7jrcVHmxMrU5lzmafQ_tesZR1sXtsYYJCPeSRcRmLAi7MNgw2e4FN85hnZBX_iCC2brRLZJa1w/s1600/when+the+power+is+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzXhFF-oIxJQSii2iUJjeme1k5_tohTrcGxgEEeVEJF-mA3H-VzYg4bxUsf9xoht8_7jrcVHmxMrU5lzmafQ_tesZR1sXtsYYJCPeSRcRmLAi7MNgw2e4FN85hnZBX_iCC2brRLZJa1w/s640/when+the+power+is+out.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the lights are out on this box, the power is out from the grid. K loves to help me search for thread shades in the dark. Me, not so much. There´s my extension cord setup. It has a reel.</td></tr>
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I did finish it though, and I am very happy with the result. I used rainbow thread for the topstitching and shell buttons.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-VTD04xISxsmfzH-kmv1Rk1V_qA-jDTDkygVLthGK98k1uejTaN9R99rwj00nbvr1aBnC8pEXKoIXPvjbUSJB1z_BANRKY87bRMcTvoXIDYEXsjn-4IUfdFHvOxxlnzQGzJ_Hkq05pw/s1600/fiona+details+triptych.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-VTD04xISxsmfzH-kmv1Rk1V_qA-jDTDkygVLthGK98k1uejTaN9R99rwj00nbvr1aBnC8pEXKoIXPvjbUSJB1z_BANRKY87bRMcTvoXIDYEXsjn-4IUfdFHvOxxlnzQGzJ_Hkq05pw/s640/fiona+details+triptych.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are little peek-a-boo spots on the front of the bodice, but mine don´t show so much, but I wanted you to see them anyway (bottom left pic).</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, I can´t find my awesome, American, cordless iron, which we carried back in our luggage the last time we flew here from the states. The (second) one we bought here seems to have developed some nasty burn spots! So, I had to take care to only use the tip of the iron so I didn´t inadvertently ruin the dress. And when I finished, I had barely any of the variegated, rainbow thread left. Had I run out, I´m not sure what I would have done....<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInvPnjueqGtuWAqIbVLN11z1o8I-g-ir-KjWgW-Kx75z0cgTinSy62qJle9mrbNtSOSRyW5hRys3j8LJxK9m6RjLn6oow4daKSUs_UzVnXWRz0eD4cmVDQoJ1T5ih3DyoWIVbn91myAw/s1600/Aqui+Angola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInvPnjueqGtuWAqIbVLN11z1o8I-g-ir-KjWgW-Kx75z0cgTinSy62qJle9mrbNtSOSRyW5hRys3j8LJxK9m6RjLn6oow4daKSUs_UzVnXWRz0eD4cmVDQoJ1T5ih3DyoWIVbn91myAw/s400/Aqui+Angola.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the two black burn spots on the iron and resulting marks on the ironing board? Yikes!</td></tr>
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There is a matching vest (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?w=1362162%40N23&m=pool&q=franco" target="_blank">Franco</a>) for the Fiona dress included with this pattern, but I haven´t found the right fabric to make it for my son yet. Maybe something green to go with the lining I used on the dress? I wonder if any of these would work (please comment if you have any thoughts on this).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh2Yphhf3iD84gJWewrfky4gxvbvmWRBedXUluoVXLwZaIkx1QDiHz3gfAzp17wQ7q_kdiCC2Md5umAn-LS5xQhzMva-Q8Vs1eN1S2JRGPxJvyTm_r_TZsoESwE0sNFanqwGAaIj73TY/s1600/DSCF9039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh2Yphhf3iD84gJWewrfky4gxvbvmWRBedXUluoVXLwZaIkx1QDiHz3gfAzp17wQ7q_kdiCC2Md5umAn-LS5xQhzMva-Q8Vs1eN1S2JRGPxJvyTm_r_TZsoESwE0sNFanqwGAaIj73TY/s640/DSCF9039.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The solid green is thick like denim (twill maybe). The middle three are quilting cottons. The stripey one on the right is a little finer. I was liking the checks, but now I think they are too 80s.....maybe the stripes on the left?</td></tr>
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While we´re at it, I may as well show the previous Patterns by Figgy´s dress I made about 3 weeks ago, <a href="http://figgyspatterns.com/patterns/ofelia/" target="_blank">Ofelia</a>. I think this one has a little old fashioned & fancy look to it because of the fabric and lace. This one was easy breezy to sew by the way!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4La_sd5LZjyhfLRTKVFi0kgn70Qs9cc7JeXXIrkYCMITQtbC0JCnmtg-7hEx7sMcmse1-8PqhcwE6Qfy6Fgk60-qGmZELk4KnRvA0ZHe8JHMV2zctYkhlBlkAfqPLyL9PpeDR_iat6IQ/s1600/Ofelia+dress+composite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4La_sd5LZjyhfLRTKVFi0kgn70Qs9cc7JeXXIrkYCMITQtbC0JCnmtg-7hEx7sMcmse1-8PqhcwE6Qfy6Fgk60-qGmZELk4KnRvA0ZHe8JHMV2zctYkhlBlkAfqPLyL9PpeDR_iat6IQ/s640/Ofelia+dress+composite.jpg" title="Patterns by Figgy´s Ofelia peasant dress in floral fabric with lace details" width="640" /></a></div>
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I guess you can tell that I like Patterns by Figgy´s, huh? Here´s why: 1) They are unique; 2) They have interesting details; 3) The customer service is top notch (Any questions? Just send an email and you will get a response within hours!); 4) Sewing these patterns is making me a better seamstress. I have another Figgy´s dress pattern I plan to make soon, <a href="http://figgyspatterns.com/patterns/scirocco/" target="_blank">Scirocco</a>. I haven´t decided on a fabric yet though, maybe an African wax (batik).<br />
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By the way, I swear they aren´t like paying me or anything to rave their patterns. I just genuinely think they are great. I think this Fiona dress might be the best thing I´ve ever made. In fact, I like it so much, I made it its own hanger:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSl2sdMmsXsSYoILh5DR9PelzUK6lgnnvlN5khhXxJ8f_S0E19h8drzus33YDU-UBsd4d2oWy1R-k5YU2TkoSozAN4w_jIF-Mk4KDL2-6Q0Uk6ucsenzWgrzjCfh5J_U3gMjY8-DH73UM/s1600/SAM_9181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSl2sdMmsXsSYoILh5DR9PelzUK6lgnnvlN5khhXxJ8f_S0E19h8drzus33YDU-UBsd4d2oWy1R-k5YU2TkoSozAN4w_jIF-Mk4KDL2-6Q0Uk6ucsenzWgrzjCfh5J_U3gMjY8-DH73UM/s320/SAM_9181.JPG" width="204" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLDECvS5wWdrpb_pChDDdXAlSed0O6cxt-3JeffmvxcBr1h2sXNBVpUZ5TFy5ApMSbm57POUmz66BdlVpsa5Teebtd6ltAjTIDZ980Lw-gv9TEIqDRLtIvEn4EcssQ0h8Yyb_nXq-ef8/s1600/Done+with+embellishment.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLDECvS5wWdrpb_pChDDdXAlSed0O6cxt-3JeffmvxcBr1h2sXNBVpUZ5TFy5ApMSbm57POUmz66BdlVpsa5Teebtd6ltAjTIDZ980Lw-gv9TEIqDRLtIvEn4EcssQ0h8Yyb_nXq-ef8/s320/Done+with+embellishment.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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I swear I sew other patterns than Figgy´s. I will prove it to you in my next post.<br />
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I need to get inside and away from the mosquitoes now. Please send good vibes in our direction to help them fix the "cable that burned" that is causing the current power outage. I don´t know if it´s a good or bad thing that we actually know the cause this time. We usually have no idea why the power is out. All I know is, our water pump needs electricity from the grid to give us running water; and I need running water.dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-32487453994025558122012-05-24T09:42:00.000+01:002012-05-24T09:42:26.224+01:00New Monkey Pjs and the Evolution of Sewing Skills The other night before bed-time, I finished my son´s new monkey pjs. He loves them and so do I.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mSb4KIk9dipAOlt_Mx-y58KdaLMDls_5SjqXPf3ixCRmt6AVm7o1RdmaXZRj9orSwfoX3jtc0_bKutGhA9li_roL4-VRcAZDAqrtXIoBTehjHY6vuh4qjPffXVLOh10w-VEAiE_o6Qc/s1600/DSCF9027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mSb4KIk9dipAOlt_Mx-y58KdaLMDls_5SjqXPf3ixCRmt6AVm7o1RdmaXZRj9orSwfoX3jtc0_bKutGhA9li_roL4-VRcAZDAqrtXIoBTehjHY6vuh4qjPffXVLOh10w-VEAiE_o6Qc/s640/DSCF9027.JPG" title="Green and beige monkey pajamas" width="620" /></a></div>
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I used the Goodnight Sweetheart PJs pattern from the pattern book <a href="http://www.sewing-for-boys.com/" target="_blank">Sewing for Boys</a> by Patterns by Figgy´s. This is an awesome book! I made my first pair of these pjs last week as a gift for a little boy named Ali who is turning two. And I made my son a pair of Treasure Pocket Pants (shorts) before that.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikId7fOZxvJT5dDfY0y7T10zUiD3tc733GzCiYUoKvlueXDA2qAIeN4bqBbaSl04ISFl3xDsaIeXxaAAGC6FVAaFoSyhNyfcTrtP9HcADbroWCNz4ewgU-9tQ2F80Cs3ab7AV0K010L6M/s1600/1st+2+projects+SFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikId7fOZxvJT5dDfY0y7T10zUiD3tc733GzCiYUoKvlueXDA2qAIeN4bqBbaSl04ISFl3xDsaIeXxaAAGC6FVAaFoSyhNyfcTrtP9HcADbroWCNz4ewgU-9tQ2F80Cs3ab7AV0K010L6M/s640/1st+2+projects+SFB.jpg" title="Goodnight Sweetheart PJs and Treasure Pocket Pants" width="640" /></a></div>
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This book also contains their raglan tee pattern (aka Tee for Two), which I had bought separately before the book came out. I have used that pattern A LOT.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNNcuudssHnG10M4L0D6GQTZBU-zPvlpOB2XsZKjl3Iny9wB90ab7gQ7cjMVwvls1Smv5rMK2CuMq4J1GRSU_yuQO_biMiviNfuI8HgFuYXmMrGTleN7xZZPVVaDlZK898Pg88mS86O4/s1600/Tees+for+Two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNNcuudssHnG10M4L0D6GQTZBU-zPvlpOB2XsZKjl3Iny9wB90ab7gQ7cjMVwvls1Smv5rMK2CuMq4J1GRSU_yuQO_biMiviNfuI8HgFuYXmMrGTleN7xZZPVVaDlZK898Pg88mS86O4/s640/Tees+for+Two.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, here is my son after sleeping all night in his new pjs, bed-head and all.... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK8dLIGNFYzF3z4brX6bKuOqRFGHMlb8HuW6685zct8ar1QH2KMQZb1BehSuy_9VUHR9ZzAx3F6Yu7CtF-8DrtwdPWghLZee0vK_FkokS4zN9YhbLUqODyGdXFQuTEVB3prHWL1DzpFw/s1600/DSCF9015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK8dLIGNFYzF3z4brX6bKuOqRFGHMlb8HuW6685zct8ar1QH2KMQZb1BehSuy_9VUHR9ZzAx3F6Yu7CtF-8DrtwdPWghLZee0vK_FkokS4zN9YhbLUqODyGdXFQuTEVB3prHWL1DzpFw/s400/DSCF9015.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTxqGa75vcmEBC06QNWgfwt34DHyaoWgrz9l-Y4VdDxoPOvqedVPsS4LIjsVUP1IDsf4j3dE1uZzesWoJTmK7Sae92ScTWbJrB2jEO15BEoqFasokOmNmR1KGFSXv672j77Bnr7cU51w/s1600/DSCF9017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTxqGa75vcmEBC06QNWgfwt34DHyaoWgrz9l-Y4VdDxoPOvqedVPsS4LIjsVUP1IDsf4j3dE1uZzesWoJTmK7Sae92ScTWbJrB2jEO15BEoqFasokOmNmR1KGFSXv672j77Bnr7cU51w/s640/DSCF9017.JPG" width="331" /></a> </div>
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They are a bit big (they are size 4/5 and he barely wears a 4), which is
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As it turns out, I made him some monkey pjs probably around 4 years ago that I forgot about. They are already a little bit too small for little sister.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17PYPET2BSBnBsAM4cO_l5Cresi6nKkkjrgnKyPxs0NIOsHBxL0GQy_Z8FB_zixuz3ZntBGokgwhXFkfmGLNQ3NycHBq5MESTvDUuSZFsEQ-d_ifT9bLfASruS14Wpq83CervJe4EVdk/s1600/DSCF9030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17PYPET2BSBnBsAM4cO_l5Cresi6nKkkjrgnKyPxs0NIOsHBxL0GQy_Z8FB_zixuz3ZntBGokgwhXFkfmGLNQ3NycHBq5MESTvDUuSZFsEQ-d_ifT9bLfASruS14Wpq83CervJe4EVdk/s1600/DSCF9030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17PYPET2BSBnBsAM4cO_l5Cresi6nKkkjrgnKyPxs0NIOsHBxL0GQy_Z8FB_zixuz3ZntBGokgwhXFkfmGLNQ3NycHBq5MESTvDUuSZFsEQ-d_ifT9bLfASruS14Wpq83CervJe4EVdk/s400/DSCF9030.JPG" title="kimono style monkey pjs with bound edges" width="376" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjMvmYKCQNXfkftdGx6vWTg_RQWaNdrq9K1ZbuqvZ9yC8EnvretMyb1EAh1oOU2ZapXrNcToJ-r8QML8YM1pLSM_qmXnPPRggvmuTpMFdX2i_y_3M695kxqtGqH6XQHJWDRkanFj7Qo8/s1600/DSCF9014-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjMvmYKCQNXfkftdGx6vWTg_RQWaNdrq9K1ZbuqvZ9yC8EnvretMyb1EAh1oOU2ZapXrNcToJ-r8QML8YM1pLSM_qmXnPPRggvmuTpMFdX2i_y_3M695kxqtGqH6XQHJWDRkanFj7Qo8/s640/DSCF9014-001.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
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What really struck me when looking at these old monkey pjs was not that my taste hasn´t changed much (even used wood buttons then), but how bad the sewing is on them. The binding has frayed off both sleeves and the weird bound buttonholes look messy. And of course, now I have evolved to using French seams whenever I can.<br />
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Check out the difference:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbIcLHXrc4ggE5BpbAuprNPL_buqfRUaYj01Hg8VbuaR4IW1PKIeJPb_4ojK2Rkpz6oYlAQ5-AvY_bl-Ovvd680BKdC5emuvP8WnojFQALvtMclZ7cbAgW36oWJMPaP3JdLVUOAF3n7w/s1600/monkey+pjs+THEN+w-word.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbIcLHXrc4ggE5BpbAuprNPL_buqfRUaYj01Hg8VbuaR4IW1PKIeJPb_4ojK2Rkpz6oYlAQ5-AvY_bl-Ovvd680BKdC5emuvP8WnojFQALvtMclZ7cbAgW36oWJMPaP3JdLVUOAF3n7w/s640/monkey+pjs+THEN+w-word.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdV9hFfdd3ZKWJyGCtAlCDPWjkbHVpdmiP9_MF9PdU8J0GhPlJmOfI-RuBg9fJNx2xpfZDQcw1uQZF-89CLz3mUKsJaIAXgGjBSDzMCwJfgjm1QxBxcj-V57BtwneVC5r71xl9OLCnxWc/s1600/monkey+pjs+NOW+w-word.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdV9hFfdd3ZKWJyGCtAlCDPWjkbHVpdmiP9_MF9PdU8J0GhPlJmOfI-RuBg9fJNx2xpfZDQcw1uQZF-89CLz3mUKsJaIAXgGjBSDzMCwJfgjm1QxBxcj-V57BtwneVC5r71xl9OLCnxWc/s640/monkey+pjs+NOW+w-word.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am already working on a few more projects, including another Patterns by Figgy´s dress and finally something for my husband (gasp!). He said he would like a pair of these pjs, but I just don´t have that much monkey fabric......<br />
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</div>dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2651566923416039012.post-6216551249378480932012-05-22T17:17:00.000+01:002012-05-23T05:33:42.541+01:00The Start of a Destash Adventure<strong><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here I am in Angola, Africa with my husband, 2 kids and sewing machine. </span></em></strong><br />
<ul>
<li><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have boxes and boxes of fabric I collected the last few years as well as lots of other sewing and crafting supplies. </span></em></li>
<li><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have no access to purchase other supplies except when we leave the country or get others to bring us stuff. </span></em></li>
<li><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I have time. </span></em></li>
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">What should I make?</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is my sewing room, which I am only using for storage right now (no A/C in that little out-building yet). </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="536" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUpC7qZK3OlA7dx-ECoE8st5AbYNOiX8_s9N0vGEIYd7hLd-cHm6iABYElJYDsfmXXgHZBJGNUd8KS8SmjeigzqEkfQgQEHFmCgydSCeTcB4f_1qiemQpWi3htHvEpxMAiGf29eY2C94/s640/DSCF9001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Sewing Room supplies" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jewelry making supplies and yarn on top; fabrics I might have a plan for or just want to look at, sewing notions like trims and buttons; some patterns and other notions and threads on the table top (which is just the right size for my cutting mat); drawers of fabric underneath.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUpC7qZK3OlA7dx-ECoE8st5AbYNOiX8_s9N0vGEIYd7hLd-cHm6iABYElJYDsfmXXgHZBJGNUd8KS8SmjeigzqEkfQgQEHFmCgydSCeTcB4f_1qiemQpWi3htHvEpxMAiGf29eY2C94/s1600/DSCF9001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here´s a peek inside the drawers:</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AgmP53jIkY9YnghyKuUIjTn7N2Qu-WMEwwwflkJU41zXFMaLtqnYCAaYjrtKqVHIcYDsx9iWSWjNsIAvt50G2yg-R9xXG1jLbzOr0heZcKOCruTajlX9qNVHxBZDj-d8IoiRo3bk38g/s1600/right+hand+drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AgmP53jIkY9YnghyKuUIjTn7N2Qu-WMEwwwflkJU41zXFMaLtqnYCAaYjrtKqVHIcYDsx9iWSWjNsIAvt50G2yg-R9xXG1jLbzOr0heZcKOCruTajlX9qNVHxBZDj-d8IoiRo3bk38g/s320/right+hand+drawer.jpg" title="Woven fabrics including Nani Iro, Echino, ruffles, solids and batiks" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nani Iro/Echino/Special, solids, batiks, more solids </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UedNOL_gTCHXFLqb2V57r1cGK4PVKZIb-oK5wgtMlmw5kz0UrfNZwTHtlBRQOR9Z8X_6qTuPTAB0YKZdITIP5ULcwwGA1RChfHv3LMeIkKP5opWpNrBurSRQM2SC25R2bgK_Dj9uOkc/s320/left+drawers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Woven fabrics in greens, blues, pinks" width="173" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greens, blues, pinks, other colorful prints</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAk2DohxkJV36b16TNCIGH1tlDLO6g8AHbWhotU8JR9q-QVTw_KEUU_O2iSgF9YmdZhvDumYYWjoHptwkupf3mwhIMlRDl4wiJOefdrUGMTHiHPe-mfgmP3r0tc7eOqSSchB2Xby82Dw/s320/knits.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Knit fabrics in drawers" width="228" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knits</td></tr>
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<span style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span>There are still some things in boxes, like warmer fabrics and clothing I hope to upcycle into something else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUzNgV_lzGqnlEUbEYM61o8-KF4NtWHK7OTRuPhAKsGOUX6nHiSmq8BZUx57o2Vc81uE467K68Xito26qBKtz-b8vhn2_-L7VhIWvDEM5N0EdIr4nSL0vtkWl1BNS3t8U6gZsrc6j0VU/s1600/boxes+of+fabric+in+middle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUzNgV_lzGqnlEUbEYM61o8-KF4NtWHK7OTRuPhAKsGOUX6nHiSmq8BZUx57o2Vc81uE467K68Xito26qBKtz-b8vhn2_-L7VhIWvDEM5N0EdIr4nSL0vtkWl1BNS3t8U6gZsrc6j0VU/s320/boxes+of+fabric+in+middle.jpg" title="Boxes of fabric with fleeces and silks" width="263" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkVUDU7Lho_9e6uhsnbgnWdPL75M9_E9gwFoRDt_n0c7zUeez4bGOQfIXQuC6R08HuY3suoCxJtWVo1O358H1XTpLKZNJSrXcDsn5wzRfJsZMVCNJkDjHiyuMLYo1c_o7dLvTC7pp1_s/s1600/boxes+of+fabric+etc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkVUDU7Lho_9e6uhsnbgnWdPL75M9_E9gwFoRDt_n0c7zUeez4bGOQfIXQuC6R08HuY3suoCxJtWVo1O358H1XTpLKZNJSrXcDsn5wzRfJsZMVCNJkDjHiyuMLYo1c_o7dLvTC7pp1_s/s320/boxes+of+fabric+etc.jpg" title="Boxes of fabric and sewing supplies including clothing to upcycle" width="232" /></a></div>
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And there are a few things I can´t seem to find, like my extra rotary blades and sharpener. I´m guessing they are in one of those bags or boxes..... I´ll get around to organizing it all eventually. But right now, I ´m having too much fun sewing. </div>
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Here´s my make-shift setup:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCy1TXPKaX_PCfo-gis63EVCaiohVFFZKFjtNbfhmWXuF-L1RwV2X35mYwSkNNgS8buzO8fM2RaAJAGlNp32XrisqcRrTcCV8U1Gt5P8a1O-sT-g9eSgQS7A4YQMVR4hWIpgBKV3W5BR4/s1600/DSCF9012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCy1TXPKaX_PCfo-gis63EVCaiohVFFZKFjtNbfhmWXuF-L1RwV2X35mYwSkNNgS8buzO8fM2RaAJAGlNp32XrisqcRrTcCV8U1Gt5P8a1O-sT-g9eSgQS7A4YQMVR4hWIpgBKV3W5BR4/s320/DSCF9012.JPG" title="Current sewing setup, quick, make-shift, temporary" width="320" /></a></div>
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Those boxes under the table contain patterns. The other bins are laundry (which don´t have a home yet). I am using a spare bedside table as a chair. Nice, huh? I´m just happy to be able to sew! When the power goes out, and we turn on the generator, I drag a very long extension cord from the living room (where the plugs work) into here.</div>
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So, that´s where I am. I have already started making things. I will catch you up with what I´ve made since our stuff got here in upcoming posts. In the machine right now are my son´s monkey pjs. He is hoping to wear them tonight, so I better get back to that...</div>
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<strong></strong>dawnberrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607342045951905602noreply@blogger.com6