Wring your little neck-band!

It takes a lot to get me frustrated while sewing. I really don't mind ripping things out and I usually stay calm and peaceful while sewing. Usually! This Simplicity 2927 has a neckband that I just had so much trouble figuring out. I'm sure to even moderately talented people, the instructions would have been clear, but it took 4 times to get this neckband on right. I would just stare at the instructions and then at the dress and it wouldn't click. I looked for tutorials on neckbands and there aren't any for this type. If you need to know how to sew a Tshirt neckband or sew on a neckband to something you have knitted then you are in luck, but no help for 2927 users. I might just do a tutorial myself! I finally got it to work last night and I have to sew the facing on the second one. Wow-will I ever make this pattern again???? It really depends on how cute my 13 year old looks in it and if she loves it!

A little further down the runway

Last night the weather was great and my oldest daughter had her sweet beau out here for grilled hamburgers. My husband ended up using the tractor to finish all our pitiful attempts at getting the ground ready for seed and I made homemade french fries to go with the burgers. After all the good food which included Paula Dean gooey cake-YUM!, they worked on homework or computers and I thought I would try to get a little sewing in. I finshed the piping and got the front pieces sewn together and then attached it to the back. I had her try it and it is definitely more fitted than the yellow dress. It is only pinned to Shirley-(she is too big for the dress).I have sewn the armhole facings together, but that is about as far as I got before the bed started calling my name at 11:30. Today my youngest has Homeschool Chefs after lunch, so don't think I will get much sewing done. It is hard to believe my week break is almost over and I feel like I have been spinning my wheels! Summer is coming though and there will be more time for all things crafty!

Long weekend, little sewing

My hubby was off Friday and we spent most of the day and weekend outdoors. We trimmed our apple trees (probably a bit too late), chipped and shredded all the trimmings into mulch, dug out a beaver dam in our creek so our field would drain and many other miscellaneous tasks. Sunday was church pretty much all day and our homeschool co-op group met Monday instead of our typical Thursday. All that to say, that I haven't done much sewing. I have started on the Project Runway dress we had originally cut out for my daughter's 4H project. I have finished applying most of the store bought piping and it really isn't hard to do. I love the effect and will use it on other projects now. I also got the bodice and straps started on the yellow seersucker dress for the same daughter. This material came from Fabric.com and was only $1.74 a yard! It is going together pretty easily. She did have her sewing class Friday and made great progress on her jacket. Saturday she did all of her topstitching and it looks great! This week we are taking a spring break and I have lofty goals for sewing projects-Lord willing. I want to finish the Runway dress and the yellow dress. I would love to get my Vogue pattern done as well. I will just have to take it one step at a time.

Project Runway-not taking off

My daughter just cracks me up! Yesterday I was reading through the instructions on her Project Runway dress pattern for sewing class and asked her if she had cut pieces of interfacing for the armhole and neckband facings. "What? No, I don't think so. I think this pattern may be a little too much and it doesn't even have real buttonholes and that is the skill I have to include this year." So off we go surfing the internet for a more simple project that does include REAL buttonholes. There really aren't that many! And definitely not many she thought were "cute" enough to make. Then she starts with, "I don't think I'll take sewing next year. Maybe I'll try something else." She does this every year. The project is fun and exciting and then it looks overwhelming. I get that way a lot too. I sometimes bite off more than I can chew. It is good practice though and that is how we get better. I did take her to Hancock's yesterday and she picked out the above Kwik Sew pattern and some lightweight denim for the short jacket. I decided this morning to try and tackle some basics on this other pattern since we already bought the linen and cut it out. I thought if she saw it on Shirley, it might not look so daunting and she would return to her original project. It will be a cute spring/summer dress. We are such funny, fickled people! Sewing class is Friday night, so she will have to iron her fabric, cut out the pattern pieces, the fabric pieces and serge them all today.