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It took me until today to sew the buttonholes on the shirt I finished a week ago.  I hate sewing buttonholes. It’s the last thing left to do and I always worry it will somehow wreck the shirt that was totally fine until then. 

My current machine (Janome MemoryCraft 3500) does wonderful automatic buttonholes but I still flashback to the last machine I had - an entry level Singer that I got for my 21st birthday and used for 15 years.  It did the four-step buttonhole and I guess it used to work in the beginning, but all I have left are memories of totally ruined shirts and total frustration.  Do you know how hard it is to rip out a buttonhole and sew it again (and sew again and rip again and repeat) and not have the fabric totally shredded and wrecked.

Deep breath.  This is a different machine.  I just have to remind myself of that.  Anyway, of course it all went fine, so enough with the bad memories.  I bought some cute little red buttons - still not sure about that collar but it’s wearable and the shirt fits well.

 

That’s all! 

I’ve been working on a shirt for me.  I used My Pattern Designer which is a program that will draft patterns based on your measurements.  A great program but I still haven’t mastered it yet or gotten my measuring exactly right.  The shirt is a basic blouse (#112121) which has a bust dart, and two waist darts front and back for shaping.  I chose the semi-fitted option.

  

I think I have got my measurements sorted out now though.  The thing with these programs is that of course, they only do what you tell them to, and if you put in measurements that aren’t quite right then the thing will never fit you! 

This was my first attempt.  I hunted around in my fabric store stash and found a suitable cotton.  Light grey with a woven white stripe that still had the op shop tag on it - 2m for $3.00.  A good choice because I kind of liked it (so that if the shirt worked out I could wear it) but didn’t like it too much (so I wouldn’t be too upset if I wasted it).  I sewed the bust darts and waist darts, sewed the shoulder seam, then attached the sleeve and sewed the side seams so that I could check the fit.

 

Almost right, but it didn’t wouldn’t have quite done up at the front, and a bit of checking revealed that my tummy was a cm or two larger than when I last took my measurements.  I hate finding things like that out.  So I remeasured myself in the crucial areas of bust, waist and hip and entered the correct measurements.  I had initially gone off a measurement sheet from June - best to check that your body hasn’t changed before printing a new pattern out! 

Trying the grey shirt on also revealed that somehow I had about 4cm (nearly 2 inches) of extra length in my shoulder area.  Don’t know how that got there but important to know and easy enough to update.  While I was at it, I made a change to move the bust dart up slightly.  I printed out another pattern based on the corrected measurements and looked again for some fabric to make a test garment.  No, I don’t have any muslin (calico) but I must get some.

 

I found a nice cotton that was I had totally forgotten about.  I saved it from languishing in the stash and cut out my new pattern.  This one fit really well in the bust, waist and hip and the bust dart even pointed to the right place this time.  The change to the shoulder measurement made for a proper fit in the shoulder and sleeves too.  Things were looking good, so I went ahead and finished the blouse, adding the collar and facings and hemming the sleeves and bottom.

 

The program has a million options and choices and I think I may have chosen a collar I am not too happy with.  It was described as an “Open - 3″ collar and I will have to do some asking on the forums about collars and what the descriptions really mean.  I don’t mind this one, but the back of the collar seems to sit away from the neck and I’m not sure it’s meant to do that.  I have to add the button holes and buttons and then it’s done. 

So it looks like I have got my first well-fitting garment from “My Pattern Designer” and now that my measurements are right I can theoretically draft any pattern and know it will fit me.  Well, tops anyway.  Still haven’t tried any skirts or pants. 

Live more, do more.  Why is it that I am not taking my own advice?  Of course, I have time.  It’s just how I choose to use (or waste) the time I have that matters.  I am tired of doing art journal entries like this one, where I am just giving myself a talking to.

This was done in my art journal in  the car on Saturday afternoon.  I only had about an hour (after dropping Emma at a birthday party) and I only had my Tombow pens, crayons and scissors and glue stick.  I drove around for a bit, found a good spot in the shade and opened my book…  to a blank page.  After looking at it for a bit without inspiration, I went through my handbag and pulled all the receipts and bits of junk paper out and started gluing them in.  It just went from there.  I wasn’t sure I liked it once I was done, but looking at it now, two days later I think I like it.

Today I had a day off work.  I have been working back a bit and covering for sick workmates recently so I thought, hey why not ask?  I have had such a nice day - nothing too exciting.  Just savouring the sweetness of a day to myself.  I was able to walk the kids to school (something that my work schedule just doesn’t allow) and came home and wondered what I would do.  Such a delicious feeling.

I started by finishing a bag for an order and then wasted a bit of time online before deciding to sew something - anything!  After a bit of indecision, I went with quick and cute and easy.

Emma has been at me for ages to make her something so I made her this cute tshirt today.  Fast and easy, just what I wanted.  And she LOVES it and loves that I made her something - it’s been a while!  What do they say about the shoemaker’s children?

Look - I still make things!  I sewed up this bed for our big fat fluffy cat, Nene on the weekend.  That’s pronounced “nay-nay” by the way…

I used some polar fleece that I’ve had for ages (still have heaps of that print left) and cut up a (thrifted) light blue chenille spread for the other side.  I had to make this as this big fat fluffy cat was leaving millions of her white hairs all over the blue couch and I am tired of vacuuming them up!  Hopefully this will help.

It looks like it’s too small for her, but it’s really not - she is just all stretched out.  Usually she wraps her tail around and snuggles right in.  I’m not saying it’s the best thing I’ve ever made, but hey it’s practical and she loves it…