I have a soft olive and cream plaid version cut next, and a bunch of rose stencils for it done the long way with a craft knife. I really really really need to do some major sucking up to my very clever and fabulous and wonderful (I've just learned that she reads my blog, hehehe) scrapbooking friend who owns a cricut......
So on to other things. I've had a couple of questions and comments lately which could do with proper responses, so here goes:
Imaan - if you're interested I'd be happy to do a full tutorial on the onesie design. I think it's a pretty good one for beginner sewers because the modifications I made to make it easy to use also make it easy to sew, and the modifications to the pattern are pretty simple. Isabella needs another one, so I'll photograph the process as I do it. Oh, and craft punches can be found at SL, and also often at stationery shops and anywhere that sells scrapbooking supplies.
Julia, you asked about my appliques. I showed how I did them in this post and this post a while back, but you've guessed correctly - it's two layers of fabric on top of the garment. You start with the garment section, place on a scrap of your contrast, followed by a scrap of your garment fabric. Then stitch the design and very carefully snip away the fabric around it, leaving more of the constrast to form a border. It's not hard, but it is a bit fiddly.
Kathryn at Les Petits Anglais commented on My Favourite Book giving her problems with ease allowances. Having seen Beangirl's first efforts with the same book also give great-but-not-quite-perfect results too I'm really really really keen to hear absolutely anything either of you (or anyone else who has used it) have to say about it. I am totally in love with the book, and very very happy with the blocks I've drafted from it, and the clothing designs I've drafted from those blocks. I want to know why I'm totally happy and you aren't. (Although, Beangirl, I think you're well on the way!) Trust me, it isn't because I'm cleverer ;-) I wish the three of us could get together for a few days, ditching kids with husbands and see what we could come up with! Wouldn't that be the best fun?!
It is wonderful!! What a lovely job you did! Hope all is well :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I'll be there next week. Oh wait. I have a job. Poop. (And the only person I know who is forced to allow me to stay with her in NZ-- my mother-in-law-- lives all the way up in Waiuku, so not exactly what I'd call commuter distance). Poop, again.
ReplyDeleteAs for the drafting thing, I wasn't disappointed really at all. I'm fairly confident the fitting issues are related to my interpretation of the instructions, not the instructions themselves. For instance, the really big tunic I made was in fact not only drafted from the "relaxed-fit t-shirt block", which presumably implies some significant wearing ease, but the example in the book is actually for a nightdress, which this would make a perfect one of. So it was more a poor choice of block than anything (which I had a fair idea might be the case, but I wanted to experiment). TLo's original sleeveles block I drafted using her exact body measurements, rather than the "next size up" on the standard charts, because she's very much not standard at all (or else I'd have to do a 140 for shoulder width, a 128 for chest width and a 110 for height, amongst other things). Using her specific measurements, the resulting sleeveless woven tunic was really a perfect fit but just had zero room for growth. It fits her Right Now, which of course isn't very practical. Also, I was curious about there being no real separation of a woven vs. a knit block and that's probably a factor. I think in a knit, that same pattern would have been ok for longer wear.
Now I'm redrafting her blocks by picking her measurements off the chart and then going up one-half to one full size for that measurements only (in the width measurements, not the length) and I'm going to experiment this weekend to see what results I get from that.
In theory.
(Sorry if this made no sense, my husband interrupted me no less than six times to tell me some long rambling ridiculously animated story about some NRL team-- the Storm? Melbourne? Something-- that got banned for cooking the books or some stupid boring thing that I honestly couldn't even hope to tell you about coherently. If your husband watches NRL, maybe he can explain. Although I'll warn you, I think my brain melted.)
Judy, I would love a tutorial on the onesie (I looked up your PR review after I commented, but a pic by pic thing would be good. I am just about to trace off the 70 for my 9 month old son, and I figured, if all else fails, I will just do it with the snaps first, and then attempt it again with the crossover neck, but a pictorial would be great! Like wise the applique if you are up for it!!! Talk about asking too much!
ReplyDeleteAnd while talking about Aldrich, I have been wondering what it is all about (I am a long way away from doing it myself), and an Aussie member of PR kindly offers to send me her copy of the children's book, gratis. And then, a week or two later, I get in the mail, the kids' book AND her original Metric Pattern Cutting!!!!! I am so happy, will have to read it cover to cover. And then see, eventually if I want to get the women's and men's wear books too. Sew-ers are so kind...beautiful dress BTW:-)
I shall look for a pattern or two (craft punches) at SL...
Sorry, got so distracted by being irritated with my husband and being hallucinatory from lack of sleep that I didn't mention that THAT IS ONE CUTE FLIPPIN' BUBBLE. C-U-T-E.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very cute little bubble! I love the idea of using the Cricut for cutting stencils. Wow, and my daughter has one! I'd like to try it, stenciling on a lining.
ReplyDeleteanother gorgeous little dress - I'm going to be in Dunedin in May so I'm going to pop into spotlight to get that freezer paper - although goodness knows when I'll ever get a chance to stencil - but hey, if you can find the time, surely I can.
ReplyDeleteCute as a button! The print really makes it special.
ReplyDeleteWell, do I ever feel foolish!! I even commented on the post where you showed how you did these appliques. I must have been sitting up really late, or something, because I don't remember it!!! Thanks for taking the time to answer my question, though. I really like this technique.
ReplyDeleteHi nice reading yourr blog
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