# Now I've done it!



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

So yesterday I am pinning and cutting patterns and my daughter finds me doing just that after school.  So she parks it and starts talking to me (I love our talks!!  I'm so happy she can be open with me about everything) and then she starts looking at the fabric I had on the chair and fell in love with a red and black cotton and wanted me to make her a dress from it for semi formal.  I said.. no this is for be but if you like this I have something upstairs that you might like... it is an oriental brocade with a red background and slightly raised black flowers though it.  OMG she loved it and now wants that for her dress.  Thing is she is not a single size.. she has a small upper body but has some hips and she is honestly built like my mother in law so we have to head to Woodstock so my mother in law can show me how to combine sizes to make a dress.  She is built just like my mother in law and MIL has to do that all the time when she sews for herself so according to her it will be easy.. yeah right...lol

I will post pictures here of the finished dress so you guys can see it!


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## mattie405 (Dec 9, 2006)

I'll be busy sewing all weekend, making fancy dog beds for the local childrens museum. They have an annual auction to help with exhibits and operating costs. I did one for them last year and it brought in $400 so this year they asked for 2 to be done. I got lucky and the local fabric place had a sale today on some really beautiful remnants and I bought two beauties. Thank goodness hubby has to work all weekend and I can just eat junk food without feeling bad about not cooking for him, so I can keep busy on these to get them done. I often wonder how many people who love to cook also love to sew. Good luck with the dress, the fabric sounds beautiful. I have a few yeards that sounds similar and when my sister spotted it she also wanted it.....actually she wanted me to make her a jacket out of it for her.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Thankfully the dress she wants is a very simple pattern. This is the pattern:

http://www.simplicity.com/p-4692-misses-dresses.aspx

But she only wants the dress, not the jacket thingy. She wants the view that is gathered at the bust but doesn't have a bow. I saw a picture of the dress only in the pattern book and that was what made me want it for myself.

Is it easy to make dog beds? I would love to make one for our husky to have in the house. She is getting older (she's 7) and seems to like to lie on something soft. Do you have a pattern or do you just do it from your head? What do you stuff it with? My neighbour's mom made beds for their two greyhounds and she stuffed them with old fabrics as well as stuffing.

Happy sewing.. while you're sewing I'll be at work cooking!


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## mattie405 (Dec 9, 2006)

Cute dress pattern. I make some little things for my grandkids sometimes and they love it. The museum makes the dog bed frames out of crown molding and plywood, they put large balls on the bottom to act as feet and lift them about 3 inches off the floor. The mattress in them is made of heavy duty 4 inch thick foam and I make a removeable cover for it out of usually tapestry fabric. The two frames that they bought me over this week have me a little nervous tho, it seems they wanted to be a little more creative or fancy and made one of them a hexagon shape, I'll be pulling my hair out trying to make the cover for that one, even my husband remarked "how the heck are you going to cover that shape cushion?" They really are quite nice when finished and tonight my three dogs just keep wanting to get into one of them, now hubby thinks we should make them a few, maybe when I get my sewing room back in shape and I have the place to work on them properly, this weekend I have to do all mu work on the diningroom table because my room is a mess.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I organized my sewing area a few weeks ago and I love having a clear table to work on when I can.  A sewing room is in  my dreams still.. but when our son moves out I have my eye on his room for my sewing room!

I'm at work now... I slacked off yesterday as I had a bad sinus headache so I came in early to organize the walk in and the freezer.  I'm about to finish my coffee so I'll be bumdling up and heading into the arctic..aka the freezer shortly.

Have a great day!


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## mattie405 (Dec 9, 2006)

I loved when all the kids left home......terrible mom me! I took two of their bedrooms and tore out the wall between them and made one large room for my sewing and crafting area. Too bad that they then all decided that it would also be their storage area, you know the stuff that doesn't fit in their homes, it's so bad now that I am about to go on a rampage. I finally got the nice sewing and cutting tables and all and as of right now you can't see the tops of any of them for all the stuff they threw in there. I called the two that live in town and told them today they have 2 weeks to get their stuff or to the curb it goes! They are welcome to clutter up their own homes with it all, I will get my room back so I can get in there and enjoy myself.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

Nice dress pattern - that's been very popular here this summer just gone.  Fabric sounds beautiful too.  How many others out there are not "standard" sizes - not that sizes of different makes tend to not be the same size anyway!  And size 0 is just plain silly.

I used to sew a lot before I grew some kids and a business - loved it.  Sewed some garments for them when they were little, but then along came sport and friends so taxi service started, and spare time went out the window.  Apart from being self-e,ployed and various other things.

But yeah,  I really enjoy it.  Used to knit a lot too, even complex coloured patterns which worked really well.  Scarves are just easy enough to do blindfolded - taught both my son and daughter how to knit - guess what?  They both enjoy cooking too.  I think your theory has something in it there....it's the creative vein I think.


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## mattie405 (Dec 9, 2006)

We had all boys, was a little sad that no girls came along. As they grew and were around me they all learned how to make clothing and to cook too. The two that are married have wives that thank me all the time for the guys learning all that they did, I think they learned it because they were interested in how those old sewing machines of mine worked so they would constantly hang around me at the machine just watching what I was doing until I would give in and let them try the machine, pretty soon they wanted to try to make some pants and shorts etc for themselves. The cooking they learned because as boys they were always very active and always hungry so I started letting them help me in the kitchen so I could get dinner on the table faster. They both married young ladies whose mothers never let them do anything house related, they were not allowed near the stove and the one whose mother did sew said it was for her own enjoyment and wouldn't bother to teach the daughter. Now they both can cook and sew among other things like fix a furnace, change the oil in their cars, replace a sink washer etc, both are so happy not to feel helpless and the boys love teaching them and their kids, some of the grandchildren can cook a simple meal for the family at 9 years old, they too are eager to learn everything and their parents encourage them all the time.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

If only more parents would teach their sons and daughters useful skills.

While my hubby can iron, sew on a button and umm... make baked beans on toast and do a bbq (I've taught him how not to burn it all to a cinder), he could have been taught a lot more.  His mum was stay at home and did pretty much everything for him and his brother.  Strange thing is, his brother became a really good home cook after he left home.  My man does clean up the dishes and the kitchen after we're done eating, with a little nudge needed, sometimes, but does a good job, including cleaning the stove - which I hate to do. I cook, make a mess, use too many pots lol but he doesn't complain.  We've worked out a deal where I cook, he cleans.  Works for us. Which is the same as what his parents did.

My 2 teens work on a rotating roster with helping in the house - alternate large tasks every week, help with the cooking and dishes on alternate nights.  Sometimes they have too much homework, being at college and uni., so we take up the slack.  It's a team effort - most of it does still lie on my shoulders, but at least they all try and help when they can.

Hey leeniek! How's the dress coming along? 

P.S.  I did have a sewing room, but we are hosting a Uni. student so...there it went - not forever (I hope).  He's become like the adopted son.  Who loves putting away groceries, clearing out the dishwasher and is very easy to get along with. And lets the cats in and out the door. Bonus.


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## mattie405 (Dec 9, 2006)

My hubby was the oldest of 15, his mother lived for watching the television, he raised most of his siblings and knew more about babies than I did when we had our first. He has always done things in the house and babysat our kids and those of a few single moms who worked with me too, we would have had a huge family like his if it was up to him. While he can cook he doesn't enjoy it but he does do dishes, laundry and anything else he sees that needs doing, very easy to get along with and I do apreciate him a lot especially after seeing the winners my friends and sister ended up with.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

That is a big family.

We gotta be lucky with what we do have, don't we. I don't know how to fix a radio - he doesn't know how to defrost a chook etc. We get along well enough. There are far more worse people in the world. They are with us and do their part, so do we, it's the way the world turns (crummy phrasing for sure but true).

How is the dress???? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rollsmile.gif


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## mattie405 (Dec 9, 2006)

DC

    Leeniek is the person who was making the dress, although I got back a little while ago from the fabric/pattern store and did manage to pick up two summery lightweight cotton prints to make some little sun dresses for our 3 year old grand daughter. After sewing for many years for mostly boys it is fun to sew for a tiny little girl who won't tear the item to shreds in a few minutes. I also need to make some new curtains for the kitchen and the sliding glass doors, got to finally get rid of those vertical blinds on them, am trying to decided what color to do the open kitchen and diningroom in, paint wise, before I purchase the fabric.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

the dress is still uncut.. but we did spend some time pinning and cutting a shirt she wants to make for herself.  Hopefully soon we can get some machine time in so I can teach her a few things.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

mattie405 said:


> DC
> 
> Leeniek is the person who was making the dress, although I got back a little while ago from the fabric/pattern store and did manage to pick up two summery lightweight cotton prints to make some little sun dresses for our 3 year old grand daughter. After sewing for many years for mostly boys it is fun to sew for a tiny little girl who won't tear the item to shreds in a few minutes. I also need to make some new curtains for the kitchen and the sliding glass doors, got to finally get rid of those vertical blinds on them, am trying to decided what color to do the open kitchen and diningroom in, paint wise, before I purchase the fabric.


Yes sorry Mattie I should have addressed it to Leeniek.

Girls are much more fun to sew for. can make pretty things, add lace trims etc. Boys, well, their clothes rarely make it until they need more, and also hardly ever made it to the "hand me down" stage. As they have the knees and umm, butt, torn out of them.



leeniek said:


> the dress is still uncut.. but we did spend some time pinning and cutting a shirt she wants to make for herself. Hopefully soon we can get some machine time in so I can teach her a few things.


It is imporatant to teach people useful skills - is it a collared shirt with button holes to do? That would be an experience. I can do zips and button holes, but it stresses me out majorly.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I had alot of fun sewing for both of my kids when they were younger.  I made almost all of their clothes when they were babies and toddlers.  Now I only do the special things like the dress for semi-formal.  I'm making myself one using the same pattern so I can get all of the quirks worked out before I go to the important one.

She's going to be starting her top today.  She's got it all pinned and cut out so her first job will be to zig-zag all of the edges so that it doesn't fray when it gets washed.  

Button up shirts take a bit of work, but as long as you have an easy pattern they aren't hard at all.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

Aha - french seaming  (I think that's what it's called). That works a treat, also I find that pinking shears work well too.  I made a lot of clothes for my kids and me also in the long ago when I actually had the time to.

Good idea to trial the dress pattern before using the special fabric.  Wouldn't want to do it as a first off and find the pattern was not suitable.

I've always avoided zips where I can - they are my major failure.  Ah well, that's why I am not a tailor.  Good luck to her with the shirt - it will be a good challenge.


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