redlady62

10 hours ago, Keksie said:

This is my selection of hand knit tops for casual nights on our upcoming cruise.  I will pair them with capris.

 

Very lovely

Looks fabulous!

Good day all: not your typical sewing for a cruise but you will understand. Leave this weekend for our Northern Lights cruise and hubby suggested that I should bring a tripod (only bring my magic phone as a camera) and we have his dad’s tripod. It’s a bit more compact than my tripod so into the suitcase it goes. But I really should have a bag for it to ease bring with us on excursions. Ta Dah! I literally pulled this idea out of thin air and fabric scraps. Originally planned a draw string closure, but Velcro is what I decided to go with after sewing it up 🤣  I also made a pocket to hold my phone mount for the tripod. 
 

almost forgot to insert the carrying strap as I was sewing up the side seam 

this fabric is an outdoor fabric that was leftover (1 meter at 150cm wide) from the carrying bag for our portable BBQ for the trailer)

sewing in Velcro after everything is done is not the best. Used the 1/4 inch foot as it is the narrowest foot 

2 hours ago, mrgabriel said:

 

There are at least a few businesses that print pdf patterns in Canada. I use SewYYC here in Calgary. Deb, the owner, is very quick! Sew YYC

 

The charge for folded b&w printouts is $5 per page including postage in Canada. It's a bit more for colour or rolled prints. 

 

When I lived in the States I used PDF Plotting. The trick with PDF Plotting is to send a bunch of patterns for printing at one time because there's a flat rate for printing. It's really expensive to print one pattern, and much more affordable if you print 4 or 5 at a time. PDF Plotting

 

Wow! With postage!

This is what the Havana Dress PDF pattern looks like when I was taping it together. Most important is to make sure that your pattern is printing the correct size, the pattern includes one page that has a square or rectangle that has the size noted.    

44 minutes ago, geocruiser said:

I have never used a PDF pattern.  Is done by printing it off your computer and taping the pieces together?  It is hard to do?

You have a few options with PDF patterns The first is to print at home and tape together all the pages, you get the pattern right away but it can be challenging when there are many pages. The second option is to send the “file” that is for large format printers to a place that can do that ($taples) for a fee per page. I am still trying to find a reasonably priced source for that near me in Canada. The mentioned business gave an estimate of $80 for two patterns that would be 7 pages total. 

This was the Green Style Patterns Havana Dress , is a PDF pattern.  You can select your currency of choice (in my case CDN) so you don't have to worry about currency exchange with your credit card.  It is packed in the suitcase and ready for departure for our next cruise.  The swimsuit lining made it a bit 'heavy' compared to my other maxi dresses.  

Sue >M<

Well, after the lovely wedding, finally convinced hubby to snap a photo of the maxi dress. The lovely lady on the hotel front desk told me that I looked lovely ❤️❤️❤️ I didn’t tell her that it had pockets 🤣

Have a great week everyone one 

22 hours ago, geocruiser said:

It came out really wonderful.  So pretty.

I will try to have photo(s) taken next weekend while wearing it. 

Good day everyone. Have gotten a bit of sewing done (grammar not so good 🤣) and thought I would share.  I made a Maxi Dress from some fabric that a former client had gifted to me many, many years ago..... Havana Dress - Green Style patterns It is a stable knit type fabric (minimal stretch in either direction) and was not as opaque as I wanted so I purchased some swim lining fabric from my local Fabricland as well as bra/swim strap hardware to make adjustable straps for the dress.

I have a strapless bra that I can wear with this to give a bit of support.  If I make this again will read up about adding a shelf bra to the dress, not crazy about seeing/showing bra straps.

Even played with stitches to use the blind hem for the dress and did a edge stitch for the hem of the lining     

I am thinking about bringing it to a wedding we have the end of August and thought to make a matching tie and pocket square for hubby..... not enough fabric to make a tie, but I could make a bow tie? This is a link from Baby Lock for a Bow Tie Tutorial and there are many videos available to learn how to tie one.💕

I edgestitched the tie and the pocket square (I stitched two squares of fabric together for the square)

We will be cruising the Panama Canal this fall and this should squish into the suitcase without any issue 🤣🤣

Have a wonderful weekend,

Sue >M<

Good day everyone! I was looking/reading something in my emails and came across this link with YouTube video with regards to needle selection for one's sewing project. Thought it may be helpful or give one an 'Ah Ha!' moment.... there are days when sewing the obvious just isn't being obvious 😎

How to choose a sewing machine needle for your project

Have a wonderful week,

Sue >M<

A bit more sewing done, just some no show briefs from Green Style Patterns along with their Nora nightgown. The nightgown is made in a polartec fabric that I purchased many, many years ago to make some thermal underwear as well as nightgown... (purchased in 2004!!! Ekk!) and the briefs are made from Chitosante Interlock from Discovery Fabrics.  The fabric did not have the required stretch and I found a blog (How to Choose a size with Negative Ease) that helped with determining what size I should cut in that fabric. I also did cut for the Full Tummy adjustment.  These will be coming along for our July cruise.

On 5/2/2023 at 3:24 PM, gail-s said:

Has anyone ever come across a pattern for something like the Diane Kroe Wear Ever dress?  It's a jersey dress that has snaps along the long side so you can wear it multiple ways.  I'm tempted to buy one to template it.  
 

https://dianekroe.com/en-us/collections/wear-ever-skirt-dress

 I don't know if this will match what you are trying to achieve but Mood Fabric has a free pattern for something similar Infinity Dress  I knew there was something out there 😎 I have not found anything on youtube except ways to style/wear these dresses.  

16 hours ago, geocruiser said:

Did you sew the pants?

Yes, I did. I will make them again as shorts I think. The pattern would be good for scrub pants as well, the initial reason for the pattern purchase but I never got around to it and now that I am retired I have no need for scrubs. 

Ta Dah! I have images of the Jalie 3243.  It is a challenge to photograph dark coloured items 🤣

The other image is from the final round robin game and one of the volunteer's is a photographer and she has been uploading all of the photos she had been taken during the 10 days of the Tim Hortons Brier.  She has requested that her photos not be cropped and the watermark to stay.... I have no problem with that 💕. The young kids with us are Future Stars of curling and they were hosted by the 'home team' on sheet A. That night it was  Wild Card #3  Karsten Sturmay from Alberta.  The 'kids' each received a team shirt as well as other collectable memorabilia from the team. Watching the team practice prior to the start of the game.

Have a great week every one,

Sue >M<

22 hours ago, jsn55 said:

Let's stack up all our unfinished projects and see who's the worst.  At least the last two times I've cruised through the fabric store I haven't bought anything.  But I haven't finished an old project either.  The benefits of having a 'studio' for painting, sewing and other hobbies are great, but being able to leave things FOREVER is not one of the benefits.  It's just shameful.  I think I'll march out there right now and SEW SOMETHING.

Well, at the moment no sewing is happening as DH and myself have volunteered for the Tim Hortons Brier in London, ON 🥌🥌🥌 But the uniform required black pants or jeans, dashed to Fabricland and purchase some black denim and more black thread and made the Jalie 3243 Pull on Pants and shorts. Sorry, no pictures at the moment but they went together fairly easily. As most of my height is in my legs I added an inch at the bottom and if I make them again I would also make the pockets a bit wider and deeper (to hold phone better) 

have a great week,

Sue >M<

22 hours ago, lissie said:

Oh no - not my design!  Its Spencer Ogg's weekend bag - I picked it because it matches Air Canada's personal item dimensions - but  I've gotta say that the video which comes iwth the cabin taught me an awful lot about bag making (I've made garments for ever but this was only my 2nd bag). Escape-Pod Travel Collection. PDF Sewing Pattern & Video Tutorial – SpencerOgg I like  the gusset too - depending on materials it makes it MUCH easier to see inside as it holds itself up when empty. 

Thank you for the link to the web site. There are lots of great items that 
I want to make, but I really should finish some of the stuff that I have started......

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

Has this happened to any of you?

Today I got out my old sewing machine to hem some shorts and pants.  I hadn't used it for years.  But all the threading patterns came back to me automatically.  Is this proof that something we learn and use while still a pre-teen become part of our muscle memory and never leave?

Yup, except now I have a new machine and I have to practice, practice and then it will become muscle memory. 

Good day/evening all:  Purchased a new sewing machine just before Christmas and of course did a whole pile of repairs and mending etc.... This shirt was long sleeve with a roll up and a tab to make it a short sleeve.... it had an incident a few months ago that required a change to short sleeve 🤪  It turned out ok and was packed for our recent trip to the Galapagos.  I wore it the first day I Quito for our city tour.

travel safe everyone,

Sue 

Thank you for letting me know that the images were not showing, I thought it may have been just at my end.  

Ekk! Umm, did any of the photos show up of the skort? If not, I can try reposting them. I should comment that I have not ‘tested’ the pocket for holding phone. What I would do differently for them is the elastic application - don’t cut the length required but mark it on the elastic, leaving a tab at the start to make it easier and then cut the elastic once it is applied. 

On 11/14/2022 at 5:51 PM, PurpleHays said:

I almost got this pattern. How did it go together?

 

It went well together.  I am not a fast at sewing and there was a pause during September and October with vacation/camping and frustration with the machine.  I noted that the waistband seemed no to stretch as much when trying on the skort once finished. Nothing feels squishy or tight. I like the length.  There is a FB page for Jalie Sewing and if you are a customer of Discovery Fabrics there is a 'group page' for those who are addicted to their fabrics.

Good day everyone:  my sewing machine had a slight meltdown and was skipping stitches etc..... hubby helped and cleaned it and oiled a few areas (there was very minimal lint and everything looked well oiled) Don't remember how many times I rethreaded and changed needles but I finally have one item finished ! 

Jalie Multi Sport Skort 2796 with Chitosante Interlock from Discovery Fabrics (located in Campbell River BC) for the skort and Power Mesh for the underpants.  The Chitosante doesn't have the required stretch and I think I sized up (one size?) and could feel/hear a couple of stitches 'pop' when trying the finished garment on.  Other option may be just size up the waistband?  Here are some images of the skort

2E2415D5-49C1-4F89-9A1A-D425D3591071.heic2B75E777-5A84-42ED-B070-0D619B346936.heic30071F37-A7B2-4EAC-8E57-75D728C9F9A5.heicB0FFE77D-993D-421A-BF28-D74DADD25027.heicAB7016D0-4A0C-438C-A24E-CF9E7F105229.heic

41 minutes ago, geocruiser said:

Happy to hear that you won.  It is a great shirt.  What type of clothing are you going to make for the Galapagos cruise?

I am currently working on a skort (Jalie Multi-Sport Skort 2796) and if it works well, make it in swimming fabric for a swim bottom, a rash guard (or two) for myself and hubby.  Have fabric from a Canadian store in Campbell River BC.  

On 10/3/2022 at 9:17 PM, aungrl said:

Congratulations!  Some of these local fair competitions can be fierce.  Nice 1st place ribbon.

Fierce is an understatement! Had former clients who had spreadsheet showing what they had entered, how many entires in each 'class' and the prize payout. I am not that dedicated. I had a total of 6 entries, two in sewing/quilting, two in photography  and two in baking.  There is an $8 "membership fee" to register (if you win enough, the fair holds back $8 for next year's entry.... 😎)  My only other placement was 3rd in the spring blooms photo.