Foiled! … and some minor progress

A ruffly halter for my younger niece

Aww, I’d been doing so well at posting daily, too. Ah well. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is twofold. On the one hand, I ran out of tracing paper while trying to trace out a full version of my winter coat. I’ve been using one of those big Ikea rolls of kids’ paper; not ideal, but cheap. However, maybe for this I should deal and get the real pattern tracing paper, that might have wider piece? Either way, it’s not likely to be before this weekend. So much for my resolution to do at least one thing per week on the winter coat. Meh. The other bad news is that I wore my nifty cowl top today, and once again this fabric has like no recovery. I swear it grew a good two inches all around on me today. Also I should’ve ran some elastic inside the cowl itself to help it stay on my shoulders better. Next time. If there is a next time. So not really a problem with the pattern or even my sewing, just the crummy fabric. That’s what you get for $2/metre.

back view of ruffled halter top

On the plus side, I got this twee little ruffled halter from Oliver + S finished for my younger niece. Because I am teh awesome at placing, it used up less than 1m of fabric despite the bias ruffles, so I am thinking of making some shorts (with a ruffle) to go with it. I have a pattern I could use from my store of “vintage” (mostly eighties) kids and babies patterns. Heck, with the fabric I have leftover I could make a whole nother popover dress (not the gathered version, though, which took a bit over 2m of fabric.)

I think I’d enjoy sewing kids clothing much more if I weren’t doing it in such candy-sweet colours. My own fault, I know. My hubby’s best friend is expecting a second baby this summer… I should really make something for them (especially as his wife, who terrifies me with her sewing prowess, has done the same for our girls a couple of times. I finally feel like I might be able to make something worthy of her children. Actually… this exact same halter in black would be awesome for their older daughter… :D) Just what I need. More sewing for kids. At least it’s quick and doesn’t take up much fabric. Just not nearly so satisfying…

I should probably bite the bullet and cut out my hubby’s next shirt, since the pattern’s out and lying on the livingroom floor (no doubt driving him nuts… he’s the neat freak in the family). But I don’t wanna! I wanna sew something else for meeee. Something that’s not out of crappy knit. I have another knit to try, after all. Or I could give the Anna top another try. I really think it would work if I switched back to the original cup piece (I had reduced the size and it was too small, believe it or not. My hubby says my breasts are nowhere near as small as I think they are… I think he’s on glue, of course). There’s still some issues with the back, but I could just add some lacing in back there to make the fit adjustable. I love lacing. :). And then there’s this awesome pattern I’m just salivating over… I think that might be the winner for what to do with my striped denim, except there’s no way I’d have enough to do the flounce. I could do that out of something else, though… another denim, or maybe a cotton eyelet (would that be too country?).