Happy New Year 2009!

Are my whishes for everyone.

For me, I wish a year full with good health and hapiness.

And also, that I have the time and the hability for my sewing works.

Merry Christmas!

To everyone who read this blog and to whom I thank the visit.

Next Project - Shirt Burda Style

This is my next project: a shirt. This will be my first shirt, with buttons.

I chose this, available for a free download at the Burda Style website.

I decided to do it, mainly because it doesn't have the usual collar of the shirts. I also decided not to do with the ruffles in the front. I'm not a big fan of ruffles.

For this model I'm going to have my mom's help, with the collar and the butons. I have never sewed buttonholes in the sewing machine. So, she will help me. I'm not sure if I'm going to start it before Christmas.

Today I stayed at home, not for the best reasons (my son is sick).

Tomorrow I have vactions. Let's see if I have the time to cut the fabric.

Ah, and the chosen fabric was this one.

Talking about Xmas

And my other hobby called cross-stitch, I'm posting a picture of my Christmas Diner Towel that I've made in cross-stitch.
When I bought my house 6 years, I started doing it. It took me a long time to do it. And curiously, it was the reason why I bought my sewing machine.
I wanted to do everything: the cross-stitch and the hem. And so it was.
Every year during the holidays I put it on my diner table.

I'm very proud in it.

Xmas Tree Costume - Finished!

Finished yesterday and just in time. I had still time to lay on my sofa before my son woke up from his nap.
It was a challenge, but it was overcome. I confess it was less hardworking than the other projects that I have done.

In order that the points look stiff and straight, I put pillow stuffing in it.

After the nap, we convencied the boy to try the suit, to see how it looks. (unfortunately, we couldn't take his pacifier off for the picture...)

Today I already brought the costume to my colleague. She loved it.

She said that the fact that I offer myself to do, was fantastic enough. I was very happy that I've done this costume. And mainly, because it resulted ok.

Xmas Tree Costume - 1

Yesterday I managed to do a lot in the Xmas tree costume, and it's being easier than I expected. I used a large sweater which belongs to my son (Ana's sugestion).

I got a sheet of newspaper and placed underneath the sweater. I did the pattern.

With the help of a ruler I made the triangles/point.

I left the pattern longer than the sweater.

This is the fabric that my colleague gave me. It's a very heavy and thick fabric. It seems those fabric normally used on sofas and chairs. But it will do perfectly.

I folded the fabric and placed the pattern on it. And then I marked the pattern.

I bought golden wrapped ribbon made of fabric in the supermarket. As it was very wide, I decided to cut in half so that I could have enough for the back.

The balls I took a piece of carton. You can use the carton of the cereal boxes. I draw the circle in the fabric that I wanted.

The fabrics that I used was the red fabric of which I made the knoted top. The backwards is completely red. The other fabric is the one that I used to make the scarf to place inside the shoe box.

Then I place the ribbons and the balls on the fabric.

Yesterday I've sewn all the front part and the ribbons of the back. I think I'll finish it today.

Special Request

Talking to a colleague of mine, she told me that her son must go disguised as a Xmas tree to the Xmas party at his kindergarden.

I tolde her that she could pust him some brown pants and a green sweater. But then I also suggest that she bought some fabric and made the suit.

When I noticed I told her that I would do the Xmas Tree suit for her son. She was very happy.

As a coincidence, our sons have the same age and... the same name!

I tolde her that I would use my son as a molde, as they have the same height.

With the help of the web and computer, I made a draft of possible Xmas tress.

I think I'll do the one on the left, as I think it's more simple.

Then I reasearched on the internet in "Xmas Tree Costume" and I got these images. they have already gave some ideas.

The deadline is December 19th. I'll do everything I can to make it this week-end.
I confess that I'm a bit nervous. It's a big responsability to do something else to another person, as it's my first project without any patterns.

But I believe that a trinagule will not be hard...

Blouse Kookai Patrones Finished!

I have finished today!

And I'm so happy. It fits perfectly and, the best, I managed to make a blouse with sleeves!

I must say that the hardest part were not the sleeves, but the neckline. First I tried to do as Geri did in her blog Sewable in the sleeves of a shirt. But it did went very well. So I had to undo everything and I sew the neckline and put the elastic inside the stitching line. With my husband's help I got it right.

It's a very light blouse, very pretty and very simple.

I definately will repeat this model again in another fabric!

Xmas Advent Finished

Here it is finished and already hanged. No, it's not perfect and only after I had finished, the husband noticed that the number 25 is not centered.

But, this year it's the best I can do. Maybe next I'll do another one with more careful, with fabric bought specially for it.

But here it is and I'm very glad with the result!

And here are the 25 gifts that my son will find each December day until 25th day, Xmas Day.

Chocolate balls bought at Pingo Doce.

Embroidered ornaments made by me.

Pencil case and smarties bought at Intermaché.

And a pack with 5 toy cars bought at Intermarché, only € 3,95 the pack!


And here is my First Advent already with the gifts inside the pockets.

To put inside the Advent

I have been doing embroidery ornaments to put inside the pockets.

I inspired on drawings and ideas taken form these sites and blogs:

Coloring Book Pages - Holidays and Seasons Themes - HERE

NeedleCrafter - HERE

AllSorts - HERE

Better Homes and Gardens - Christmas Crafts - HERE

This week-end I have been sewing all the squares/pockets in the advent. It was very difficult. It was a lot of fabric and a lot of squares. It was not perfect, but I'm happy with the result.
I'm not posting any photos yet finished, as we are still trying to find a way to hang it on the wall.
I will post photos hanged and completely filled.

Xmas Advent - part 2

I have sewed all of the squares and I already hadsewed the numbers on the squares.
The numbers I found them on the web. I google it and wrote "number to color" or "coloring numbers". I chose those which had few curves and that were simpler to pass into the seethrough paper and afterwards to the fabric.
As a base fabric, I'll use "sarapilheira" that I had at home. My husband suggested that I place the squares in a tree shape, to give a Xmas look...
The next step will be to sew behind a thick fabric and the squares on the sides and bottom, so that they will be placed as pockets.
We will fill the pockets with small ornaments to afterwards put in our Xmas tree, chocolats and gifts.

The son will open everyday the pockets.
I was thinking in closing the pockets or with buttons or with velcro tape. I still have to figure out which will be more practical.
As for now, the "pockets" are placed like this only with pins.

Tunic 108 BWOF 07/2008 Finished!

It's finished!

And I'm very happy with the result.

As I already had mentioned, I had to open on the side seams so that it wouldn't press my hip. I think that the lenght went ok also. If I like, I can wear it over my bikini when I go to the beach.

If you click on the image above, you can see the detail of the beading. Some were lost on the way, as they were too close to the sewing seams. The needle got stuck. But most of it stayed.

And this is the detail of the armholes and the open side seams. I stitched with red thread. I put red thread on the bobin to give the out look.
I enjoyed a lot. But I don't know if I'll do it again. The neckline part was a bit confusing and hardworking.
.................................

I would like to thank ANA who send me the spanish instructions and that helped me a lot!
And also I would like to thank Geri that in her blog Sewable did the same dress of this tunic and with her instructions, I managed to do the finishes of the tunic.

Shoe Box Finished!

First I got a tennis shoe box from the company where I work. I glued green silk paper. Over the past few day I have been hand stitching (ponto caseado), silhouettes of animals in a satin green fabric that I had. I glued the fabric over the green silk paper.

The "stuffing" bought: a coloring book, crayons and a small toy car. The "stuffing" homemade: two drawings made by my son and a scarf made by me.
I lined the interior with wrapped paper. My son helped putting the presents inside the box and that was it! Here's our shoe box.

Tomorrow I'll take it to the Imaginarium store during my lunch break.

Scarf - Solidary Xmas

Still talking about the shoe box that I'm decorating, I decided to place there a book to color some crayons, a toy car and some drawings made by my son. But I wanted to do something more. Something more in need.
So, today I made this scarf to put also inside the shoe box. I got some leftovers of flanel and the fabric thar I made a sheep suit for my son last year.

It turned out like this:

It's reversible and very warm. And it's for a good cause. The box is not yet finished, but it does, I'll post here photos.

Also I finished the tunic today! I washed it and it's still not dry. Whe it does, I'll iron and take some pictures.

Craft Project

It's my first craft project.
With a xmas smell.
Wiht 25 squares of fabric.
And it's for my son.
Limit date: November 30th.

And the first square is already done!

The tunic is almost finished

Today I sewed the hem. There is only missing the arms and the inside lining.

But I'm being happy with it. Except that on a side view it looks that I'm pregnant.

Who know what the future will bring. It's part of my plans...

I had to do open on the side, as my hip is wide.

I believe that in the next days I'll finish it.

Fixing - Part II

I was still not happy with the way my son's pant tuned out. So, I got to this brazilian blog, through Ana's blog, and I loved to seen the works that she was making in "patchcolagem". Afterwards, I did a research on the web of how to do "patchcolagem" or the "ponto caseado". And I found this:

And so, I transformed this:

Into this:
I think it's now much better!

More Fabrics!

Yesterday after leaving work (on fridays I leave at 15h), I decided to go to Feira dos Tecidos at Moscavide. I had a plafond of 10 euro. Not much, but I managed to bring something.

I decided to "dive" literally on those boxes of stashes, where the meter is around €1,70 and €2,50. The truth is that I'm making summer blouses and the fabrics that they have there are mostly winter. First I chose about 8 pieces of stash, but in the end it was more than I could afford. I had to make a selection, and I brought these. They were my favorites.

I confess that when I chose them I didn't had any model on my mind. I still don't know what I'm going to do with them. But I know that sooner or later I'll come up with something.

The truth and the good news are that with 10 euro I brought fabric enough to make 3 or more blouses. And I know that if I went to a store to buy, I wouldn't spend less than 15 or 20 euro in one single blouse. In a crisis time, there has to be alternatives...

In a few months I'll go back there to see if I can find more fabric.

Beading

I decided to do tunic 108 of BWOF 07/2008.

It is being a very slow process, as I am with some doubts and I really want this to work out. The isntructions come in french, which doesn't help. Since university that I don't speak french (about 10 years ago...).
The advantage that I have is that this model is similar to the one I did few moths ago. I decided to start little by little, and I had an idea to embelish the tunic. To place red beads in the red parts of the fabric. I started yesterday and finished today. I decided that I'm going to place them only in the upper part of the front piece.

It is like this.

The inside parte is like this. I knoted the threads so that the beads don't fall.

And I iron the interfacing in the inside.
I'm not sure if I'll finish it during this week-end. But I hope give a good ahead.

With no rush. It will be only to wear next Summer...

Weeeee!

Last night I went to my mom's house and she lend me a book that she had. I had a feeling that I remember seeing the book there or at my grandmother's house.

I asked her if I could borrow it and she said: Take it! It will help you a lot!"

Here it is! The Great Sewing Book, in Portuguese O Grande Livro da Costura!

The book belonged to my grandmother (who used to make clothes to sell) and when my mother started to make clothes for us, my grandmother gave her the book. As you can see, it is a bit old on the outside.

But even so, it is intact on the inside. Yesterday I was thrilled watching the images! I remember when I was a kid and finding so funny the "dolls" inside.

I know I will use it a lot and that it will be very useful for me.

Thanks mommy!

Stores Imaginarium - Xmas Solidary

Here is a fun thing to do. Get a shoe box, decorate it, fille it with small gifts and give it to children in need.
Stores Imaginarium together with Fundação Antena3- Onda Cero and Mensajeros de la Paz have lauched this campaign to collect and distribute Xmas gifts... inside shoe boxes.

What we have to do is get a shoe box and together with our kids decorate it and then place in it whatever we want. In their website they give ideas for the gifts.

I will get a shoe box of the brand whre I work, and together with my son, we will decorate it. the reason for this post is because we will use fabric stash to decorate the box. I have already some ideas...

I will later post here pics of our work.
More informations here.

Next Project - Doubt

Now that I have finished the pyjama do Burda Style, I decided to take a break from the models of Burda Style and start doing some of the magazines that I have.

Even yesterday my husband was asking: "So, what are you going to do next?"

There was when the doubt came. Yesterday morning I was taking the patterns from 2 models, onde from Patrones and one from BWOF.

But I still don't know which one I'll do first.

The first one is tunic 108-BWOF 07/2008. I loved the model, I loved the pattern. Simple, but very pretty. I was going to do it without the pockets. I think it's early to do anything with pockets.

The chosen fabric is this one.

The other model I chose is the blouse Kookai from the magazine Patrones-07/2008. In the picture you don't see, but it's the blouse underneath the corset. While I was seeing the magazine, I didn't even noticed it. I only saw it when I was checking all the technical drawings, and I saw that it was very simple to do.

The chosen fabric is the same "english embroidery" one that I used to do the top of the pijama. I love this fabric and I think it will be lovely in this blouse.

Now I only have to decide which one I will do first...