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...

Pijama Burda Style - Finished!

I have finished today. I went on running "faster than a speeding bullet" to finish it today. And I'm not even going to wear it now. It's too cold. Next summer I'll wear it.

My rush was really to see the project done and next week to start a new one.

I got carried away! I was being so happy with how the things were going, that I couldn't stop.

The difficulties were several: Placing the elastic cord was not easy. I can stay that only on the 5th try I managed to sew the elastic cord around it and not on it.

The other difficulty were the straps. I stitched the straps and to turn them on the right side, was very hard.
I remembered of a "How To" that I saw at the site of Burda Style. THIS ONE .

Conclusion: I loved the result, I feel confortable with the pyjama. It seems it is very large, but it's ok. I don't like feeling "squashed", specially while I'm sleeping.

Shorts Pijama Burda Style

I have finished the shorts. I was so happy with the result, as it was a great challenge for me. I have never had done shorts and as a first they turned out great. I liked it!

It was very hard work to the hem (at least to me). As I wanted to include the fabric with which I'm doing the top, I had to cut 3cm straps and sewed them in the hem of the shorts.
I know I could sewn a bias ribbon, but I wanted to place the fabric.

Here is a detail of how it turned out.

I have started doing the top, and it's not even close to be half made. With any luck I'll continue tomorrow. I had to stop because as a big footbal fan as I am, I went to see our national team playing.

But I'm happy, because I feel that this project is going on the right path and with a nice rythm.

Magazines

I have at this moment two magazines at home with Summer models. Summer because it has simpler models, and as I am still learning hoe to sew, I rather do things throughout the Winter, with no rush, no stress.

So, I choose tops or blouses, for the same reason: they are the easiest ones.

The first one is BWOF 07/2008. My mother bought it. The instructions come in french (I hope I understand them.

I fell in love immediately by the dress in the cover. And I'm not a woman to wear dresses due to my "plus size" measurements. Maybe I'll do it a tunic and wear a lycra strap top underneath or even the bikini.

And the other magazine, I got it today: Patrones de 07/2008.

I have already asked to my spanish teacher to buy it when she went to visit her family. (I have spanish classe where I work). And today was the first class after "summer holidays".
I was soooo happy!

And the teacher wished me good luck for this challenge and told me that this way I'll be able to practice my spanish.

Once again I fell in love with the model on the cover.

I love these tops!

I think I'll have a very busy winter...