I'm desperately trying to get my sewing/crafting mojo back after weeks of resettling our Mum from her big move. She has moved out from what has been the family home for over half a century.
At the end of it all, Mum had a bit of a health scare. What could have been a drastic outcome, she is now being treated for what the doctors call 'a mini-stroke'. My sisters and I now are coming to terms with the realisation that Mum, despite her resilience, is aging and will become more and more dependent as time goes on.
In her younger years, Mum was an enthusiastic seamstress and I was into my teens before I ever owned a dress with a 'label' stitched into it. Believe it or not, my first 'label' was a gift that was sent to me by an uncle who lived in England. The next one was probably one that I bought with my own money when I started my first job as a sixteen year old.
So, I found out recently, that Mum's stash of fabrics (which amounts to a couple of hundred metres) was in fact a 'revenge' stash. Back somewhere in the middle of the last century, my Mum would buy tobacco, cigarette papers and safety matches at the end of her work week to support my Dad's nicotine habit. In revenge, she would buy herself some fabric to add to her stash. It's a bit sad that she didn't get to enjoy her stash which I have now inherited and am pondering what to do with. I am trying to sell some of it for her but as yet not having much success.
My sister wants me to make some cushions for her so I will be going through the stash to see if there's anything suitable.
In the meantime...here is a little skirt I whipped up for Little Miss Six from a sequined stretchy fabric which I found in Mum's stash.
I have made this skirt for her previously, from a piece of leftover cotton print but I adapted this great little tennis skirt to make a dance skirt. I used the largest size pattern and added a quarter inch all around to allow for a bit of extra length and to add a touch of twirl to the skirt. The last time I made the skirt, Little Miss six was probably only four years old, and she'll be seven very soon.
I hemmed the skirt using a 1.5 inch wide strip of the selvage folded in half and stitched to the bottom edge in the same fashion as the waistband. I used the selvage because it has no sequins on it. This gave me a little bit more length too, especially since hemming it in the normal method would shorten the skirt.
When using knit ribbing, make sure it is knit fabric that is intended for ribbing and not for making tee shirts. Tee shirt knit will not give you enough support for a waist band. I learned this the last time I made this skirt and the resulting waist band was way too lose.
On Tuesday afternoon, I made an entire quilt top for our niece who is expecting baby number three in November. For niece's baby number one I made a quilt like this and for her baby number two I made this one. Both are boys...they are now expecting a little girl and I fell in love with the cutest quilt top kit/panel which I found in a quilt shop in Cobar on our recent holiday.
I was very surprised at the speed with which the quilt top came together. It is very easy to make and the only thing I wasn't happy with is the length of the quilt which I altered by adding a strip of sage green polka dot fabric from my stash top and bottom to make it a longer quilt. I like to make my cot quilts large enough to be used as a bed topper once baby is old enough to go into a toddler bed or even for a single bed.
I hope this inspires others to get back into the swing of sewing after a major life event which has thrown you off course. Sometimes we just have to take little steps...
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