It's Christmas Eve (long and chatty)

It's Christmas Eve and I am about ready to turn in. In the morning I need to get up early, toilette self, make a salad, clean kitchen, load car and take off for DS#2 house. This year I did not get all my sewing done and for some reason, I am fairly exhausted. It is a good thing I do not have to do Christmas this year. I offered and thank heavens nobody took me up on it.

Jalie 2804 has been retired! At least for a few months. I finished DDIL shirt and hope it fits. I love the print. It is a Pucci looking print RPL from Lucy's with a flat finish and really nice hand. It came out of the dryer feeling so soft. I ordered 2 more Jalie patterns and can hardly wait to try them. I still have at least two more things to sew that I did not get done for Christmas and then, I am going to start making myself a new wardrobe.

Yay! 30 pounds gone this year. I started last February and took it slow. Unfortunately, most of my old wardrobe still does not fit. I weigh the same as when I bought the clothes...but alas...things have dropped and bulged. Very sad.....Many new fitting problems now. But, on the bright side, I have Matilda. Yippee Skippee!! Somebody from SG is going to help me fit the cover. I am so excited and can hardly wait to get started. In January, I am taking a pants fitting class over at Josephines. I have already taken one class from the instructor and really like her. That's important when you are going to be parading around in your undies, don't you think? ;-)

The fabric I am using for my pants is a wool/rayon twill with a smidge of silk (5%) in it. It was advertised as chartreuse but when it came, it looked "mustard" to me. I would never buy that color if I saw it first but it is growing on me and the fabric is really nice. Very soft but weighty enough for pants. I hope I can find something nice to line them with...I may have to go for a silk print because I don't think there is much of a chance of matching the color.

Oh, I get to see my little KK and little Sam tomorrow. It is Sam's first Christmas. I made him this little bib to wear tomorrow. KK will be wearing her Christmas dress too. I put her old Christmas bib in with my packages. She thinks she is far too old to wear a bib but maybe she would if it was only for 15 or 20 minutes. I don't want to insult her but don't want food on her taffeta Christmas dress either??? I just put my camera in my purse so I won't forget it in the morning.

Usually I am not anxious to turn another year. I have no wish for my life to pass any faster. But, I will not be sorry to see the end of 2009 and I have heard so many other people express the same thought lately. Maybe it is the economy? The war? Maybe it is the constant bombardment of bad news on the radio and television? It could be because so many people, like me, got notified that their credit card interest rate has just almost doubled in addition to home foreclosures and lost jobs? Who knows? But, I hope 2010 is better.

I have several goals for 2010 but prefer, at this point, to keep them to myself until my ideas are worked out more clearly.

I hope everybody has a very Merry Christmas and that 2010 is healthy and happy. ;-)

New Jalie for DD...This One Fits

This fabric is prettier in person than in the photo. The red is actually a deep, blue red. DD picked out this fabric when I sent her some links. I can't remember if I bought it at Gorgeous Fabrics or Fabric.com.

I know this fits because I basted and tried it on her before I sewed it up. It ruined the surprise but it's better than making another one that doesn't fit. I had some black PL stretch in my stash but it was so stretchy that I am a little worried that the wrap in the front is going to ride up in the center.

One more of these to finish for Christmas. Then I will be glad to switch to something more interesting. It's just that the girls like this pattern.

My Little Christmas Cherubs

The little cousins....How cute is that???

KK Christmas dress WIP

Here is the beading, both as WIP and finished. With no pattern and no way to mark on the taffeta, I think it turned out pretty well. I hope the beads don't fall off. The lining will go over the stitching on the back so if threads break, I won't be able to get into the back to fix it. I had my fingers crossed for the entire process. It only has to survive through a photo session and Christmas day.

DDIL and KK's dress

DS sent this photo of Pam this morning. Cute! Glad the Jalie shirt is not going to waste.

Have worked a little on KK dress today. Can't get the neckline corners the way I want...nice and flat. I have to get them right before I can put the beads on. At the tearing hair out stage so I put it away for the night. It is clipped all the way to the corners.

Beading on the Fly

I thought maybe a little snowflake would look nice on the little scalloped neckline. These simple little ideas don't always work out so simply for me? Especially when I'm in a hurry. I remember my SIL picking up beads with her needle from little dishes on the table beside her chair. She was so fast and did such beautiful beading. I wish I had paid more attention when I had the chance.

KK dress...I don't know what I'm doing?

This is the pattern I am using for KK dress, view A. I am making it out of taffeta. We are going to have an overskirt which will tie on. She doesn't like scratchy fabric so I decided to do it that way. I also bought some silver bugle beads to put some little doo dads around the neckline. Honestly, I hope this project is not a disaster. I basically don't know how to handle this fabric at all. I can't decide whether to use a rolled hem on the overskirt or to just hem with a ¼" hem. Also, I have no clue what to do with the beads or how wide to make the ties or the waistband...a learning experience on a deadline. My favorite! Yeah...