It's been awhile!

It's good to be back! I remember thinking before I left that I felt like I had an addiction....to my sewing machine that is. I guess I should make that plural. I just hate to leave them. I just cannot imagine relaxing without sewing. However, I got over it rather quickly. I had a good time at my sister's house in California. I spent alot of time walking, drinking Chai and shopping. It was fun. Lots of fun!

Believe it or not, when I got home I did not run straight to the sewing machine. I did what I always do and that was clean my house and move my furniture. Whenever I go to California, I always spend some time walking through model homes. Ooooh, I love doing that. I usually spend every weekend doing that, but with two kids getting in and out of the car, and the car seats, I soon got tired of it. Not to mention, that if the baby fell asleep, my son and mom got to enjoy everything while I kept the car cool. No fun! Nevertheless, I did get some ideas, and I could not wait to come home, move a few pieces of furniture, clean my windows, decorate for Halloween, and relax in my own living room with my family. Aaaah, it was good to be home!

So after the house was semi-clean, or should I say presentable, I began to think about my next project. I saw so many wonderful things in CA. My sister took me to alot of children's boutiques. I saw Baby Nay, Baby Lulu, lots of italian clothing, Gymboree, Macy, Nordstrom, etc., etc., etc.......

A few things caught my eye, like an outfit that my sister bought at Naartjie. It is a cute store. Very trendy, and european. What I really noticed was the way they sewed their outfits. It was as if someone threw all the sewing books out of the window. Look at the seams. They are not serged, or hidden. The ruffle at the bottom of the leg is sewn right on top of the leg with a coverstitch. The hem is left as is, and the side leg seam is also sewn on top. I have never seen anything like it, and the truth is that the outfit is adorable.

So, I browsed through my Ottobre magazines, and I decided to make the Cross Front T-Shirt from Autumn 3/2004 and the leggings from Winter 2003. I made the Tee and the pants in a size 68, and they are much too big. I will have to use a size 62. I had shortened the pants 1.5 inches, and they are still too long. I have such a petite little sweetheart. The T-shirt looks like it will fit in a size 62 except the arms are too long. I decided to do the ruffle at the bottom of the hem a little different. I did not hem it, but I did hide the seam. It just felt better. The binding looks great, however it turned out to be too bulky for my taste. I am not sure whether the fabric is just too thick or whether I am doing something wrong. I will turn to the girls on the Ottobre group for some advice, and hopefully next time, it will look better.

This was an easy pattern, and fun to sew. Now that I know what changes I will have to make to the pattern, I am sure I will sew this a few times.