Sewing frenzy update

11 days later and the girls have:

2 bright peach tops

1 bright orange top (needing a skirt)

1 bright blue top (needing a skirt)

2 tank leotards

The leotards are actually a bit big, so back we go to the patterns.
I will make two more in a smaller size. Jess' one isn't too big, but Tamsin swims in hers!

Jess loves her peach tops, says they're really comfortable. Coach also likes them, and said they're perfect for end of year display - which was the point of this whole exercise afterall :)

Believe it or not....

...but I've actually done some sewing!
Jess, unlike the the other girls in her group at gym, wears a leotard (with bike pants over) every class. She came home from practice the other day saying that for end of year display a bright coloured tight top would be required, and short black bike pants (all Jess' black ones are spankys from cheerleading and would be too short). Shorts over a bright tank leo would not cut it :(
So, I hauled out the lycra stash, the KwikSew patterns, the overlocker and the sewing machine and made a start.
Take One: size 7 bright orange cotton lycra. Too tight and not long enough. So off to Spotlight to pick up the next pattern up in the size range (8-14). Agreed that the top would make a great Barbie dress for Tamsin if I add organza or similar as a skirt - so will do that over Christmas.
Take Two: size 10 bright blue faux sequin effect nylon lycra. Fit perfectly but still not long enough. Again, agreed that the top would make a great Barbie dress for Jess if a skirt gets added, again to do over Christmas.
Take Three: size 10 (different pattern this time) in bright peach nylon lycra. Perfect length but a size too big. Painted a small purple flower on the front so it gets put on the right way and into the drawer for whenever Jess gets that big.
So, watch this space for Take Four! And while I was at it I cut out two tank leos - one for Tamsin and one for Jess (since she is wearing out the ones she has), utilising a cute white with little pink hearts nylon lycra as contrast fabric.
Once done, I will take photos and post them, in celebration of a sewing frenzy.
Must get hold of more cotton lycra. It is by far the nicest to handle/stitch, and it's best for making bike pants and leggings - again needed as Jess is wearing out the ones she has; and Tamsin needs a longer/skinnier fit than I can purchase. Plus it's much nicer for practice leos for summer, as the fabric "breathes" better than nylon lycra.

Speaking of Jess' gym practice: she came out of class buzzing tonight: "I got my long kips Mama, and with a cast at the end! And my russian leaps are at full 180, even my bad leg!"
Her split leaps have been at pretty much 180 for well over a year now - but russian split leaps have an extra movement, so it's great that they're at 180 now too.
I'm mighty impressed that she's got long kips - she's only just got her glide kips 100% (she's had 3 out 5 attempts for about 10 months) - but Jess says she's feeling stronger now so she can really push out her glide and get the kip to pop up, and that the long kip feels easier cos there's more room to swing on the high bar, vs on the low bar for glide kip.
She was sooo happy :)
Way to go Jess!!

Gotta love the freebies

This, finished yesterday, was one of the many freebies I have stashed away thanks to Cross Stitcher (UK) magazine.

It is a great subscription. The magazine arrives within days of its issue in the UK, it has lots of good charts and info AND there is always a freebie of some sort. Mostly small kits, like Eeyore, but every year they issue a neat calendar, and a good personal diary.

I look forward to getting it every month.

The kitty in the wreath above my profile was another freebie. That one is a Margaret Sherry design. Thanks to Cross Stitcher I have lots of her designs in my stash.

Now, how to make time to stitch them all?!

Where does the time go?

November already, and two weeks since my last post!

Again, at least I have something to show for it:

Believe Tree, by M Designs - 25ct navy lugana, over one using The Dyepot 12 perle overdye #238.

As it was a variegated thread, I followed the rule of completing each "X" invidually, which I found quite liberating. Actually, this whole design was great, and I'm really happy at the how it's turned out.

M Designs will do the same thing to people's names, and I'm quite tempted to send away for my girls' names to charted. Just need the ole stitching budget to be replenished, which won't be till well after Christmas.

It has been a very lucky couple of months for me. Thanks to the generosity of DH's boss, a contact of my sister's and the travel agency I use at work, I have been able to attend 3 wonderful events: Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds (with DH), The Russian Ballet (with sister, Jess and Tamsin), and We Will Rock You (with DH).

War of the Worlds was great. Hearing the music live was wonderful, and fascinating seeing it brought to the stage. DH wanted to bring the Martian fighting machine home to put in the back yard. He still does, all 9 metres tall of it. We back onto a motorway, so just imagine how many crashes that rubber necking at our garden ornament could/ would cause....

The Russian Ballet was seriously awesome. It was at Auckland's Civic Theatre - the one with the fabulous interior. Tamsin was fascinated with the whole experience - from the lions at the edge of the stage with glowing eyes, to the stars on the painted sky ceiling, and then the dancing, etc etc. I had to remind her at one point that we were in a theatre, there were people behind who wouldn't be able to see if she continued to stand up and try to mimic the dancers on stage! The dancing was good - including a complete setting to Orff's Carmina Burana, a piece I really like and the girls are familiar with.

We Will Rock You. Well, where do I start? It was FANTASTIC. Very funny, very cleverly put together, great use of many, many Queen songs- the whole production was really well done. If you're a sucker for Queen, you so gotta get to this stage show. Really.