2011 SWAP Contest

The 2011 SWAP contest rules were posted today.  SWAP mean Sewing With a Plan.  This will be the third year I've participated.  This is the 8th annual contest.  It started with the challenge of sewing 11 garments ~ six tops, four bottoms, one jacket with every top mathcing every bottom and the jacket pulling each outfit together.  You ended with a possible combination of 45 outfits.  It has changed a bit over the years.  We are to pick one of these challenges.

Option #1:
6 tops  - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles
4 bottoms - jeans, pants, shorts, skirts or kilts.
1 your choice (not an accesory)

Option #2:
2 dresses - single pieces consisting of top and bottom that can be worn alone.
6 tops  - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles
2 bottoms - jeans, pants, shorts, skirts or kilts.
1 your choice (not an accesory)

Option #3:
5 dresses - single pieces consisting of top and bottom that can be worn alone.
4 tops  - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles
1 bottom  - jeans, pants, shorts, skirt or kilt.
1 your choice (not an accesory)

3 garments may be purchased or previously sewn.
1 may be knitted or crocheted.

An added twist is that every garment should be made with a technique or feature that the sewist hasn't tried, or hasn't mastered.  Sewing begins December 26, 2010 and ends April 30, 2011.  

To follow along, please join me and others at Sewing Discussion at Stitcher's Guild Sewing Forum.

Pants and Coat For The Toddler Grandson - a night of serging

I spent the evening serging all the possible seams on my DGS's Christmas gift.  It only took me 1 1/2 hours.  However I spent a previous 45 minutes trying to get my serger threaded correctly.  I just had a looper replaced, and the repair person kindly left their thread in place.  I knotted the new thread to their thread, but it just wouldn't work right.  I couldn't see where my problem was.  Finally, I saw the problem, and the rest of the evening sent smoothly.

Greatful Dead Halloween Costume - Finale

Yesterday was the Halloween parade in sweet Miss Harper's hometown.  She is looking just beautiful in her costume.  I can now see why Moe is such a self-confident dog!  I don't think anyone would dare make a remark about his costume.  Thank you to Harper's parents for sharing this photograph with us.  It looks like a perfect day for a parade, and a perfect day for a picuture.  Happy Halloween!

Pants And Coat For The Toddler Grandson - The Vision

After digging through my children's patterns while making Miss Harper's Halloween costume, I decided to make my one and only grandson some clothes for Christmas.  After all, Christmas is only 61 days away.  Yikes!  Joann's was having a midnight madness sale, so I picked up these fabrics for $13.06



for this pattern. 

The red fabric is fleece, the blue and black fabrics are corduroy, and the train engine fabric is flannel.  The flannel will be the lining for the fleece.  I will be using a top stitch weight thread for a black blanket stitch around the jacket edge along with black buttons.  The buttons haven't been purchased yet.  I plan to purchase a couple of white turtlenecks to finish off this gift.

Greatful Dead Bear Halloween Costume - jester collar

It's amazing what you can do with a plate, bowl, and ruler.  This pattern was produced for the jester collar for the Halloween costume.  A bigger pattern was made for Miss Harper's dog, Moe.  Poor Moe, I hope he can cope with the humiliation of wearing pink.