My NeWs

Sorry i have been busy for the last couple of days. Yesterday I had invited all of my inlaws for a bbq so lots of prepartion had to be done, anyway now that is over so i am back to blogging.

Back to sewing i am no longer taking sewing lessons because i figured i could learn more from the tutorials available online. I am currennly working on making a laptop bag using this tutorial i found on Burastyle. I am half way through it i should be done tonight and will post pictures once i am done.

I am looking for a graphic designer as i need one to design me a logo so if anyone of you know a great graphic designer please let me know.

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Going on strong

So busy these days and i have taken some pics to post but something is wrong with my photoshop and i had to uninstall it from my laptop. Which means there wont be pictues for a while

I am stopping sewing classes because i know the basics and the internet is filled with tutorials. Plus the things i want to learn how to sew are mostly bags and home decor. The classes mainly cover garments construction. I will make dresses mostly for my girls and myself however, i will do mine by following patterns like the ones found at Simplicity

Sewing has officially become an addiction. I cant stop i have to sew everyday, i just feel so good while sewing and making things.

I am still working on sewing organzisers and i have other projects lined up which i hope to start on next week so stay tuned.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Shimmertje, Nima and L_Oman who have been regular visitors to my blog and take the time to comment it really means a lot to me

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Dress no 2 – Complete

 Yesterday was my sewing class i sewed on a different machine than usual, and wow what a difference a good machine makes. The one i used previously would always trip, was very slow and the stitiches were not neat.
Anyhow i completed my second dress and this time i used fabric from Alexander Henry  called Juicy stripes.

I made an umbrella cut dress with a collar and wide cut sleeves. I enjoyed making this dress it was a challenge but the end result was worth it.

Here is the front of the dress (needs some ironing)

 

The back of the dress

The collar

 

 And my model – my daughter

 

She liked the dress so much didnt want to take it off lol and kept asking me why I didnt make one for her sister.

 I love the fabric so much i have decided to paint my daughter’s room using this stripes ( will blog more about this soon)

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Sleeves

I went to sewing class but i really thought that the class was going to be canceled due to the heavy rains last night. The girls are much better, slept through the rain.I started making the second dress its nearly finished only the sleeves left.

Sleeves are a bit tricky to sew so i I searched online and found this

Although its japanese the video is self explanatory

 

 

 

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My bad

My bad for not blogging for couple of days. My eldest daughter was not well, she had and still has a very bad cough, she is under medication and the thing is it doesnt seem to be getting any better.

This past week i didnt attend 2 sewing classes because i had to stay home and look after her.

However, i went yesterday and i really find garment construction quite tricky. I have not grasped it yet. I feel after one month of sewing i did not learn learn much. I still can not sew a dress on my own and i will have to stop sewing classes in March for 2 months due to my housemaid leaving and i wont have anyone to look after Baby D I will still continue sewing, i have lots more sewing organizers to sew lol i made 3 this past week.

I shall be back to blogging more often once my daughter is back to school which is beginning of February. I love having her home but she is a handful Baby 1 is going to be 1 next thursday, she has started to walk and is a mini frankenstien lol as she walks with arms stretched out.

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Do i need classes?!

I am seriously considering do i really need classes? Especially since my full time maid will be going on leave in 2 months time. I will not be able to attend classes as i wont have anyone to look after baby D.

I mean internet is filled with tutorials, women who share thier techniques and show us how its done step by step with pictures and detailed explantions. In sewing all you need are the basics which i am sure i will cover in the next 2 months (at least, i hope i will)

In the mean time i am still working on purse organizers i finished one yesterday and hope to finish 2 more today. I also plan on making dresses for my girls from tutorials i have found will blog about them soon.

For those tutorial freaks out there I came across Top 100 Tutorials of 2008 which was posted by the long thread. They are great tutorials.

Thanks Long thread and happy sewing.

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Update on my sewing classes

I am kind of feeling lost and confused at the moment. You see in a class of 15 women i am the only beginner. The rest have all been there for at least a month or more. It must be very hard to manage us all at different levels.
So last Saturday Aunty S decided that this month we would concentrate on sewing home projects covering a basket, a wastebin, making a diaper bag and some other things. She asked me if i wanted to join and i said yes. So we all sat down for a lesson and drew out our patterns and we were told what we needed to bring for Monday.

On Monday i arrived at 8.30am on the dot and some ladies had already begun cutting thier fabric. Talking about enthusiasm! Anyway Aunty S was bombarded with questions and i kept asking her and N1 for help.
Now this is what really got to me Aunty S would tell me to do it one way so i start working then N1 would come and said no do it this way. Now correct me if i am wrong but arent they supposed be using the same method? So it got really confusing for me especially being a beginner i really needed someone beside me the whole time.

Naturally i fell behind and by the end of class most of them were 1/2 way throug finish thier projects and i hadnt finished cutting  my fabric yet.

The same day i noticed that a new group of beginners had joined and they were starting out with the girl dress same one i made here. So i thought to myself instead of falling behind  and being the last at everything the best solution would be for me to join the beginners (i think they were 3).

I spoke to Aunty S about it and she said how about tackling both projects the children’s dresses and home projects? I was happy to think that i could manage to do both but i said i would like to concentrate on children’s dresses so i can make things for my girls.

Tomorrow is my last class for the week lets see how i cope with the newbies, will keep you updated

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Joyful Sewing

Aaaa…Aaaa … AACHHOOOOO….
Uh i am not feeling well today i have a runny nose, constant sneezing and a very sore throat, lovely isnt it?
My daughters are also sick, it actually started with my eldest so of course my youngest caught and then me.

On a happier note yesterday’s lesson was great! I think N1 and i are finally understanding each other. She even gave me a compliment yesterday she said that i was a very good student!…i know talk about improvement.

So i am currently working on another dress for Hadeel basically the same design just for practice.

Yesterday we also drew patterns, which is great fun and really shows you how you are going to make whatever it is you are making. It has to all make sense on paper before you transfer it onto fabric otherwise your sewing project is bound to fail. I am having difficulties grasping it but i am confident that with time it will be second nature.

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Sewing videos online

To learn any skill you have to have 3 things: you have to be patient, be determined and believe in yourself.

As most of you know from my previous posts i am not really enjoying my sewing lessons cause of N1. However that doesnt mean that i am going to stop learning, on the contrary  if anything i am more determined to learn how to sew.

To prove to you that Shimmertje is real a sweetheart, she has sent me links that teach you the basics of sewing. I thought i would great to blog about it to help thoes like me and to have it as a reference. (Thank you Shimmertje )

The links below will take you directly to the search results for sewing videos

Expert Village

 You Tube

Technorati

This is all for now, let me know if you find anymore so i can add them here.

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My first Sewing Project Complete

Today i finished my first sewing project, a girl’s dress.

The dress is a bit big for my daughter the measurements  i used was a sample dress that was given to me in my sewing class.

It may look good but dont let that decieve you, i messed up the sleeves.

 

I did not realise when i choose the fabric that it was designed by the talented Sandi Henderson. I had no idea that her fabric was available in Oman. When i asked where she got the fabric the from i was told that Aunty S buys her fabric from Dubai.  I wish i could get more of this kind of fabric to work with i love the designs.

Today Aunty S came to me to see how i was doing and taught me how to make the sleeve, she actually sewed it onto the dress to show me how its down. She is a real darling unlike N1. I wanted to tell her that i am not very happy with N1 but thought that this being my 3rd lesson is not the right time.

I have until the end of the month so i will see how i go and i am still on the look out for a new teacher,i think i’d prefer a one on one. Shimmertje informed me that the Seeb Women Association will being sewing classes next month. I will give them a call this afternoon to find out more about it, will keep you informed.

Let me know what you think of the dress, i have bought some fabric to try and replicate what i did thats if i can remember the orders i was given lol

JUST AN UPDATE: The dress fits my daughter perfectly

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