Tabatha’s April Challenge 2014 – Days 10 – 20

Hey there!  I’m back again to report on my April Challenge progress since 9th April.  I must have lost count towards the end of my last blog post, which means today there’s 11 days of sewing to blog, but I’ll try to keep it succinct!  In any case, I don’t have a lot to actually show you yet, as the main thing I sewed during these days was my next Minerva make, and that won’t be going live until tomorrow.

Thursday 10th April

Today I sewed for two hours.  I traced the pattern I’m using for April’s Minerva make, made the toile and inserted the zip.  I measured myself very carefully but still found that the toile was too big and decided I’d need to go down a size.  Nice news, but what a waste of two hours!

Friday 11th April

Today’s two hours was much the same as yesterday: I retraced the pattern in a smaller size and toiled it.  Much better fit this time, and luckily no FBA to do!  Thanks, running!

Saturday 12th April

I only sewed for half an hour today as we went to Sheffield for a friend’s birthday party, and by the time we had got back and put the kids in bed I was knackered!  My new dress got an outing today (actually I wore it for the first time yesterday); here I am wearing it on two consecutive days with different footwear, and holding the cake I made for my friend’s 30th: a fully edible princess castle cake.

Dress with pink cowboy boots and cake/Dress with pink shoes and no cake

You want a closer look at that cake, right?

Princess Castle Cake made by me

I also got to give her the house-warming present I made for her and her partner – these Matilda cushions!  So that’s some of the secret sewing that I did last week.

Matilda cushions!

Sunday 13th April

Today I managed three hours of sewing which mainly made up for yesterday’s lack.  I got as far as finishing the bodice of the dress which was pretty good going really.

Monday 14th April

In today’s two hours I finished my Minerva make, tidied and prepared for my next project – a pair of corduroy dungarees with pattern and fabric from Little Dress Kits.  The dungarees are a gift for my friend’s 6 month old baby – the two of them had planned to visit on Thursday.

Tuesday 15th April

I sewed for two and a half hours today, working on the dungarees.  All pretty straightforward!

Wednesday 16th April

Today I only managed one and a half hours of sewing, but that was enough time to finish the dungarees for my friend’s baby.  They are so cute and I’m pleased with how they turned out.  Like many other bloggers who have made these, I kept the crotch seam open, finished the raw edges and sewed on popper tape (from Boyes) to allow for easy nappy changing.  It really is essential to have this option, otherwise it’s just impractical!

Little Dress Kits Car Dungarees

I also traced the sleeve pattern for my next make, which is going to be a Pride and Prejudice dress for Little Tweedie.  Every year my friend and I get together to watch the BBC Pride and Prejudice and in 2011 I made us both dresses and a little one for my daughter.  I managed to get her into the dress the next two years, but I have now passed it on to my friend so her daughter can wear it and Little Tweedie gets a new version!

Her previous dress was sleeveless but this time I wanted puffed sleeves like the ones on our dresses, and luckily my current go-to child’s dress pattern, New Look 6309, has options for puffed sleeves.

Thursday 17th April

Today my friend came to visit with her baby and I was able to give them the dungarees hot off the sewing machine!  I didn’t find any time to squeeze sewing in today – in the evening I went for a run and the time just slipped away and I was too tired.  Oh well!

Friday 18th April

Today I spent two hours working on Little Tweedie’s Pride and Prejudice dress.  I drafted a different neckline so it has a bit more of a scoop to match our dresses a bit more, and I lengthened the skirt to floor length on her: impractical but I’m hoping that I can squeeze her into it for another couple of years and that she’ll mainly be growing lengthwise and not width wise!

Saturday 19th April

This morning was spent running and then our friends arrived mid-morning for the Easter weekend, so no sewing was done, again.  Eek!

Sunday 20th April

I sewed in the evening today for two and a half hours, during which time I made and attached the sleeves and the skirt to Little Tweedie’s Pride and Prejudice dress.  All that’s left to do is insert the zip, slip stitch the lining in place, hem it and add the lace trim.

So there you have it!  I’m on the home straight now, just ten days left!

Oh and by the way, although my last blog post on the April Challenge contained various links to various things, it wasn’t a sponsored post, and neither is this one.  Just so you know!