Tara Miller Designs

Simplicity 2443 Muslin

According to the envelope, I am a perfect size 14. However, according to my muslin for Simplicity 2443 I am clearly not. This is a good picture to show the extra fabric at the waist and the gaping at the arm holes. I am cutting a size 12 next before I cut into my designed interlock for an upcoming post for Fabric.com (super excited about this knit).

* I have just finished the top in the size 12 and it fit well but there is still gapping under the arms. I am going to take up the straps about an inch for modesty but I want to eliminate the gapping at the same time. Hmmm....

You can really see the gapping in the above shot. It is drastic but I love this knit. It's a medium weight jersey, cotton. I must say I am loving the knits lately. It must be the walking foot and the ball point needles. I am totally into it. I am cutting the 12 out of my husband's now too small jersey striped polo shirt. It is too small for the facing strips but I will be able to cut all the top pieces out of it. It is going to look hot! I am matching it up with a brown interlock. The color doesn't match exactly but it is close enough. 

here's a shot of the back of the dress. Sorry about the bra. The bands were tricky to attach but once I clipped into them as recommended by the pattern, it made it 100% easier. 

Here's my Sewing Pattern Review 

GrueneTree Giveaway!

** Comments are now open but my Navigation bar needs retool. Sorry for the mess!

 

I am proud to share that my husband has recently opened his open Motorcycle Shop: Gas-Head Motorsports, Inc. Which he hopes will be the badest place to get your bike worked on and hang out and talk shop. Unfortunately, the location is close to 1 hour away from home. BUT it is very close to my parents home. So after a long talk, we have decided to move closer to his work and my parents so that  1) Devon can enjoy more time with Daddy 2) Mommy (me) can get more work done while Devon bakes cookies with Grandma 3) we save on gas money 4) Take a general load off financially and time wise. That said, I have some packing to do. We are planning to rent our house on this side of town while renting on the other side until the market picks up. While we are fixing little things here and there getting the house into show fashion, it is my job to de clutter and pack our lives into boxes until we can settle permanently again. We don't know the size of the new house because we haven't started to look yet. With Garrett's 12- 14 hour days (We are so glad that after 4 mo his biz is a success but he is too busy to do anything else) so I am packing the none essentials away. But some items are too pretty to pack away for who-knows how long so I want to find better homes for my samples that I have created recently. Thus GrueneTree Giveaway is born. I am hoping to have 2 a month but let's take it one step at a time. 

The premiere Gruenetree Giveaway is the lovely Pearl Clutch. I knit this from Berroco Lustra, which is a deliciously shiny and slightly fluffy yarn in a cluster pattern (Free Pattern Here to knit your own) with a Turquoise Dupioni Silk Lining. Just add your comment to the bottom or tweet this tag me so I will know and you are entered to win! Good Luck!

Tea Time, again

I previously made a few Tea Time napkins and had mentioned earlier this month that I was making more. Well, they are almost finished and I am wild about them! I love Jenny Hart and her Sublime Stitching Book. It is the cat's meow.  I used the Peaches, Pie and Tea Cups transfers and then went to town in the embroidery floss isle at my local store. Whoo, I was on fire. Now all there is left to do is apply the Ric Rac and wrap them up for Mom! I can't wait.  

A Mounted Deerhead

Over at Fabric.com's blog, I mentioned that I was making up some more kid tents and I have. I made 2 for a good friend's kids and her sister's little boy. I used Obsessively Stitching's tutorial but with some modifications. First, I made the grey tent with only 4 panels instead of 5. Mostly this was because one panel fell to the floor and I didn't realize it was missing until the tent was finished. Secondly, and I think key, was that I didn't turn the tent right side out went finishing the tent pole pockets. I simply left the seams on the outside and exposed. I did this because in the previous 2 tents I have made I have found that pressing all those seams open takes a LONG time and even with the seams pressed open it is really hard to line up 5, 6 ft long 1 1/2 in. pockets. I was always ripping and frustrated. But since I pinked the edges when I originally cut the pieces out I decided to just leave the seams exposed and save myself a lot of trouble. And you know what, it looks great and I am very happy with it. Before, I swore off making these due to that step but with my modification, I think I will get back into the tent making business (figuratively, of course). Both tents are made from $4 Walmart twin flat sheets but my daughter's will be a recycled bed sheet that is just the perfect color and laying unused in our linen closet. 

Lastly, I created 2 appliques with Heat n Bond and mounted them right above the door flap. One is a Deerhead (the dad is a big bow hunter) and the other is a moose hanging out in the woods. Both were created from free coloring sheets that I googled "hunting coloring pages). I am very relieved to have these gifts finished. They are bound for Australia for a dear friend. She has 2 boys and a girl. The girl was easy to make for the boys were a challenge. I knew the tents would be a big hit but I dreaded making them. Now, I have one scheduled for my little girl and another for an upcoming birthday party. Oh and I would show finished picture with the tents assembled but I am only sending the tent shells to Australia, not the poles. Hopefully, pictures will follow. 

Birthdays and Sundresses

Usually I am so busy doing puzzles and working on blog contributions that I haven't made time to work on anything else. Well, upcoming birthdays and a visit from an Australian friend have demanded that I make time. My mom's birthday is tomorrow and I really want to make something special for her. Since I have had my daughter my crafting time dedicated towards birthdays has shiveled up and died. I vowed to make it different this year. Mom has really stepped up to help me out since Devon has gotten mobile and having Mom around gives me some time to work and be myself for just a bit, helping me to be a better mom. A small hand made gift is the least I can do. I am embroidering a set of Tea Time napkins for her since she is a full fledged Tea-head. In the morning, it is all coffee but after the pot goes cold, mom is all about the tea. I know she will love these dainty napkins. Though she is a big embroiderer herself, she will love these because they are different and just for her. 

I am also crafting up a pair of convertible mittens in a purl stripe that I know she will love as well. The mittens look as though they are purled throughout but they involve only minimal purling and are 90% knit stitch. It's pretty awesome. I just need to find some vintage buttons, weave in the ends and we are ready for pictures and gift wrap. 

For my mom's birthday, her best friend, who resides in Australia, has flown in to spend 2 weeks with her. It is pretty special considering she  came last year for the first time in 10 yrs or so and we surprised my mom. She flew in and I picked her up all secret like at the airport. Then we drove to my mom's who only knew that I was coming to see her for the day. I called my mom when we arrived and asked her to meet me outside to help me with some packages. When she opened the door, her jaw dropped and we all started crying. Mom kept asking "is it really you?" This fine lady is also the mother to one of my best friends who has 3 kids herself and can't make the voyage over yet. So I want to make some specials to send back to her kids. She has 2 boy and one little princess. For the princess, I made 2 dresses from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing: The Smocked dress and the Flower Girl dress. They turned out really nice but I think the sizing is a bit off on the Flower girl dress. I cut out 2 of the 2 yr old size (One for Devon and one for Aaliyah) and when I tried it on Devon (who just turned 2) it would not fit. It was more of an 18 mo size. I inserted a zipper into Devon's which fixed that fit issue. The Smocked dress fit but not like the book describes. I have the elastic thread working but I need to fiddle with it some more. Maybe work with the tension. I cut from the same material for each girl and used gray satin ribbon for the straps. It looks amazing on. Devon's is more of a tunic size.