Glimpse of ur last week #3

This is where I show you bits and parts of our week behind the scenes.

My kid got sick this week and not much was done. 

I bought a few things I needed in order to make her a birthday cake, I am not throwing her a big party this year *so so sad* but I wanted to make sure she would have, at least, a cake to take to daycare the next day - as she requested - and some quite simple favours to the kids in her classroom. 

I crossed two more pins from my challenge (check back tomorrow), and mainly spent time with my G. while she stayed home and searched for inspiration for two different orders (maids of honour dresses and barbie inspired shirt). 

Just so you know...

... don't worry if I get MIA for a little while. Baby S. seems to be ready to make it into this world in the next few days. I had an appointment yesterday, he's ready, I am just trying to rest in order to delay it until big sister's birthday next Sunday. Wish me luck!

I do have a post scheduled for Sunday with my Pinterest Challenge update and another one on Monday announcing the beggining of another Refashion Month here in the blog. 

Why I Sew

I had a draft post in my dashboard with this tittle since May 28th. I guess, time would just go by and eventually I would forget to edit it and post it. But recently, I have seen this popping in a few blogs I follow and I thought it was about time to share "why I sew" too. 

Note: this will be longggggggggggggggggg and full of bad and old quality photos ... just saying... 

me and my sister

my mom knitted the sweater I am wearing

I remember my childhood days, when mom would sit with me and my older and only sister, by our door entrance, in lovely afternoons and teach us how to hand sew. She was never a master in the field herself, but she knew the basics, enough to help us make our dolls clothes. Sometimes, we would spend hours there, she always crocheted and knitted (things she still does much better than sewing), I might have tried that a few times, but what I really liked was the sewing. 

I kept making my dolls clothes until I would no longer play with them. The seamstress where my mom used to go, knew me so well, she would always keep a bag - or a few - full of scraps for me. I would spend hours sewing instead of playing outside like the other kids. At about 12 or so, I decided I would sew an outfit for a friend. Poor girl, she suffered. Unfortunately for you and luckily for her, I have no photos of that. 

my first two pieces outfit - sewn by hand

Then, when I was about 17-18, I had my own taste in clothes. And it was expansive! I couldn't afford buying most of the clothes I liked because they were mainly fitted corsets and bustiers, since I developped a thing for the romantic gothic style. Of course, sewing my own clothes was something I thought would be a good idea. And so, a friend borrowed me a long black skirt and I tried to copy the pattern pieces on my own and recreate it. I didn't even have a sewing machine and I made it all by hand. I somehow managed to make a top to wear with it. Oh gosh, these pieces were no where to be perfect, not even close to it, but I felt so special, proud and happy every time I (shamelessly) wore them. 

first time I tried to use my machine, although it was a Christmas present they didn't have it in the store and I had to wait until March to actually get it

I kept trying to make my own clothes, so my family decided to give me a sewing machine for Christmas that year. Best gift EVER I can tell now, that nearly 12 years have passed. I still own the same machine. I got two more but this is the one I use daily. 

First Fashion Show - a collection created by me and 4 other designers from the same class

I then decided I had to learn more and searched for some classes. I was lucky and found a class of 5-6 people only with two teachers. It was supposed to last for 3 months and I thought I was going to learn a lot. One of the teachers had worked in a sewing factory for a few years and she could sew, the other one had studied fashion design and thought she was a great designer... well, honestly she was not. I never liked one collection of hers, and all she was worried about was having a fashion show. We didn't learn that much, bit by bit people were giving up because we were drawing more than we were learning to sew and the classes didn't go through the full 3 months they promised us. 

But it was good for me anyway, because I kept contact with the seamstress teacher and she gave me (and another girl) a few classes on our own, and although much was left to learn, I finally felt like my skills were improving. Before the classes were over, we were also able to have another fashion show. I had already sewn some clothes of my own pre-classes, and made sure they would allow us to show our own clothes instead of the ones we made in class, which were not personal from each of them. They agreed and I was able to show two outfits plus the one I wore myself, which was also the one I made for my Prom (not on picture above). 

In that show someone saw my clothes, liked them, and invited me to make a show of my very own for an alternative club and so I did. The clothes that were used are the ones above. Some were poorly finished, most of my sewing was self taught. I learnt how to use a pattern from magazines like Burda, with that seamtress I mentioned above, but most often I would draft them myself, using other garments that were already made. 

Check more of my older clothes HERE. 

I kept sewing for myself for many years. There's so many clothes I made and love, and once I figured out (for myself again) how to properly use the patterns and follow the (poor) instructions from those magazines, my garments started to look, at least, better finished. 

Fair stand in 2009 - I guess

In 2008 I started blogging. Can't even remember what were the first sewing blogs I followed, but I was mostly blogging about small sewing projects, and every now and then some clothes. This blog you know, was created in 2012, a few months after I had my first daughter. Right before she was born, I had a partnership with someone else, she was paying me to sew her line of baby items such as slings, breastfeeding pillows, and other. I did a lot of those, and then in June 2011 I had my baby girl. 

here

I became a mom. And my passion turned into sewing for her. (I had done a few baby/kid wear for my nephew and niece before). She was already two months when I got back to sewing, and I made her first outfit (I had done many things for her before she was born, but they were acessories). It was a top and bloomers and I loved it so much. And then I just couldn't stop. Most of the things I've done after that are documented in this blog. Are they perfect?! Of course they are not! But I've always felt proud of what I did. 

So, what was the first question anyway?! Why I sew? That's simply... I sew because it has always been a part of me! I love, it's my passion, it's what really keeps me happy and my mind occupied. I get to make things no one else has, and that is one of the greatest feelings ever. I get compliments from other people, and I feel like I am improving all the time. Besides, because I refashion a lot, I've been saving fortunes by sewing our own clothes!

And no matter how many years I have been sewing... there will always be new techniques to learn, there will always be mistakes, I will learn from people that sew for such a little time, I will be able to sew someone who's just beggining. Sewing, is a continuous learning process for me, and this online community has been wonderful. It has pushed me to do better all the time. It has supported me in so many ways you can't imagine, has teached me, has shared so much. I am so proud of being a part of this world, and I wouldn't change it for any perfections. 

I don't make a matchy outfit for so long... guess it's about time, right? We'll even have a wedding to go later this year! And now I am wondering if anyone had the guts to read it all?! lol

Glimpse of our last week #2

This is where I show you bits and parts of our week behind the scenes.

This has a been a quiet and busy week at the same time. I finished and delivered two more orders. Was able to rest a lot, because my feet just needed it... being pregnant on warm weather isn't easy. I've started another pattern test. I was still able to take and pick G. from school a couple of times, had some exams taken, we went to the beach again, I made a new romper, allowed myself and kid to eat in the living room, and decided I want more colour in my house. I did a few crafts, not sewing related and some household that was on hold. 

Baby Boy Romper #2

To close my own rompers sharing week, inspired by Sewing Mama RaeAnna's Romper Week Series, here I bring you the latest one, the second for my baby boy. I have used the same pattern, the FREE Baby Boy Romper by MellySews. |Find it here|. It is an only size pattern, so this was pretty much the same as for the first one. The difference was, of course, in the supplies used for each one of them. 

You wouldn't believe it - or maybe you would - but this (main) fabric layed on my stash for nearly 9 years. I bought it either when my sister was pregnant with my nephew or when he was just a couple months old. I had plans to make him something out of this.

Pretty clear I never did... until now.

For his cousin!

It feels good to finally work with fabrics I got used to see on my stash. I even tried my hand on some embroidery. Is this perfect? Most likely it isn't, but I tried and it adds something to my romper. 

As for the lining fabric, you might recognise it from the dress I made his sister last year, a refashion from a man's button shirt. I still had some scraps that were perfect for this. I have been using a lot of scraps lately, loved ones, and that's just another positive thing about my kind-of-saving-style. I used star shapped buttons to close it on the shoulders, also from my stash.

Romper Week and the rompers I've been sharing:

Girl's Romper #1

Baby Boy's Romper #1

Girl's Romper #2

The Pleated Jumpsuit - take 2

Still on the Romper Week spirit, I am bringing you the second girl romper today. Just like the first one (that actually made part of the official series), I made this using Elegance & Elephants free pattern, in the same size, but for my younger niece instead. She just turned two years old yesterday, and this was my birthday present for her. 

I wasn't sure her mom would like it, but the same day I finished this, we went to the beach together and sweet little M. was wearing a romper, in shape, very similar to this one. It was a grey plaid one, I think the fabric in mine is much cuter... hehehe... how modest, right?

For this romper, I have refashioned a linen maxi skirt. I don't have a full garment before picture of it, because it was given to me many years ago, and apparently I had imediate plans for it and cut through the skirt. I can't remember what I was going to make, and why I didn't, so, I only have two cut pieces of the before skirt to show you. I have also used a top, in a very light cotton fabric for the lining. It was too old and spoted already and not really good for refashioning, but the tone of blue would be perfect with the blue flowers from the linen fabric. I got it from my aunt last week. I cut it all apart and tried to save the better parts. I had just enough.

It was so much easier and quicker to make this second jumpsuit. I didn't even had to follow instructions or anything. In a blink it was put together and I was satisfied, that although it took me this long to make the first one, I had another finished. I think I even like this one better, I thought I would keep it for my daughter and just make another for the niece... hehehe... but, alas, the little one (actually both my nieces, even though they are not related) has these gorgeous blue eyes, and this will look so much better on her (my daughter has green eyes).

I will also link this romper to Challenge Create link party. It starts next month and the second week's theme is linen. Perfect, right? Working ahead!

Romper Week and rompers I've been sharing:

Girl's Romper #1

Baby Boy's Romper #1

Baby Boy Romper #1

Haven't you heard about Romper Week hosted by Sewing MamaRaeAnna? Well, it has started yesterday. House of Estrela and Call Ajaire had the honour of kicking off this year's edition. Check my full post here. If last year, I only followed the series as a viewer, this year I was part of the series and have prepared three more rompers to share through the week. 

This is the first romper I made for my little boy. I used MellySews FREE pattern for the Baby Boy Romper. It is a 0-3M sized pattern, but I think it looks big. Hopefully my boy will be able to wear it all through summer. I can't wait to see him in all these tiny clothes I've been sewing for him. 

Again, I used fabric from my stash, you might recognise the owls fabric. I used it to make a friends Christmas present last year. For the lining I used vintage sheets I have, ever since I was a little girl. I have been able to use this fabric for so many projects I can't count them anymore. One of them is the boy's wallet I blogged about here a couple of weeks ago. This romper is such a quick and easy sew, and Melissa's instructions are so easy to follow. I love that they close with snaps on the bottom, and buttons on the shoulders. I used yellow ones that are nearly the same colour from the yellow in the main fabric, they were, of course, from my stash.