Wiksten Tova all finished and so am I!

Ahhh, Wiksten Tova pattern...how I have coveted you for so many years (like, two whole years) and finally, on this, the last day of Selfish Sewing Week you are done...you are mine! You took longer to sew than all of my other projects combined and I didn't think we were going to make it when on the second to last step, I realized I'd sewn the left arm on upside down (yes, yes, I did), but we got there in the end. You're a little drapier around the neck than I'd expected, but this is Dunedin and I'll be wearing a merino underneath for most of the year so I'm sure it'll all work out. I love how comfy you are and that you cover all of my lumps and bumps very nicely without making me look like a house. Perhaps you will be lonely being the only Tova in my closet. I think I will make another one to keep you company...but first I'm going to take a little break from sewing...OK?

Two Tessuti Tops

If you haven't seen it before, let me introduce you to Our Fave Top by Tessuti Fabrics. The pattern is a free download on their website so you have no excuse not to make this top for yourself right away. Go, do it! After making my first one earlier in the week, I loved it so much I whipped up another one (due to poor planning, in a very similar colour!).

This would be one of those Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants sort of patterns that comes in one size only but somehow manages to fit just about any body type. Bless pattern designers who are able to concoct such brilliance. They say to use a serger, but I sewed it up on a regular machine without problem. I used a stretch twin needle where indicated, but otherwise, just used a regular ballpoint needle and a stretch stitch where they called for a serger. I suppose the raw edges on the inside might bother some people, but I'm fine with them.

I can see already that I'll get a lot of wear out of these tops. I may even have to make myself a third after Selfish Sewing Week wraps up just so I can have one in a different colour!

Big thanks to TDSH who took these photos just moments before we rushed out the door for Abner's birthday party (clever parents that we are, we rented a hall so that we wouldn't have to deal with 10 little girls wrecking havoc in our tiny house). Abner has taken quite an interest in photography lately so we've passed on one of our old cameras to her. She tends to come out and shadow whoever is taking photos around the house, so it's no surprise we had this little audience during the photo shoot. I must say her pictures are getting quite a bit better already!

Six!

My little girl turns six today! Here's a snapshot of little Abner at six:

Her two lower front teeth show signs of being almost ready to come out but that's about it. Still a full set of baby teeth flashing every time she smiles.

She learned to read last year and has never looked back. Her favourites are Ivy & Bean, Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, Clarice Bean and just about anything she can get her hands on. She read her first Judy Blume book last year - I don't think I read my first one until I was a teenager! One of my favourite things in the world is to hear Abner giggling from her room as she reads her books before bed.

She has the slightest of Kiwi accents but pretty much still sounds like a Canadian through and through.

She started getting pocket money (an allowance) at the beginning of the year and she has so far spent all of her money on stationery products. Seriously. Every thing she's bought can either write or be written on. It's an obsession.

She loves, loves, loves listening to music. Her tastes range from John Denver and James Taylor (yup. really.) to the Village People and Queen (that's my girl) to Walk Off the Earth and Avicii. Oh, and of course, Frozen (so much Frozen!)

Happy birthday to my sweet little girl.

Wiksten tank, I'm in love

Be still my heart. The Wiksten tank pattern is my new favourite pattern. Ever.

Anyhow, this pattern is absolutely lovely. Easy to do. So totally accurate. And it fits beautifully. I think I might make about 50 more! The pattern calls for encased seams so I love that I still get a totally professional looking finish even without a serger. I can see why it's still among the more popular patterns in the blogosphere even though it's been around for a while now.

My only trouble last night was that pesky little pocket. My sewing machine kept eating it. Really. Just "munch, munch, munch..." about eight times. I finally managed to get it sewn by switching to a finer needle and starting well in from the edge of the fabric. I don't like how far in my stitches are, but I was honestly beyond caring last night.

Sorry for the lame photos, but I had a super busy and very long day at work today and didn't get out to take any pics in the nice bright autumn sun like I'd hoped. Sigh.

Anyhow, Selfish Sewing Week is trucking along as planned here at maison Milkybeer. In case you missed it, my first project was the Roza blouse (a pattern by Kate & Rose) that I sewed up and reviewed over on imagine gnats. Tonight I'm either going to work on some t-shirts or another Wiksten pattern - the Tova dress. I have been coveting that pattern for so, so, so long now. Finally biting the bullet and making a nice soft, cozy one for winter!

*****

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Sewing up a storm and then some

Behold just some of the patterns and fabric on my list to sew up this coming week during Selfish Sewing Week. Lots of prep work going on around here to try to help me juggle my sewing ambitions with the fact that Abner is on school break and I'm in hand-over mode at work as the editor I've been filling in for is back from maternity leave.

I've had a blast playing editor but it will be nice to hand the reigns back to a professional. It's like every day for the past nine months I've been worried that someone will wise up and figure out that I'm a complete fraud. This must be how con artists feel - constantly worried that they're going to be found out.

This week is also a big one as a certain little girl turns six! Our tradition is to go out for dinner to the restaurant of the birthday person's choosing. Abner has already informed us she's choosing McDonalds. High taste, that girl! We've got a party to plan as well for next weekend. Since our new house is so tiny (there's really no other word to describe it) we've opted to rent a hall nearby. The kids can run amok all they want and I don't have to worry about my couch getting covered in chocolate and broken chips. It's a win-win situation.

Other than that, we're trying to keep busy seeing friends, going to movies and just have a little fun during the second week of term break. Hope you're week ahead looks just as fun-filled as mine!

Finished custom cross quilt

My list of projects to sew has reached epic proportions. Truly epic. I blame it mostly on the fact that next week is Selfish Sewing Week and I have big plans to participate this year...a few tops and a dress or two ought to keep me busy. I'm looking forward to the new additions to my wardrobe!

This lovely new house of ours is also inspiring me these days. I've done so much sewing over the years, but you'd never know it looking around this place. I've started a special list of project just for our home...a custom-fit bathmat for our crazy tiny bathroom, a set of new napkins, a cushion for the bench near the front door, a pillow for the couch to name just a few. It's a lot of work, but I know I'll enjoy busying myself away in my little private workroom out back...which reminds me, I still need to share some pics of the new space!

But before I can tuck into all that fun, I had to clear one last custom order off the list: the custom cross quilt I started last month. I had it all finished up and delivered last week. Turns out it was just in time! I was told the baby it would be given to was due in May, but as babies are wont to do, it arrived early! Still don't know if it was a boy or girl just yet, but I do know the new mum is loving the new quilt. Man, I love doing custom work!

Thank goodness tomorrow is a holiday and I have some vacation days coming up at work so I can get on with the next wave of projects. Looking forward to sharing more with you soon!