Tuesday 22 March 2011

Life After A Big Disney Trip

The few weeks after our big trip were particularly difficult. I had multiple tasks to complete whilst combating the post Disney blues. The biggest one, which was completing my trip report, has been achieved! I have also completed our photo book. However, the photo sorting and culling continues...I am grateful that we have already purchased tickets for our trip to Hong Kong in May, for otherwise I fear that the hum-drum of everyday life would have killed me. Not that I give myself a good chance of leading a hum-drum life.

Not content with my already long list of to-dos, I decided that I want to be able to make my own clothes. I was inspired by the creations of a fellow cruiser. She had sewn amazing outfits with Disney themed materials for her children. How hard can it be?!?!? So I impulsively purchased a book with gorgeous designs for little girls (from the US of course) and settled on making a matching top and pants set for Lara. I then encountered my first problem. I had no equipment and zero know how. Mother came to the rescue! We went shopping together to pick out some material and she promised to assist me with my project. I went home and read my new sewing book. I started to wonder what I had gotten myself into.

My new book
The pretty (but expensive!) materials

I was feeling overwhelmed and I hadn't even started yet. On my third weekend as an on-call widow, I bit the bullet and decided to finish my project come what may. I had cut out the patterns and washed the material. It was time to put it together. I gathered the children and headed over to Mother's. She had all the equipment...The child minding came in the form of Father.
The pattern

Tracing and cutting
I devoted every spare moment on that rainy weekend to sewing. Progress was slow but I was intent on completing my task. My patience and skills were sorely tested with the use of elastic threads and multiple gathers that were involved. On Saturday night, it had got to the point where I had sewed the same line twice unsatisfactorily. It was 1 am and I had to call it quits. The children found it amusing that I too had a "sleepover" at Oma's.

Halfway through...or so I thought!

I didn't realise how tired I was on Saturday until I sewed on Sunday. Everything seemed so much easier! I was in good spirits as the end was in sight. I finally finished just after lunch. With great excitement, I called upon my model for a fitting. It fit! Hurray!!!! I was very happy with my first effort. However, I am not sure that I could ever sew at home with the multiple distractions. It would also mean an investment in a whole lot of equipment. Hmmm...

Voila!

My flower power girl!
I now have more things on my list to purchase from the US

5 comments:

  1. hey, didn't you do T&D in high school?

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  2. Yes! You are right, I did it for 1 year. I had forgotten...obviously I didn't learn very much or I wasn't paying attention!

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  3. That's beautiful!! Well done :-)

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