I’m finally finished with my shirt. Actually it has been done for about a week, but I haven’t got around to take photos. Earlier this week we (my boyfriend and I) went to Olympen/Lompa to have some fancy beers. Lompa has a very cozy atmosphere, as one of Oslo’s oldest pubs, or maybe it’s more like a mini beer hall. The surroundings were so good that I thought it was finally time to take some pictures. The photos, though, didn’t turn out so great, since I couldn’t sit still.

So everything was put on hold until I could get some better pictures, but it seemed like I couldn’t stand still the next time either. Standing still in pictures has to be high up in my how to do-list. I guess this is quite a common problem for us newbie bloggers:-)

I was sewing this shirt with help from an online workshop at Tilly and the Buttons, and I’m so happy with the result (and for sure I would never have been able to do it all by myself).

It has a little too much fabric at the shoulders, and when I move around it feels like it is a bit too little fabric in the back.

But it was so much fun making this shirt, and I can’t help feeling proud when I wear it. There will be many,  many more!

This just made my day! I’m quite new in the blogosphere, so my face just lit up in a big, big smile when Bernadine nominated me for the Blogger Recognition Award. Thank you!

Here is her blog: Bern Bakes. She has a very good food blog, and more than once I have headed into the kitchen after reading it.

RULES

1. THANK THE BLOGGER WHO NOMINATED YOU AND PROVIDE A LINK TO THEIR BLOG.

2. WRITE A POST TO SHOW YOUR AWARD.

3. GIVE A BRIEF STORY OF HOW YOUR BLOG STARTED.

4. GIVE TWO PIECES OF ADVICE TO NEW BLOGGERS.

5. SELECT 15 OTHER BLOGGERS YOU WANT TO GIVE THIS ADWARD TO.

6. COMMENT ON EACH BLOG AND LET THEM KNOW YOU HAVE NOMINATED THEM & PROVIDE THE LINK TO THE POST YOU CREATED.

My blog stated for just under a month ago, and the thought is to follow my progress from a novice stitcher to a bit more confident novice sticker;-) Mostly for myself, but of course it is a bonus to be able to share my makes with all of you.

As I haven’t been blogging for long, I don’t have too many good advices, but from my own experience I would advise a new blogger to have 3-4 posts ready to be published immediately in order to give readers something to read about right from the start (I wish I had done that:-). My second advice is to write about something that you find interesting yourself, and most likely that will shine through and others will find it interesting to:-)

My nominees:

Red W Sews – https://redwsews.wordpress.com

Linda of Nice dress! Thanks, I made it – https://nicedressthanksimadeit.com

triciandaisy – https://tierneycreates.com

Patricia – https://foxthreads.wordpress.com

kellysdiy – https://kelleysdiy.com

Texas Quilting – https://texasquilting.org

Busy Bee – https://busybeeblogweb.wordpress.com

Sara Hauge – https://saramadethat.wordpress.com

Felicia – https://fadanista.com

Emma and her Machine – https://emmaandhermachine.wordpress.com

Mikro Meg – https://mikromeg.com

The small sewing room – https://thesmallsewingroom.wordpress.com

Threading Lightly – https://threadinglightlyblog.com

zak’s room – https://zaksroom.wordpress.com

Madam Tifanie – https://madametifaine.wordpress.com

A Tilly and the Buttons, Rosa shirt has been lying unfinished on the sewing table for a while, and it has caused a lot of bad conscience. It has mostly become an UFO because there has been so many new techniques to learn. I couldn’t just set myself down at the sewing table and sew away, but I had to take time to learn all the new techniques. I think about three hours is ideal. In that time my head will remain clear, and I will get a bit ahead on the project. I learned the painfully way that if I stop in the middle of a learning process, it requires a lot of willpower to sit down behind the sewing machine again. Not because I don’t want to sew, but because I would have to start the learning prosess all over again, and then it became more interesting to make something simple, that I alredy knew how to sew, (or read other people’s blogs 🙂

But now I’ve finally gotten a few hours, and I have been able to finish assembling the yoke, front and back. It has been a joy to see how the top stitching has given the shirt a much more professional look. Well, it is far from perfect, but practice makes perfect, and I will rarely stand absolutely still with the shirt on (for other people to inspect). So if the seams are not completely ruler straight this first time its no biggie, because I know it will be better next time around, and this is not the last time I will sew this pattern.

I always think I will have lots of free time during Christmas, but between Christmas sale, trying out gifts (My boyfriend got a tent for Christmas, and of course we had to try it out) and dinner with family and friends, I was very happy to squeeze in a few hours of sewing as well. It was a lovely feeling to sit down behind the sewing table again. It was no time for a big project, but I got to sew a little tablecloth for my niece, to have under her drawings when she is here for a visit. I also had a twin needle in my sewing stash that I’ve been wanting to try.

The twin needle, of course, needs two spools of thread, and I felt a bit scared when threading the two threads in the same track. In my head I pictured hours in front of the sewing machine trying to get stucked up threads out off the machine again. However, it went surprisingly smoothly and I could give a sigh of relief.
I like to turn the fabric around in the corner, with the needle still in the fabric. It’s a good trick for getting sharp corners. So it was a bit disappointing to discover that the fabric couldn’t be turned in the corners, with the twin needle down. But all in all I probably save some time by getting two rows of stitching at the same time.

The back stitching also turned out as a special stitch, which will probably mean that the needle won’t be suitable for all types of projects.

I will probably not use a twin needle that often, but it was fun to see the result.

And here it is 🙂 I sewed the buttonholes a bit “far behind” on the shoulders, so the ends are standing up slightly. Any how, I don’t think they will continue to do so when she wears the dress. But, should they persist to “stand up”, it is easily dissolved with a couple of press buttons.

And finally this is how it looks from the inside.

I have been thinking about sewing a simple litte dress for my niece. The kind she quickly can pull over her head as she plays with her Christmas gifts. I had peered the internet for a while, before I finally found the perfect project on Nap-Time Creations. And the beste of all folks, the pattern was free. Jippi. Free Criss Cross Jumper.
The idea is also to get rid of some leftover fabrics. I’m currently sewing a denim shirt, so I will take the denim leftovers along with some flowery fabric. The flowery fabric is just lovely but it has been laying in the stock for quite a while now, because it’s so shiny it has been difficult to find the right project for it.The flowered fabric is in the washing machine, and the pattern is almost taped together.

Can’t wait to get started!