Visions & Revisions

I seem to be having trouble with just about every one of the garments I’m trying to make. I had a nightmare (yes, I’ve been dreaming about it — that’s how all-consuming this project is!) that my granddaughter’s undertunic was going to be too tight so I cut out an extra gore for front and back. I like it much better now and I’m pretty sure it will go over her head. We haven’t had a chance to actually try it on her yet. (You try dressing a 2-year-old when she isn't interested!) Both under and overtunics are now hemmed, for better or worse. Two down. Fourhundredfiftyten to go.

I put The Ninja’s tunics in Time Out for the moment and cut out his Lovely Wife’s tunics instead. Yesterday I sewed up her undertunic and it looks really good. Fits me with room to spare (she’s breastfeeding, remember!) but the sleeves also fit me and her arms are longer. So today I have to extend the sleeves by about 2 inches. Sigh. At least she’ll have double bands of silver and black trim which should make her happy. The overtunic is the same size but with shorter wider sleeves. I did have to fudge the underarm gussets a bit but it should be ok. The only hard part is the neckline trim that she wants. It’s too stiff to bend around a curve so I’ll have to make the neckline with square angles as I did her daughter’s. Maybe not quite so square but with angled corners? We’ll see how it goes later today.

In a fit of brilliance (dreaming again) I also figured out how to save The Ninja’s overtunic with some extra side pieces. And there’s just enough fabric left to do it. I hope. The undertunic is not going to work for him though so I’m going to sew up the seams and try it on his dad instead. I haven’t cut T-Man’s tunics out yet, so I can use his undertunic fabric for TN. The oatmeal colour should go nicely with his burgundy overtunic and brown and cream trim and I can actually make it fit. I hope.

In the process of hemming GD’s tunics, I located my Japanese thimble to protect my poor finger from punctures.


That yellow twill is quite stiff and hard to pierce. I can’t wear a regular metal thimble because not only is it really difficult to find one that fits my dinky finger but I find that I push the needle with the side not the tip. It slips off the round edge rather than catching in a dimple so in frustration I end up using my next bare finger instead. So this Japanese thimble is just perfect. It has a flat-ish side where I push the needle made of leather backed with plastic (so it doesn’t go through into my finger). The leather is not slippery and has holes that help keep the needle in place. It’s also stitched into a ring with a simple thread knot and when it was too loose I just re-stitched it a bit tighter. Because the top is open my finger doesn’t get so hot and sweaty either. You can position it wherever it's most comfortable on your finger if you don't like it right on the tip. I got it at Maiwa’s supply shop (scroll to the bottom of the page) but I’m sure they’re not hard to find. I think Clover makes them cheaper than what I got mine for. I’m sure you could even make something similar easily enough.

Lots more hemming to go. This thimble is going to get a workout!