Have I ever told you about my girls and their "twinspeak"?
Having identical twins - my first born(s) - I was clueless to language development. What should be occurring when, etc. They were communicating. I understood them. I thought all was fine.
But one day, while at a doctors appointment for me, my doc said, "Hey, you should have them evaluated. They have a speech delay." Huh? What the heck! There's nothing wrong with my kids. Well, come to find out, they had actually developed their own language - twins speak - it was so intense that it began to interfere with their academic development. It has hindered their ability to read and comprehend. Their articulation has been very poor. And still, in the 3rd grade, we are working so very hard, to get them where they need to be. I mean, they would turn to each other, say something we couldn't began to understand, the other would run upstairs and bring her sister a pair of socks. What?! They look at me and go, "yeah, sissy asked me to get her socks". Seriously, crazy. Cute at first. Now that we have baby number 3, her language development is a night and day difference. Way more advanced than the twins. Who knew? We didn't.
We have been incredibly blessed - incredibly blessed this year, with a wonderful teacher who has made more strides with our girls than any teacher ever has. She has reached out to them and to us in a way no other teacher has. And we are so grateful for her.
Guess what? She sews.
Yep. I mean, am I little biased over my enthusiasm for her because she's a fellow "seamstress"?
OK, maybe just a little (tee hee!). But she is the most dedicated, hands on, exciting, loving teacher my kids have ever had (and we've had some wonderful teachers).
She makes loads of cute things to wear to school. Recently she sewed up the Liverpool shirt which is a new pattern from Amy Butler (our "neighbor" here in the next town over). I asked if she would share her experiences with the pattern with you all and she took on the challenge. So...if you've thought about sewing this up - here's her experience with it! Enjoy!
I recently sewed the Liverpool by Amy Butler, and I was asked to write a quick review on the pattern for this blog. Although I have enjoyed sewing since middle school, I still consider myself at a mid-beginner’s level and the amount of projects I have done with sleeves is very limited, so the Liverpool was a definite challenge. I tried this project because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. :>)
There are several different options to the Liverpool, and I chose to sew the tunic with ¾ length sleeves. I had a friend help me modify the pattern to ensure the proper fit, using two different sizes at different places on the tunic based on the measurements of my hips and chest.
Directions:
Most of the directions were clear, but I did have to read some of the steps through several times before I felt comfortable enough to execute that step. For example, step 7 tells you to sew the two back panels together with a French seam. It was the first time I had done a French seam and there were no pictures illustrating this step at all. However, I proceeded with this step even though I was very unsure. Despite my misgivings, I found the French seam to be quite lovely when I was finished! I will try this seam again.
Most of the difficulties that I did have would have been easier had there been a few more illustrations. The illustrations that are in the pattern are excellent – with labels indicating sides of fabric and more.
Amount of Time
This project was definitely time consuming for me, but this may not be the case for more experienced seamstresses. I spent about 4 days on it – working when I could on the weekends and in the evenings after work.
Fabric Choice
Upon completing my project, I was not happy with my choice of fabric. I had chosen a solid color of relatively cheap fabric for the simple fact that I wasn’t sure I would be able to complete the project. I did not want to spend the money on designer fabric when I wasn’t sure if it would turn out. Next time, I will chose a nicer more colorful print, which would have led a little excitement to the piece, which has simple lines and a loose fit.
Finishing Touches
Finally, I want to point out that this pattern, like other Amy Butler patterns, included some finishing touches that I have not seen in other patterns, such as the French seam mentioned earlier, and sewing the edges of the darts. I like these additions, as I feel they make the garment more stylish and more complete.
Thanks so much Mrs. R for the review! I love it!
xoxo,
Trish
Can't wait to see what you all make with them! I'll have my Flickr page updated with each pattern so you can share your projects!