All Sewing Completed -- YES!

Since I last blogged, I have completed sewing every piece of fabric that I had in my small stash. Now, I am back to having no stash of fabric at all.  It feels SO GOOD to have completed every project and be done for awhile. 

I have discovered that sewing, for me, is not so much a passion, but rather, something that I can do well enough to have some nice clothes in my closet to depend on.  I have no compunction to buy new patterns and keep filling up my closet with more and more. I have enough clothes to choose from now to take me through the summer into fall and winter.  Yes, that's how it is, I have enough. 

Fashion may throw something out there that I might want, and I will sew it up as those pieces come along but, I am not driven to sew every day. 

Looking into my closet is very satisfying now.  There's plenty to choose from and I like everything that's in there.  Now, its time to go on to other facets of life that appeal to my creative personality.  There's always something new to learn, always something challenging.  And, I have completed my sewing for now.  I am content!

Fun Fabric Sewing

I got one pair of pants sewed up in navy RPL, and then, I saw a dress on one of the young gals at church the other Sunday which was made up in Hawaiian cotton and, I was suddenly smitten!  I know she doesn't sew but, I bet she bought her dress at one of the boutique shops down by the beach.

We have an Island Fabrics on Wall Street downtown in the garment district so, last Saturday, my husband and I made a pilgrimage on the bus and checked out the Hawaiian prints.  I bought two different pieces, one in red and, one in black, both were bright and cheerful as could be -- I made up both in no time at all using Kwik Sew 3561.   Too fun!!!

On an earlier shopping expedition to the downtown garment district I had bought a pretty red Chinese brocade.  I sewed that up into a skirt from Vogue 8363, View C, and, I was really pleased with how it turned out.  To go with that skirt, I bought some simple red silk and made McCalls 2818, View B, since I'd been wanting a blouse that buttoned down the back.   The front scalloped panels gave me some trouble but, I wrestled with them until they looked like they're supposed to.  The blouse and the skirt together look like they were made for each other and, they were!

With such a productive week behind me, I  think I'll take a break from sewing.  Its time for some more snoop shopping anyway.  Who knows what will inspire me next?

Stay tuned....

The Perfect Jacket Is DONE!

The good news is the jacket is done.  The bad thing is, it doesn't look good on me.  Princess seams are supposed to be slenderizing but, I find, on me, they just add on the pounds like crazy.  The jacket fits, it doesn't pull or have any odd wrinkles -- it just makes me look MUCH heavier than I am.  Its not a wadder but, I'm going to have to give it to Goodwill or Salvation Army.  

Oh well, I will go on to making pants now.  Pants are something I need and, they're easy, so, that's what I'll concentrate on for awhile. 

I will just keep on keeping on! 

Work in Progress

The Perfect Jacket, so far, is going along great, its just A LOT of steps from start to completion.  I am starting to work on the lining and, I'm taking my time because, I have learned that rushing at the end of a project, for me, almost always guarantees trouble.  I've come too far and, spent too much money, for this garment to turn into a wadder.  So, I'm working at a much slower rate and trying to be more precise with each step.

Next up, I'm going to be making pants.  The other weekend, my husband and I went downtown to the garment district and shopped at The Scholarship Store of FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising).  I had heard they had fabric for $1 a yard there but, I had no idea that it was such good quality fabric -- I'm talking yardage that would normally sell for $30 a yard and up.  What a find!  The only thing you have to be aware of, you need to be very strong or, have someone with you who is.  The yardage comes on rolls that are 72 inches wide and they are all stacked up on top of each other.  If you want the one on the bottom you have to be REALLY STRONG in order to get to it.   Thank goodness, my husband took the rolls out that I wanted like it was nothing.  Its a very small area where this fabric is displayed and sold so, another thing to be aware of is, not hitting someone when you take those rolls of fabric out from underneath each other!    I bought some beautiful medium weight navy blue RPL fabric for pants as well as some heavy weight twill in grey. I believe there's enough to make pants and some carrier bags as well.  While we were in the garment district, I also bought some beautiful Chinese brocade fabric in red that I'm going to make a skirt with.  I'm wondering what kind of blouse I should make to go with it?  Any and all suggestions are welcomed.

Well, I guess this is all for now, I need to get back to my sewing machine and, I bet you do too!

Started: The Perfect Jacket, McCalls 6172

McCalls 6172 is what I'm working on now.  I didn't realize till I read the fine print that every piece of this pattern calls for interfacing.  This thing is going to be heavy and a warm winter-time garment.  And, the first steps have to do with making the welt pockets. 

There's LOTS of work to be done on this project so, I better get crackalackin!

I will let you know how I'm progressing in a couple of days.

Skirting The Issue

I've not gone back to work on the McCall's 6172 jacket because I worked on the skirt from Vogue 8543 instead and, thank God, it turned out okay.  I had another skirt (view D) from Vogue 8363 cut out so, I went on and sewed that up.  Another success!

I've got fabric for 2 more skirts but they're not cut out yet.  Now I'm going back and forth as to whether I should continue on making skirts (while I'm on a successful role with them) or, go back to the McCalls 6172 jacket, which is already cut out and waiting.  Decisions, decisions???

Another thing I need to do is buy buttons and zippers.  I have no stash of sewing supplies so, it makes it most annoying to have to let my projects languish in UFO land for want of buttons, zippers, fasteners thread, etc.

Oh, how I wish I had money enough to buy a few of these things, and a vehicle to go shop for them.  That would take a God-sized MIRACLE though.  But, we are praying!!! 

All in good time I will complete my projects and, little by little, my wardrobe will become a thing of beauty -- just you wait and see.

I Can Sew a Notched Collar Jacket!!! YES!!!

I completed the Simplicity 2446 jacket and, it turned out GREAT!  What a relief to get a notched collar to actually look like its supposed to.  I feel so much better knowing that I can do this now.

Next, I'm going on to McCalls 6172.  I hope its not as HUGE as the Simplicity 2446.  I'm going to give away the Simplicty 2446 jacket and the pants I made out of the same fabric because they are both MUCH too big for me.  This is NOT a bad thing.  I am thrilled to put something on and find that its too big!!!

After the McCalls 6172 jacket, I am going to give the Kwik Sew 3715 jacket a go.  I am so anxious to get a tried and true jacket pattern.

Also, I've got the skirt part of Vogue 8543 cut out and, I'm thinking I may make that before the McCalls 6172 jacket.

So many patterns, so little time!  (It feels so much better to complete something that looks good.)