A New Bag!

I have made a few post-pregnancy summer items, but it's hard to get any pictures taken when you're wrangling a 4 month old.  Hopefully soon!

Meanwhile I also made a new bag for work.  I have been using a velvet bag from the Gap that I like very much, but the straps are falling apart and it's just a tiny bit too small.  The new bag is bigger, has 2 interior sections, more external pockets and it is the best colors!

2 slim pockets on the front and 2 elasticized pockets on the sides.  The straps are long enough to fit over my winter coat, which is always a problem.

On the inside I made a wall to create 2 compartments, since I carry a laptop.  I also made skinny ties to hold the bag somewhat closed in the rain and other inclement weather.

I got the three fabrics from Hawthorne fabrics and just love them.  I got a yard of each, so I have plenty of leftover.  I'm thinking a collection of matching storage bags- a zippered bag, a Nook cover, and whatever else I can eek out!

Why didn't I do this sooner?

I bought some pants back in September from the outlets with the plan to turn them into maternity pants once I needed maternity pants. Since I"m in the 3rd trimester, obviously I've needed maternity pants for a while!  I still had a couple of pairs of non-maternity pants that I could wear in early December, but since then, I've been making do with one pair of work pants and one pair of jeans.  I have some skirts and dresses, so I wasn't wearing the same pants every single day!

After all that procrastinating, it took me about 45 minutes to turn both pairs into comfortable maternity pants.  Honestly.  I took some heavy duty, medium stretch white knit fabric from my stash and tried 2 methods of attaching.  For the brown pair, I cut a U in the front and filled it in with a U of fabric and on the black pair, I removed the waistband and replaced with a knit waistband.  Both styles are very comfortable, but I think that I cut the U on the brown pair too low.  I was being lazy and cut under the zipper instead of removing it first and cutting across it.  Oh well, I'll just wear long shirts with that pair.  I can also dye the white knit with some Rit dye if it's too noticeable.

The brown pair with the U and back waistband intact

The black pair with a new knit waistband

Wearing the brown pair at 28 weeks.  I look a little tired.  I wonder why?

Stashbusting Sewalong 2013!

I'm excited to be joining the Stashbusting Sewalong proposed by Cation Designs and EmSewCrazyfor the year of 2013.  It's not going to be super easy, since I have a baby coming in 3 months, but I plan to do the best I can.  The Sewalong promises to be fun, with a flickr group and contests- not that I can be sure that I'll be up to participating!  ;)

I am pumped to be making a long term plan to diminish my stash, though.  I don't even want to estimate the yardage that is stowed away in my sewing room!  It falls into 3 main categories: lightweight cotton for summer dresses, skirts and tops, wool for work-style dresses, skirts and trousers and knits for t-shirts and dresses.  Of course, I have other miscellaneous cuts, but those 3 categories have to be at least 80% of my hoard.  I have/had general plans for each fabric that I have purchased, it's just a matter of matching up fabrics to patterns.  I would like to get at least 1 project in a month, but we'll see. 

Part 2 of the challenge involves buying less fabric.  That shouldn't be too hard at far as the 3 categories above are concerned, but I will need to get some baby fabrics since I plan to make my own cloth diapers and covers.  My main focus is sewing up the fabrics and patterns that I have and if I buy more fabric, I'll be ok with that.  Hopefully I'll be too busy with the baby to buy more!

My first project is going to be a maternity skirt made from tan corduroy that came to my stash via my grandmother's stash.  Since I have almost no bottoms to wear, I need to get moving on the skirt!!!

I finished something else!

And it was not from my list of Spring projects and it didn't require hand sewing.

I made this from my leftover Valori Wells voile- there is still enough to make a teeny skirt for a teeny person!  I had not intended for there to be a crossover front, but I didn't have enough fabric to make the top above the empire waist out of one piece.  I think that the crossover worked out well, though, so I'm happy.  The fabric has some stretch even though it's a woven and I chose not to use a zipper, so it's a little tight to get on and off!  Any looser and it would have hung off my back funny, so that was the trade-off.  My plan is to find some ribbon or to make a ribbon from the fabric for the tie at the neck.  White doesn't quite go.  I also plan to add some clear seed beads to make this top a little dressier.  You can see from the side view that the back hangs down a little- but not nearly as much as it did at first.

I don't plan to wear this top with work trousers, but that's what I was wearing at the time.

Janda and I were so busy with mad lots of yardwork over vacation that I didn't get anywhere on my other projects.  Hopefully soon...  I have a birthday party this weekend and I'd like to wear one of those dresses!

I finally finished something!

I have sewn up 90% of 4 of the summer dresses on my Spring/Summer Sewing list and now all that remains is either annoying or hand sewing. Not surprisingly, as soon as each of them was 90% done, they went onto the 90% done wall to wait for me to be in the mood to hand sew or do something else annoying. Since that was getting discouraging, I decided to make a quick skirt.

Please ignore the squinting and bedhead

I have a few patterned fabrics that I have been stewing over, b/c I didn't want to make a skirt or dress that had a lot of seams. In the end, I decided to make a elastic waist, knee-length skirt. One casing, one seam and one hem. Easy peasy. A half an hour later I had a finished garment. I couldn't wear it today, even though the weather was amazing, b/c Janda and I went out on our motorcycles. Not conducive to skirts. Hopefully I'll get to wear it this week.

I was a little nervous, b/c I had never attempted an elastic waist skirt before and I was cutting into some of my precious and expensive Valori Wells voile. I figured that it would work out b/c I made my niece Emma a romper last week that used elastic extensively. I just took my hip measurement, added 4", cut a rectangle and sewed a few seams. I ordered some more patterned fabric from fabric.com this weekend, so I think that I'll be making more of these.

Emma's romper

Hopefully this week I'll decide to get some of those other projects done!

A Handmade Spring/Summer Plan

Even though I haven't finished my winter projects (since I spent the last week studying), I figured that it would be a better, I mean more fun, use of my time to plan out my spring and summer projects. Taking pictures and looking at patterns always trumps hand-sewing in my book. ;) So here's my tentative plan for Grainline's Handmade Wardrobe Spring 2012:

For the wedding that Janda and I are attending this summer, I splurged and got a couple of yards of Valori Wells Wildfield Voile. I can't wait to make this, although it might be the last project since the wedding is at the end of July. I chose Butterick 5491 even though it is supposed to be for knits. I'll just make sure there is enough ease and add a zipper.

I already made a wearable muslin of these pants in corduroy. It was interesting. I had to do a lot of alterations, which I made note of and transferred to the pattern, so hopefully the next go around will be easier. I'm planning on making a pair of jeans and capris with the cotton.

For the striped jersey fabric I'm planning on making a simple self-drafted maxi dress for our road trip this summer. I'm hoping to get more proficient with super stretchy knits and make some tank tops and t-shirts out of those rib knits.

These three cottons, an aqua batiste, a pinky-purplish eyelet and the purple floral will become those three dresses (in order): Butterick 5490, New Look 6067 and Vogue 8184. I've already made the Vogue dress once in a cheap fabric and loved the fit and style and look forward to making it in a better fabric.

These four fabrics, another Wildfield Voile, a Lisette cotton from Joann's, an aqua/blue seersucker and a cute quilting fabric called Scribbles, will become those two skirts. Which fabrics become which skirts depends on how much I can eek out of each piece.

Here are all my new projects, lined up and waiting with their patterns!

Is anyone who knows me surprised by these 9 fabric choices???

I guess I should go do some hand-sewing now.

Forget the works in progress!

Well, not really, but since I'm just finishing up most of my winter projects time to start thinking about spring! As I finish the winter projects in the next couple of weeks (all that I plan to finish anyway) I'm going to plan out my spring/summer handmade wardrobe! I've got fabric for jeans, a couple of skirts, definitely a couple of dresses- one for a wedding, and some knit tops. I'll have to make a plan so that I can be ready. I ran across Handmade Wardrobe Spring 2012 on Grainline and figured that I'd get started! My goal is to finish up everything else and start the weekend of March 10.

Progress Report

Well, my goal of sewing those 8 items over the winter may actually come true. Well, it might if I can ever get out of my truly rotten habit of finishing everything but the handsewing on a project and then leaving it in my closet unfinished forever-ish.

Where I'm at:
Vogue 8594 Made the muslin (ie the lining) and it needs to be re-fitted- annoying.

Vogue 8685 This one is almost done- but it is tight!! I can let out the seams a little and hopefully that will do the trick. I love the fabric and everything except the skin-tightness.

Simplicity 2648 Just need to tack down the sleeve facings and hem.

Simplicity 2146 This is my favorite one- haven't started yet though.

Burda 7531 This one is almost done, just needs a hem.

Butterick 5249 This one is now off the list. I'll come back to it at a later date- it's cute.

Simplicity 3775 This one's almost done, just the handsewing left.

New Look 6909 I made this one before and love it, but I forgot that I shortened the side seams at the hips and didn't do it on the muslin (ie the lining). I have to let the sides out and also, the sleeves are tight!!! I have to figure something out for the long sleeves.

Vogue 8675, Simplicity 3775, Simplicity 2648

Lining/muslin Vogue 8594 and New Look 6909

Close-up of knit dress Simplicity 3775- my first knit!

Close-up of the knit fabric for Vogue 8685- love this fabric! Needs to be let out. :(

View from my sewing room window- you can see how lovely the water has looked this winter. (Ignore our fence-we're replacing it this spring!)

You might have noticed that all of my linings are the same. There are 3 linings made up in the pictures and 2 others that I made this fall. I bought 5 yards of the pink fabric on super sale at fabric.com and I think that it will make one or two more linings! Plus I have the added bonus of an exciting inside to all of my clothes.

Can I do it?

I have a lot of projects in my sewing queue- way too many really. It's time to start sewing them and instead of hoarding patterns and fabric. I'm hoping to get these 8 done over the winter.

Vogue 8685

I have a very pretty dark blue knit with pink, purple and aqua flowers for this one. I'm definitely making the short, straight skirt and then I'll see what sleeve length I can eek out.

Vogue 8594

This one's going to be a brown herringbone wool. I'll be making the short version (which will probably be long on me!) with the slit at the neck.

Simplicity 2648

Black stretch wool for this one, with short sleeves and a V-neck.

Simplicity 2146

I chose a taupe wool that will show off the pleating details for this dress. I love the short-sleeved, V-neck with the inset pleats.

Burda 7531

This skirt will be a khaki corduroy, good for work and weekend. I love a good box pleat.

Butterick 5249

I have a black and gray pinstripe waiting for this pattern. I'm leaning towards the straight skirt with flounces at the knee, but I'll have to see how the pinstripes work for that.

Simplicity 3775

This easy knit dress is going to be a super-soft dark turquoise. I'm planning on making the long-sleeved, V-neck version.

New Look 6909

I'm planning on making the long sleeved version of this dress in brown wool.

If I get these all done, my work wardrobe will be all set. I already have two dresses made, but not finished, so if I get all these pieces finished, I will be awash in stylish work dresses!