The Queue:

Friends, I have made the choice to start a new leaf.

It's a new year, which is giving me motivation to re-write the sewing queue I have kept for years... But I think I am going to take the old queue and place it here for posterity's sake... When's a better time than throwback Thursday??

Looking back has me thinking... And the new queue, with a post to explain, will go live on Monday.

___________________________

Gwen over at After the Dress inspired me with her queue posts, which are added each Wednesday.  This is the place I'll keep a running list of upcoming projects, and the blog entries they will(I hope, one day) link to upon completion.
Not everything will come to life, and definately not in the season the idea is posted, but I figure this is a way to begin to keep track of what I'm doing.  And let my imagination come up with all the things I could be doing.  Strikethroughs are the things that don't quite make the list anymore, what with all the new inspiration coming my way.  I'm not completely erasing them because they're part of the journey though, you know?

Winter 2013-2014
Corduroy blazer
Quilt for J.
Bag for Mama
Jewelry roll for KDB
Purple plaid kindle cover for my baby brother
Big brother backpack for a little cousin
Fancy dress for a feisty fancy girl(and her baby doll will need one too, of course.)
Slippers for dad


Fall 2013
Colette Juniper wearable muslin
Sewaholic Thurlow wearable muslin
Pleated yoke shirt in floral print
Colette Laurel? Eucalypt tank dress? Something.

Spring/Summer 2013
Red TNT skirt for baseball season
Red stole completed 2016
Knit tees. With cute details.
Navy stripe mystery fabric skirt
Crazy floral pleated skirt
Border print pleated skirt
Bag for my BFF

Winter 2012-2013

Blue cord skirt

Green knit shirt

White knit shirt(Spring 2012)
Red patterned woven top

NICE black or navy pencil skirt
Pink patterned woven top

Fall 2012

Red cord skirt 

Brown woven skirt:  Kickpleat, pencil-ish, pockets

Stripy dress… Maybe just a top? Wide band at the bottom and sleeves in the shot cotton? Just to get it done without more fabric…

Green linen-blend skirt:  Big pockets! Not much trim, A Line.  (Completed 1.12.13)

Refashions/Alterations:  

Nana’s dress tried on again, none needed

McCall 5801 Dress… Or just make it a (lined) skirt, but make it wearable! With pockets!  Maybe divert from the princess seams till I have a block? Work them out with a fitting buddy?
Deep red dress... Hemmed and belted- Completed 2012

Spring 2012
breezy white woven top
another woven top: moda half-moon paisley in grey in an OOP Simplicity pattern
grey pleated skirt from Winter that was not Completed Aug 2012
White topper- half-sleeve in white twill
white tee with fun neckline
lavender tee
Spring Refashions/alterations galore:
Restore Mom's white eyelet dress to former awesomeness Completed July 2012
red skirt Completed 4.3.2012

Summer 2012…

Brown bike-able skirt… maybe knit, maybe a bubble.

Scraps of the purple-white floral dress to a bike-able skirt

Rie dress- eyelet and dotted swiss

Shirtdress- blue Oxford cloth
sky blue knit top
royal blue gauze skirt

Spring/Summer Refashions/alterations galore:

Re-work Easter 2011’s dress for better insides and fit

Finishing touches on the Easter Dress of yore- M5801

…Pinstripe dress of yore needs bindings and a cowl.  Do it to it!

See 2011 list… Do those

Winter that Was Not 2011-12:

Coat liner

Pop-of-color dance skirt- Completed 2.10.12

Refashion purple plaid skirt

Winter schoolbag

3-season grey twill bikeable skirt…pleats? Pockets for sure…- Completed Aug 2012

Grey button-back man’s shirt refashion- half-sleeves

Winter Alterations galore:

Cobalt dress- take it in (gave it away instead, it's three sizes too big now)

Purple/grey tweed dress- take it in

2 pairs of pants… take in

Cardigan refresher

Fall "6PAC" 2011
      filled out with the sweater from Feb. 2011, and the red dress from April 2011.
brown multi-gore swish skirt
brown herringbone pieces:
     pencil Skirt (February's suit skirt)
     vest (instead of February's suit jacket)

Summer2011:
Alterations galore:
Rose dancing dress
White vintage eyelet dress
Easter Dress
red pencil skirt
Vintage green shirtwaist dress

April 2011:
Red dancing dress completed 1.4.12
Re-work print dancing dress
Add gores to black dancing skirt
Easter dress- completed 4.24.11
Petticoat
March 2011:
Print dancing dress - completed 3.18.11
Elastic belt-completed 3.18.11
Black dancing skirt- completed 3.14.11
refashioned men's shirt to sailor shirt-completed 4.6.11
February 2011:
Suit jacket
suit skirt
refashioned sweater
January 2011:
-A dress w/  Burda turtleneck- completed 1.21.11
-a half-circle skirt with bias strips- completed 1.24.11
-a makeup bag
-elastic belt- completed 1.23.11
December 2010:
-Burda Turtleneck- a long-sleeve version
-Burda Turtleneck- a half-sleeve version wadded 1.19.11

Even big kids color.

Apparently photographing my "storyboard" while it sits on my lap is not my strong suit... But it turned out okay. This is an okay color representation, and I am already working on some refashion pieces and have a bit of time blocked out to work on other pieces before I go to camp... and when I get back. Right now I think it's simply a matter of making the magic happen. And making choices... I have a lot to work on... order is gonna be a big deal.
I think I'll probably do similar things in order, for the sake of simplicity. And being on a roll.
1. Ivory dress. It's already started.
2. Pink dress. I started it too, and would like to wear it to church before I leave with
3. Ivory coverup. Not pictured, but will happen.
4. Asymmetric skirt... need to finish it to test drive it at camp.
5. blue knit dress... I want to test drive it too
6. brown knit dress... Also deserves a test drive
7. Blue pants. I think they'll look nice enough to travel in. If I don't wear a skirt.
8. Tan pants. I'll do them second since my mind isn't made up as to which ones to make...
9. Coverups in pink and eggplant... I already have one fabric, have to find the other. But I can cut and sew them at once.

Kay. Lunchtime. List will be continued at a later date.

SO many things I want to make for Turkey! I was filling out the application last night(way to count chickens before they're hatched) and it's SUCH a simple process, I couldn't help but have my hopes renewed again. But I have to remember to buy envelopes. And passport pictures. And I have a mom to reassure (along with other family).

And then there is the sewing list... Yesterday's color scheme includes colors I wear A LOT on a regular basis, and I realized I am kinda just picking 3 neutrals and 5 colors I wear already... What am I going to do with them?

And then I made a baby sketchbook that will doubtless be put to use in the very near future. Like when my head is in the clouds if class is the reading regurgitated, which today I have a feeling it might be.

SO yell at me if there aren't sketches, swatches, and a refashion up by Sunday, because sometimes that's just motivating...

Happy Friday!

a refashion and a wardrobe

I am turning a sweater that was too trendy in all of the wrong ways into a sweater that is almost trendy in all of the right ways... And giving serious thought to a summer wardrobe in 2 color schemes. I just bought fabric... A rayon-blend jersey in chocolate for a dress,a dotted Swiss in pink for a top (or combined with something for a skirt), and some sand-washed twill in a cafe au lait color for walking shorts and a skirt. I'm gonna supplement that with 2 more knits I have made up in dresses. I'm doing 2 capsules that will cross each other, replacing my SG SWAP but along the same premise:

The middle browns and ivory will blend with each other, and there will be pieces that are primarily blue and pink, and pieces that are primarily plum, teal, and red. Off to class for now, but I will edit later to talk about pieces in each scheme.

These will include refashions, RTW I already own, and sewn-from-scratch pieces... YAY! A way to simplify packing and leave me with a smaller bag... or more room for textiles.

Edited to say the list of things to make has to be narrowed and will be along later.

My SWAP inspiration, courtesy of Polyvore... I LOVE this thing! Just google polyvore if you are curious.

This is a base for an easy-travel wardrobe for a trip to Turkey... 5 weeks studying abroad!

The tan skirt could be a refashion of a silk skirt that my mom gave me from the depths of her closet. The white... I really want a white skirt, no matter how impractical. Dresses will also be really nice to have, I will probably take 2 or 3.

I plan to use LOTS of cottons though. It'll kinda be necessary to make it washable. And breathable.

I also did my best to make it more conservative, not so much exposed... or easily camisoles underneath to make things appropriate.

So we will see how this actualizes... If you have any idea of where to find patterns like these send them my way!

SWAPping has a purpose.

I havn't done much at all to follow along in SWAP land. If I am being honest, I didn't think about how it could have purpose other than adding some cute stuff to my wardrobe and teaching me things.

Then I realized I have a lot of clothing, thanks in no small part to pictures if my closet, and this article but I didn't have many good staple pieces that I would feel comforable wearing all of the time and being the woman in the airport with the tiny bag.

So now my SWAP has more of a purpose at the moment... I am going to make the pieces I need to coordinate and travel well and fill in gaps in my wardrobe. The bottoms don't all have to go with each other, and if the tops don't go with every bottom it won't be the end of the world. I'm not an official entrant because I'm playing with some of the rules to meet my needs, and I may not make all of the pieces. Just what time and money allow. My jacket is going to be red, so that won't be a big deal to pair with black or brown.

• I will use black and grey in bottoms with my browns
• I will make a black skirt on the casual side that still has structure
  
• I'll make a brown dress that won't wrinkle all to hell and that I can wear dressed up and down
• I'll make attempts to make tops, but won't stress over them. It'll be okay

Okay, off to think some more... maybe find some inspiration. I really need to study though. A storyboard will have to come later.

The List...

When this is posted, I will be somewhere between Kentucky and Michigan, but I did want to make sure there was something for every day of November... I have made it this far, not giving up now! I'll more than likely check comments, but will be spending much less time than usual online until I get back to school. But remember me today... first big drive ever!

Okay, got the challenge from C at Fuzzy Sheep Crafts. She is challenging everyone who reads to make THE list... you know, the ultimate crafty to-do that we should all keep running but don't want to because it seems like such a daunting task.
We are supposed to cross off as applicable, with the idea being to have a good chunk done by Christmas... I am giving myself to January 4, when school starts again to do it all, simply because I know me, and with finals little to no progress will have been made.

edit: The goal, for me at least, will be to make a big dent, not to finish everything on the list... wow, I wouldn't sleep if that were the case... And because I can't figure out how to strikethrough, "done" things will be in blue.



Sewing:

Fix-its
-hem 4+ pairs of pants(more?)
-do something w/ buttonholes on peacoat
-take in waists on 4+ pr pants, sew back pockets shut and cut out on some
-take in black cocktail dress

Making/Finishing
-red dress for formal in Jan.
-SWAP pieces (need to decide if I really have the time/resources to follow along...)
-sweater-knit dress
-chocolate dress
-Hello Sailor pants
-chocolate cord skirt
-tan linen skirt... need to find fun way to dress it up, it's a plain jane thing right now... maybe some kickpleats in a contrast w/ matching contrast waistband?
-red pants
-tops for Swap? I have sketches and I'd draft patterns or find them... no clue yet.
-silvery-gold Dupioni dress for formal in April
-blue herringbone purse
-curtain fix
-draft pullover pattern
-messenger bag
-2 laundry bags for grads to fill with:
-fleece blankets
-a book about college
-notepad, envelopes, stamps
-smaller bags: tote for the girl, messenger for the boy

Pad and adjust dressform from Salvation Army... In really good shape just a bit small! Will be SO nice for hems and things...

Scrapbooking:
-Order pictures for evets this year
-organize paper stash-- figure that one out...
-Pages!
-update table of contents
-2-pg spread of childhood... need to see if pics to fill gaps exist! (started)
-Finish camp 05
-Finish Decathlon
-Finish Epworth 06
-Finish grad/prom 06
-camp 06
-last summer, look back
-Freshman year:
-Sorority fun times
-Friends and craziness, Rocky Horror
-Family
-Summer
-Nessie's wedding
-Sophomore Year
-Internship staff and fun times
-sorority fun times... family tree w/littles!
-Friends
-Tgiving/Christmas w/ family
-fun times
-Summer... first sermon!
-Junior Year
-Sorority fun times
-Friends
-Visit w.Grandma

Knitting:
Learn to purl

SWAP fabrics!

You know what those are? Virtual swatches... of my first three swap fabrics. I have decided to do a palatte of browns, blues, and grays. From Left to right, they are a linen-esque fabric for an a-line skirt, the blue herringbone for a handbag with appiques, possibly trim on some other pieces, and a chocolatey brown courderoy that looks oddly red in this picture.... I've also got some things picked out in fabric.com, so more to come!