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

Fall and Projects

When real life hits, escaping to the land of ribbon and lace and fabric, glorious fabric, will often make everything better.

Well, I'm counting on it.  Reality bites every so often, and now is one of those times.  So, to keep my sanity and update my fall wardrobe, I'll be sewing along with a 6-piece wardrobe!

They have top and bottom suggestions, but I see some dresses happening in addition to some staples.

I've updated the queue.

The projects, in order of "appearance":

swirly 10-gore (maybe partial circle or kickpleats instead) skirt in brown floaty rayon from stash... possibly with the bow from the Lunch Date skirt I want to make.  

herringbone vest from stash

herringbone pencil skirt from stash

denim half-sleeve jacket from stash that I started last year and apparently didn't blog about

red swishy dress from stash

green knit top from stash

Notice a common thread? 

Yup.  I'm on a fabric diet.  It's time to use what I have and finish up old things too... It's all this crazy organizing.  I want to be a good steward of what I have, and that means using it, not it sitting on a shelf.  Plans from old SWAPS are turning into this cluster of things I will wear.  Yay!

Simplicity 4881

Alright, because I'm still not feeling 100%, you don't get to see my smiling face, but pictures really are looong overdue.

I altered a pattern...

Then, from my Frankenstein of Simplicity 4881, made this skirt out of a yard and a half of mystery black knit that came in my first-ever fabric bundle from Fabricmart. Funny how the things I bought to sew from there are still all whole pieces of fabric, but two of the bundle cuts are finished garments....

Since finishing the skirt, I've worn it out dancing, oh... 3 or 4 times? I've decided the twirl factor isn't quite there, although it has plenty as I tried to show, so I cut gussets to add to it out of the very little fabric remaining after I cut out the skirt. My version is lined in a thin black jersey knit, and has washed really well. And the elastic waist, although not the most polished of things, has been great to move in for dancing.

By the time gussets are in this, I will be well again, and I'll be sure to get twirly pictures.

Hope you're enjoying the day!

Absence meant sewing this time...

A skirt and a dress to be more precise! From stash! Well, the bundle from Fabricmart, but that counts as stash I think... anywho, I made an 8-gore swing skirt a week ago, and could not go straight from the pattern, though I did use one. Simplicity 4881 was the starting point, but did I stop there? Hahaha...

I shortened the pattern 1-1/2" right off the bat, then removed a good amount of width at the top of the pattern to make it more suitable to my stretch knit. The hole in my wardrobe was filled! The skirt came together quickly, and my alterations worked like a charm. Next time I will add gores for even more fullness, but this is a good skirt the way it's drafted.

Photos soon.

And a post about a refashion.

And a dress I made from scratch.

Oh, and the EASIEST baby gift ever. I'll be putting together 2 packages this week, one for my Sewing Buddy, Shannon, of Little Elephant Stitchery. Check out her shop too, she makes some pretty amazing things! My cousin Vanessa is also due next week, so she'll be getting some goodies too- for baby brother and big sister.

Wow, I need to take lots of pictures, or so it seems. Lately I have tried for a garment a week, and have added more yards that will be garments for the summer... but school has to finish up first. We'll see what makes the queue!

The brown dress

Well friends, here's the dress... I discovered the un-levelness of the hem and the unfortunate length (frame 1) after wearing the dress twice, washing, and the first full day of wear, and then shortened while levelling, so this is the finished product, lacking only a new hem, which will probably just be rolled on the serger... as soon as I find one to use for such a task. Anybody in the Atlanta area?

What I like about this dress? SOOO comfy. Seriously. It's nuts. And the twirl test? Has a purpose. Cutting a half-circle rather than a full circle means undies are less likely to show on a dance floor, on top of using less fabric. Having never really watched, I can't say with certainty this is foolproof, but I like it, and I have 2 half-circle dresses I dance in regularly, this one and the pink infinity dress for salsa. And honestly, one never gets too old to twirl. I think part of the reason I like to Lindy and salsa so much is that it's twirling that's socially accepted and encouraged, even!

And here are some new fabric goodies...

I have GOT to get a handle on fabric storage here in the apartment... I can feel it taking over if I am not careful. The good news? These all have great potential to fit into the way I am re-thinking my SWAP without the suit.

Long story short, I want more seasonal things... not a suit jacket. Will I make it? Heck yes? Right now? Not so much. Spring is calling, and I am listening, friends.

Well, homework is calling too. Weekend outfits up soonish. Hope y'all got sewing done!

March plans and days 3 and 4

Already, I am using this exercise as a way to do a bit of an evaluation of my wardrobe... I went to look in my closet, wondering what I could possibly wear this morning when I have had little sleep, less primp time, and still REALLY wanted to have a skirt day... And you know what I didn't have in my closet? A comfy black skirt. So you get pinstripes. Again, my me-made pieces are the happy bag and a necklace. These necklaces are a go-to right now as I finish up some things to actually have CLOTHING that qualifies as me-made... Yesterday's me-made thing was more jewelry, and I was really silly to not take photos earlier before the switch to sweatpants. I know they're hard to see at times, so I took a shot of the 3 most recent ones... just so you can see them.

But anyway, back to the important stuff: Sewing. Last time I checked, that's still what this blog is about.

....You know what the first new thing on my list for the month of March is? A knit black skirt. I am thinking 6 gores, maybe 9... lined for sure and as full as I can get it. I have fabric... hmm... Is it bad that I want to just change my SWAP to accomodate things like this? What if I just sew a LOT between now and April 30 and see what I come out with? I could, technically, still have a plan... just maybe not so much in reality.

Oh well. The docket for March definately includes this skirt out of a midweight textured black knit from a FabricMart bundle. I am planning to throw a swatch in with the next load of laundry.

Also in the making are...

a shirtdress dress that lacks completion from that awesome border print ages ago... think 2009. It WILL be my Easter dress this year.

a knit dress from scratch- altering the pattern and everything from the baby rib knit

a dress shirt muslin for W

the denim vest will get done.

Me-Made-March and a recap

"I, Sarah from In a Nutshell, Anachronism, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-March 2011. I endeavour to wear at least one handmade/refashioned piece of clothing or accessory every day for the duration of March 2011."

... Already started. Today's piece? An accessory. My earrings. A darling favorite pair that a sorority sister made... Because much of my wardrobe was pre-determined. It's camp t-shirt day today at school... and I'm a camp person.

And in the month of February?

...well...

Okay I confess... I didn't really sew much. And I ordered 20+ yards of fabric. Which is tempting me away from the plan. That, and February was an intense month for these projects.

But what I did do:

-cut out vest... decide vest looked HUGE. Panic about vest. Realize seams wrapped all the way to the back. Breathe a sigh of relief. Resume vest construction.

-refashion a pretty neat sweater. It'll come out to play this month.

-mending and making wearable of many things. You'll see them this month too. The real challenge will just be taking pictures.

Which brings me to this one. You get to see earrings and the library in the background, that's it. I'm sweaty and gross... no photos of me. Sorry.

So are YOU doing Me-Made March? It's not too late- Zoe says some pretty amazing things that make a lot of sense about the stuff we sew needing to actually LEAVE the closet.

Hope life is good for you! Expect to see some rockin' outfits in the near future.

January report and February goals

My goal was to sew 3 things.... and I did.

The blue turtleneck was a wadder, but one well worth having, because it made this amazing chocolate knit dress I still have yet to photograph possible. I finished it, minus hems, and wore it twice. It's come through the washer and dryer without a problem, and I see it being heavily featured in my closet in the coming months.

See, Atlanta has this thing.... our weather really doesn't know what to do with itself much of the time. There has been at least one day every month where short sleeves and a skirt without tights has been comfortable, so I'm not really sewing pants. That, and fly fronts? Way to scare the bejeezus out of a girl.

So item number 3 is a swingin' skirt with some awesome bias insets at the hem and a great pleat detail. It has a button closure at the back and a very narrow waistband. All it lacks are buttons, pretty much... I hope to wear it dancing before the end of the month.

2 SWAP pieces down, 9 to go... or at least 6, if I buy/include 3 tops.

On the docket for February:

-denim wearable muslin of Simplicity 2728 as a vest, with shawl collar and pleated pockets. It is cut out, and waiting to be marked.

-sweater refashion... have to make it fit. TOO big!

-a men's shirt... I have fallen drastically behind (as in, have not started) on the MPB men's shirt sew-along because I was lacking fabric for a muslin. And you know, school.

And fabric and buttons on the way... Much to the detriment of my bank account, I discovered paypal. I am gonna be ms. frugal again after this week, but there were assortments and deals at fabricmart I couldn't pass up... especially when I need swing skirts and SWAP holes filled in.

Progress... sort of.

Well folks, the infamous Burda turtle that everybody loves is... not my favorite. For me, on me. And I've made some alterations that help with this, but my pretty grey-blue version? A wadder. One of my first. And it was supposed to be a SWAP garment, albeit not one integral to any planned outfit. At this point, I'm working on the first essential garment in the plan- the half-sleeve tneck dress. The changes?

I took off a ton of width in the waist and hips, as well as a little in the sleeve. I left BeeBee's 2 inches in length in, as it looked nice. I took width out of the neck- it looked too slouchy for my taste, but I could see a case for widening the neck to make more of a cowl as well...

I narrowed the shoulders to get the sleeves to sit in the right place.... which is funny, because shoulders on jackets always seem to be the place I want more space, but here it just looked sloppy.

And I took some height out of the sleeve cap to remove some poof that seemed to form in the original sleeve.

Oh, the trial and error... the basting, the stitching, the seam ripping... I am liking the way it's working out though, and the dress will be done this afternoon, minus hems. A special little belt to go with it and one fix from altering too much are also in the plans, but we'll see about them. And expect a garment count ticker to pop up soon... more site modifications are in the works as well.

A long weekend means sewing!

First up, from basting to a garment... I've marked up the Burda tneck, and it'll be wearable, albeit not as well fitting as I'd hoped. I added some space in the first version, and I'll be taking most of it out again.

After a salad, my sewing machine is moving to my kitchen table for the rest of the weekend. And oh, does it feel good to type that... I am kinda psyched. I started out my MLK weekend with a day of doing nothing, a night in, in bed early, and after church I am ready to SEW! 3 garments, 2 definitely SWAP and one possibility, are calling my name, and if I'm being really honest I want to get going on February's stuff too!

If we're lucky, pictures later today... I hope your long weekend gives you time to do something you love.

Keeping my Sewing Resolution...

Oh yeah! I made a sewing resolution, and no far I am well on my way to keeping it... I decided I will make 3 things a month. The goal is to complete 3 things, mostly pre-determined, every month. I am allowed to get ahead if I finish one set of things, but I really hope not to get behind.With the whole SWAP thing and kind of knowing what the months of May and June will look like in the rest of my life, I have planned out my sewing from now to April with certainty and May and June with some definiteness, and even have a non-SWAP bonus for the months of January, February, March, and April... SO EXCITING.

There are pictures too.

January: We're starting out with the non-pictured turtleneck, then going to the skirt, then the dress, and the bonus makeup bag IS something I would really like to get to... I am customizing it as a belated Christmas present for a dear friend, and I want to have it ready before the end of January.

Progress reports right now... everything minus one set of bias is cut, and I am only missing brown thread for the dress. The bonus project is missing a zip and some contrast for bias... I can't bring myself to do it with hot pink, and can't decide on another color.

February:

The suit that started it all is on the docket for the plan for February, paired with a really simple

sweater refashion. I want to do both pieces together and already have some mojo and stam going, so this seemed reetty perfect. I have all notions and threads for both, and will need to come up with a pattern for the sweater, probably drafted, and a cutting layout for all those suit pieces.

The Bonus for February is where it gets a little rough...

I'm committed.

Men's Shirt Sew-Along over at Male Pattern Boldness for W's shirts that he is getting from Christmas. I just am not sure about doing my first button-down shirt without moral support, and seriously, who better to give it than this guy? He's awesome, comical, and very thorough with his instructions, so I will make a better shirt for his presence in the process, and the cameraderie is another aspect of it I can't pass up.

And dear readers, I may cheat, and start on February early... It's a lot, but I don't have class the last week in January, so I'll have time... January sewing's been pretty manageable thus far.

March:

On with the SWAP. It'll (hopefully) be starting to warm up, so the dresses, a modified Simplicity 3678 in the pink knit and already-started McCall 5801with a border print, will make their appearance. I knew when I got the fabric (blogged about here) it was destined to be a dress, probably for Easter 2009, and it WILL be for Easter 2011... MAN am I glad my size hasn't changed.

Rounding out the month will be a white woven top, possibly button-down, upcycled from a giant men's button-down.

The bonus will be some alterations I will have had in hand for some time by this point, but will see more wear in the spring and summer months. Oh, and these photos wouldn't be complete without my knees sneaking into at least one shot. There it is!

April:

SWAP crunch time. There will be 3 SWAP tops: green, turquoise, and another grey or a tan or a blue. The bonus, which I'd like for Easter, is a petticoat. No idea for patterns yet. It'll happen. But the petticoat pieces? Already cut. I'm hoping to do a thin little slip out of some tricot or lawn and then just attach the layers to one another, finishing the layers with white ribbon at the seams, and putting that right on the slip.

Edited in order to get pictures to behave. Please forgive me!

whew!

Okay, time for a breather and the things I am thankful for so far this month...

• running buddies... We are up to a 5k for our long run, and I felt pretty awesome today with my 1.5 miles, no stopping digs... YESS! But as much as I am thinking 'go me' I know I couldn't have done it without the group. I wouldn't have even made it out of bed without them!
• packages... OF FABRIC! I have everything sitting next to each other right now on a chair across from me... and it WORKS! I really wasn't sure it was going to so I am breathing a deep sigh of relief. While the fabric would have been used eventually, I am trying really hard not to stash things at the moment...
• highlighters... between notes and blocking off parts of my paper calendar, I honestly don't know how I'd survive without them this time of year.
• good food
• good friends... My computer crashed yesterday at about noon, and through the grace of God and the mind of my friend DP, it was up again and funtcional by around midnight- no small feat!

Hope all is well with y'all!

finals...

... begin Thursday, when the first take-home is handed out.

We have practice exams, and I have pages to write for classes... and translation.

So, my contribution- what I offer for the week- is a queue of what will be done when I finish.

1. The Burda Turtleneck,

2. draft a skirt to make a SWAPtastic tneck dress

3. The suit jacket- alterations first, of course, but I'm hoping there won't be many evident on the tissue fit.

4. cut, cut, cut... SWAP sewing will be here before we know it, and I have bias strips to make, and many many things to cut out... I'm looking to cut all of my knits before I go home so I can get some quality time in with my serger, thus fulfilling the challenge to sew with knots on the serger... I have no idea how I will do hems... I don't have access to a coverstitch machine currently, and also don't have a serger manual yet because I don't know my model number...

5. some alterations for W, and, of course, gifts.

What are YOU up to?

a treat for me

So, I was given a gift of some money earmarked especially for fabric... and as I am trying to watch my spending, that suited me just fine... So I moseyed on over to fabric.com yesterday, armed with a coupon, a list for some gifts, and my SWAP plan, and promptly picked out just enough to earn myself free shipping. I'll show you what I got for me, because some gift recipients are readers, so you'll just have to hold your horses to see those projects.

I'm really excited! This stuff will all be in/out yards... and as I have limited (read: absolutely none) space for stashing, I am thrilled with the idea of buying something with the intent to do something specific with it.

Now off to Hancock... I could kick myself. I forgot to order interfacing for the suit when I placed my fabric order!

YAY!

I got something done.

Last night I skipped out on Improv because I wanted to sew. And lo and behold, I had a skirt in about an hour. Granted, it's a muslin of the pencil skirt for my suit so I didn't do it as well as I could have, but I'm pretty okay with that. I didn't feel like I really needed the zipper and nicely finished seams to know the fit, and after holding the fabric up to the light, I knew this muslin would not see the light of day. I wore leggings for fitting purposes.

And ladies, I am glad I did the muslin... The pattern's great, but a little short for church. I'll add an inch to the length above the slits, which sit a little high for my liking. In cutting I went outside the lines on the hips, which is normal for me, and I sure am glad I did, as it's snug, as a pencil skirt should be. I'll have to come in a bit below the waistband, and fiddle with how I should line this, because I would like to. I think the slits will make that tougher, because of how they're done...I know I will at least face the waistband, if not line to just above the slits in something... Any thoughts, dear readers?

Just SEW already!

I feel like I've been planning forever... and guys, part of me really does want to just sew already. But... and you knew there was a but coming... I am missing things and now that I'm out of class, it's 9:30 and I can't think of a place that has interfacing this late at night. Or that I'd want to drive to in the ick-fest going on outside my window. So I am sitting with homeade hot chocolate and blogging about sewing once more, resolved that this time tomorrow, I will have something crafty- photographed- to show you.

You see, December is fast approaching. Like tomorrow. And now to blog I'm going to have to have something to show, and I really do want to have something to show- maybe even the skirt muslin.

Today's the last of the official Thankful for 30, and it's in my head to do a compilation of these thankfuls sometime in the near future. I'm going to be thankful today that this exercise has been good for my outlook. Not life-changing in any overly large way, but a reminder to remember the good.

I work in a church, so this is a stressful time of year at times... and the little reminder has been something that I have thought more than once will be good to carry into advent and the church's busy time as a way to stay focused on the reason for the season. Today I'm thankful for this new habit.

the starting pieces: a suit

Here is my starting point for my collection: a 2 piece skirt suit in 2 fabrics. The herringbone will be the body, and the corduroy will be the shawl collar, back tab, and covered buttons on the jacket... maybe even the pockets. On the skirt it'll be the waistband.

SWAP pieces all have to have something new to them... I have never covered buttons or done much in the way of jacket construction, so that's a start. I've also had very poor luck with both hand-picked and invisible zippers, which will be a new thing in the skirt. I'm still trying to decide how and if I'll line these... I'm leaning in the direction of yes for both pieces, because I'm terrible about wearing slips and I want for these pieces to be around and in my wardrobe for a while.

The muslin will tell me a lot about the skirt... and I think I am going to forego doing a muslin of the jacket. I will tissue-fit the pattern for sure though, because I want half-sleeves, and not three quarters, and I have very mixed feelings about the curve in the back. I think I'm having enough fun without it... or I'll have more fun putting in contrast pleats... I'm definately going to play with it. And you'll know things as soon as I do. I am going to go ahead and post this because I want to know what y'all think!

Today I'm thankful for solidarity. I just knocked out a whole paper in WAY less time than I thought it would take because I sat down with 2 of the girls in that class and went for it. It was SO great to have it off the slate. I'm pretty jazzed to be finishing up my last make-up paper, and cleaning house before class because W will be in tonight and Mom will be in tomorrow, and I'll see everyone on Mom's side tomorrow and Thursday AND Friday! It's going to be AWESOME because I am realizing more and more how much I miss them all when we're not together.

Guess what came?

Well dear readers, this week has been crazy. A couple of days ago I went to check my mail and was greeted to a mailbox overflowing with goodies... including this!

BeeBee sent me the Burda turtleneck that everyone is raving about. I opened the envelope, and it was exciting to see what had everyone raving. I went to my fabric trunk to see what I'd make it in. And then it hit me.

The few knits I have are at my mom's house. 3 hours away.

And you know what else hit me today? Whatever Seminary funk is going around. Or allergies.

But... I did some cutting and a refashion before it got me. My "rough draft" of the pencil skirt for my suit set- McCall 5817- is cut out. I expect alterations, I just don't know where and how much. I'll have to experiment with a lining if this is to be a wearable muslin as well- the pinstripe is on the thin side. And hey, a girl can never have too many pencil skirts. The refashio was of a skirt I've had since middle school. Before my growth spurt, it was low-waisted and went to the floor. It now fits at my waist, as the tailoring intended it to, and I cut it off to just above knee length and brought the flare in about an inch on either side. And voila! Something I will wear!

Tonight I am thankful for understanding professors and TAs. They understand that health is first. And that work is better when we're healthy. Everyone seems to be hitting the rocks with health at the season change, and the profs have been really great about it!

Bedtime, folks. Tomorrow I'm going to start answering questions/comments. A Seminary one first, I think. But I'd like to have more questions to answer, all the better to not have to think so much. Keep bringing em!

rules

A La Stitcher's Guild:

Option #2:
2 dresses -single pieces consisting of top and bottom that can be worn alone.

My 2 Dresses: McCall 5801- the border print dress I never finished

a good date night dress- most likely chocolate brown knit
6 tops - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles

My 6 tops: Simplicity 2593

Burda Style Pintuck Top in white, pictured

a blue linen shell, pictured

a grey top(maybe)

a russet top pictured

a red top

a purple top

2 bottoms - jeans, pants, shorts, skirts or kilts.

My 2 bottoms: a pencil skirt, maybe McCall 5817. I'm doing a wearable muslin so we'll see.

A good swingy skirt- probably half a circle- in a blue with a hem treatment I want to try.

1 your choice (not an accesory)

A jacket- Simplicity 2728 with cuffed half-sleeves and a shawl collar- the pockets are fun, but I'm not sure.

3 garments may be purchased or previously sewn.
1 may be knitted or crocheted.

Now here's your twist:

"Every garment should be made with a technique or feature that you haven't tried, or haven't mastered. My personal Waterloo is zippers -hate 'em, because I have to take them out and redo them at least once, every time. And there are several things I've sampled, but have never used on a garment -slotted seams, for one.

That doesn't mean every garment should have a zipper, if that's what you have trouble with. But at least one should. And if you never mastered buttonholes, at least one garment should have one. If you've never made a flat-felled seam, now's the time."

The twists will be hard, but not intolerable. What's going to be the toughest is making it blend and work as a collection- these are pieces that I'll be interested to see how they work together, but that I I'm excited to expand my horizons, and to try some new things and to really perfect others. I learned a lot in college but didn't master much, so this is an exciting thing to do.

Today I'm thankful for mentors. I have been blessed to have really amazing people in all areas of my life who have planted seeds and encouraged me to grow- and it's been SO good to have them. And taking them for granted as I have at times is almost sinful- especially since I've turned out okay.

SWAP: Reason and Plan

Leaving that in the state I did yestersay, I wonder who had already called it... And who all is reading this, and had watched me plan here or on SG... and who is waiting for me to say it's different.

Do I have more time this year? No.

Do I need to make time this year? Maybe.

What's my motivation? Well, this is much more about Seminary and self-care, so I'll forgive you if at this point you just kinda tune out...

Right now it's about self-care. I don't need the clothes. I really don't. But... My brain needs the stretching outside of the realm of Seminary. I would really like to use this SWAP as a different kind of prayer, and at the same time to have something that isn't about religion and learning to be a pastor. The Seminary experience thus far has stretched me SO much, and I really need to own that, embrace it, and give myself a way to step away from it. SWAP will do that, I hope.

A very inspiring trip, ironically through a class, led me to Laurie Wohl, who works with textiles in a very prayerful, meditative fashion and embodies prayer in a very real way in her art. Hearing her speak about this prayerful way for doing what she did-and the pictures can't compare to the privilege of seeing her work-was inspiring. I hope to take some of the same kinds of things into my sewing for now, and to allow this time to really be a blessing.

It's all about self-care too. And I am really okay with admitting I feel the weight of school right now. I'm in 17th grade, and this is my fifth year of a more rigourous, disciplined kind of study, and Seminary really lives into the rigourous part of that. The ways in which my faith and life are changing and growing and expanding are intense right now, and I want to use the sewing as a creative outlet. I know hand-sewing will go to craft night, and sketch pads and swatches. And I may do something so that there is a chance for every piece to live in that atmosphere, where we foster each other in our creativity.

No, sewing isn't the only thing I'll be doing for self-care. I think I need to make a return to journaling, and start taking care of myself physically too. And to that end, I'm taking Swing Lessons to tune balance (and cut loose a little) and training to run a half-marathon. It's intense, and I have a LONG way to go before I'm ready. But never fear. I'll get there, hopefully before race day on March 20.

On that note, Today I'm thankful for my running group, "Team Ephesians". We have a morning group of about 5, maybe more, and today was our first group run- 3 times a week we'll gather and run. It's kinda terrible, but much better with the group than it would be by myself, especially meeting at 6:45 to go run. Encouragement and accountability!