mid-week meanderings.

While I finish up at school this week (last day with students was Saturday, but I'm technically not "free" until after this Friday!) I've been thinking (alot) about what I'm going to do with all of that lovely SUMMER.

First project might be this sweet top by Colette:

I've seen some cute versions of this recently in blogland. It looks like a happy basic (and an easy project to get my "sea legs" back). I actually have two or three pieces of very lightweight batiste in happy summer colors like sunshiney yellow and purple.

Or maybe this Amy Butler tank, which will be perfect for a quick trip next week to Hot Springs National Park.

I have some floral lawns from Fashion Fabric Club that will work for the AB tank.

 Patty made a super cute version of a Kwik Sew pattern (very similar!) this week.  I will definitely be making the saucy bow-ties!  I have always loved this anthropologie top too:

I have to leave you with this cute photo of me & my baby girl Lu, who looks shockingly grown up. 

Funny sidenote...my ex-husband's current wife took the photo.  This cracks me up.  She's a nice lady (and I'm more than a wee bit glad she's married to him and not me! :P )We were all at Lu's 8th grade promotion program several days ago.  Sniff.  My baby will start HIGH SCHOOL in the fall!!  Where does the time go??

You can't see it in this photo, but I was wearing this skirt.  See!  I really do wear what I sew!

summer wardrobe planning - pt 1

I've been pondering a sewing plan for summer things.  Without a plan I tend to wander around all willy nilly and get practically nothing wearable accomplished.  Of course, with a plan I tend to wander around all willy nilly avoiding my plan (and sewing in general) out of spite.

I do love wardrobe planning, so at least there's the enjoyment of *making* the plan.  And I think the only wardrobe worth working on is your dream wardrobe.  Life's too short to do otherwise!

To begin, I know the types of garments I reach for every day, but what are the types of garments I wish I had in my closet? I turned to my Pinterest style board for help identifying the things I gravitate toward.  I'll be dividing the inspiration garments into two posts...I am inspired by a LOT of beautiful things, it would seem!

 

  

...to be continued!

last day of summer vacation!

Dang. That went by super fast!

I really enjoyed my summer though, lots of sewing, lots of reading, lots of loafing. Can't ask for more than that.

I'm not big on regrets (what a waste of time!) but I do wish that I had sewn more bottoms this summer. I have plenty of bottom-weight fabric, and I had plans for bottoms for fall, but alas, I thought my WW efforts might sabotage any bottom-sewing. Bottoms are much harder to wear over size changes.

I needn't have worried. I didn't really do much on the weight loss front this summer, giving up on strictly following the online WW plan back in June because it was making me crazy. I'll jump back on the wagon in the next week or two when I get back on a more "regular schedule" during the day.

Meanwhile, I have no bottoms. And only one day left of summer vacay. Great! (Story of my life.) I pulled out this great little mail order pattern yesterday and did a quick tissue fit:


I would date this to early-mid 1960s? I have no idea where I got it! Probably ebay, but there is no envelope, so I'm not sure which mail order namesake it carried. The number though is 4992. Isn't that jacket fabulous??

The skirt does not have a cut-on kick pleat (although it seems to in the illustration), but rather it's an actual full-length pleat in center back. Interesting! I don't think I've encountered this before. It's a very simple silhouette, and I have just the royal blue linen to give it a go!



If it goes well, I have two other pieces of linen that would be suitable, but I'd really like to have a variety of skirts, so I might be looking for other details to add to future versions. On the bright side...should be a quick project and I'll end up with ONE bottom to start school in! (haha. Just kiddin. I still have some sewing time...actual school-clothes-wearing days don't start for another 2.5 weeks!)

a day off!

I'm off today! I spent the weekend tracing several things from the new Burda Plus and from the regular Burda mag. Then I lounged around in indecision of which to make first for a few hours this morning. Grr.

Finally I decided to try this one:in a poly blend black with white pinstripe. It's sort of spongy and has a bit of stretch, so I am doing a "faux" fly rather than actually inserting a zip. Heck, with the elastic back & sides, I don't think even with regular trouser fabric I'd need a zip.

I'm a bit aggravated though. I have them stitched together and they're too baggy through the legs (they don't look as wide in the line drawing as they are on me!) so I need to trim down a bit there. I also have my usual wrinkles under the bum in back. I don't know exactly what causes this and even following Belinda's recent Jalie fitting sessions hasn't helped me figure it out.

I'm about to the point where I can just live with those wrinkles. Hey, I can't see them. Right? Plus, I'm pretty sure all my RTW pants have them anyway. I'm also pretty annoyed that I wasted half the morning trying to sew PANTS. What was I THINKING????

So I'm moving on. Probably to this top from the same Burda Plus issue:I love all the ruffles, but I don't care for the length. However, when I was tracing it, it didn't seem that long (even for this view, there's a shorter view). I have an aqua Imperial batiste that I mail-ordered and didn't turn out to be exactly the color I wanted. So I figure I can try it in this blouse and if it works, great.


Then I remembered I had earmarked a length of dark aqua crinkle cotton for this:

Apparently I'm on an aqua kick this month. Now I have to decide whether to keep my aqua plans or dig around for another fabric for one of these.

Or, you know, move on to another project entirely. Like a frothy dirndl skirt made out of this fabulous palm tree voile with a pink Imperial batiste underskirt:


Yeah, that imaginary skirt is sort of calling my name. Can you hear it?

a capelet plan

My planned topper for the PR swap was #116 from the 9/07 issue. I'm still working on a full plan for my swap (in case by some miracle I do decide to enter), and the capelet is still most definitely in the mix (SWAP or no.)

I plan to use a classic black and white houndstooth and I'm pretty sure I have a fabulous vintage button to use for a closure.

That's pretty much the extent of my "sewing" this weekend. Baby steps.