Tales from a Pattern Addict

I may attempt to add some of my comments from The Stitcher’s Guild here…but for now I’m going to use this as a journaling/rambling and not clog their boards…

So, the plan is brown pants, denim trousers, denim skirt, teal/black skirt; white blouse, pink blouse, pink jersey top, black wrap top/cardi, tattoo cotton blouse and some sort of tunic. I’m leaning toward a black cord blazer (possibly with some accents of a black/brown stripe cord I have in stash–using the rest, as previously planned, to make a vest).

The black wrap top will be dead simple–cut out two bodies and two sleeves, CB seam, two sleeve seams and two set-in sleeves. Peachy. No, I’m not hemming any of it. I love unhemmed jersey.

The raspbery “club” top will be only marginally more difficult (as there is actual pleating involved).

I’m unconcerned about the pink & tattoo cotton tops–basic button downs. No big. I’m reasonably certain I’ll do the tattoo top; I’m hesistant about the pink one–but it does coordinate well with the teal skirt. I’m thinking of changing that pattern too…

Anyway, I’m really musing about the white top. I’m not sure why, but I feel like I need one. Of course, I don’t have a long-sleeved white blouse. But do I want it plain or detailed? Fitted or less-so? If details, what kind? Pin-tucking, embroidery, topstitching?

But I have to go to a meeting now…

So…I’d been looking forward to the newest SWAP since last year when I had to back out due to purchasing a house (and a hideous first piece that made me replan).

Now that the new rules have come out…I’m not so excite. Rule to dislike the first: no dresses unless they can be worn with all the bottoms. Booo. I love dresses. I understand they want to encourage everyone to sew/fit pants…but I’d include pants regardless. So boo. Rule to dislike the second: it must reflect what you’d really wear in a given week. Boooo. I’m sure it’s a good enough twist…but I’d been hoping to do a non-work-attire SWAP. I suppose I could manage to do a casual-attire SWAP, but  gah. So, that leaves me with office attire or some combination of non-ffocie and workout (dance) attire. Hrm. I suppose I’ll at least try to come up with a plan…

Banana Republic’s Top 7:

1. wide leg trousers
2. pencil skirts
3. long cardigans
4. tie-neck blouses
5. sweater dresses
6. booties
7. oversized clutches

I need some more inspiration. I really need a plan of sorts. LOL. And the ability to work in one hour chunks–and to work that one hour chunk every day (or nearly)

Well, I joined the JCC. I haven’t posted yet as I don’t really have anything to share. Truth told, I don’t know that I’ll have time to come even close to finishing. Boo!
But I wanted to try.
I just need to get this monkey off my back (the cribset) and then I’ll have a little time. Not much, though. I’m super busy every weekend–my good time to work. Sigh. I’ve got at least two patterns chosen: I’ll be remaking S3684, this time in a pink/purple/gold stripe (original was the “engagement shirt”–black/red/cream stripe). Yes, it’s another stripe, yes I’ll be rotating it on the bias for the bib and yes it’s even the same type of material. I chafe. On the other hand, I know it fits and it will fit the same way. Go me.
Pattern two is V2907 in a khaki stretch poplin. Nice wide leg, I think I measured to find that it should fit reasonably–I’ll want to make sure there’s a CB seam in the waistband. I haven’t decided if I’ll try for welt pockets. I’m guessing not. A) I very rarely use my pockets anyway, particularly on dress pants and b) I’ve never done welts before and my time is limited.
Pattern three is likely M5138, in a very traditional pale green shirting. I’ll do white topstitching. It will be a very classic (if mostly tailored) oxford. I’m tempted, however, to use S3684 as well (sans bib) as it’s a Threads pattern and won’t require the very-new-to-me FBA (I sorta get it but not totally).
As for the fourth item and the accessory? Not really sure. I need a new purse, but they’re fiddly. I’ll likely just throw together some jewelry. The fourth item? Dunno. Maybe a summer dress, maybe something else. Not sure. Worst case, I can either pull out the brown suedecloth M4306 I made last winter or throw together yet another version of that pattern. It’s about an hour to sew and fits like a dream (gee, it is only one pattern piece and a simple zipper).
Oddly pastel for me. LOL. But good summer wear.
However, all three of the “decided” items are time-consuming–and I don’t have a lot of time.
In addition to working full time, I have one evening taken with bellydance classes, most of another talking to the family, there’s a garden to care for and a living room to finish decorating, laundry and dishes to keep up on, dinner to make…and the step-kids are coming in July. My step-daughter’s room is a certifiable mess currently. It’s kinda been a dumping ground as I sort out my sewing room. Sigh. I really need to get that place more organized. I sorta left it “I can get at what I absolutely need to, to get things going.”
But I’m going to soldier on. I’ve got a little bit of time this weekend, depending on what I get roped into. Almost nil next weekend. The following is undecided and the last weekend…again, undecided. We might be picking up the kids. Not sure when that’s happening, exactly.

Well…I’ve started on the sewing room. I moved the gargantuan pile of boxes from the sewing room into the spare ‘oom, sorting into “sewing stuff,” “crafting stuff,” and “wtf stuff” piles. Then I found that 1) the little wire shelves fit in the closet, even perpendicular if I want and 2) the upper shelf is just an inch too short to use them there. Sigh. It’s currently up for debate if I’m going to purchase a piece of lumber to extend the shelf and allow the wire shelves to be place there, or if I’m just going to figure out another method of shelving.
Along with that, I unpacked (nearly) all my fabric. What isn’t unpacked is 1) wool felt for hats, 2) the misc bin with theoretically all project stuff, 3) what I’m pretty sure is a costume fabric bin and 4) remnants (including those > 1yd). All told, two normal-sized bins worth.
I’ll have to locate my old sewing table, as there’s no chance my sewing table will make it up the stairs before Easter. Regardless, I want a new desk in there (I’ll put the less-used embroidery machine on the sewing table/cabinet).
Things are looking promising. I just might have time to throw together a simple Easter dress. Well…if I have all of Sunday, it can be a little less than simple. I mean, I’ve sewn up a completely bound, bib-front, button-down shirt (sans buttonholes) in an afternoon (say…4-6hrs). I can certainly do a dress (and, technically, I’ll have some time during the week to finish it up, if need be).
I’m pretty darn excited to have my big sewing room!

The new sewing room? Full. Absolutely full. Crap. I don’t think I’ve ever had all my sewing stuff in one room since I moved out of my first apartment-and even then I think I had stuff stored at my parents house (there still may be a box or two of sewing-related-items…I know there’s a treadle machine and other random boxes).
At the last two apartments I’ve always had at least a few boxes in the garage (in the case of the last place, two large shelving units full of fabric and patterns).
But the goal in the house is to have it entirely contained in the one room. It really shouldn’t be difficult; it’s a 10×17 (ish) room. And a full closet. Seriously.
And, actually, I should be able to do it. I should be able to have all my patterns available without trekking to the cellar or garage or shed. I should be able to have all my fabric visible and at my fingertips.
But first I need to be able to get at everything!
Methinks having all the sewing related stuff dumped into the actual sewing room (instead of the spare room next door) was not the brightest idea I’ve ever had. So…many many boxes will have to be transported down the hall whilst I get shelves set up and desks organized. I want at least one new desk; an adjustable one. Or at least something shorter-than-normal. Maybe I’ll browse the thrift shop around the corner and the resale shop in town. If I thought it’d actually be cheaper, I’d check out the outlet shop for one of our clients (an office furniture manufacturer). Something. The wooden TV tray and wire shelf are not cutting it anymore. I do have one “sewing cabinet”–not that any of my machines would actually drop down into it, but it’s a reasonable height for sewing. I think it’s a bit tall…but that’s why I hope to put the less-used (or at least less sat-at) Singer there.
But first things first: the kitchen must be unpacked and all dishes, pots, etc rinsed in hot, soapy water. Both my husband and I are sick of eating out. My goal is to have the kitchen at an acceptable level by the end of the week. His goal is to have the living room cleaned up and the garage capable of housing at least one vehicle.

And that means it’s time to start thinking of what I’ll sew in the new room. Yes, it could be one of the several projects I cut before the Serious Packing began. But I do also need an Easter dress.
This dress must, naturally, coordinate with a hat. Any hat will do but I always wear a hat on Easter. I really ought to wear hats more, as a general rule, but I never remember. Le Sigh. If my hair were a bit longer (it’s in a pixie right now), I’d wear my wedding “hat”–but a wide band of white just would look silly. Mind you, I’ll probably try it on just in case but I suspect it will be a case of “needs more hair.”
Now, I do have white wool I bought last year (ostensibly for the wedding hat) and could thus make my own hat. That will be explored but not counted upon. I do still have to unpack everything. Thankfully, my husband will be out of the country for a couple of weeks so that will make the unpacking go a bit more smoothly. That sounds so mean, doesn’t it? It’s not really. It’s just that if he’s around I tend to get interrupted with questions. Which is fine and understandable; it just distracts from whatever project I’m attempting.
Let’s see…I could do the retro halter dress out of the white cotton with yellow flowers…just need the trim fabric. That should be easy enough. No purple. I’ve worn purple for the past 3 or more Easters in a row! Sheesh! Hrm. I think I’ll explore my possibilities…

WTF??
Is it just me, or is their Spring lineup almost completely uninspiring?? And half the patterns (okay, maybe a couple) are reprints. Yeah, B5172 is totally a reprint; I’ve had a version of that bag cut out for 2 years now (yeah, shuddup. LOL).
Sigh.

I was soooooo excited. I was confident I could get a LOT accomplished in the two weekends my husband was to be out of town.
And then we found The Perfect House. And made an offer. And it was accepted.
So that means we’re moving—March 1.
ACCCKKKK!!!
That means I need to pack. Again. Second time in less than a year (so, yes, we’re breaking the lease). Sigh. It shouldn’t be that difficult. Per usual, I’m unconcerned about the bedroom (garbage bags work well for clothing). Half my sewing area is already in boxes and fabric packs easily. I even packed a chunk of one set of shelves last night.
It’s the kitchen that concerns me. LOL. Oh well. It isn’t like we don’t have boxes—we just need to dig them out of the crawl space. Hahaha.
But, it is only a 5 mile (at the outside) move so, as my dad put it, things don’t need to be packed “scientifically.” LOL.
The new house means a new sewing space as well. It’s as yet undecided whether I have to shoehorn myself into a 9×10 room (about the space I have now—and that feels cramped) or getting one of the bedrooms upstairs (11×17). If there were no stepkids to consider, of course I’d take the larger room. But the kids need to stay someplace. Sigh. So it’s under discussion. It isn’t like we don’t have the room (it has 4 bedrooms plus an office), it’s just figuring out what will work the best.
I’m guessing I’ll end up in the 4th bedroom or the office (9×10). Kinda depends on if we want a guest bedroom (when the kids are in town) or not.
I’m guessing we won’t be able to make that decision until we see the house empty and decide what to do about the basement (a possible space for one or more kids).
Anyway. So that means that I have almost no time to do the SWAP. At least not in time to complete it for the Timmel contest. Sigh. So I may end up modifying my plan (i.e. no wardrobe pattern, each separate need only match 3 others). Ah well.

I just might actually participate in the Timmel SWAP after all. I just need to make my qualifying purchase (4m of black CL jersey–shipped to my MIL’s so I don’t have to worry about customs) and get cracking. I just might have most of the other fabric, so my tentative goal is to get everything except the two black CL jersey garments cut and sewn by the time my husband returns from Canada. That’s 3 weeks from now–two free weekends and one partial weekend. Plus week-time for cutting. Yay!
I’m only missing one pattern, but that’s for a black CL jersey garment so I can wait for a sale on that.
I’m making a going-out SWAP. I might call it my “Mezze SWAP” as that’s where I go salsa dancing all the time.
I’ll directly reference patterns later but I’ve got M5144 as my wardrobe—I’ll be making the tank top (fabric undecided), gauchos (black CL jersey), and pants (ideally brown jersey). The jacket will be B4991 (black twill suiting w/ brown accents)–a structured crop jacket. M5379 will be a jersey wrap dress in a fun brown/teal print I picked up on the cheap from JoAnn’s. M5586 will be a black & white floral printed georgette (likely lined with either black or white chiffon or georgette). V2815 triple-belted top (black twill suiting)—I’ve been wanting to make this top forever. V8138 wrap top/jacket (black CL jersey—need this pattern). V8233 tiered wrap dress (not sure on the fabric for this; I have a smashing orange/red pansy-ish print cotton that could be a good accent but I don’t know. I’m sure it’ll come from my stash.) And V8426 “butt skirt” (denim w/ red topstitching). Oh and S4074 flippy skirt—previously made in red rayon jersey. I anticipate the tank being made either out of the same red or scraps of the black CL jersey.
I’m pretty sure I’ve met all of the requirements: 1 jacket, 4 tops, 4 bottoms, 2 dresses. One print (b/w top—although I may embroider an allover design for the jacket contrast). Two or less garments made from a previous time (just one). One or less purchased garments (none, at this time). Every top coordinating with every bottom (will double check with drawings but seems fine), every top coordinating with the jacket, jacket coordinating with the dresses.
Most of the stuff seems pretty easy although I’m a bit intimidated by the tank. I know, weird, hunh? Well, I’ve made a similar style tank dress before and it turned out just awful. But I’m up for the challenge. I’ll be altering the banding to increase the width (from the photo it’s a skinny-strap. With my chest, I need something more substantial to be flattering). Probably the most time-consuming and annoying piece will be the V8233 tiered dress—just because gathering is tedious.
I’ll have to be sure to bring my croquis, patterns & other drawing materials up with me tonight so I can sketch this out. I wish I could convince my friend to join me…but she’s barely sewn one thing in the past couple of years so I’m not holding my breath. I figure if I can convince her to work on a costume for GenCon, I’m good. LOL.