Monday, July 28, 2014

Failure...Well Not Completely

I am not a Stash Buster. I am a Stash Collector.

I do not like fabric fasting...much like I do not like dieting. All that restriction only makes me want, want, want!!

So yeah.

During an episode of packing, I realized I have a boatload of black, grey and black/grey, black/white, black/grey/white stuff. I haven't sewn nearly as many summer items as I planned and of the summer things I have sewn, several have been black, b/w, b/w/g, tan, denim. All good...but I need some color!

Then I asked my husband (he does the laundry), he said "everything you have is black and white". Sigh...

(today I am wearing a black cardigan, white shirt and b/g/w pants - SHEESH!)

I wore my V1395 dress yesterday and found a couple of pretty remnants for tops this weekend and that served to fuel the bug.

I have A LOT of sleeveless tops/shells because I am a lover of cardigans. But sometimes a cardigan is just too warm at work so I need more lightweight tops with sleeves (cap, 3/4, not long sleeved-yet).

I ventured to SR Harris (love that place!) and found some pretties. Pretty much everything in the store is 1/2 off the advertised price on the bolt and if you are knowledgeable about fabric you can really make out like a bandit! I spent $29 on ~ 8 yards of fabric. Not too bad.

I'm not great at identifying "the good stuff" so I mostly looked for things that were labeled.

100% Cotton shirting

(super soft!) cotton voile

Cotton bottom weight

Feels like an ITY

This one isn't as "slinky" as the blue and feels more like rayon (I should run infrared on it!)

Mini Wardrobe:

I'm out. I haven't touched my machine in a week and won't have much time to sew until next weekend. I don't want to rush and make *something* just to enter the contest. 

I want to get a couple last summer things sewn, sew some tops that can transition to the cooler weather that will be here in 6ish weeks and then start my fall sewing.

I need pants, pants, PANTS!

Finished garments:

I actually finished this dress awhile ago and have even worn it twice! But I planned on making one for my sister for her birthday so I was waiting to post. I'll get to hers; promise.

For now: DD and I both have "new" maxi dresses!

McCall's 6559 which was a PR pattern of the year in 2012; and with good reason. It's a GREAT pattern!


I cut a 14 neck/shoulders/armhole and graded to a 16 for the rest. Somehow, the front and back were different lengths (maybe in all the seaming I got off) so I lost a much needed 2" of length, making mine "mostly maxi".

Cutting this one out was a bear but once cut, construction was smooth sailing. Wait...I think it took me longer to ensure I had the front pieces arranged properly than it did for me to sew them together! :) I used the serger for everything and used the 'turn twice and stitch' method for the neck and arms. It's been washed and worn again and that didn't come out poorly at all so...

I did NOT attempt to stripe match but it can certainly be done. But since I only had 2 yards of this, I don't think it would've been worth the headache to try to make it happen.


So then Dougie decided she NEEDED one too - of course!

I cut a straight size 8. She has broad shoulders and I knew she didn't need it narrower at the top. I did the other view, a simple front and back (yes, I matched the stripes!) so this was insanely fast to make.

Neither dress was hemmed. The stripes helped to ensure a nice straight cut on the bottom.

Next up:

Simplicity Sew Simple A1636 in rayon challis