April Wrap Up and May Plans

This month I sewed 2 5/8 yards

• McCall's 7246

LOL!

It was my Fabric Mart contribution for April. I used their Kit, which I got pattern and fabric for free. I really do like the dress though! You can read about the project on their blog.

I thought for sure I was going to be able to squeeze in the Burda dress but alas...no time. My sweetheart of a daughter pleaded with me to "take in Ks dress just a little bit" at the bust. So there goes any time I would have used to work on my dress!  Soon though as that was intended to be my April Burda project.

For May, again, plans are being kept pretty light. I have a little more free time as DDs uncle (on dad's side) generously sent money to cover lots of her end-of-senior-year expenses. So she purchased outfits for some of the events she has coming up instead of having me sew some things.

I feel a disconnect right now from sewing (I know, I know...it happens) and just can't motivate myself to even make a sewing plan! (isn't that sad?!). Even looking at all of my newly acquired patterns isn't doing it for me.

So I'm going to keep it easy and say that in May I plan to sew:
*My Fabric Mart contribution

S8138 (from the latest release) in a textured olive crepe

*An outfit for graduation and/or the graduation party

For graduation I'm thinking M7167 with the solid back in crepe

For the party I'm thinking easy/relaxed flowy sundress - M7350

*My May Burda

I love this dress!!! 

*An outfit for the Beyonce concert

I scored cheap-o seats so DD and I will go. My May Burda or the FM project (over white skinny jeans) may be one in the same as the concert outfit...We shall see!

We had a little prom dress mishap but I have a recovery plan. Here's a (dark and tiny!) sneak peek

There'll be an overlay with the illusion attached to a belt from the satin. So I have to make the overlay (won't take long, no hemming of the illusion is required - yay!), fix the back (I'm going to change the illusion to match the 'v' of the lace), hem the illusion neckline and sleeves and DONE!

That's totally a lot! Prom is a week from Saturday. This has to be done, for my sanity, before I go to bed on Sunday.

Acquisitions...

So by now, everyone knows Hancock is kaput. Well mostly. I still see posts on Facebook that are all "omg!". My Hancock store is amazing. Well organized, well stocked and has fantastic customer service. All in direct contrast to JoAnn. Yesterday was the first time I stepped foot in a JoAnn store since last August or September. It was just as bad as I remembered.

Sigh.

[I had to pick up a zipper for le prom dress! It's gorgeous!!!!!!!! Today I'll get the zipper in and do a final fitting -- side seams are still open -- and then get 'er finished. Prom is next Saturday (May 7), so stay tuned that second week of May for photos!]

Anyway, I stopped in the Hancock by my job a couple times last week and grabbed a small stack of patterns:

$.75 each (except the McCall's - oops. It was supposed to be $1.50)

$1.50 each

Then I was minding my own business (haha!) and was sent a free shipping code for Fabric Mart (premium members) and grabbed 2.5 yards each of these:

Both were on sale and I've been wanting to try out a bamboo jersey...and I've had my eye on that lawn for awhile.

Then while I was in JoAnn (blergh), McCall's were on sale for $1.50 and I picked up these:

7387, 7391, 7388, 7386

And then (!) I had all but forgotten about the out of print sale at BMV, mainly because it is usually a struggle to browse and check out when they have these sales. I had no issues last night and bought 6 Vogues:

9001, 1359, 1282

1218, 1250, 1338

25 new patterns for someone who has managed 1 garment this month! Ha!!! I may find some time to sew in May. Maybe. Perhaps. I hope!!!

Prom dress will be finished this week.

The big jazz concert is this weekend.

Prom and Mother's Day is next weekend.

PR Weekend and my DDs band banquet the following weekend.

Two "free" weekends including Memorial Day (totally relaxing that day!). But not really free because I'll be hosting a graduation party coming up!

Then graduation and open house. 

So yeah... I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. 

P.S. The new Simplicity / New Look catalog was released. Total snooze fest for me. There's one pattern from each brand that I want:

Just as well considering the pattern acquisition spree I just finished :)

Randomness

I've started my first sewing project in April! Yay!

Besides work on the prom dress, I haven't sewn anything since finishing the skirt (from my last post) which was March 19th. Whew.

I'm working on McCall's 7246 in a ponte for my Fabric Mart post. Watch for that on April 23rd!

I plan to have the prom dress finished by 4/24, and then hopefully I can get my Burda dress sewn that week. I think sewing 2 things in a month will be some kind of crazy record for me.

Good thing my fabric shopping has slowed down too! 

I have made a purchase or 2 (really 2 max) outside of Fabric Mart, but looking at my order history there, I placed orders on:

March 18

February 22

December 19

September 8

August 11

WOW! 

Looking a little further back, I placed orders on:

July 21

July 10

July 1

June 5

May 31

May 27

May 13

Hahahahahahaha! 5 orders in 7 months vs. 7 orders in 10 weeks. 

I'm reformed!!!  ;)

I've been buying some RTW lately - spring tops - and have remembered how much I like Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft!

I ordered this drop shoulder sweater in coral, in a size Medium, and LOVE it:

I also ordered this tee but it doesn't work. I'm too short-waisted for the design feature. It's a really snug fit too (size L)

 Me standing up nice and straight:

Me standing how I normally stand:

Hahahaha! So this one is going back.

And I picked up 3 (YES! haha!) of these sleeveless shells. The front is a rayon crepe-type fabric and the back is rayon knit. So comfy and so cute! I got a teal with navy polka-dots, black and this stone blue. I wore the blue with my Lekala skirt and got tons of compliments!

I had to skip out on the Wardrobe and Bargainista Fashionista contests, unsure I'll do the Endless Combinations (which I really wanted to do), and now the pants contest is starting up and I'm not sure I'll have time to do that one. WAH!!!! I like the PR contests so much! 

Guess I'll just be looking forward to Me Made May! Are you doing MMM this year? I enjoy it and more importantly I enjoy following the hashtag on Instagram! I do wear handmade almost everyday, so from that perspective, it's no longer a challenge for me. I don't even know if the 'no repeat' thing is really a challenge for me! I won't say I won't repeat for the entire month because...there are just things that I love too much and are wardrobe staples for me...but I will be looking at it from a style perspective. Mixing handmades in new ways (e.g. vs always wearing top A with pant B, etc) and mixing my handmades in with RTW.

Butterick 5760 (again!!)

The first time I made this skirt, I decided it was a TNT. I really love this skirt on me! This may be my 5th?? I don't remember :)

I generally keep my fabric purchases to around $10/yd or less, and I had my eye on this boucle but $25/yd was a bit steep for me. When it went 50% off, I jumped on it!

I bought 1 yard, knowing I'd use it for a skirt. I was going to use it for a Burda that I wanted to make but decided I'd better go TNT with it. I just love the wide waistband (they call it a yoke) on this skirt, the length and you just can't go wrong with a straight skirt.

I made no changes to the flat pattern - as per usual I used a size 16 for the front and 18 for the back, and I shortened the front length 3/4" (between the waist to where the crotch would be). However, on previous versions, I had to take in the side seams quite a bit. Not so with this boucle (and lining).  I used my Wonder clips to baste the side seams and was surprised to find I needed to sew the side seams at 3/8" (vs 5/8' or 3/4" on prior versions). I used an acetate lining fabric in navy. Lastly, I hemmed at 1 1/4" instead of the 2" included in the pattern. I wanted it to hit *right* at my knee.

I really like it with the blue top and nude shoes! I thought the blue would be too match-matchy but I love it. On the right I paired it with the other NY and Co. top that I bought last month - it's a lightweight sweater with a tie neck. It has a little puff sleeve too which I think is cute. Not sure I'd pair those shoes with it but my shoes are half unpacked and they were available :) 

I mean, I just love this skirt pattern!!! I used an invisible zipper and kept the original slit in the pattern. I briefly considered trying to turn it into a vent but I think my brain wasn't operating at peak during that time :-p I'd found a tutorial for lining a skirt with slit and tried to follow along but nope. That didn't go so well either. 

I sewed the facing to the lining and allowed the lining to hang free except for at the slit. I hand sewed the lining to the skirt at the center seam, and then slipstitched the lining to the skirt at the slit. The lining is also slipstitched by hand at the zipper.

So, while there's nothing too exciting about a straight skirt in navy, I think this will be an amazingly versatile work skirt this spring and summer.

(This skirt was finished almost a month ago - NOT during the move! LOL!)

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My move went okay! I was pretty much exhausted for days and days. I couldn't muster up any energy to get the sewing cave together. I focused first on the main rooms: kitchen and bathroom and then the living room. The dining room is currently a repository. LOL!

I am sitting in my living room right now and I just adore it. It's so tiny but so cozy!! I have a couple other things I want to purchase--a coffee table and tv stand--and a 2nd chair to match the first.

I love this corner the most <3

On Friday evening I was home alone and finally mustered up a little energy to try to get the cave set up, and I did a little more work on the prom dress.

Maybe by summer my sewing room will be fully functioning! LOL!

I need more lights, even though the overhead lighting over the machines isn't too bad, it's nonexistent over the cutting area. My fabric is in a room down the hall. I'm still unsure about final placement of everything, but I have to get the darn dress finished!

*******
Lastly, I am so annoyed at Bloglovin's attempt to make their site another social media-esque site. I just want to read blogs :/ I don't want to be advertised to or see what other's are saving or liking or whatever. UGH.

March Wrap Up

Hellooooooooo. Is this thing on?!

Thanks to all the supporters of my lab-coat-vest! ;-)

It's only been 10 days since I last blogged but I've barely been reading any blogs either which is crazy for me! Now, I could have sworn I had taken photos of my latest B5760 skirt (of which I have made 4 or 5) but I think I just tried it on with a bunch of tops.

**Ooh! That made me think of something...I got lots of comments to try the lab-coat-vest on with other outfits. TRUST me, when a sewing fail hits the blog, I have tried that garment on with any and everything I think might possibly help it and make it work. So the vest got tried on with lights and darks, with skirts and pants and shorts and jeans, with sleeved dresses and sleeveless dresses. It just doesn't work in it's current state. At all.**

Anyway, I finally had a few minutes to check out a couple of blogs today and realized I hadn't posted my March wrap-up. So here goes!

This month I sewed 14 yards:

• McCall's 6884 dress in black and floral print ITY - 3 1/4 yards
• Vogue 8904 dress in gray and white striped jersey - 2 3/4 yards
• Burda 7136 shirt in chambray - 2 yards (still needs buttons)
• Simplicity 2700 pants in brick red wool blend suiting - 2 3/4 yards
• Simplicity 1756 vest in white linen/cotton blend - 2 1/4 yards
• Butterick 5760 skirt in blue denim-look boucle - 1 yard

Favorite: Real close call between the two dresses. The McCall's is an absolute favorite pattern and I love the color blocking. But that Vogue dress is sooooo flattering IMO and I love how soft the jersey is!

Accomplishments: Zippered welt pockets on the vest! They were NOT perfect, but I DID IT! And without help from the pattern! 

FAILS: Obvs we know what this is...the vest.

I had to bow out of the Wardrobe contest and my Fabric Mart post for the month. The move almost did me in! SO much work. Sheesh. 

April's plans are to finish the prom dress and my April FM post. That's it. We'll see if I manage to get my April Burda done. I really want to make this dress and wear it to my daughter's final Jazz concert--they call it Hot Club-- It's really cool and as a bonus, senior parents get some special accommodations. Yay!

The concert isn't formal in any way so I plan to make the dress in the olive crepe I got from FM (LOVE every one of those fabrics I ordered btw!!) and wear a more casual jacket over it.