Fabric Inventory

I had a little count up of my fabric boxes today, in the hope of getting a handle on it a bit more.

I have 2 tea chests (triple thickness cardboard) and 4 medium boxes in the garage.
1 tea chest size and 6 medium size in the sewing room cupboard and 7 smaller boxes in what should be the guest room.
Plus a suitcase, 2 large bags and another box of recent purchases (since October).
Hmm I think I have it pretty bad!
(I am going to repack it all into the medium sized boxes to be more manageable)

Progress

The pinstripe pants are looking good, need the facing stitching down by hand, and the pant legs hand hemming (which takes me ages, but I know looks good, and I am trying to up my presentation a notch this year.)

I brought my fabric stash back from offsite storage today though I have not been through it at all yet. It is stacked in boxes in the garage so at least I can access it.
I am going to go through it and put some stuff as give away to my sewing friends, some for muslins, and everything in generally smaller boxes so they are more manageable.
Some less exciting fabric had been stored elsewhere so I will amalgamate it all (which I am sure will horrify poor DH).

Meanwhile the bedroom wall which was dark blue is now 'Old Gold' which I like much better, though it needed four coats of paint to get to that (two magnolia to cover the dark blue, and two gold to get even coverage).

I think my next item will be the jacket pattern sewn up in turquoise slubbed fabric to test if I want to use that pattern for the final pinstripe fabric. I kinda fancy doing matching pants but I probably would not wear them!

Stash Contest item

Since I had such good results with the Burda WOF pants pattern, I think I will try it again in a stash fabric - I have a dark charcoal pinstripe fabric I think would be great, and would also fit in to my larger plan for the ongoing SWAP I am sewing with Stitchers Guild.

But first I need to go and paint a wall in the bedroom :-)

January Contests on PR

There are 3 contests running on pattern review during January. All ones I would love to be part of.
They are refashioning, Stash and UFOs.

The refashioning is something new to me but I really like the idea of it. This is where you take an existing fabric item- curtains, a dress, a long skirt etc and treat the fabric in it as yardage to cut out and sew something else. I am sure that generations ago we would have all been great at this but its now cool again as being green.

Stash is sewing fabric that you have had for more than 6 months, this is to encourage you to use stuff you have already bought. I tend to be most enthusiastic about new purchases, but have quite a large stash.

UFOs, this is unfinished objects and encourages you to complete items which have been left half done.
Most of my half done things are like that for a reason though (horrid fabric, terrible style, appalling fit), so maybe they should be thrown out (something I find hard to do).

Burda pants came out GREAT!

I am very pleased with the Burda pants. They fit really well just as they are which is a first for me and pants, so I will be sewing Burda WOF pants again.
Only a hanger shot at the moment sorry :-)

Burda WOF pants (10/2008, #132)

I have traced out and am sewing up today the pants from 10/2008 issue, no 132 on page 31.
These are the first pants I have done from Burda WOF and I have to say I am intrigued as it is a lot different to Simplicity which I have sewn a lot. A few things I noticed the front crotch is very short, and the back crotch is very long (yea! That's how I am shaped too), the front dart is way off to the side which I am hoping minimises a slightly round tummy, the legs on this one are very wide though they look OK on the model, so I'll have to see what they are like sewn up.
I am using a black wool mix which should give a similar look.

Combo so far

Turquoise tee completed

The turquoise tee is completed, and I am quite happy with it :-)

The necklace was a Christmas gift from my husband and came from Prooz. They have a shop locally, but also a website at
http://www.prooz.com/

New Look 6008 tee started

Christmas is now over and I got the sewing machine threaded up yesterday and partially assembled a T-shirt in turquoise. I decided to swap out the cap sleeve tee for one with a similar neckline but long sleeves (New Look 6008).
I machine basted the side seams last night to do an initial try on, and whilst the front and sleeves seem OK the back is a very poor fit. Huge at the neck and the waist
I think I will add a centre back seam so I can reshape, and also a neckband (in two parts – front and back) to keep everything snug and emphasize the boat neck shape.
The knit is t-shirting not jersey and isn’t very stretchy though, so I’ll have to be careful not to make something which fits well but is impossible to get on or off.

Sewing -sigh

Well not managed any sewing since moving though I do have a lovely big sewing room in the new house.
Maybe I can do something over the Christmas break

Christmas Top?

we're moving the day after tomorrow so no more sewing :-( for a bit but have been reading some Burda mags, and found this top in June 2008 which I thought would be great in a stretch knit with some sparkle for Christmas.

New Look 6735 Print Knit Top

New Look 6735 Print Knit Top

SWAP Stage 1: update

Modifications to original plan

My original plan was drawn up without consulting with fabric reality, as such I have been unable to find suitable fabrics for a few of the garments, but found other fabrics which could be used in the SWAP instead.

Original plan - staying the same
Pinstripe jacket
Pinstripe pants
Pinstripe skirt
Plain dark pants
Ivory satin wrap blouse
Turquoise wrapover top
White/teal print scoop neck tee

Additions
Turquoise crinkle skirt
Turquoise floral print blouse.
Turquoise knit top
Teal/charcoal scoop neck top

Move into Stage 2
Plain dark skirt moves into Stage2
Cowl neck sweater in sweater knit moves to Stage 2 (difficult to fit under jacket)

Deletions
Ivory knit shell is removed as no suitable fabric
Dark plain blouse removed as no suitable fabric

I will draw up a new plan over the weekend and post it when its ready.

Teal crinkle Multisnit skirt completed

Teal crinkle Multisnit skirt completed and being worn (less good :-( )

Skirt Inspiration

I was inspired last year by these skirts from 'Per Una' (a line at Marks and Spencer).