Culling stuff

I'm having another go at culling stuff becuase I have a bit more than is sensible.
Today I started with a bag of clothes from my plus size days. I decided that I'm not going to allow myself to get back to that size again and don't need those clothes as insurance.
The bag contained
2 prs black pants, 1 pair brown pants, 1 pair dark wash boot cut jeans, one oversize fleece jacket.
one brown print knit top, two orange knit tops, two teal knit tops.

I put the pants straight in the 'to go' bag as I have some similar in my current size and they are not special enough to alter. The jeans went in there too, but I might pull them out and try on again. If they fit on thighs/butt, it might be worth removing the waistband and altering them to fit on the waist.
The knit tops are all from nice stores and were full price. I have quite a good track record altering knit tops so I thought that would be worth a go as I still love the fabrics. As I had brown on the overlocker I already altered the brown print top to fit.

The oversize fleece is part of a fleece jacket/waterproof jacket combo, so I'll keep it as a jacket liner although its a bit bulky to wear alone as a fleece. Good for walking/hiking.
Yesterday I got rid of some old tee shirts and spare bags, so I feel I am making a little bit of progress.

In a few weeks I'll do the summer/winter swap over. I'll have a hard look at the summer clothes at that point and see if any of them deserve to live to next summer, and what needs to go out.
At that point linen clothing and anything with short sleeves gets put away and I only wear 3/4 and long sleeved tops until April. I can also put away all my sandals. Its a bit sad, but at least then I can see my knits, wool pants etc.

thinking about SWAP sewing

Sometimes I think about the Stitchers Guild SWAP months ahead, other times it's right up to the last minute.
Jenni at SewYLD has already started planning hers at least in outline, and discussing ideas with her I have the outline of a plan.
The basics of the plan uses some fabric I bought in a shopping trip with Jenni to Abakhan fabrics. Its a loosely woven wool boucle type fabric. The back ground is brown and black, and the boucle loops are in various shades including - coral pink, emerald green, teal blue, lime green, ivory and beige. It is absolutely asking to be an unlined jacket, probably with a waterfall collar that allows the wrong side of the fabric to be seen.

This of course lends itself to various dark brown and black bottoms, and strong colour tops. I might even leave the prints to one side for this one as I think they would fight a bit with the jacket texture. To a certain extent we have to wait and see what the rules are this year on the SWAP but there's usually an options for 4 bottoms, 6 tops and a jacket which tends to work better for me than the dress versions. However I am a bit more into dresses than I was as long as they are knit ones and comfortable :D.

Pinstripe trousers completed

I just finished the pinstripe trousers. These use the same Burda magazine pattern I've used several times before and work well for me. They have side pockets, I put in a centre back zip. For this version I used chocolate brown suiting with a beige pinstripe. Its a lovely stretch suiting, really nice quality. The pocket linings and waistband facing are done with chocolate brown satin fabric. Both fabrics frayed and have been serged into submission. Sewing the stretch suiting to the non stretch satin was a bit of a bear, but its come out OK. I added a loop and button to the inside of the waistband just to hold the very top closed. The front hem had been cut wonky - the weight of the uncut fabric hanging off the cutting area had pulled the fabric out of alignment when I cut out. In the end I just levelled it up and took a smaller hem than I planned. The hem is machine blind stitched and came out OK. Not exciting trousers, but I expect to wear them a lot.

Upcoming Contests

I sometimes like the challenge of participating in a contest on Pattern Review. If nothing else it gets me sewing to a purpose and deadline. I do however always have my own interpretation on that and make the contest work for me. On that basis there are loads I don't join in with.
Here's the list of contests for 2010
PR Contests 2010 
The next one which appeals to me is the Little Black Dress. I could use one in a nice knit, with a flattering skirt length for me (ie longr than the knee) so whilst that won't have the classic ooooh of something more formal I would wear it quite a lot I think. I do have a black knit dress but its not quite right, and given my recent knit dress sewing I reckon I could tackle something successfully now.
I'm also planning another knit dress in a wine/purple print which I think would be a lot of fun.

Friday

No more trouser progress today, but I might well manage some tomorrow.
I've been looking at the preview of the Burda magazine - in French becuase the English takes you to the stupid Burda Style site - and there are loads of really wearable garments. It'll be a great issue when it comes, and who knows when that will be?
September Burda (in French)

Thursday - Trousers Progress

Here's the trousers starting to actually look like a garment. Still need pressing, facing and hems, but then would be nicely wearable. I have a waistcoat cut from the leftovers which I will sew up next, though that will probably time out before I go away.

Thursday

Right sorry about the ranting yesterday, I might go back and delete all the stuff in capitals as I know I was shouting. Sometimes its just sooooo frustrating, and I know that doesn't excuse it.

In August Burda I quite liked a few of the coats and the two layer top. I'm not quite ready for the skinny ankle pants, though they look sensible for tucking into boots and doing gardening, though that's maybe not what they had in mind.
I would link to the pictures from the magazine only I can't work that part out any more, and am not yet prepared to learn Russian as their site is the only good one left as far as I can see. (Ok so maybe that was a bit of a whine!).

I might do some photos of the bits sewn so far, though I don't find that very satisfying. We'll see how far I get this evening and what (if anything) I have to show for it.

Ok coffee time. Ruthie :D

Wednesday's progress and a RANT about Burda magazine

Tuesday I was away with work, got home late not feeling too well and went to bed about 8pm. That rather messed with any planned sewing and I managed nothing at all.
Today I should have been somewhere else with work but cancelled that and struggled out of bed to work from home. The morning was fuelled by coffee and cold meds but the afternoon was tough and I just wanted to go back to bed. Post evening meal and a chat with my fave sewing friend on the phone, I managed to interface the waistband pieces and do a few more work bits.
Tomorrow I might actaully construct the waistband but it depends how I am doing after another day of work.
My job is really interesting but requires quite a high energy level, and is hard to do effectively when feeling ill.
So I might find I've used up what I have 'getting things done' at work and have none left to do that in the sewing room.

A plus is that I worked out how to show the blogs I am following, as there were some I kep missing as I only read my own sidebar. There are some fun blogs out there if you have some time to spend reading rather than sewing.

< start rant >

Oh yeah, and finally, Burda magazine for AUGUST arrived yesterday. Folks thats the August edition of a Magazine arriving on the 24th of the month. That is horrendous! I can tell you that I WILL NOT BE RENEWING MY SUBSCRIPTION!!!!!!! I can buy it 3 weeks earlier in the stores, so they can stuff their subscription.
I have NO IDEA whats up with their subscription department, but really they should be able to get a magazine to a subscriber BEFORE its in the shops not THREE WEEKS later.
Why is it even in the US subscribers mailboxes on the other side of the Atalntic Ocean before its pootled across Europe from Germany to England?
I don't understand it, but I am not at all happy.
< end rant >

When I've stopped having a strop I might have a look at the garments and see what I want to make. :D Ruthie

Monday's progress

I've cut out a pair of trousers and a lined waistcoat in the pinstripe brown suiting fabric, and some matching satin lining (pockets/waistcoat lining). I've not had any big chunks of time to sew so decided to just do a bit each evening until I am done. I'm pretty tired this evening so only did a little, but even that has progressed the trousers quite a bit. I've made the front pockets and back darts and neatened all the edges. I don't seem to have any of the right weight of interfacing for the waistband so need to buy some I think. So the waistband isn't started at all. I need something which won't stretch out at all but also not be too stiff around the waist. I seem to have the interfacing extremes in my interfacing box.
The other evening I made two patch pockets for the waistcoat, but decided I wanted to work on the trousers first.
Hopefully by the weekend I will have some trousers to share with you. I might even model them, though don't get too excited.

New necklaces

I went to the larger local town yesterday to run some errands, and went into the Wallis concession inside another store. The sale was on and I managed to buy these statement necklaces for only £2 each, reduced from between £15 and £20 each so I was quite pleased about that.
As you know I have a thing for statement necklaces. These don't have my ususal strong colour palette but I think will work well with lots of the neutrals in my wardrobe.

The 'One Pattern, Many Looks' Contest on Pattern Review

The 'One Pattern, Many Looks' Contest on Pattern Review has completed and is up for voting.
I entered New Look 6735 Variations so if you are a member on PR and like mine the best please do vote for me.
Here's the items I entered in the contest

and here are other items I've also made as variations with this pattern.

Pinstripe trousers

Tomorrow I plan to continue the brown wardrobe with some classic pinstripe trousers. These are from my current favourite Burda pattern, and have side pockets and a shaped waistband.
I've not even cut them out yet though so it'll be a while before they are ready.

Simplicity 3565

Simplicity 3565 came free this month in Sew magazine. Just at a point where I was thinking of cancelling Sew, they have redeemed themselves. Hmmm.

Its a Wardrobe elements with a jacket which can be at hip or cropped lengths an A line round neck proncess seamed dress and wide leg trousers.
I'm not sure I would have bought it but I do quite like it.

On pattern review there are just a couple of reviews for the long jacket (which is unlined btw) and nothing for the other pieces. I'm looking at the pattern and thinking, lengthen there, shorten there, alter here etc so I dare say I will use it but that the resulting garments won't look much like the originals!

Although the envelope pattern is all made up in dark purples that look like wool mixes and have a very winter look, the little sleeveless dress with the cropped jacket would be a lovely summer look. Round necks are not that great on me so I would probably change it to a V neck.

Sleeveless dress with a knit underneath does say little girl to me though, I had them as a small child (I did not wear school uniform until age 11 as was common in the UK at the time).

Next 'brown' thing

I'm sewing a summer into autumn wardrobe based on dark brown with various mad prints.
I need to choose next between sewing brown linen trousers, brown pinstripe trousers or a brown knit fabric cardigan. I am currently leaning towards the linen trousers being sewn up first as I have a shorter time to wear them. On the other hand they could be paused altogether and started in the Spring instead.
I want to use the scraps from the linen to add a contrast band at the bottom of a slightly too short brown linen print skirt which I also won't be able to do without having first cut out the trousers. Tricky!

Variations on New Look 6735

1 pattern, many looks