Random Threads # 21: currently sewing and what's on deck

Recently I did a post on Craftsy on the topic of "Unexpected placed to find sewing supplies". One suggestion was to put the word out to family and friends. You might the surprised at the stuff that will come your way. Everyone seems to know someone who is clearing house and wants things to go somewhere they will be appreciated - so let your social circle know you are interested. There might be some junk but someone will surprise you with a stack of fantastic fabrics or a pair of expensive sewing shears. Who knows what treasures might come your way?

Around here I find that I might just be a victim of my own success in this area. Recently I have had several friends drop off bags of fabric - things that have collected/bought/stashed that they just know they will never get to. Add this to some items purchased on a couple of shopping excursions to Stone Mountain Fabrics recently, and two fabrics that I have designed using the allowance provided to me by My Fabric Designs. Bottom line - SO MUCH FABRIC!

I have never been a fabric stasher. It's just not in my nature to purchase fabric for the "someday" sew. I have mostly been a "buy it - sew it - wear it"  type of maker. I don't like having my sewing dollars tied up in a stack of fabric, and I really dislike having to find place to store it. Most of the time I have been inspired by a new pattern and then gone on the hunt for the perfect fabric, then sewn it up to wear right away. Or have had the "I need something for this occasion" be it a party or travel.

But lately I have been accumulating a lot of fabric. Partly due to my habit of checking in at local garage sales. Positive reinforcement - I have found some genuinely fantastic things so then the idea is always in the back of my mind that I will discover the next treasure. (For newer readers you might enjoy reading this 2-part post, starting here, where I found a vintage dress pattern and fabric at a garage sale, along with lots of other goodies).

I had better get busy with sewing up some of this accumulation, right? Or develop the stash habit. That second one seems more likely!

So here is what is in progress around here.

Do you know how difficult it is to find a vertically striped knit? You probably do if you are trying to make this Burda dress. The pattern specifies knit with crosswise stretch and vertical stripe. Which makes sense if you look at how the bottom of the skirt is on the fabric. Very similar to this dress although on that one the fabric started out as horizontal stripes and only the bottom is cut with the stripes going up and down.



Happily I found this one at Stone Mountain, and while I don't wear black very often I have the feeling  if it comes out well it will get worn a lot. Basic black with a twist sounds very useful. Plus there is a light blue stripe in there, not easy to see but there to lighten it up a bit. Also this is an even stripe which I think is important for this dress. I hope to match the stripes perfectly - stay tuned :)

These next two were bought by my friend Alice - which I will be sewing up for her. The royal blue eyelet is a gorgeous color - so it will be some kind of tunic top with the selvedge creating the bottom hem. The one on the right is really unusual. It is a lightweight denim or chambray - slightly tie-dyed looking and has holes in it, not really an eyelet or lace but perforated. Really cool and this will probably be a skirt. I DO NOT need but am fighting the urge to go back and buy some for myself.



Turning to my self-designed fabrics, this one is a silk crepe de chine from My Fabric Designs. The quality and weight of the fabric is really nice. And once again I declare that I am not very artistic so it is a pattern I created in Photoshop. The aqua color is not exactly what I was thinking of  - I was hope for more of a turquoise (deeper) color but this is quite pretty and definitely a color I will wear. So for weeks I have been trying to figure out what pattern to use and the leading contender is this Vogue 1387, the cap sleeve version. Although I am thinking I can recreate the look from patterns I already have.



In other projects I am in the midst of making an outfit for my friend Heather using fabric she bought last year at Mood in New York. Hand sewing, basting, fitting, subtle stripe matching etc are making it a slow project but I think this week I will buckle down and finish it. It is a jacket and then a dress with the boucle for the skirt portion and wool knit for the bodice.
Here is the Burda pattern I'm using. I think these Burda plus coat and jacket patterns are really great. Of course every pattern needs fitting but the style lines are really nice on a lot of these. On the right is the boucle fabric from Mood and then the wool double-knit that I found at Stone Mountain - perfect color match for the salmon pink in the boucle.



Gratuitous in process peek - and I will tell you that I unstitched the organza and then applied weft fusible to all the pattern pieces, then added the organza plus stay tape. The boucle fabric on its own was just to wimpy to make a jacket that would hold a good shape.



What else?

I bought a couple of PDF patterns from the Burda website on Wednesday and of course they are having a sale this weekend - while the savings would be a few dollars it bugs me nonetheless. I am seriously thinking about subscribing to Burda, although I looked at it in the store the other day and concluded that $ 5.99 per PDF is SO worth it not to have to trace from those confounding tracing sheets. I think it is probably like anything else, if you've been doing it for years then you have the knack for it but I don't and it looks headache inducing to me.

Blogging, yes or no? It must be going around like a chain letter or a summer cold but it seems like I have read so many posts recently about blogging. Is it dead? Who is quitting? taking a hiatus? switching to Instagram? Returning after a break? Kind of interesting and I think blogging is like anything else - including sewing or any other pastime. Always evolving, sometimes taking a back seat to life, or being put down for months or years at a time. Or superseded by some other interest. I really like (love) reading blogs so I selfishly hope that all my favorites keep on blogging forever. I am drawn to the written word, love to hear the stories behind the creating, or just some opinions on the latest patterns, styles etc. Instagram just doesn't do it for me - I do use it and see beautiful things there but often see a post and want more info that only a blog post can offer. But do what makes you happy! For me the writing has turned into almost the best part, I love writing the posts and hope you enjoy reading them.

Speaking of writing - I am thinking up topics for my Craftsy Sewing blog posts for July. I have covered sleeve adjustments, some wrap dress fitting tips and lots of other things over there but always on the hunt for a new idea. Any suggestions, please let me know!

Travel thoughts. Lately I have been captured by the idea of a trip to New York. It has been ages since I have been and it just seems to be calling me.  Anything interesting happening this summer? Also I have a Mood credit to spend which was the prize for the Color Block contest on Pattern Review, I keep looking at the website but nothing has grabbed me yet. So perhaps some in-person shopping.

Thank you so much for all the nice comments on my previous post - the Saler Jacket from Pauline Alice patterns. I do plan to revisit that pattern as I want to try making a jacket like that in a knit.

It is Memorial Day weekend here in the US, and in my part of California the weather is cooperating. So nice. It might be time to jump in the swimming pool tomorrow - yippee, summer is here!

Happy weekend sewing, Beth

and today's garden photo - it warms my frugal little heart when a little plant keeps on blooming year after year. I love these little dianthus, also called pinks - both for the color and the name.