Choir Sundays 2010 #2

January's colors: Royal Blue and black
One more time...the Sewing Workshop Chopin Blouse in to-die-for striped silk duppioni, worn with the standard black wool gabardine Loes Hinse Oxford pants The new camera was set wrong, so the flash didn't go off (still learning my way around it...), but I used this picture anyway because Frisco wandered through...just for my fellow feline afficiandos! ;)

...and the rest of them...

The Jalie patterns.

The prompt for the Jalies was two fold. I bought some lovely embroidered corduroy last summer in The Flute Players favorite color (orange) without knowing what it would be. We've had some discussions, and I really can't imagine it being anything other than a jeans jacket.

But try and find a classic jeans jacket for a girl's size 14. Jalie has one. I found it on the Jalie site, but it was listed as 'out of stock'. I sent an inquiry to see if it would be back in stock soon, and the very prompt reply was that the pattern is not going to be reprinted (a real shame, IMHO). However, the reply said that it appeared that there were a few left in stock at Pattern Review. So I sent Deepika a note, asking if she had any.

She did. And she had a sale on. And, since I'm a member, if I bought three patterns I'd get free shipping. So three patterns it was.

The first, of course, is the jeans jacket pattern 2321 (hm. There's a note that is says it's discontinued...wonder if it was there before?). Very classic.

I also picked up 2686, the classic pajamas. I know I have a TNT jammies pattern, but it is a unisex sizing and, to be honest, the more I've slept in it this year the more I find that it doesn't quite work; the shoulders are so wide that the arms bind when I roll over and catch the body just right. So I was sort of in the market for a lady-sized PJ pattern anyway. So I'm ready the next time silk charmeuse goes on a fabuloso sale somewhere(I intend to order six yards!!! No more shortages!)

Finally, I got 2909, the 'classic trousers'.

If you consider dropped-waist bootleg pants sized for stretch wovens a classic.

But, the eternal quest for pants for The Flute Player prompted it. I don't know how much more I can alter her size 14 TNT pattern up; time to move to Jalie so I can just keep tracing the next size. And, you never know, I might add pockets to it and make it up for myself.

But...I got the email yesterday. MacBeth has been cast and is going into production. Time to sharpen the costuming skills again. I don't know what the opening date is, and I don't know what the directors vision for the costuming will be (although The Actor has reported that it's going to be a Tim Burton-esque type of production).

I should hit the sewing room soon and hard if I want any new things for any closets here.

Got Patterns

According to my online pattern catalog at Pattern Review, I only bought 13 patterns last year.

I suppose that's not surprising, since I had Burda magazine arriving with a fistful of new patterns every month.

This year, however, looks like it might be a bit different. I hit a couple of sales...at Hancock's and Pattern Review...and added 9 patterns to the collection in a week. Better not keep that pace up over the year, eh?

I've been waffling forever over Vogue 7975. Many times I pulled it out of the drawer at the store, only to put it back. I finally decided I'd just get it and quit debating it.

I also picked up Vogue 1132 because I love that back peplum...even though it's gotten some mixed reviews.

I wanted the blouse from Vogue 1127, and I like the princess lines on Vogue 8598. I have some white fabric that should be a shirt; this is on the short list to use.

I grabbed Simplicity 2446, delighted that they had it in stock, as it's in the new release. Love those shoulder princess lines!

Finally, I picked up a variation on the jeans jacket, McCall's 5860

I really wanted to get Mc Call's 6028, but they were sold out in my size range. I'll have to watch for the next Hobby Lobby sale...

I also mail ordered three Jalie patterns from Pattern review, but I'm late for choir practice so I'll have to share those tomorrow! ;)

Things Accomplished

Y'know, the Internet really does devour a large portion of my time.

I can admit that because I saw what I could get done when I kept myself Off Of It for an extended time. I

-- actually sewed two garments (Reviews posted...they should be on the sidebar. Eventually)

-- Traced off some more (more on that later...maybe even tomorrow..)

-- Got the family budget almost caught up...and that's saying something, I was MONTHS behind

-- Went to bed pretty much on time

-- Went to work pretty much on time.

-- Played games w/my kids

Now, to be honest, I'm trying hard not to pay attention to all the things I DIDN'T get done. Like clean the sewing room and swatch last year's fabric acquisitions and...and...and....

So I'm focusing on the positive. And I intend to watch how much time I spend just poking around on the 'net so that I can, perhaps, cross some more things off the to-do list in the next few weeks/months...

Choir Sundays 2010 - #1

One of my Christmas presents this year was a new digital camera; my hubby and my kids got tired of coaxing the old Olympus into taking my sewing photos and went together and got a nice little Canon purse camera for me.... So here's the first photo with the new camera! ;)

January's colors are Royal Blue and Black; this is my Loes Hinse Milano jacket, made from royal blue poly/lycra moleskin, Christine Jonson's Basewear 2 turtleneck (I lengthened the sleeves to full length), from rayon/lycra jersey knit, and my boot-cut modification of Loes Hinses' Oxford Pants, from woven RPL.

I got some sewing done over the break, and I have some reviews to post; got some pattern acquisitions to report, too. So stay tuned.. ;)

2009 Wrap Up

These numbers aren't what I'd like...but, well, that's the way the year went.

Actually, I think my 'yards in' is a little lower than it should be; I have some leftover fabric I purchased for costuming that will go into the stash (I only turned in receipts for what I actually *used* for the costumes), but I haven't measured it or swatched it or even put it away.... So, well, yeah.
Anyway, the stats:

Fabric In:124.625 yds
Fabric Out:42.5 yds
Last fabric purchase:12/29/09
Garments made for me:19
Garments made for other people in my family: 5
Accessories: 3
Things made for friends: 1
Muslins: 1
No Wadders in '09!

PROJECTS COMPLETED:
Miscellaneous Church-Related Sewing:
black linen '18th century preacher' coat
white linen '18th century' men's shirt
6 tasseled liturgical scarves

School Costuming:
'08-'09 Musical, Aida:
Lots of pattern altering/fabric cutting before sewing anything!
4 simple shift a-line pullover dresses
5 poly matte jersey halter dresses
A bunch of partial projects, alterations and accessories...

Fall '09 School Tour skit, The Happy Scarecrow:
One Jester costume, w/hat

'09-'10 Musical, White Christmas:
drafted, then constructed the muslin of a frankenpattern for a pouffy skirted tap-dance dress
sparkly red Simplicity 3878 formal dress....started w/ a partly assembled bodice

Lengthened men's suit jacket sleeves

Fall '09 One-Act Competition play, The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged (Abridged):
One teeny tomato print poufy long skirt, which was later replaced
two plaid 'Scottish wraps'
green leggings and poufy knickers
orange leggings and poufy knickers
weird cape from two actual pleated-top drapes
purple leggings and poufy knickers
green calico poufy long skirt (the replacement)
green calico poufy doll skirt
black moleskin Simplicity 4059 jerkin

Middle school production of A Christmas Carol:
burgundy 'antique satin' Dickens skirt

Just plain sewin':
Well, I started listing all the regular projects, and, you know, the list was just getting way too long. Nobody's gonna read it, and I've got it recorded in Excel; the totals on the projects are in the stats...that's good enough!

But, in all honesty, my sewing production was WAY down this year. Partly due to the costume sewing and partly due to the part time job...I just didn't have a chance to get into the sewing room for myself.

Hence the elevated 'fabric in' totals. It's a well-noted phenomenon that when a sewing enthusiast is denied the opportunity to sew, her fabric purchases go up. It doesn't make sense; you'd think I wouldn't buy it if I weren't sewing it. But the purchasing becomes the outlet for the creative urge; I can't make the garments for real, but I dream 'em up and buy the goods.

So, I have a pile of sewing to do in twenty-ten. Not only do I need to whittle down the tower of fabric I have from '09's purchases, but I need to regularly scratch the sewing itch so I don't buy more... ;)

And, for those of you who have stuck with me this far, I'm starting off 2010 with a three-week Internet fast. I'll explain that a little better on the other blog, but, well, I need some time. The third week of January would be my regularly scheduled break anyway; I'm just adding two weeks to it. Hopefully, I will get my house into something close to presentable (with all that crunch sewing, some nuisance medical stuff that I didn't blog about, and the holiday scramble, my house is a MESS!).

And, who knows, if I stay off the Internet, I might get something sewn... ;)

Anyway, happy New Year to all my blogging buddies, and I'll see you in three weeks!