Choir Wardrobe 0108

My Sweet Baboo being out of town on business, The Actor was forced into the role of Fashion Photographer.  Hence the slightly odd perspective that somehow seems to make me look like I'm leaning into the camera.

Anyway, for the second Sunday of January, in which the colors for choir are black, royal blue and silver gray,  I'm wearing the CWC knit bootcut jeans with  my first go at Loes Hinse's  Milano Jacket, made from royal blue poly moleskin knit, the salvaged silver rayon Vogue 7604 blouse and a scarf made from a teeny remnant of fabric left after I made a scarf to give away.  It's really too small for good scarf, but the colors in it were too pretty to throw away.

I did manage to get the Tribeca shirt cut out, but I didn't get the weird curvy darts marked (gotta find my tracing paper for that; tailor's tacks just are not sufficient).  I intended to make the Burday Style 09-2010 Funnel neck top that so many folks have made as well, but I was dismayed to find that I actually *hadn't* traced the pattern like I thought.  So I spent what would otherwise have been my cut and construct time tracing the pattern, adding the seam allowances, then removing 7" of length from the sleeves as I didn't realize how very scrunched they were intended to be.  I finished with the pattern about midnight last night and called. it. a day.  It'll have to get cut and sewn another time.

So, I'm going to be on hiatus for the next 6ish weeks, but if I make anything new during that time I'll be sure to take photos and post it when I get back.  Happy January, everyone!

New Year - new projects...

I actually did a couple of sewing-related things yesterday...

Firstly, I pulled out my pattern for The Sewing Workshop's Tribeca Shirt.  I've made it twice; once in a burgundy/gray poly/rayonish brocade that I bought for a song at Sir's Fabrics; once from green silk duppioni from Hancock's that I bought for a bit more than a song and has proven to be only slightly more sturdy than paper towels.

I didn't make any changes in the pattern between the two, but the green one just never fit nearly as well as the burgundy one; it has serious problems with armsceye binding that, for who know what reason, is not as noticeable on the other top.

But, at the moment, both tops are too little.

So I decided it might be worth a quick adjustment; I need to adjust the shoulder/armsceye anyway, so it won't be too much trouble to add a bit onto the side seams that I can remove later.  And I have a sizable remnant left from my MOB dress that should do nicely and be wearable for choir this month.

In my 'quick adjustment' I
- did a 3/8" square shoulder adjustment
-moved the armsceye up and in to remove 3/4" length from the shoulder seam, which raised the underarm about an inch (but has not changed the overall length of the armsceye)
-lowered the bust darts/points an inch
-did a slight FBA
-added 5/8" to the back side seams.

I'm hoping to get it cut out today, but I have a huge amount of end-of-year home office work to crank out, so if I get it cut out I'll consider myself fortunate.

The other sewing related thing I did was to look up the Project Runway All Stars site and watch the first episode. We don't have cable; I've seen very few PR episodes through the seasons.  So it was interesting to finally see the folks whose names I've seen on the boards and such, and I was amazed by what folks made from $100 worth of 99 cent store finds and even more amazed by the creativity under pressure.  They had, what, about 12 hours in the workroom to do that?  Bless.

I should stop complaining about my lack of sewing time...

2011 Stats

Wow.  If I needed evidence there is a shift happening in my life, this would certainly be the telling of it:

Fabric In: 148.375 yds

Fabric Out: 56.375 yds

Last fabric purchase:11/30/11

Garments made for me: 25

Garments made for other people in my family: 7

Home Dec items: 2

'Donations': 1

Muslins: 2

Things made for friends: 1

Miscellaneous Church-Related Sewing:

Team Effort: 5 baptismal robes 

I barely sewed one third of the fabric I purchased, which happens to be the highest yearly fabric acquisition since 2007  --  nearly twice what I bought in 2010 -- coupled with my lowest cumulative production since I started tracking this stuff back in '03.

Not sure why I felt so compelled to purchase so much fabric when I wasn't sewing that much; I don't know if I haven't really gotten my brain around the fact that my available sewing time has cut dramatically with the part time job (which I've been on for 3 years now; it's about time my subconscious got a clue) or if I was just caught up in dreaming.  Still, 74% of my sewing was from new purchases, so I did work at sewing what was coming in.  I just had way more coming in than I could keep up with.

And, part of the issue was, of course, the weight thing that made fitting a challenge.  TNTs suddenly weren't very True any more, and I didn't have time available to redraft and retest.

Hence the large number of knit garments in last years 'finished' list.

So...what about the new year?
In my heart, I know I can NOT purchase fabric at the rate I was buying last year.  And if my sewing doesn't increase, I really don't need to purchase any fabric for the next 24 months.


Can I just say...not realistic? as she laughs just a little hysterically...

So, I made a deal with myself.  I will allow myself to purchase up to the amount I sewed *this* year, providing I *need* the fabric made up immediately.


Oh, that will be hard.  But, in all honesty, I have a large stash of VERY lovely fabric.  Aside from something unforseen (such as a new color for church choir), I should be able to sew pretty much from stash.


And make some pretty things.  Especially knits...at least for the first few months.  Who knows...I may yet figure out a SWAP wardrobe...

My turn...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Sew Random

Shannon went first.

She bravely posted what has been stewing around in my head for a while now.

So I'll say it...I am unhealthily overweight (trying to be PC here). 

I've talked about it a bit from time to time; the frustration with the hormonal shift and the accompanying weight gain. If you've been reading the blog for any time...and taking note of the photos I've been posting...the weight gain has been pretty obvious.  Like Shannon, I've found that clothes that I made that I love don't fit.  And I've also lost the desire to make pretty new things, despite an urgent need for clothes that do fit.   I'd like to participate in the Stitcher's Guild SWAP this year, but I don't want to spend time making a wardrobe to fit the body I currently have.  And its not because I just don't want to deal with it; it's because if I want to feel good and be healthy I have to make changes now, which means (hopefully) my shape will start changing and...what size should I make?  I just don't know.  I'm still thinking.  And I know everyone else is sewing already... ;-)

Anyway, I have learned that I really can't eat sugar and grains.  Unfortunately, I have a sweet tooth and love baked goods and pasta.  When I was younger, I pretty much got away with it.  But no more.  Habits must change. 

I'm not looking for an eating plan to lose weight; I know this is a lifestyle issue. And I know what I need to do.

Now, it just so happens that we have a time of fasting and prayer every year in the month of January through church.  That's really not news; you know my practice in years past has been to stay off the internet during the fast.  And, by and large, that will happen again this year; my fasting will include media (I'm gonna have a gazillion updates in Google reader when I come back), with one exception.

I am going to be blogging my way through it at my other blog, Beer Lahai Roi; I explained it in more detail here.

The fast really isn't about losing weight, although typically I would lose a little.  But it will be about breaking habits and patterns and, well, other things.  If you're interested you are welcome to read along; if you're not, I'll be back  when it's over.   

Now, this is not meant to be any kind of a religious shill.  I'm not after looking all spiritual.  But this is  a very large part of who I am and I can't always keep that side of myself locked away on the faith blog.  This is one place where it will spill over, because I won't be blogging on Sew Random (or visiting other blogs or the sewing boards or even Facebook...).  And the reason I am going to be gone so long is because Things. Must. Change.  And it's more than just my weight.

So,  I will be focusing other things for the next sixish weeks, starting next Monday.  Meantime, I do have some other posts to put up.  I'm not putting up the shutters just yet. ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 010112

Happy New Year!

I'm continuing the Choir Wardrobe posts for the New Year, although I will be taking a bit of a blogging break very soon (more on that another day).  Our colors for January are royal blue, black and silver gray;  we stayed up to greet the new year last night so I'm a little less than perky today. 

This is the Lee boot cut jeans with my silver rayon Jalie 2919 Pleated Cardigan, over  a blue acetate slinky sleeveless, cowl-less Loes Hinse's Cowl Top.  This will be the last time you'll see this particular top; literally as I was walking out the door I glanced down and saw 4 or 5 teeniny pinkish spots on the front of the top where apparently a bleaching agent of some sort had splashed it sometime in the past.    I didn't have time to change before we left, but it was retired from the wardrobe when I got home.

Fortunately, I have 3 yards or so of royal blue bamboo jersey from last year's buying frenzy (I'll update the sidebar totals and talk about last year's accomplishments later this week), so I can replace it...if I can just find time to get to the sewing machine... ;-)