Choir Wardrobe 1/31/16

January's colors are Royal Blue, black and gray.

This is a 100% me-made outfit. It's all old stuff; I think I've worn this exact combo every January for the last 3 or 4 years.  But it works and the jacket garners compliments every time. 

Black and white RPL modified Loes Hinse Oxford pants
Black rayon/lycra turtleneck...and I don't even know what pattern I used.  It's been that long.
Blue wool flannel Silhouette Patterns Robin's Jacket.

Next month are colors very appropriate for February: Black, white and gray.

:-)

On the cutting table

...the pledge I made to myself last summer was to 'add nothing to the stash until my next birthday'...which will be in July.

And the last fabric purchase was July 2.

But my navy blue rayon/lycra t-shirt, which was floppy to begin with, has completely stretched out of shape.    So, being in need of a new blue T, I clicked through to Fabric Mart and discovered that they had jersey knits on sale for 50% off.

Fate, no?

So I snagged 2.5 yards of a blue rayon/lycra jersey, and, to make the shipping worthwhile, I also got the last yard of  a charcoal gray modal/lycra and a yard and a half of a blue/white rayon/lycra stripe.

My hubby was tut-tutting me for ordering fabric...until I told him this was the first purchase since July.  HE'S bought way more fabric for his re-enactment gear than I have in the past 9 months...lol.

I figured it would be three-four tops (depending on how generous the cuts are; FM sometimes is quite generous), which I could sew up pretty quick.


The fabric arrived today:

I've already washed it and it's up on the cutting table for a date with the patterns and weights tomorrow.  It all feels yummy; I'm looking forward to getting some nice new tops.

But.  Wouldn't you know.

The blue one...the one I needed the most...is rawthar sheerish.  I checked the description again and it DOES say 'semi sheer'.  Oy vey.  How'd I miss that?  I usually scroll right by anything that says 'semi sheer'.  I guess I was just suckered in by the perfect color.

It's only sheer if stretched.  So that just means I've got to use it for something drapey.  And I have no clue what that is going to be a this point...so, as much as I don't want to do it, it may end up in the stash whilst I contemplate a suitable pattern.  Since I've already sewn up 2 3/4 yards, that will not be a net gain in the stash so technically I'd still be ok on my pledge.

But...rats.

Workwear 23

:-)  I haven't worn new stuff in what seems like forever.

But, fresh off the machines...my second rendition of Vogue 8691, which I really, really need to review.

I wore it with The Sewing Workshop's Helix Pants,which I also need to review,  made out of a  pretty cheap double knit.  A new pair is in the SWAP plan, with a much nicer fabric queued up for them. I added pockets and really, really like these pants a lot. I'm even wondering if they'd work out of a stretchy woven...

Finally, the first Choir Wardrobe post of 2016

I can't believe it's the third Sunday before I managed to get a post up, but it's been a busy month... ;-)

The choir colors for January are black, gray and royal blue.  So, since it was rawtharr chilly today, I wore black Lee jeans, my gray wool/lycra Loes Hinse's Bolero Jacket, and royal blue bamboo/lycra jersey never-reviewed BWOF funnel neck  top from something like Sept 2010.  For accent, a half-width  2- yard length of a silk/rayon burnout chiffon hemmed into a scarf.

I love this combo; it's one of my favorites that we wear and I'm really glad it's part of the winter rotation that repeats from one year to the next.

I also manage to get some sewing done this week, since I was home with no wheels whilst one of the cars had some major maintenance work done.  Technically, I *could* wear these tops for choir, but we are encouraged to do color-blocking, rather than prints, just to keep the  jangle effect minimized.  I got this rayon jersey print two or three years ago and have been waffling over what to do with it.  I finally settled on one of  Katherine Tilton's patterns, and I dug around and found a remnant of gray/black stripe rayon jersey that I used for contrast on the sleeves and neckband.  Since I cut the sleeves out of other fabric, I had enough of the print to make a cap sleeve Jalie 2566 T....which I *might* wear for choir next Sunday, if it's not too cold, under a cardi to lessen the impact of the print.

I intend to wear the Tilton top to work tomorrow. ;-).

Looking Ahead...

The Really Big Leadership Conference that has consumed my life since Christmas is in the books; it was awesome and inspiring and, I hope, life-changing...assuming I can implement and stick to the changes I see I need. 

But, life is always about pushing forward...two steps on, one step back,  two more forward, hold your ground, another half step forward, fall back a bit...try again...

Anyway, I've actually cut out two tops today, which I hope to get sewn up on the the next two days (MLK JR Day and an extra off day to breathe after the conference) and, along with the cutting, I actually sat down and made a plan for the 2016 Stitchers Guild SWAP contest.

This year's rules call for packs, or pods, or groups, or whatever you want to call them, and, as I am in DESPERATE need of some updated basics, that's what I'm focusing on.

Pack A - Black:


Black tropical wool pinstripe Loes Hinse Oxford pants
Black rayon/lycra jersey Jalie 2682 sleeveless V-neck
Black Denim jacket, pattern still TBD


Pack B - Gray

Gray chalk stripe RPL Loes Hinse Oxford pants
Gray wool crepe jacket - pattern TBD
Gray silk shell - pattern TBD


Pack C - Combo

Black 'denim' doubleknit Sewing Workshop Helix pants
Cream silk blouse (cut out ages ago but never touched)

Wildcards:
Black wool/lycra Jalie Classic Trousers
Turquoise silk jacquard shell - pattern TBD
Fuschia silk shell - pattern TBD


Heavy on the basics, which you'll recognize as major players in the choir wardrobe, with a pop or two of colors that frequently show up in the rotation.

My pants patterns need a little tweeking for fitting the current version of me, and, while I'm close on a TNT shell pattern, I'm not *quite* there yet.  And I'm STILL trying to figure out the denim jacket pattern.

But at least I have a direction.  Still no definite word on possible Easter costuming needs, so I'm going to plan like I have time to sew clothes. 

Of course, the tops I cut out today won't fit in the swap plans...being prints, they won't work with the striped pants (I don't think, anyway.  It might work once they're done but I'm not going to count on it).

But.  It's time to refresh the wardrobe.  

Well, that went by fast...

Not sure how I got from Thanksgiving to Epiphany quite so fast.... and how I stayed AWOL from the blog for so long!  I took choir photos...but just did not manage to get them posted.  I wasn't terribly excited about posting them, anyway, as it was all just old stuff that  you've seen a bazillion times before.

But it's time to clean the slate and start again.

Here's the stats from  2015:

Fabric In: 72.625 yds
Fabric Out: 49 yds
Last fabric added: 7/2/15
Garments made for me: 23
Accessories:5
Garments made for other family members: 0
Home Dec Items: 8
Wadders, er, Unintentional muslins: 0
"Donations" : - 0
Muslins:4


Misc. Church Sewing:5 pink georgette scarves, 5 tiny sheep tunics/ear sets

I was really, really disappointed that I didn't even get 50 yards of fabric sewn up...I have gaps in my wardrobe that really need to be filled...but the home renovation project just completely took over the last quarter of the year and the only sewing I managed to do was to get those little sheep onstage on Christmas Eve (they were really cute...).  The 'home dec' is kind of a fudge...we still have 3 chairs to redo, but the fabric is cut so I'm going to call it out of the stash.

 I'm still sticking to my 'nothing added to stash'  resolution...which has so far meant 'no fabric purchased', since I've done precious little sewing, and the result is this is the smallest amount of fabric I've purchased in a calendar year since I started keeping track of it back in 2002.  So the stash really only increased by about 23.5 yards.  Which is just a couple of month's worth of sewing...if I were focused on crankin' it out.    I do have patterns and fabric out on the cutting table, though;  once we get past the Really Big Conference we're having at church next weekend, I'm planning to spend at least a couple hours a week  sewing.  It won't go really fast, but at least I'll get something done.

I've got a SWAP plan in the back of my head;  I dunno if I'll make any more headway this year than I have the past few years.  But my black denim jacket is calling my name; if I can just make up my mind on a pattern and get going, I think the rest would fall into line. 

So...I've got another twoish weeks of crazy busy work stuff, and then...I should have some time to be creative again.

Although I have heard rumors of an Easter production at church this year...we'll see what surfaces once we're past the leadership conference. ;-)