Workwear 34

I'm mentally writing my next blog post...about fabric accumulation (sigh)...and I didn't expect to write one before that.

But I wore something yesterday that actually snagged several compliments, so I thought it might be worth documenting for future reference...lol...

It was late when I made that decision and the quickest way to get a photo was to prop the camera on the kitchen counter.  So the angle is, well, not the best.


It's a couple pf pieces from this year's SWAP collection...the modified Loes Hinse Bootcuts and the Pamela's Patterns Cool Cardigan, with my favorite cowl neck shell, Vogue 8669.  I made the same pattern in a cream knit for the SWAP and originally planned to wear that...but decided I wanted some color and, in a rather uncharacteristic move, pulled a top that I generally only wear when required by the choir wardrobe.  Orange generally is not my friend.  But this one is bright and intense and leans towards red and it worked.

But I have decided I need to hem the pants a little shorter.  I'd forgotten that the pants I'd made years ago from this modification had shrunk in length over time.  I held off, just in case these also shrunk, but they appear to be stable so...one of these days I'm going to take about an inch off the bottom.  If I could wear heels, they'd be fine, but my particular mix of orthopedic issues means that I have to be very, very careful about my footwear.  Sassy heels are not for me, and the pants need to be shorter. 

One of these days...

Catching up

That seems like what I've been doing more than anything this summer...catching up....

I've missed two choir posts; since I really wanted to show the red for the month, I'll post the photos, even if they're late...

The left was 9/18/16; the right was 9/25/16.  Both were days in which I pretty much ran home after 3rd service, gulped down a quick lunch, and left again.  Colors for September were claret red, gray and black.  The tunic...or dress...is the one I picked up from the conference merch booth, just because I  was enamored of it. So was everyone else...it was EVERYWHERE at the conference.  I've got on slim black pants (La Fred Athena...modified...) because I had to have pockets somewhere.  However, it turns out the dress is so long and full that it's REALLY AWKWARD to hike it up to reach into a pocket.  All future pockets must be in the top layer.   I had a whim a week or so before the conference and bought some black leggings w/ a faux leather stripe down the outside.  Boots and the red dress with those will be way hipper than I normally am...lol.  Still trying to decide if I need to shorten the dress just a little.  I'm not sure it wouldn't look a little better a little shorter...

And as for sewing...when we last left our heroine, she was struggling with a project that had lost its joy.  It was a silk/rayon burnout fabric that was just a little too substantial for the scarf I had in mind when I ordered it...and I decided to use it for a Sewing Workshop Plaza Jacket.

That fabric.  Oh, the wretchedness of it.  I wasted a ton trying to get it square, then gave up.  It's woven w/some kind of twill weave that refused to behave.  I ended up throwing away the sleeves I'd cut; I just wanted it DONE.  Wavy, spirally, won't-take-a-crease-but-you-can't-press-out-the wrinkles craziness, this stuff is on my Never Sew Again List.  It's worse than stretch panne velvet.  I finally bullied it into sort of submission, and after meticulously hand basting all the hems in place (which, to be fair, I probably would've done anyway.  But it wouldn't have been as aggravating). I finally got the thing finished off last night whilst the others in the family dutifully watched the debate.

In the end, it doesn't look too bad if I keep moving.  I just wish I had decided to skip the sleeves BEFORE I'd spent all that time and fabric trying to get them cut square.  I could've made the topper another 6" longer and really channeled the Golden Girls.


And it really can be arranged so that it's even.  My photographer was paying more attention to the cat than she was to the task at hand....

But that is finally out of the queue.  Now I can move on to other projects...

Transformation challenge...

Well, maybe a minor one.

This past weekend was our annual women's conference (no choir on Sunday...the stage wasn't reset and we didn't have risers...).  You know how it is at these events....there are goodies available w/ the conference logo or the Women's Ministry logo.  Ours is SHE....which stands for Seeking His Embrace.

I worked the registration area.  I mean, it was kinda my responsibility.  And we were wearing She-wear from past conferences.

Only I was short a t shirt.  I only had two SHE shirts for the three day conference.  So, I figured I needed to get another, so I'm good for next year.

Now, church staff had been allowed to shop the merch for an hour at lunchtime on Thursday, so we would have a chance at purchasing merchandise, since it always sells out.  And they had a tunic (or dress, for the younger set) that I fell in love with.  It was the Choir Red...you'll see it soon...and I got that; but I was saving it for Choir on Sunday.  Besides, EVERYONE was wearing the red dress over the weekend.  Er, everyone on staff was wearing it.  Turned out the other staff and pastors loved it as much as I did and the staff nearly bought it out.

But it was Friday night before I decided I wanted a shirt as well as the dress.  And baby, by Friday night the pickins was slim.  But Saturday morning, I had a brainwave.  And I went in and bought one of the few shirts they had left...in a size 1X.  The lady that worked the counter almost wouldn't give it to me. 'It will swallow you whole!' She protested 'It's huge!'

But I assured her that was what I wanted...'I'm going to cut it down.'

And...here's the t-shirt, before and after:

I had a bit of lace in my lace box that turned out to be JUST ENOUGH to finish off the bottom.  And, as an indication that this was Meant to Be, the lace was not only enough to cover the bottom but it was the right length for both the front and back to be balanced...no oddly off center motifs!  The jury's still out on the lace on the sleeves....I might trim the jersey out from under it, I might leave it as it is, and I might decided it's a little too much (as The Actor stated when he saw it) and take it off.

But I'm very pleased with the results.  Except for the size printing on the back that still says '1X - size 22-24'.  'Cause that ain't true now...lol...

ETA:  I realized that I forgot to post the pattern I used as the basis for the recut...it's Vogue 9057, my TNT relaxed fit T.  For the basics on how to cut down a T shirt using a pattern, click HERE

Choir Wardrobe 9/4/16

We had a great church service today; our Executive Pastor spoke as our Senior Pastor was at the opening of a new building for one of our campuses that has been setting up and tearing down in a school every Sunday for nearly 6 years. They fought a MOUNTAIN of red tape to convert a former car dealership into a church facility, but in the end...they have a permanent place to call home.   They had a celebration, and we had a challenge to keep growing.

Which is very interesting, as that's exactly the theme of the textbook for the current online class I'm taking.

Time for some introspection.


I wanted to start off with that bit of backstory, just to put into perspective my, um, interesting morning, choir wardrobe wise.  Because it really isn't about the clothes.  Even though I feel like I have a smidge of egg on face...it's really not about the clothes.  (click the sidebar link to the post about the choir wardrobe if you've never read it...)

The choir wardrobe for September is the colors for the Women's Conference decor...black, gray and garnet red.  There was much discussion of what, exactly, garnet red would be.

Now, we do have some posters about the building with the red in the graphics, and there's a particular red dress that has been in all the social media promotions.  So my take on it...which was reinforced by the color of the pillows that I sewed for the decor (see previous post)...was that it is a deep, true red.

I have a silk top that is exactly my idea of the color, which I intended to wear today, but it was wrinkled and I ran out of time to iron it.  So I ended up wearing  a red Jalie 2566 cap-sleeved T, the black BWOF 5-2009-108 collared vest and striped Jalie pants that I have never managed to review.

The t-shirt may have been just a hair brighter than my idea of garnet, but it's close.

With the exception of one other lady, who wore a shirt the same color as mine, pretty much the rest of the red in the choir was heavily mixed with brown...last year's Pantone color-of-the-year, merlot; close to burgundy.

I told my brighter-red buddy that we were the sparkle in the glitter today.

SO....the women's conference is next weekend.  We'll see what the main red is in the decor; if it turns out to be the merlot color, I'm going to be living in black and gray for the rest of the month; all my burgundy is winter-weight.   But if it is the true red...well, I've got some of that. LOL.

BTW, the women's conference, She Is Worth, will be live streamed if anyone's interested.  We have 1191 pre-registered, which has blown away all previous records for conference pre-registration.  My job on the church staff means that I'm over the pre-registration and the check-in processes, so it's going to be a very busy week.  The first session is Thursday at 7 PM Central.  Holler if you want particulars and I can set you up with the link to the feed.  It's free...

Weekly check -in

Sunday was basically an all-day-at-church deal...we had our last-Sunday-of-the-month evening service, which was sooo good...and I went in an hour and half ahead of time to work on the women's conference registrations.  We have hit an all time record for pre-registrations for any event and have pretty much maxed out our space. We will open an overflow area should we have a large number of at-the-door registrations.  It's going to be an amazing weekend.

So I basically went home after 3rd service, ate lunch, took a quick choir wardrobe photo and then headed back to church.

And I am just now getting time to post that photo...

Hm.  Thought I cropped it.  Oh, well.

Black RTW jeans with an ancient rayon/lycra jersey cowl-less, sleeveless Loes Hinse Cowl Top that was made from a remnant.  Truth:  I have worn this leftover garment way more than I have worn the garment I made originally.  But that's ok...this is a basic, the other wasn't.  Black ponte knit McCall's Cardi that I can't look the number up on because I haven't reviewed it yet.  Oh, for shame...but you know which one it is...it's the one EVERYONE made last year...

September colors are always based on the women's conference and this year it's gray, black and garnet red.

It's going to be interesting to see how many interpretations we have of 'garnet red'....

The pillows here are garnet red; they're for the decor that will be through the whole building for the conference. I actually did 7; I took the first three to church when I finished them.  These are not high-quality pillow covers by any stretch of the imagination, but they'll work for stage dressing.

The silk burnout Plaza jacket is still exactly where it was a month ago.  I am not having fun with that and it's shutting down my sewing motivation.  I hope to get a chance this weekend to just grit my teeth and finish it; I have *so* much more I want to do but I am NOT going to start another thing until it's done.

But I might clear some UFO's...lol...