Choir Wardrobe 2/28/16

In which Simple is the name of the game...

I'm not sure why I decided to layer up what I did, but, well, it was kinda fun.

Even though the sparkle doesn't show up at all in the photo.

Colors for Feb. are Black, white and Gray; this is my (yeah, not so black any more) newest black Lee jeans, with the new acquisition-sewn-right-up gray viscose/lycra jersey Jalie 2566 T-shirt worn under a gray sparkly mesh Sewing Workshop Eureka top. 

Not flashy, not trendy, but very comfy.

But a small sadness; a bit after church, I realized I was missing an earring.  :-(

I'd only worn this pair a couple of times; they weren't terribly expensive so it's not tragic but it does make me sad.  I've no idea at all when I lost it.  The hook just somehow worked free.

I'd even had a little nudge to put a clutch on the back of them when I put them on this morning, but I didn't do it.

You'd think I'd learn...

Choir Wardrobe 2/21/16

Gray...black...white...and a new top!

It's a Vogue 8669 drapey neck shell top, made in a grayscale print stripe silk jersey that I bought on sale...oh, 3 years ago?  Maybe?  specifically to make this top for our annual black-and-white February.  It's the first time I've sewn with actual silk jersey;  I didn't realize my hands were so rough and dry!  I need to get a photo of the top without a cardi over it (Vogue 8305 here); I've got the problems with the armsceye gap all  fixed.  I don't remember what I did, back when I tweaked the pattern again, but it worked. LOL. 

I did do something a little different...I cut a band for the back neck, and, on my other tops, I folded it to the wrong side and stitched it down.  This time, I left it  on the neckline, and adjusted the depth of the pleats so the neckline is actually moved in about 5/8" on the sides. It feels more secure.

And I realize that, given the changes I've made to the neckline and the shoulders and the back neck, etc, my pattern probably is not recongizeable as the original.  But that was a great place to start and I've got 4 of these tops now that are very nice, even if the first two really do need a topper to cover the gappy armholes.

Black RPL doubleknit Loes Hinse Oxford Pants...which I reviewed in 2004 and no longer has valid photo links.  I have a couple of pieces of fabric earmarked to be Oxfords in the SWAP plan...if I can get to it.

I finished the blue cardigan that I was making from piece 2 of the fabrics I've acquired so far this year.  But it's got to go through the wash; I had a couple of developments in the construction process that I hope will get reset once it goes through the laundry.  We'll see.

Choir Wardrobe 02 14 - a splash of red...

February choir wardrobe colors are black, white and gray and...for today only...we could add a 'splash' of red or pink.

So I've got the gray wool/lycra Loes Hinse Bolero jacket...again...and my black/white stripe RPL modified Loes Hinse Oxfords, and a black (I can't remember if it's cotton or rayon...) Jalie 2566 long sleeve T, with a scarf I purchased from Talbots, oh, 8 ish years ago?  It's a heart print...perfect for Valentine's Day.  Maybe too perfect...I think it's kinda like the holiday sweater that only comes out during December.  But it made a great 'splash of red'.

I'm late posting...My Sweet Babboo and I took off after church for an overnight at our favorite local retreat-on-the-bluff, and I sewed yesterday instead of posting. :-)

But I got two tops finished on the long weekend and got a good start on two more garments...a t shirt and a cardigan...before I ran out of blue thread and had to wait until I got some more tonight.

So...I'll work on that a wee bit more before I retire for the evening.  I need some new things; it's good to be sewing, even a little...

Choir Wardrobe 2 07 16 - Grayscale February

Black, white and gray.  Sounds like February, doesn't it?  (we can add a pop of red or pink next week as it is Valentine's day...lol).

But I wanted to try the monochromatic gray, which, according to the featured Bloglovin' style post, is tres vogue right now.

As if.  LOL.

So.  A gray RTW baby cable cotton T Neck sweater,  the gray denim Jalie Jeans Jacket, and a pair of wool/lycra pants that I made from a Burda pattern  back in something like 2003 that I might or might not have reviewed but am too lazy to go look it up.  The pants fit really weirdly and I threw them into the back of the closet...now, 15 pounds later they fit fairly well.  Ya never know...

I made the long necklace, too, discovering that wire work is not as hard or as time consuming as I thought it would be.

Another craft to stash stuff for...lol...

Speaking of stash, I HAVE CUT OUT EVERY PIECE OF FABRIC THAT ARRIVED IN MY ONLY PURCHASE SO FAR THIS YEAR!  Yes, I know that's yelling but that's huge.  I'm so proud of me at this moment. :-D

AND - I've cut tops out of two other pieces of fabric as well.

So now it's time to leave the cutting table and actually sew some stuff.

Some of it might even actually turn out to be SWAP worthy.

Which, I know, is not the heart and soul of SWAP... I'm supposed to make a plan and stick to it.

But, you know...I think if you BUY with a plan...think how the pieces will work as you accumulate them... SEWING with a plan kinda automatically happens.  The tops will go with the bottoms will go with the toppers.  Because the fabric all coordinated as it came in.

Just a thought...

I have not forgotten about the 10 Year Giveaway, either.  I'm coming up on  1800 posts to Sew Random; I'm shooting for having the giveaway ready to announce on the rollover post.

Which is about 12 posts away.  Stay tuned. ;-)

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. ;-)

Haz Mat Warning

I finished the last of the sheep costumes this morning...I really had to make myself do it, dress rehearsal is tonight.  That fleecy stuff does  not just generate feathery debris, I found; it also generates  very fine, almost invisible, fiber coating on EVERYTHING.  ( I didn't take any more photos, but you can refer to my last post for an idea of what I was dealing with)

After coughing and hacking and feeling kinda bronchitis-y I wised up and tied an old rag over my nose and mouth to cut down on the fibers I inhaled.  I wish I'd had a set of goggles...my eyes are itchy and red and irritated. I'm on antibiotic eye drops, because there was a problem that really started before I got the fleece, but it has gotten aggravated as I've worked through the costumes.

But they are done; I used about 1/2 the sheets on a lint roller to get the fiber off the cutting board (at least it doesn't feel slick now) and vacuumed the carpet...and most everything else in a 3 foot radius of the cutting table.  This may move the 'clean and organize the sewing nook' project up the priority list...right now, I can't even vacuum in there (bein' honest here...).

So...should you be called upon to make sheep costumes with the admittedly perfect-for-the-garment curly fiber fleece...take appropriate care....

This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood sewing blogger...

Sewing in an Apron...

..in an attempt to keep the white feathery debris from adhering to my clothing.

The costuming task that I have is to create costumes that suggest sheep for 5 little girls, who will be with Bo Peep in the Toys segment of the Christmas Eve production.

We've had pretty short notice, and I'm making it up as I go...per the usual costuming gig. ;-)

We have white sweatsuits for them, so we're layering a tunic vest made from the poly fleecy stuff.  It is ALL OVER.

I finally got smart and took each piece as it was cut,very carefully folded it and carried it over to a large shopping bag I'd hung from a doorknob, draped the piece into the bag and then shook it like a terrier to get rid of as much floof as I could.

Pity I didn't think of it sooner...

Looking down the apron after cutting out one sheep set...

 Debris on the cutting table...

The tail to be wagged behind her...

I have made all the ears and all the tails and one of the vests; two more vests are cut out.  We have a rehearsal tomorrow night (I'm just a body in the gospel choir finale)....hoping to get them done so I can check the length of the tunics.  They may need a little adjusting...

I'm thinking tomorrow's going to be a rather short work day.  But I have some vacation time to burn, so it will be fine...

Choir Wardrobe 12 13 15

December colors: Red, black and gray

Modified Jalie Pleated Cardigan in red rayon blend (same as last week, actually);   black and gray rayon/lycra jersey stripe Jalie 2566 cap sleeve T , gray Lee jeans and red Cobb Hill shoes. (Quickly becoming a fashion rule of thumb for me...if I can get away with red shoes, wear 'em!)

We put up and decorated a Virginia Pine Christmas tree that we cut fresh yesterday; we haven't had a fresh tree for several years.  It was something of an adventure, as the first tree farm we visited had  a selection of truly pitiful little trees.  I had a huge 'to do' list, but a series of light string failures (three in a row!) put us very late finishing.  So I'm going to do the blog posts and then just get up in the morning and finish the urgent part of the to-do list.  I've got some vacation hours to burn  anyway.


The tree is pure kitsch...mismatched lights,  random ornaments, not a shred of tulle or feathers or flowers or fruit anywhere to be seen.... ;-)

And yeah, the window's open.  El Nino year and all..it was 73 today.  Good thing the tree is up; I'd never get myself to believe it was December otherwise...

Choir Wardrobe 12/6/15 - With the Choir in Red, can Christmas be far behind?

Well, technically the colors are red, black and gray. 

And this is a hop-in-front-of-the timer photo.

But it's all good. 

Modified Jalie 2919 Pleated Cardigan and a sleevless mock-t that I quite honestly can't remember the pattern on...both made of rayon/lycra jersey blend in a kind of twist on a twinset.

Jalie basic flair legged pants, made up in a dollar bargain lycra/poly blend that came from the dollar table at Wal-mart.  Have never managed to review the pants,  and the fabric feels icky but is a wonderful red and white pinstripe coloration, so it stays in the wardrobe.

And it just so happens I made the necklace, too...my first venture into wirework jewelry.

It was not as hard as I thought, and it didn't take as long as I expected...I'll probably do more.

In my spare time, of course.

Bwahahahahaha!!!

Choir Wardrobe 11/29/15

November's colors:  black, gray and burgundy.

On the finished porch!  By the charmingly pathetic retro aluminum Christmas tree! Who cares what I'm wearing? LOL

But...because it's the sewing blog and all...burgundy slinky Textile Studio Monaco Shell,  Gray rayon jersey Sewing Workshop Ann's Cardigan and black Lee jeans.

Some one (at church, no less!) happened to ask if I were sporting University of Alabama colors.

Um...that would be a big fat NO.

November choir colors.  Ahem.  One of my favorite combos, actually.  Such a shame it gets confused with other intentions...

Happy 1st Sunday in Advent!!

Fabric, Cushions and a Staple Gun...

...and a willing Sweet Baboo to do the manhandling stuff...

I've not been able to get to the sewing machine due to the misplaced stuff, but I hit a magical moment about a week ago.

Amid all the dusting and cleaning of places where sheetrock dust had accumulated, My Sweet Babboo happened to look closely at the nearly 20 year old dinette chairs.

'Those are gross.' he stated.

Weellll....I had just so happened to have picked up a couple of upholstery flat folds and some foam cushions back when Hancock's had a sale last summer.  Just for the very purpose of replacing the seat cushions and covers.

We started with the bench.  Which was kinda not so smart, as it was the most complicated one...cutout corners and pieced foam cushion (from the leftovers of the slab used for the porch swing cushion).  But...we did have the hardest one out of the way first.  We worked on the other 4 chairs for the set over the next few days...one at a time.

 In all honesty, these are pretty cheap chairs; we got the set at a local flea market and the soft wood has picked up more than its share of dings and scratches; one or two have had to be repaired.

But, with materials on sale and our own labor, it's good enough to get us a little farther down the road. ;-)

And, because I just picked up two lengths of the flatfold, we decided there was enough leftover to do another desperately needed recover:  our almost 35 year old card table set.  Some of the chairs have been 'repaired' with duck tape...that was the case for the one we recovered first.  There are three more to go and...as luck would have it...I got a Hancock's coupon in my email Monday  that was only good for 2 days, so I managed to get the extra foam cushions AND a chunk of vinyl to recover the table as well, on sale and with the coupon.

But we decided to pack up the recover tools until after Thursday...got plenty to do between now and then to get somewhat moved back into some semblance of order.  It's going...slowly...but it's going.

A Little Photo Catching Up...

 A quick catch - up post.... we took Choir Wardrobe photos last week and this week, but I'm not going into great detail on them; last week, the only thing I wore that had passed through the sewing machines was the silk/rayon burnout scarf.  Today I made the tunic dress and the leggings...the dress last year and the leggings, oh, 20 years ago?  Maybe?

But the renovation work is finally done.  We still have to move the furniture back in...but that's going to involve a LOT of rearranging in other parts of the house, so I'm not sure how long it will take.

If you compare those in-front-of-the-fireplace photos to earlier ones, you'll see the difference between the yucky pink carpet and our new tile hearth apron.  It looks so much classier.:-)

A couple of composite photos to just share the transformation; each of them show the appearance of the room when we bought the house in the upper left, and the end result in the lower right.

First, the den, which we didn't plan to renovate at this time, just because we didn't put two and two together and realize that, duh, we were knocking the wall out...we need to redo both rooms!









 Then the sunroom, which has been in transition for about 4 1/2 years.  I was nearly despairing of ever seeing it done...

Because I was impatient, the 'finish' photo isn't quite; we still needed lights and the ceiling fans.

So, here are a couple of photos showing the lights and the ceiling fans, which My Sweet Babboo installed yesterday.

So...now begins the frenzy to get the furniture redistributed before Thanksgiving...



And, as I likely won't get back to the blog for anything significant for at least a week, Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow 'Mericans; I hope you get to spend time with family and friends and that you have much to be thankful for!

I know I do. :-)

Ten years ago today....

Sew Random's first post went up.

There's been a lot of thread through the machines...costuming and otherwise...in the last ten years.  Lots of things...sewing and otherwise... 1773 posts...published here

I had planned to do a big celebration and giveaway to commemorate the occasion.

However.

I did not expect to be neck-deep in renovation...which spread to at least twice its original scope...when November 4th rolled around.

So I haven't been blogging, and I haven't been sewing, and I haven't been able to put together a proper giveaway.

Sorta like the kid who gets chicken pox three days before the scheduled birthday party.

So, while I'm not sure exactly WHEN I'll get to it, or WHAT precisely it will turn out to be, I am going to do a giveaway.  It may have more than one part.  Still pondering the possibilities.

But, because it's a thank you to folks who have stuck with me over the years, because, well, I DO thank you, I'm going to limit it to people who are following me/subscribed in some manner.  Now, it'll be on the honor system, as I'm just going to ask how you're following since there's no way I can look everywhere I might have followers.  And because I appreciate a new commitment as much as an old one, I'm not going to be picky about when you signed up.

So...the celebration is not cancelled, only delayed until things have moved back into their proper place.  Just so there's no confusion, I'm not asking for contest sign up yet. Stay tuned. :-)

And, since I'm here...an update on the renovation: I feel like we're hoarders; with all the stuff from 2  1/2 rooms crammed into the remaining 2 1/2 rooms downstairs....we have a path.  And a plastic curtain (it has moved from the original position and now seals off the dinette as well as the family room) that we have to walk around the hall to circumvent.

I am very seriously trying not to be claustrophobic in my own house.  But the contractor has assured us he will be done sanding sheetrock in a day or two and the plastic curtain, at least, can come down. That will help...but I don't think I'll relax until I can see some space in the living room again.

The furniture can't go back in the rooms until the carpet is laid, though...and I'm seriously wondering if that's going to happen before Thanksgiving.  It's going to be close.

Very close.

Blogging break

I just can't seem to get to the 'new post' window...this home renovation stuff is nutso.  We're redoing two rooms...all that stuff is crammed, stacked, wedged and piled around the rest of the house.

It's nearly claustrophobic.

So I'm just going to holler 'UNCLE' here and take a blogging break until we can get some sort of order re established.

Hopefully  we'll be ALL done by Thanksgiving...

Choir Wardrobe 10/18/15

 Busy weekend...I didn't get my brown top cut out; mayhap I can get that done next week....

So I went with old and familiar... for the third week in a row, my brown wool jersey Pamela's Patterns 110, over my orange stretch lace Jalie 2566 T shirt, a burnout poly scarf from a remnant, and the new brown RTW jeans that obviously need to be rolled up just a bit.  I don't want to shorten them just yet; experience has taught me to let jeans go through 4 or 5 wash cycles before deciding whether or not to hem them.  I don't plan to put these through the dryer, due to the lycra content, but I am not going to do any adjustin' until I'm convinced they're not going to change length.

My inlaws did make it down; we went to an annual Royal Ranger event; a fundraiser for a local ministry that allows the Rangers to have use of their property for various camp outs during the year.  They run a number of 'buy a ticket and have fun' events.. and invite the community to come and have fun. 

My favorite activity was watching My Sweet Babboo man the 25-foot rappelling tower; he did the final hook - up for the kids and coached them over the side.  That's a pretty cool guy I married. ..in his FCF gear, getting a young fellow ready to go over the side.

:-)