How Miss Wilde Got Her Sew-Jo Back

First of all, I really just love the term sew-jo.  It's so much easier than sewing mojo which I was using before.  Any who...

As I mentioned briefly in my last post, life has been mega crazy over the last few months.  At the end of June, I went on a trip with my brother and his family to Buffalo/Niagara Falls.  And saw freaking Weezer with my bestie/soulmate Pepper so it was pretty amazing!  Came home to the news that I may have to be moving.  Okay, start looking for places.  My mother had knee replacement surgery the Thursday after the Fourth of July, and then the call comes the very next day that my paternal grandfather has passed.  So instead of taking two days off work, I end up being in Cincinnati for almost a week dealing with that, and taking my father to the funeral in Indiana the next Tuesday.  Then I find out that I really do have to move, so I start packing and organizing and getting rid of things before I even have a place to go.  Towards the end of August, I go on vacation with my mother as usual, but we take a shorter trip than normal because of her knee.  Then my car breaks down on my way out of town for Labor Day weekend.  Get the call the next day while at my nephew's birthday party that my car is DEAD.  So I'm trying to finalize when I'm moving (I did find a place) and I have to go car shopping. 

So in the last few months I've had (1) my mom in the hospital and recovering from surgery (2) my grandfather die and his funeral (3) my car die and buying a new car and (4) moving in with a friend where I have a much smaller space so organization was hella important. So...needless to say, not much sewing has been going on, partially because of lack of time, partially because with so much going on, my sew-jo went on a vacation.

I moved September 24th, then left the next day to take a little trip with my mom.  So not much settling in happened for a while.  And a lot of it was waiting for my  new housemate to make room in the basement for things that needed stored.  I did maneuver things around so I could use my sewing machine some, because I needed it for my mental stability. So finally, I moved the storage stuff downstairs last weekend, I've got my room as good as it's going to get at least for now and I can sew again!

Now to make some progress on that huge sewing to do list...

Fall / Winter 2016 Sewing Plans

Labor Day weekend I went on a little retail therapy fabric store spree and walked out with enough fabric for four outfits, plus another top.  So here's what's on the list, some is from the spending spree, some is more wish list items:

1. Striped seventies-esque cotton Bruyére (Deer and Doe).  This wasn't part of the spending spree but it is on my to do list. And already started!
2. A matching hoodie (McCalls 7026) and skirt (McCalls 7386) out of purple sweatshirt fleece with a coordinating purple print tshirt (Burda 6820).  I'm going to alter the skirt slightly, the pattern calls for it to be longer in the back than the front so I'm either going to make a maxi skirt and even out the hem (because the one I've already made kinda drives me bonkers) or make the next shortest view, which should still be pretty long, maybe a midi length. 
3. Black and white plaid Bruyére (Deer and Doe) with pearl snaps and black jeggings (basic leggings pattern, which actually I meant to use another pattern and forgot and they're already almost done so...) to go with a pair of pink cowboy boots I own.
4. Brown denim Burda Style denim trousers with a green and cream plaid flannel pullover hoodie (vintage Simplicity 7851)
5. Red and blue plaid flannel pullover (vintage Simplicity 7851), I might not have enough to make it hooded though
6. Hooded jumper in black corduroy patterned in fall colors (vintage Simplicity 7927).  This is also already started!
7. I need to finish the shirt I started months ago for my brother.  It just needs the buttonholes and buttons.
8. New fall scrub top for my mother for work.  Needs done by Halloween so she can wear it during the Thanksgiving season. 
9. More underwear.  I'd also like to try bra making. I bought Simplicity 8229, and I also have three downloadable free patterns from the same designer. 
10. More workout clothes.  I'm looking at Butterick 6295, McCalls 7446, and McCalls 7482, mostly pants, maybe some tops.  I have a pair of pink capris started that I discovered when I was going through stuff to move so those are actually almost done. 
11. One of my favorite wrestlers is out injured and I want to make him a stuffed animal and send it to him with a card.  I have the pattern, but haven't started anything yet. 
12. I need to make a red top to wear for the Christmas choir program at church.  I had a blouse, but honestly kinda hated it so I got rid of it.  I'm thinking of vintage Simplicity 7757, the tunic version with long sleeves and pockets if I can fit them. 
13. I bought Simplicity 8243 and Simplicity 8242, but they are total wish list projects.

August and September Finished Projects

• Two pairs of underwear (August 6th) -- leftover fabric, free pattern, stash thread, purchased elastic.  It's the Rosy Ladyshorts pattern.
• Repaired a pair of pants for my mother (August 12)
• Hemmed my father's workout pants (August 12)
• Green shirtdress (August 14) -- I think I purchased everything except the white thread. It also didn't turn out that great, I don't know if it was a poor fabric choice, or if it was the wrong size, or a combination of the two.  Pattern was McCalls 7351, view B but I added pockets to the skirt



Bodice. Not super happy with the way the pockets look...



I finished the sleeve seams because the sleeves roll up and they'd be exposed.

• Fixed my Flower Power dress, used leftover pink cotton to patch an underarm hole and put a matching match on the other side so it'd be even (August 15)
• 1916 National Park Centennial suspender skirt (August 22) -- purchased pattern and fabric, stash thread and buttons 



Pattern



Trying to figure out the pattern and instructions



Mockup.



Trying to pick buttons



I was at Fort Necessity NB on the Centennial and they LOVED my outfit so they posted in online!

• Slip (August 22) -- stash pattern (same Burda that I used last time) and thread, purchased fabric and fold over elastic
• Racerback dress (free download from Hey June) for Briella (August 23) -- free pattern, purchased fabric, stash fabric and thread

• Took in two skirts for Briella
• OSU skirt for Briella -- stash fabric and elastic, no pattern
• Cinderella dress for Briella -- stash everything (all on September 3). Used the 1950s Simplicity dress pattern I used for her daisy dress, but there's not a sash.

Thirteen projects in August and September, but I've lost count of my total projects for the year.  I'll have to figure that out.  Not much sewing has been going on lately, because life has been REALLY crazy.  Thankfully I think most of the crazy is taken care of so now I need to concentrate on getting settled into my new place (sewed for the first time there last night!) and working on my fall winter to do list.