Sewjo is a Fickle Thing

After completing the Spring in Prague SWAP, I was a little lost as to what to sew next.  I hadn't lost my sewjo, but just really couldn't choose what to sew next.  Does anyone else feel this?  It was probably a combination of too much sewing stimulation while I was on holidays, as in "I want to sew ALL the things!" because I actually had time to browse blogs, but had no access to a sewing machine.  Combine this with jet lag and no real plans, and it turned into a full-blown analysis paralysis situation.

I took the proverbial step back after realizing it was the end of June with the start of July being very near (How did that happen?), and we were more than the halfway through the year.  I made some goals at the beginning of the year that I hadn't reviewed for a while and decided to pick my next project from the #makenine2018 list I had made.

While I was on holidays, I was struck by the number of gorgeous dresses I saw women wearing. Dresses, in my opinion, are the perfect answer to hot weather, especially if they have no defined waist.  Due to the unseasonably hot weather we've been having recently, I chose McCalls 7387 from my #makenine2018 list for my next project.

I decided on a cross between View A and View C, using the sleeve bands, and the style of hem from View A, but the length of View C.  I also opted not to include pockets.  I chose a black cross-weave cotton-mystery blend fabric from my stash.  I thought that the mystery fabric was mildly stiff but should relax with washing.  If it didn't relax as much as I want as quickly as I wanted it to, I figured I would wash it with some Coke.  It turns out that I had the perfect amount of fabric for this dress.  I cut size Large, and didn't do any of my standard adjustments - I figured that it was a pretty relaxed fit with plenty of ease, so I hoped it would be okay and just went ahead and cut.

I started sewing it with high hopes, but then my sewjo just took a dive.  I couldn't figure out why at first and came up with all sorts of reasons as to why I was avoiding the sewing room.  It was too hot.  I was too tired.  I worked a 14 hour day.  It was too early to go into the sewing room.  There was too much stuff on the cutting table.  I had laundry piled on the ironing board.  It was too late.  The dog ate my homework...you get the idea.  I had a sewing retreat planned with a friend of mine and really needed to figure this out!!

This past weekend was our sewing retreat and I was still sort of "meh" about this project, but it was my current project that was already in progress.  My machines were threaded up with the right colour, and had the right needles, and I really wanted to finish the dress just for the sake of finishing it.  I told myself that pressing will make the dress better.  The fabric will get softer as I wear it over time.  I had hangups about the back pleats and how the fabric sort of stuck out from my butt when I tried it on, as well as the shoulder width feeling much too wide, but I just told myself it would be magically okay if I kept working on it.  So, in spite of all of this, I soldiered forward telling myself I couldn't make any judgements about this garment. 

I kept merrily sewing along, to the point of the directions for the front "fly," front "band" and front "facing."  Things did not go as planned, and I ended up with a very nicely executed backwards opening front hidden placket that seemed significantly lower than what the pattern illustrations indicated.  When dissecting the instructions to figure out what went wrong, my sewing friend kindly pointed out that I had been kvetching about this project for the entirety of the time we were in my Atelier and that maybe I should just ditch the whole thing and start fresh.

Which is what I did.

And I'll be damned if it didn't feel good!

Of course, this coincided with the end of the sewing day for us, so I very happily poured myself a glass of a celebratory glass of wine for the return of my sewjo and delved into plans for my next project*. 

The moral of the story is that sometimes it's just best to cut your losses and move on! 


*I'm pleased to announce the sewjo has returned with a frenzy and the cutting table is currently littered with fabric and patterns for my next capsule wardrobe!

We're Halfway through 2018!

Well, my friends, it's been a while since I've done a check in.  Funnily enough, when I (mostly) finished my Spring in Prague SWAP, I told my mom I don't have any sewing plans and it felt really odd.  So, I figured I should do another check-in to review my goals and see where I'm at.

My May goals were these:

Knitting

1.  Finish the Custom Comfy Fade Cardigan I've been working on.  Gosh, I'm loving the way this is turning out.  I want to take it with me on my upcoming vacation, so there's a deadline.  I'm on the first sleeve, so it's still do-able! Well, I didn't finish this for my vacation, but I'm currently working on the second sleeve, so it's getting closer to being done.  It was too hot to wear on my vacation anyways...



Sewing

1.  Keep working on the Spring in Prague SWAP.  I don't have *that* much left, and I'm planning on a full sewing retreat weekend this weekend! I pretty much finished the SWAP in time for my vacation, with the exception of one top.  I did a post on the items I actually took along with me - which varied a bit from my original plans.  You can see that post here.

Reading

1.  Finish Three Days Road by Joseph Boyden. Done!  While not a happy read, it was an excellent book that kept my interest until the very end.  I highly recommend this book.
2.  Load up the Kindle for my upcoming vacation (any recommendations for books taking place in Prague?) Done!  I ended up starting The Early Investigations of Joanne Kilbourn by Gail Bowen (not related to Prague at all, but one my mom was reading as well and recommended), and I started reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain after I heard the horrible news of his untimely death.
3.  Continue reading Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg Done!

Health/Fitness

1. Be more diligent about what "fuel" I put into my body, and my reduce sugar intake. Well, vacation kind of did me in on this - I mean, beer in Prague, wine and Aperol Spritzes in Austria, "German" style potato salad and schnitzels, and the cheese, not to mention the daily cakes at coffee time! Walking between 10-20 km a day really helped me maintain my weight while I was away (yes, I am super proud of that!).  Mom and I often only ordered an appetizer each at lunch and split them, and typically only one piece of cake for the two of us at coffee time.  I am learning I am very rigid with myself and feel a large amount of guilt if I vary from my perception of what healthy is.  Being in Europe helped me realize that I can absolutely enjoy a lot more variety, but moderation is key for a healthy lifestyle.  Guilt is not helpful in any way.
2. Continue with my yoga practice, daily if possible. I did yoga once with Mom while we were away (and loved it - thanks Adriene!), and have already gotten back into my practice when I came back home. It makes a huge difference in how I start my day.
3. Add kettlebells and kickboxing into my routine. I haven't done this yet, but the intentions are good!
4.  Continue walking, daily if possible.  Today was absolutely ridiculously too hot for walking outdoors of any kind, but walking is another thing that makes me feel good.  I don't have to reach the 10-20 km a day that we were doing while I was away (yes, I absolutely am proud of that!) but certainly a few km in the morning and again at night, weather permitting make me feel better.

Miscellaneous

1. Continue cleaning and purging in L'Atelier.   I was amazed at how much stash I used for my Spring in Prague SWAP.  It feels good to work through it.  Being apart from my "stuff" while on holidays always makes me wonder how much of it I actually need, but coming home to it always makes me appreciate what I do have.  

Goals for June

Knitting

1.  Finish Cupcakes in Vienna socks - these are my current mindless knit which are awesome for my jet lagged mind, and I'm loving The Yarn Jar's base and colourway.  You can find her shop here.  Also the memory of knitting on them on the rooftop terrace in Vienna, overlooking the spires of the Mexican Cathedral is inspiring me to finish.
2.  Continue working on the second sleeve for the Custom Comfy Fade Cardigan.  It's currently too bloody hot to wear this (or even knit on it) but I will need (and want) it at some point this summer, and just can't wait to wear it when it's cool enough.
3.  Continue working on my April Switcheroo Socks - I need to recover from jet lag first as I do need to think a little while working on this pattern, but maybe I can get them done before July rolls around.
4.  Start my May PSC socks - the yarn was wound before I left...

Sewing

1. Sew a pair of cropped Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers - these would make the perfect summer pants in a medium weight cotton, IMHO.  They would go very nicely with the new ballet flats I've purchased.  Plus I've got these on my #makenine2018.
2.  Sew a Sew Over It Ella Blouse to coordinate with the aforementioned SOI Ultimate Trousers.  I have the perfect fabric picked out already, I just need to find some coordinating fabric for the pants.  Also on my #makenine2018.
3.  The Beverly Bikini by Named Clothing.  While packing for my recent trip, I discovered I was woefully short on bathing suits I want to be seen in public in.  This would be perfect for a beach trip (yet to be scheduled, but now I've got an incentive for both!)
4.  McCalls 7387 shirt dress.  While in Europe, I noticed SO. MANY. DRESSES.  I've wanted one of these shirtdresses forevahhh, and even have fabric already pulled.

Reading

1.  Finish the third book in the first Gail Bowen trilogy (Joanne Kilbourn mysteries).  I've got the next anthology on hold from the library, but who knows when I'll get it...
2.  Finish Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.  Anthony, I'll miss you.  You've got an amazing point of view on life, food and travel that I discovered only a few years ago.  I devoured your TV shows and now I'm working my way through your books.  Thank you for all you've shared.  I'm so very sad you struggled and couldn't carry on.
3.  Start another book by Anthony Bourdain (I purchased a few upon hearing about this death)
4.  Read Sisi by Allison Pataki.  Sisi was a beloved yet eccentric Austrian-Hungarian Habsburg Empress whose apartments I toured when in Vienna recently.  I read the first book about Sisi by Allison Pataki, called Accidental Empress and couldn't wait for the next book, Sisi, to be released.  Seeing her apartments reminded me of the release of the book, which I also subsequently purchased.

Health/Fitness

1. Continue yoga 3x/week.
2.  Start kickboxing and kettlebells workouts.  Dragonboat season is upon us and I really need to kick up the core workouts (see what I did there?! Kick...kickboxing...haha)
3.  Focus on incorporating more vegetables into my diet.  I am typically woefully short on them in my daily diet, and summer is the perfect time to enjoy them.

Miscellaneous

I'm going to quit saying "Purge L'atelier."  It's starting to become one of those "Shoulds."  I want to enjoy the time in my sewing room, and sewing because I "hafta" isn't a reason to continue on with this hobby.  Yes, I have A. LOT. of stash.  Do I love it?  Mostly.  Will I use all of it?  Maybe.  So, I've decided that if I come across something I no longer love, I'll use it for a toile, or get rid of it without any guilt.  Mostly, I just want to sew when I'm down there.

What ya working on?

Get Down with your Bad Self

Oh my gosh, you guys!  I had so much fun with this next make.  I have had this pattern in my stash for ever and ever, literally - I think I picked it up when it first came out.  But for some reason I kept putting it off because I thought it was hard. I used to sew wedding gowns and alter prom dresses.  Why on earth would I think that making this pattern would be so hard??  I stalked the reviews at Patternreview.com and finally worked up my nerve to include it as part of my #makenine2018 just to get it off my #scarypatternlist.

Yes, this is the iconic Kwik Sew 3764 motorcycle jacket.

I chose an olive green stretch cotton twill that I've also had in my stash forever and ever.  I have no idea where I bought this from, or even how long I've had it.  I'm pretty sure it's embarrassingly old - like so old I think I moved it from my old house.  And that was almost 10 years ago.

The zippers are new, from my local Fabricland chain store.  The snaps are also new.

I made my usual swayback adjustment to the pattern and lengthened the sleeves by 1".

During the making process, I decided to narrow the shoulders by about 3/4".  They're still plenty wide, which is the style of the jacket.  You'll also note the gorgeous embroidered rose applique on the left sleeve near the hem.  I blame a friend of mine who showed up at our most recent sewing retreat this past winter for introducing me to these.  I bought mine from Amazon.ca here.

The sleeve vents weren't hard at all - the instructions were very easy to follow, and turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.  I think the hardest part was inserting the snaps.  The directions on the packet said to try it on a scrap of fabric first.  Of course, I knew better and went gangbusters to the first snap on the epaulet.  And...if course, I dinged the part that holds the snap together with the hammer and it almost didn't close.  I used said hammer to bang the two pieces together.  At least it isn't going to be opened and closed regularly, so it's all okay.

The best part of the jacket is...

THE BACK!!!  I used the applique stitch on my machine to sew all of these roses on.  I'd be happier if I did this before the entire jacket was completed, but honestly, I didn't even think of adding the appliques until my friend showed up with hers.  (Thanks Kelli!! I think it really elevates the jacket!)

I didn't add any lining, though if I make this again, I think I will.  It just helps the jacket slip off and on easier.  The fit is also a bit roomier than I would like, but it certainly looks good, if I do say so myself.

The jacket turned out great, especially because I thought it was so scary before I started.  #sewinggoals I'll consider this a win for both #makenine2018 and my Spring in Prague SWAP!

Spring Travel Plans = Spring SWAP plans

Even though we've passed the spring equinox, our days aren't feeling very spring like.  The sun is shining brightly and longer, but it's still cold out.  Despite that, when the days get longer and sunnier, my thoughts turn towards spring.  And to me spring means a bright fun wardrobe.  I'm almost done the first phase of my current SWAP, with only two more items to go (a skirt and a jacket).  I've finished the pants but haven't blogged them yet.  BUT...I've also just booked plane tickets to go to Prague in June.  #soexcited

Travelling to me means SWAP or capsule wardrobe.  I travel with only a carry on bag, which means new SWAP is in order.

My first order of business when planning a SWAP or capsule wardrobe is always to browse - magazines, online, Pinterest, photographs, books.  In this case, I searched Pinterest for "Spring Wardrobe", "Spring Outfits" and "Prague Outfits".  When something catches my eye, I start my own board, specifically for that SWAP or season.  I keep pinning more and more outfits or photographs of anything that catches my eye.  When I have about twenty or thirty, I again take a closer look at what it is that catches my eye - in this case it was a combination of the colours coral and olive, and that the clothes were relaxed yet pretty and feminine.  Here's a perfect example of a colour palette I found on Pinterest:

The next step is to go digging through my stash.  My stash is expansive, so this always takes some time, but I always have so much fun stash-diving.  This time, I combined this with a bit of a sewing space clean out and donated/tossed some fabrics I know I won't be using (ever!).  I do the same thing with my fabrics as I did with Pinterest, just pull things that catch my eye, that fit the colour palette and fit the feeling of the collection that I'm going for.  I don't organize specific fabrics to specific patterns until later.  I found some good stuff:

 

The next thing I do to plan my travel wardrobe is to write the list of events I'll be attending, activities I'll be doing, as well as do a bit of research on the anticipated weather for the time of year I'll be travelling.  Am I travelling for work?  Am I travelling for pleasure?  Do I need certain clothes to do certain activities (swimming, hiking, biking, city walking, attending meetings or parties, etc.)?  I write an outline of the clothes I think I'll need - this is based off my travel  experience, my sewing experience with SWAP and a lot of research.  I have a standard formula of clothing items that seems to work really well (highlighted in bold below).  This formula can be suited towards any type of vacation, simply change the style of clothing required.  For example, the jacket can be either a suit jacket or blazer, or an athletic waterproof fabric, or a relaxed and cozy cardigan.

On this trip, I'll be doing mostly European city touristy/vacation type things - museums, in-town walking tours, art galleries, but I also like to dress for dinner, and there is the possibility of an evening reception or two.  So, I'm going for a business casual wardrobe with a dress or separates that can be dressed up a bit.

Here's what I'm thinking:

1.  Jacket, olive green cotton motorcycle style jacket, Kwik Sew 3764 (one of my Make Nine!)

2.  Pants #1 - Tan textured cotton Lander Pants, view C (another #makenine2018)

3.  Pants #2 - Vogue 8330 slim cut jeans in blush stretch "denim"

4.  Skirt #1 in a solid colour - Vogue 7805 in olive cotton

5.  Skirt #2 in a print or check - I'm switching this out to a pair of cropped wide-legged trousers in an olive medium weight linen/cotton blend - I'm thinking if the Lander Pants above is a success, why not use the same pattern but the cropped length (view B) for these?

6.  Top #1 - blush pink rayon jersey drapey tee, Sandra Betzina Vogue 1291 OOP

7.  Top #2 - coral pink cotton/lycra jersey drapey tee with 3/4 length sleeves, M7249

8.  Top #3 - creamy white cotton/linen shirt, Butterick 5678

 & 9.  Top #4 - tropical print cotton shirt, Butterick 5678, sleeveless

10.  Top #5 - ITY print in brown and cream, sleeveless tee/tank

11.  Top #6 - flow-y sleeve loose tee, olive jersey, New Look 6913

I'm also throwing in an easy jersey dress which can be dressed up or down, and a pair of leggings and a lightweight hoodie in brown knit technical fabric.  I'll need the dress for dinner out one or two nights, and the leggings and hoodie will be my pjs and yoga gear.   For the dress I've chosen the infinity dress pattern from Butterick, in an olive green jersey, which will give me lots of different looks.

I have also found a cozy cardigan and a lightweight rain jacket to layer over everything are necessary items.  I have a really unique wool sweater knit fabric in an olive-y/tan/brown colour for a Blackwood cardigan.  I haven't figured out what fabric or pattern for the rain jacket yet.

Accessories will include scarves, a few cheap but gorgeous statement necklaces, hoop earrings in gold, and two pairs of supportive shoes (one casual pair and one dressier yet just as comfortable pair, perhaps sandals of some kind).

As you can see, this SWAP has absolutely nothing to do with my previous SWAP - the colours I've chosen aren't immediately noticeably cohesive with the previous capsule wardrobe I've sewn, but I think there will be the ability to mix and match some of them together.  Regardless, I am blessed with a large closet, a large stash of fabric, and loads of patterns.  And I'm sewing (and eventually wearing) what will make me happy.

Failure in Greyscale

I start off all of my sewing projects with such high hopes.  I usually have a pretty clear vision of the outcome in my mind, but sometimes things don't go as you plan.  I would like desperately need some new loungewear.  I love Olivia Pope's loungewear and aspire to create some new garments similar to hers - luxurious, flowy, soft and elegant over the crazy printed flannel pants and a fleece sweatshirt I currently now turn to.

One of my #makenine2018 goals is the Toaster Sweater by Sew House Seven.  I originally was thinking of the #1, but when I searched through my patterns, I realized I only had purchased #2.  So, I decided to use that one instead.  I used a medium weight heathered light grey French terry from my stash - it's deep stash (when I think about it, I probably purchased it more than 10 years ago) and I have no idea where it came from.  I added an 1" to the length of the sleeves, but otherwise made it as per the original pattern in a size large.  I used a light pink thread, mostly because I was lazy and it was what was on my sewing machine and serger, but it turned out to add a neat touch (in my opinion anyway).

Here's the result.

Toaster Sweater #2 - Front

Toaster Sweater #2 - Back

Toaster Sweater #2 - Side view

Doesn't look too bad, right?  Well, when I put it on...let's just say this is why I want to make a direct copy of my body for a dressform.  I am much more well endowed than the dressform and as a result, when I wear the top it juts out from my bust level and sort of hangs weirdly straight down.  Like a tent.  Or a short mumu.  Not Olivia Pope-esque at all.  I really should have done a FBA and sized down a little for the front and back pieces of this but again, lazy.  Other than that, I do like this pattern.  The funnel neck is cozy but not restricting like a turtleneck can be.  The side vents are also a lovely feature, as is the back hemline being lower than the front hemline.  I'll still wear this, but it won't see the light of day.

Let's move on to the pants of this outfit.  I used the Hudson Pant, View A in size 12.  I've made these a few times before, and love the versions I made previously.  Here's the result of my current attempt:

Looks good, right?  Well...for whatever reason, I totally ignored the "this pattern is drafted for a woman of 5'5" with a 28" inseam" line that is VERY. CLEARLY. WRITTEN. in the pattern instructions.  I am not 5'5", nor do I have  28" inseam.  I am, in fact, 5'9" with a 34" inseam.  I bet you can guess the outcome of this...THE PANTS ARE WAY TOO SHORT.  I don't know what I was thinking.  Nor do I know why I didn't make any notations on my traced copy of the pattern that I used two or three times already or even why I didn't adjust the actual pattern piece itself!  I can (and will) cut the cuffs off and make them into view B, which is the capris version.  But that means it's not the snuggly warm version I was looking for to wear NOW.

There you have it.  Failure in greyscale.  Back to the drawing board.

#makenine2018

I wasn't originally going to take part in the Make Nine project this year.  Despite my love of SWAPs, I don't really like being tied to specific patterns as I am more of an intuitive sewist - meaning I sew how I feel.  If I feel like sewing a bathing suit in the middle of winter, then I'll sew a bathing suit.  If I feel like sewing a parka in the middle of summer, I'll do that too.  Then, this morning, while scrolling through my Instagram account, I totally got caught up in all the beautiful plans people are posting and the next thing I knew, I had a list in my bullet journal of the nine patterns I want to include in my sewing plans for this year.

#1.  Toaster Sweater, Sew House Seven (found here)

photo credit: www.sewhouse7.com

I have seen so many beautiful comfy looking makes of this pattern that I just can't help jumping on this bandwagon.  I need to improve my lounging game from flannel pants and a ratty old sweatshirt and this fits the bill nicely.  I already own this pattern, which is a plus.  My first planned version of this will be in grey heathered terry.

#2.  Ultimate Trousers, Sew Over It (found here)

photo credit:  www.sewoverit.co.uk

I am a huge fan of Lisa Comfort, and I've sewn a few of the Sew Over It patterns in the past. In fact, there are very few patterns from SOI that I don't own.  These have been on my list for-EVAH.  2018 is the year I'll finally get around to sewing them.

#3.  Ella Blouse, Sew Over It (found here)

photo credit:  www.sewoverit.co.uk

Read what I wrote for #2.  Ditto.

#4.  Fenway Bra, Orange Lingerie (found here)

photo credit: www.orange-lingerie.com

I've owned this pattern since it came out too, and I've been putting off sewing it because of the perceived  angst I'd have to go through in order to get it to fit just right.  I'm now envisioning all of the lovely pretty lingerie I could have if I just got over the angst-y part of it.  I'm also riding the high on my recent success with my Boylston Bra makes (view here) so I figured I should give it a go!

#5.  Lander Pants, True Bias (found here)

photo credit: www.truebias.com

I don't currently own this pattern, but I'll gladly go off my self-imposed pattern buying ban because...LOOKIT those pants.  Every pair I've seen have been SO cool.  And the options for a cropped pair and shorts!  And I want to do the #landerpantsdance!!

#6.  M7387  McCalls Shirt Dress (found here)

photo credit: www.mccallpattern.mcall.com

View C with a shirt-tail hem, in light blue chambray, please!  Seriously, I've been fantasizing about a chambray shirt dress for a very.long.time.  Am I the only one to use the word "fantasize" when referring to sewing dreams?  Ahem...anyway...

#7.  Beverly Twisted Bikini, Named Clothing (found here)

photo credit: www.indiesew.com

Every girl needs a cool bathing suit.  One that makes her feel comfortable and sexy.  And wearing something different than everyone else on the beach.  This looks like it has a lot of potential for meeting those needs for me!  I own this pattern already, which is also a plus.

#8.  KS3764, KwikSew (found here)

photo credit: www.kwiksew.mccall.com

The Iconic Moto Jacket.  I've been dreaming about this one too.  I even have the red faux leather (vegan leather?, pleather?) in my stash awaiting it's moment.

AND...last but not least...

#9.  Renfew Top, Sewaholic (found here)

photo credit:  www.sewaholicpatterns.com

I have a lot of self-made tee shirts, from a lot of different pattern companies.  While I adore my most recent makes from my beloved Agnes tee pattern, I have had this pattern kicking around and want to use it too.  While I'm typing this post, it has gone from heavy rain to freezing rain to blustery snow, and version C with it's cuddly cowl is calling out to me!  This is another pattern that will span the seasons, so it doesn't matter what time of year it is when I get around to sewing it!

**Appendix for things I can't say "No" to:

A.  I also desperately want to make a fedora-style hat.  We have a local hat shop here in my town that offers classes, and it's been on my list of things to do.  WILL.DO.

B.  The Esplanade Bra by Orange Lingerie is also on my drool list.  As a strapless bra, it goes beyond angst-y to down right scary in my world of perceived fitting anxieties.  If I can accomplish my first nine, maybe I'll give this a go.

There you have it.  #makenine2018  Somebody remind me of this post when I'm making my millionth Boylston Bra.