Singing my SWAP Song

"Or how to wrestle 6 yards of fabric into three fantastic wardrobe pieces!"

I have alluded to the fact that I was going to show some of what I was working on. I mean I may be a sewing commentator by day but I am truly an obsessed garment sewer by evening and weekends! So listed below are the garment pieces which have invaded my mind and won't let go!

Take 3 yards of a tie-dyed rust colored knit found for $1.99 per yard during the summer at H&M Fabrics in NYC (pictured above). Add to it the paprika rayon knit (to the left) from Timmel Fabrics. Then use Burda OOP #8869 as your jump off point. And what you get is magic!

This journey began because I needed additional tops to finish my SWAP pieces, which I mentioned in my very first post. The plan is finally coming together like a good hook in a top 10 R&B tune. You know that chorus that you just can't stop humming all day long...well that's what's happening with the three new pieces I am creating. They just keep playing over and over and over in my mind.

The two fabrics shown above are very important to my SWAP but after coming up with the twinset pieces I still had fabric remaining so I decided to add one more piece. I am going to make a version of the red v-neck wrap top in the center of the pattern pictured below. One sleeve and part of the front wrap will be from the tie-dyed fabric and the other side of the wrap, the second sleeve and the back will be from the rust fabric. I am hoping to find at my favorite trim store, Daytona Trimmings in NYC, a stretch velvet or velour fold over trim in rust. I will use that on the neckline and sleeve hems for the final detail!

Butterick 3344

www.voguepatterns.com

So here is the first almost finished piece of the three (the beginning of the hook). It is a dress length version of the cardigan pictured above. It will have bands of the rust knit at the sleeves, down the front and as the hem.

The last piece will be the t-shirt featured in the Burda pattern but instead of one neckband, it will have two. One in the rust and one in the tie-dyed fabric. These garments added to the bottom pieces and the cardigan jacket that I have already completed will bring me to 15 items. 4 more than I need for the SWAP.

So let's recap...first my SWAP collection was called "Pinstripe Magic." I have renamed it. It is now "Pinstripe Magic Falling into Spring." I renamed it because it now has some great transitional pieces that can be worn during early Spring but the entire collection is still based upon the linen/wool blend pinstripe that I originally purchased from Fabric Mart.

I now have 15 pieces in various stages of completion and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know almost all the words to the first verse of the song, definitely got the hook down and am working on learning the words to the second verse. As soon as that second verse is completed I will be able to sing the entire song....and maybe get that darned song out of my mind. So I can sing another one!

To be continued.....