Its the Last Day of 2006!!!!

It's the last day of 2006 and I am spending it sewing! And this as Martha Stewart would say, "Is A Good Thing!"

I am suppose to be working on SWAP pieces but instead I am making a jacket from a brown poly blend that I used in last year's SWAP and a shell from this great silk paisley that I found in Fabric Garden (yes, it is really the name of the fabric store!) on 39th Street across from Daytona Trimmings.


I know that I am suppose to be working on SWAP pieces but the urge to have a new pantsuit to start the work week with was too strong...also the silk paisley jumped out at me at the fabric store and demanded to come home with me. I only purchased a yard and a half and it will look great with the jacket, pants, skirt combination. Another driving force is that the pants and skirt are already in my wardrobe, whereas, all the SWAP pieces will be new wardrobe additions.

The jacket pattern that I am using is Vogue 7944.


And the shell is from

Sewing Workshop Mission Jacket and Tank pattern. I have made this tank over and over because it just works so well under everything.

I will definitely have pics tomorrow since instead of going out with other adults I have a house full of teenage girls who are celebrating New Year's here this year! I guess it is my turn since they have been elsewhere the last two years. So I will usher in 2007 at my sewing machine, while Dick Clark's Rocking New Year's Eve special plays, listening to the sound of my daughter and her friends. I am very blessed!

Happy New Year!

The next to last day of the year

It's the next to last day of the year and its time to review the sewing goals that I made for 2006. I am going to start with actual achievements because it is always better to go with the positive instead of the negative!

*I did complete and add to my wardrobe about 50 new garments.

*I did make a beautiful (if I must say so myself) prom dress for my daughter.

*I did make some absolutely amazing American Girl Doll Dresses for a friend. Need to do this again soon!

*And I did complete 54 items this year. If I run into my sewing area and add the buttons and hem to a cardigan before midnight tomorrow, that could be 56 items!

*I did spend a lot of quality time investing in my creative side this year! Major days, nights and weekends were spent in the company of my sewing machine.

But on the negative ~ I still have waaayyy to much fabric and at times this year I have been totally unrepentant about purchasing more. I guess that controlling my fabric collection is a ongoing goal that will roll into the New Year.

But all in all, 2006 was a good sewing year for me...I hope it was for you too! And if I get those buttons on the cardigan and it hemmed, I will get back at you. Otherwise, I am on to SWAP sewing as my first projects of 2007.

And I am wishing you and yours a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!! Keep on sewing...Keep on dreaming...Keep on creating!

And this is why I am NOT fabric shopping!

See this is my shame....I am sure that some of you are thinking what?! that is just one Rubbermaid bin of fabric. But what you are missing...is that it is one Rubbermaid bin full of fabric outside of a walk-in closet that is full to overflowing with some of the prettiest, most awesomish (okay maybe that's not a word! ~ but you know what I mean) fabric. Oh and that does not include the two piles that are laying on my cutting table with about six cuts of fabric apiece. Oops, forgot the pile of fabric that is laying by the side of my bookcase...see I got "fabric issues."

And why is it that every internet fabric site that I subscribe to is sending out these mailers where everything is 10/20/30% off, free shipping, extraordinary markdowns on pieces that at previous prices, I turned my nose up at! What is it about the word "SALE" that suddenly opens a floodgate of creativity and makes me want to run for my credit card. I mean really do I need another piece of fabric? Would I truly lose my mind if I didn't purchase that really awesome piece of fabric that is just screaming out my name?

No to all of the above! So I am resolved that until I start to produce more garments, I am NOT buying fabric. However, I am calling Fabric Mart and signing up for the Sample Cut Club of 2007. I need that monthly fix of those little brown envelopes bringing to me dreams and visions of wonderous and amazing garments to be made. That's not really fabric shopping is it?!

I am finally getting around to sharing some of the four items I have made in the last three months! Can you believe that?! Four items in three months...I use to construct that many garments in a three day weekend...something is truly wrong with this picture...and I must work to get my life back in focus! *smile*

A simple, lined straight skirt that took me two weekends to make! Two! But at least this fabric is not sitting in a pile...it is a wearable garment! So now that I have shared my shame with you and pledged not to purchase more until I sew more....do you believe me?

Here are my SWAP fabrics

Just wanted to share a picture of my SWAP fabrics. That's them just six pieces of fabric ~ granted there is some serious yardage to most of the pieces - the black wool crepe is 10 yards by itself! And the fabrics don't seem to be saying much just laying there on the table, but with a little imagination, a lot of trim options and some "keep it simple" pieces from TNT patterns for my Dress SWAP. I think this just might turn out to be a great "Get Dressed Early in the Morning Without Much Thought Wardrobe!"

Since Christmas and the New Year are rapidly approaching and there will be several three day weekends, I am planning on spending some quality time with my sewing machine and my SWAP list. I have to! One just for plain old sanity's sake and two because I think my sewing machine is giving me the evil eye every time I walk by it! I think it misses our quality time together! *smile*

And just for record keeping ~ here is the list of my SWAP fabrics:

10 yards of black wool crepe
2 yards of a black/white plaid
4.5 metres of red wool crepe (qualifying purchase from Timmel Fabrics)
3 yards of a white sandwashed sueded silk
3 yards of a black/white/red glen plaid
2.5 yards of a black wool/silk jersey

As a quick reminder a Dress SWAP consists of 4 dresses, two jackets, two bottoms, and three tops. I have a list of trims that I am looking for and will hit up Daytona Trims next week when its finally slow at work and then hopefully the sewing magic will begin!

My Qualifying Fabric has arrived!

Saturday the postman rang the door bright and early - too bright and early since I was still in my nightgown and there was no one else home - so nothing to do but pat my hair down and answer the door! In his hands was my package from Timmel Fabrics - holding the gorgeous red wool crepe that I bought as my entry fee into the contest. A fine piece of wool crepe that is mediumweight and will make great accent pieces!

Also included in the package was 2.5 metres of a polyester brown and pink pinstripe that I saw on Julie's website that I had her include in the bundle. And as always when a new package of fabric arrives - there is the allure of wanting to work with that piece! Does anyone else experience this? The new piece tumbles out of the package with all of its hopes and dreams attached to it and you can "hear" it speaking so clearly that you have to work hard to mentally focus on the task at hand and not to run off to your sewing room clutching the new piece frantically looking for a pattern to make the dream a reality! I didn't succumb this time but it's not to say that I haven't done so in the past! *smile*

So as soon as I get some more batteries for the digital camera I will take a photo of all of my fabrics and post it here. My fabrics consist only of black, white and red colors. As Julie posted on Stitchers Guild a couple of days ago, "keep it simple" and I have decided to follow her advice. Also, my new position requires a different type of clothing requirement than the previous one and you will definitely be able to see the difference in the two SWAPs.

I did work on the pants some this weekend...not much. The weather and the amount of time I am spending at work has conspired against me and much to my dismay, I am experiencing cold symptoms!

Last thing ~ thanks for the SWAP names....keep them coming! I like the "New York Times" suggestion. Just wondering how to work the black, red & white in or if I even need it?! Another thought was Black/White & Red Graphics? Again any and all suggestions will definitely be considered!

A Little Swap Sewing

The SWAP contest's (sponsored by Julie of Timmel Fabrics) official start date was December 1st. However, due to work issues this is the first that I have actually thought about sewing any of my pieces. Since I have my plan set and most of my fabrics in hand, I am going to start on a piece or two this weekend. I will probably go with something easy like the lined wool crepe pants especially since they are being made from a TNT pattern and have been made from this fabric type before...but aren't those everyone's famous last words! *smile*

I am still looking for a catchy phrase for my SWAP ~ any and all suggestions are welcome! My color scheme is black, white and red in work separates and I am doing the dress SWAP. My only thought was, "Black/White and Red All Over" and it just is not doing it for me. So if you have a catchy or not so catchy phrase please share. I definitely am interested in your ideas!

I am doing all my SWAP updates on my blog so stay tuned to this blog network - for SWAP sewing all the time! *giggle!*

10 Sewing Things I know to be True

I was reading an article by Nora Ephron and she wrote about things that she wished she had known when she was younger. A few of them I definitely agreed with and wished I had also known earlier in my life. Of course this got me to thinking about sewing challenges...so I have listed below 10 sewing related things I know to be true. You may or may not agree with my list but they are true to me!

1. I will always need to rip something out in the middle of a project...no matter how many times I have used a pattern.

2. Somewhere, someway, somehow, I will make a mistake either in measuring, cutting out the fabric or in my fabric choice...and I will need to make a change and/or be flexible to get a finished garment!

3. That in the middle of sewing a seam I will a. run out of bobbin thread; b. break a needle; c. run out of thread and not have any more on hand in that color!

4. That the minute I purchase a piece of fabric online that I have put off buying - it will be marked down or it will go on sale.

5. That the pattern that I traveled to *fill in the blank of a fabric chain store* to purchase in one of their extraordinary cheap pattern sales will not be in the pattern cabinet! Never fails!

6. That if I don't purchase five yards of a fabric I can guarantee you that is the one piece of fabric that I will then want to make multiple garments from ~ never fails!

7. I will never have the right zipper for a garment in the size or color I need if I don't think about it before I begin to sew the garment!

8. That if I try to sew on a deadline one of two things will happen - I will not get it finished in time or if I do I will hate it! Rare is the garment that works that is made in a hurry!

9. That I can't go one day without thinking about something sewing related.

And finally

10. That sewing is like breathing...I must do both to exist!

What sewing things do you know to be true?