There and back again...

First things first...

The dress is done and delivered.  Delivered it Tuesday after work and it fit just fine. Shew! Since I had to cart it to her, the dress was a little wrinkled so she will have it pressed at the cleaners.  The prom is this evening and I will get final photos later because my daughter, the hairdresser, will do her hair.  The dress will be revealed on the Mood Sewing Network tomorrow.  Go on over there to see it, if you can't wait for it to be shown here.

As usual after a very involved project, I want to make something simple...and actually I will need to because I have limited time for the next couple of weekends.  I have to work one day this weekend.  Next weekend, I have a baby shower on Sunday and the following weekend, my Face Time sewing student will be here for an actual in-person sewing lesson.  See not a lot of sewing time.

I finally sat down and made a sewing list for spring/summer...which is funny since somehow we skipped spring and marched headlong into summer...cause it's gonna get hot here over the next couple of days!  First heatwave of the year.

After years of non-stop sewing, I have a great wardrobe for all seasons.  For the first time in a long time, I don't have this thing pushing me to sew faster to get a few more outfits made before the season ends.  I also have scaled back my fabric buying.  I can't believe that I've blown off all of the fabric sales  for Memorial Day...not one single yard was purchased.  Didn't y'all feel the earth shake when that happened? *LOL*

There is just so much goodness contained in the workshop that I want to use some of it.  Let me state plainly that I'm not feeling pressured or guilty, I just want to use some of the goodies I've collected.  Also included on my list of ten new outfits to be made over the next three months are seven new patterns.  This is a lot of new patterns for me but I want to enjoy the journey this summer.  I want to make some things I haven't done before.  I don't want to rush.  I want to take more than a weekend to finish a garment. I want to wallow.

The one thing this last project took from me was my peace.  Sewing is how I de-stress.  It allows me time to be creative and a calmness comes over me when I spend time doing that which is in direct contrast to my day job.  I loved that I made my niece the dress of her dreams.  However, it came at the cost of a couple of vacation days that I normally use as a refuge from the stresses of my day job.

So there's probably going to be a lot more "in-construction" posts around here especially since one of the patterns I'm planning on using is Vogue 7975.  I've had this jacket pattern since it was first issued in 2004.  There have been at least 50 of these jackets made on PatternReview.  

Please don't think I'm making one of those Chanel reproductions cause I ain't.  I'm in search of the perfect jacket to go over my sheath dress because as I've looked over list after sewing list that I've composed over the years, the jacket/dress combo appears again and again.  I buy enough fabric for the combo and I always start with the dress.  Then I get bored/excited/intrigued by another project and I move on...but the combo continues to appear on my lists.  

So this summer, I'm going to try V7975 in a couple of interesting pontes to see if I can get a good fit.  If I can, then I'm going to move onto some wool crepes for fall and hopefully I can get a TNT jacket.  A jacket that I can make from season to season.  It's now become a personal challenge.  I have to get this off my sewing list.  I've got to get a few in the wardrobe.  I'm probably going to bore the hell out of some of you and that's okay because you'll be going on vacation and you'll totally miss most of it! *LOL*  But hopefully, I will get a well fitted jacket that will enhance my bodacious body, make me look slimmer, more professional and work miracles in my wardrobe ~ and no I'm not talking about spanx! *LOL*

The only designer inspired garment on my summer list is the ponte Talbots dress.  I've hit most of the latest trends ~ bright colors - check; florals - check; embroidery/lace - check, check.  I just want to sew a few new patterns and while away the summer in my workroom since I have no vacation plans this year.

So I've been there and I'm headed back again...back to basics...back to calm & peacefulness...back to sewing for the pure pleasure and joy that it brings to my life.

...as always more later!