The First Day of Twenty Seventeen

I'm sitting in the Sewing Cave today after 9 days on vacation and I haven't sewn a thing...not one thing! I bought some fabric and I'm putting it away but that is the closest I've gotten to sewing.

I don't know what it is with me and the end/beginning of the year and getting sick but another year end/beginning and yet again I'm hacking up a lung. I know I don't feel well when I have no desire to sew. I didn't even start on the afghan that I want to crochet up in time for my daughter's birthday.

Actually I came home Thursday afternoon wrote a blog post about my adventures with Gaylen and went to bed. I'm just venturing out today and can tell that I'm headed back shortly. Yes, that means that I spent New Year's Eve in bed watching the ball drop and poor Mariah Carey's awful performance. I'm scheduled to go back to work on Wednesday so may yet get a little sewing done but I'm not counting on it.  

Chico's Chic ~
So the point of this post is not to discuss my lack of sewing but to discuss why I call my sewing style "Chicos Chic."  First let me say that Chico's uses no such term. I coined that term to try to describe the style or type of sewing that I'm doing now.

To review, I work in a very relaxed workplace with a lot of 20 and 30 year olds. I haven't worn jeans every day since I was in college 40 sumthin' years ago. When I started working, "professional work wear" was encouraged in the workplace. Women wore stockings and heels, jackets with skirts and dresses and NO jeans. 

I seem to have more challenges sewing for myself when the weather gets colder. I want to be stylish and current yet not dress better than my boss. I also don't want to look like a 20 year old. I know that I prefer classic styles to trendier styles. I like my trend to be on point with colors and details, that's why I've gravitated towards sites like Chicos, Talbots, Lafayette 148, Coldwater Creek, JJill and The Avenue & Torrid for a plus size point of view. I use these sites for ideas only since I have no desire to purchase clothing from them. 

Pictures of a few pieces that have caught my eye ~

Some accessories pictures ~

I want to wear more of my pearl necklaces

Another comment made was that I sew a greater variety of pieces now and that is true. It's also the reason why it takes me longer to complete an outfit. Most of my garments are no longer made from TNT patterns. As we know a pattern fresh out of the envelope comes with fitting challenges that must be addressed.

Goals for 2017 ~
I'm stating these sewing goals here because I want to be held accountable. I'm hoping that will help me stick to it.

1. No fabric buying until July.
2. Along those lines no more denim purchases. I have quite a bit of variety in the collection now and need to use it instead of collecting more.
3. No pattern purchases until Memorial Day weekend/early June.
4. More discriminate pattern purchasing...after seeing Gaylen's stash of patterns, I own way too many.
5. More sewing for the grand babies.

I don't have any sewing challenges or techniques that I want to use. I don't even have any special fabrics I want to work with since I either own it already or don't particularly like to sew with them. Truly the results of having been sewing for years. 

However, my main sewing goal for 2017 is to enjoy the process more. Reworking my TNT patterns and developing a new style have truly zapped some of the joy from my sewing. Hopefully now that I've been in this space for a minute, some of the joy will return.

I hope 2017 brings all of you ~ many sewing journeys full of discovery, joy, creativity and much fulfillment!

...as always more later and Happy New Year!