Mid Year Check-in and Summer Sewing Plans

and June wrap-up...except there's not much to wrap up!

This month I sewed a colorblocked version of NL6301 (approximately 2.5 yards used) and it was a quasi-fail. Drats.
I bought NO fabric!
I bought NO patterns!

Mid Year Check!

• I've sewn 83 yards this year.
• I've made 43 items including gifted garments, excluding quilts (2). That sounds like a lot, I know. Accounting for the gifts, donated garments, fails and a UFO, that's down to 30. I had 10 items that were sleepwear or loungewear, down to 20. Those 20 garments are then split about 70/30 between workwear and casual/weekend wear. So an average of 2.5 workwear items per month and 1 casual item...not too crazy :) I don't think? :-p
• I made 4 gifts; 3 tops for my daughter and 1 for my mom.

one of the garments made for my daughter; Burda 1/2018 hoodie

• I've donated 3 (well 2 and NL6301 will be donated): M6886 and Burda 2/2018 top

I just did not like the color of the M6886 dress on me. Felt too bland/blah

The twisty Burda was SO cute. But that ITY was one that felt too "plastic-y"...a pretty print but it didn't feel good on. I definitely plan to sew it again in nicer fabric (ahem, wool jersey to the rescue??).
 
• I've had 2 major fails: M7724 and B6551:

I threw this pattern away

• I have 3 so-so garments, 2 that likely won't survive the next purge:
• S8601-love the pattern, hate the fabric (poplin shirting, bleh). Will remake with a lower/more open neckline
• Otto 2/2018 top-again, great pattern but the cotton knit that I used for the top required more room. My boobs are smashed in it and that makes me sad.
• Otto 2/2015 tee-pattern is okay (I'm not completely sold) but that fabric didn't work. It's now a loungewear tee

2018 Goals/Sew-lutions:

• I had a goal of 18 Burda patterns for the year and I've sewn 10 so far. YAY!
• I had a goal of no more than 18 new patterns in stash this year and I've purchased 15. Eeeek! I really want McCall's 7780 and the Burnside bibs so...
• I had a goal to sew 2 nightgowns and 2 sleep shorts. I fell in love with B6031 and made 4 nightgowns! I wear those and 2 RTW rompers to sleep most nights. I still want a "summer" one since I bought white lace :)
• I had a goal to sew 3 new outerwear pieces the first 4 months of the year. I have none outerwear (grammatical error intended).

• The replacement Burda for the CCF Clare is probably a wadder :( I don't like Raglan sleeves. I should have gone with the other coat with set in sleeves. And, it was a bit too big at the time I was working on it and now I've lost about 12 lbs so I don't even know if it's worth trying to save. This weight loss was not on purpose so it is good/not good. Stress sucks and is life ruining.
• It got too warm for me to sew the navy short Burda coat. The tundra went from 16" of snow on 4/14 to like, 90 degree weather 2 weeks later.
• My uncooperative hand and finding out I had to move paired with hot, hot weather made the trench coat a no-go. I did get it about 80% traced though so I'll be planning that in the early part of August to be ready for fall. Well the 2.7 weeks of cool-ish weather before winter comes.

• I had a goal to sew a 4-piece black workwear wardrobe (3 items were made December 2017). I made V9032, B5760 (both TNTs), Burda 6853 and Burda 11/2007 #113. The neckline on the 11/2007 Burda is weird and I've only worn the jacket (finished in January!) once. I always want to shrug/roll my shoulders, fix it while it's on. I don't wear fussy clothes. The other 3 have gotten a workout in the wardrobe! And that wool suiting was really nice so I think I'll have them awhile.
• I had a goal to complete a loungewear 'wardrobe'. Did that! Love all the pieces I made and wear them OFTEN! My absolute favorite items are the hoodie from the 1/2018 Burda and the joggers from Burda 6659.
• I had a goal to sew a new pair of Birkin flare jeans. I fouled up the zipper when I made mine and I wear them, but only with untucked/longer shirts. I need(!) a new pair. Soon.
• I had a goal to sew a nude-for-me slip. I have a black one and a not-nude-for-me nude one. I still want this. Hopefully for fall.
• I planned to participate in the PR Red Carpet contest in March and did not. And I have not been too into the site lately.

My birthday is coming up (soon!) and I want to sew 2 dresses; one for day and one for night. Day dress is for certain; NL6507. We will see if I get to a party dress or not...but maybe not because my sewing room is NOT setup yet. I'll be using this rayon challis from Fabric Mart.

July is when I start to wind up my summer sewing. I will likely have some stragglers, but I live for fall / early winter (before it's cold, cold) and tend to refocus my sewing once we hit the month of August.  For the rest of summer, I want to sew:

B6330 maxi dress in this double brushed poly from my trip to Fabric Mart.

S8414 dress in this border print cotton lawn from SR Harris if I can make it work...if not it'll be a solid yellow lawn from Fabric.com. Idk where it is right now and it doesn't look like I have a pic of it. This dress has been on my wish list since it was released.

Bodice of M7728 for the Jay/Bey OTRII concert in this Ankara wax print from Michael Levine with a paneled maxi-length skirt. Well, that was the plan! Then I thought to use the lower half of M7788 because it's CUTE!! But I hate the bodice on 7788 and how the heck do you get into it?!?! The line drawing without the wrap shows a front zipper in the pants. So the pants zip up but the bodice is a true wrap?? If that's the case, I don't think I can actually combine these two...unless I move to a side zipper.

The back of 7728 on this view is wrong...the zipper does go through the waistband.

All other views show it correctly.

Burda 4/2014 skirt 'hacked' into a trench-style skirt in this cotton twill from Fabric Mart. This fabric is MUCH darker than I remember so this may move lower on the list.

Style Arc Autumn dress or S8014 from this awesome tencel twill from Treadle Yard Goods that is somewhere in hiding. Just trust me that it is awesome, okay??

1366 (l) or S1377 (r). I will :gasp: muslin both because I can see a top from this fabric getting a major workout in the wardrobe and I want it to be *right*. [I'm thinking I need to start muslin-ing all woven tops until I develop a sloper (borrrrrring). Funnily, fitting my lower half - including pants!! - is much, much, much easier.]

 

1366 is so popular but I'll muslin both. Although looking at the line drawings now, IDK about the band on the 1377. I'll be using this shingle woven fabric from Metro Textiles.

Baste+Gather Birkin Flare jeans in this midwash denim from Fabric Mart.

True Bias Lander pants in this striped denim from Mood. Will most certainly be making a muslin as I've seen so-so reviews on the crotch fit and this fabric was PRICEY.

True Bias Ogden in my beloved Kelly green silk charmeuse from Metro Textiles

I'd like to maybe copy this LOFT tank if I get around to it!

V1586 I have a couple contenders for fabric. I'll likely make it in a b&w print :) and I'll definitely be shortening it.

You may notice that really, aside from the first 3 items, all of these are able to easily transition into fall. I bought an amazing(!) cut of Ralph Lauren cotton twill in the most perfect shade of khaki to make a nice pair of shorts. I may get them cut...or that may be a project for next summer, we'll see how my sewing mojo goes. I expect my sewing to wane a little bit for now, but I'm okay with that.

Today when I got home I did a quick check of the few places I was potentially interested in for photos. Not too bad for 5 p.m. pics! Should be really nice mid-day...will test it out this weekend :)

wearing M6519 top and NL6530 skirt <3

My sewing room is getting closer!! I have to go vertical much moreso than before and need to hang a couple of things (like an IKEA Fintorp rail to get my basket of cutting implements off of my table). I still think I can knock out that New Look dress with the partially put together...yesterday I got home and just wanted to SEW! and couldn't.

How is your year shaping up? Are you on track with sewing plans and goals?