October Wrap-Up and Fall/Winter Sewing Plans

This month I sewed 6.25 yards.

• New Look 6418 skirt - 1.25 yards (WIP)
• Minerva Crafts ponte
• zipper

• McCall's 6996 cardigan - 2 yards 
• Minerva Crafts ponte

• McCall's 7218 top - 1.5 yards
• yellow jersey 

• Style Arc Sandra jeans - 1.5 yards (WIP)
• Denim from stash
• zipper, tack button

Favorite: M7218 top. Well, I love this pattern and with my adjustments to the neckline, it works much better than version 1. And, I was unable to undo my FBA and sew it as-is and it fits beautifully!

FAILS: I am not sold on the cardigan. I've made this pattern a couple times before but always in a jersey knit. I think the ponte may have been too thick for it. So far, it's just been hanging out on my dress form.

Accomplishments: I redid the entire neckline on that McCall's top to make it work. That's pretty serious business for me! :) 

I did add 16 yards to the stash. Y'all, I tried so hard. I knew being at home recovering would leave me vulnerable :-D Especially once I realized I couldn't sew because more than a few minutes of any activity was draining. 

There was a rust-orange "leopard" print double knit at Michael Levine and I really wanted it for a tunic (column 2, top #2). The fabric was like $6/yd and for 2 yards, shipping was going to be like $17! But they were also having a sitewide sale. So then I found a shirting that I wanted and a couple of sweater knits that were reasonable (they're nice too!!!). I think my total was around $40. And shipping was going to be another $20! So I walked away. 

THREE DAYS LATER they were still having a sale and that fabric was still there! I figured why spend $60 and get $40 worth of fabric when I could spend $75 and get $75 worth of fabric!?!?! :-p

#sewinglogic

I got the leopard fabric, the shirting ended up being sold out. I got two modal knits (at $3.60 and $2.70 per yard!!!), a striped jersey, a charcoal double knit and 2 sweater knits. Ahhhh :) I also love that their confirmation emails include thumbnails of the fabric.

Everything washed and dried well! The green and black striped modal is a little Freddy Kruegerish in person LOL! The ribbed sweater knit (white/grey) is BEAUTIFUL!

I'm really planning to keep the stash additions to a minimum going forward. I was so disappointed when they notified me about the stripe. When my order came and I was sorting to prewash, I had already purchased a striped shirting from SR Harris to use for this specific project. Grrr! So it was actually good for me...and I hate when I find fabric that I've *completely* forgotten about. 

Moving on!

I still have a gazillion reviews to write. I posted an update on IG while working on my jeans. I have a lot of hand sewing to work through. 

1. Finish my mom's quilt binding
2. Sew my blazer lining
3. Hem my NL skirt for my Minerva post. Which I mentioned I'll just do a blind stitch by machine to get it finished.

I've made the Style Arc Sandra jeans twice before and they are looking good. I have them basted together but somehow, someway, I always end up making pants during PMS week. I do it over, and over, and over again. So they are snug, but that pattern has 3/8" seam allowances so it's not like I can find more room if I actually did need it. But, I have totally sewn things up during this week only to find them far too big afterwards. Fibroids and cysts make for some impressive monthly bloat!

I. NEED. TOPS!! I was looking through the stash and was so excited about all of the new possibilities. SO many things have been weeded from the closet and as we are deep into the cooler temps, I want more sweater-type tops that can be worn to work. 

Starting with the tops. Left column, down then back up to the second column. 

• M7601 I've wanted to make this for forever. I plan to use a black and white diagonal striped blouseweight 
• V1629 LOVE this and plan to make it in a black and white print georgette.
• M7975 top, unsure of color/print but I'm thinking either a solid or a stripe (vs other print options)
• NL6644 top in a solid neutral (cream? grey?)
• B5678 fabric undecided. I just know I need a shirt!
• V1642 in this cool textured woven I picked up from Metro Textiles
• V9026 sweater in the rust leopard print
• Burda 6990 in a soft blue (soft & fuzzy!) Halston knit
• S9017 (drool) tunic in *hopefully* the same knit from Fabric Mart that I used for this Vogue top.

Dresses:

• M7979 tunic/minidress (totally plan to pair with leggings/boots) in a black sweater knit
• NL6298 dress in a plum heathered double knit
• Burda 10/2018 dress is actually NOT supposed to be here. Doh. But I am not going back to change the collage sooooo, yeah! My 3rd dress is actually Ottobre 5/2019 in a geometric print double knit from Metro Textiles:

Toppers:

• Burda 06/2018 in a black & off white boucle
• S8992 cardigan in the grey and white ribbed sweater knit from Michael Levine

Bottoms:

• Birkin Flares in a medium wash denim
• M7982 in a camel suiting from FM or Metro Textiles
• And then, 2 pair of trousers chosen from 3 patterns that I used before. 
• S2700
• Burda 6432
• Burda 03/2013

I'm thinking one pair of the Burda magazine pants because they are flat-front and then 1 pair from one of the other patterns. The cut of the Burda seems more my taste right now compared to the wide leg of the Simplicity. But there's some fit stuff I didn't work out in the Burda and the Simplicity fits so well. We'll see.

• NL6418 skirt in pleather. I will make the lower panels a little shorter, but I've been wanting this skirt for awhile and I'm making it, for sure, this year!

Other:

• Watson bra. I have a few appropriate fabrics/laces for this. It will be months before I'm at my final size and shape and I don't want to spend a ton of money buying bras and bralettes before then. I bought a wireless bra in a 36C and a week later, there was room in the cups. Hopefully I can make a handful to get me through!
• Also, I own 2 hoodies and no other long sleeved loungewear. I hope to crank out a couple tops for just lounging around. I really do draw a line between whats 'at-home' clothes and what's 'outside' clothes. Shrug. :)

Now, this is more of a wish list than a sewing plan. I'm sure that there may be some "ooh shiny" or possibly amending fabric/pattern pairing...you know how it goes!

This month, my goals are

• finish up my 3 big WIPs (quilt, skirt for Minerva, blazer)
• 2 pair of pants 
• 2 long-sleeved tops/sweaters/tunics (I'm dying for the leopard one so that, for sure!)
• 2 Watson bras

I had a big birthday, we had my parents here, and traveled one weekend in July.

We traveled 2 weekends in August

We traveled 3 weekends in September and then I had surgery

I pretty much recovered all of October

IT HAS BEEN SO, SO BUSY!  November is going to feel like such a reprieve!