Ouch!

Sylvie and I went to order our fabric yesterday for our raincoat class. It was $71. a yard. Ouch! That should be incentive enough to finish the coat! I chose red and Sylvie chose a really nice wicker colour.

We're using McCall's 5060 and we're both making view C (the green one in the picture):



We need to make our muslins before the course starts in a couple of weeks...

Obviously...

I am not going to finish my mini-wardrobe by the end of the month. I haven't gotten past the storyboard stage! But I'm not going to stress about it. At least I now have some projects lined up that will go together.

I've been spending most of my "spare" time trying to get my house a little more organized. I've been in the same house for 16 years - a long time to "collect" stuff. And having twins did NOT help! Two of everything! I'm finally starting to make a dent in the piles of stuff in the basement. I can't even start to think about finishing the basement until I get most of that stuff out of there...There's no need to save it anymore - no more babies for me (which makes me a little sad.) There's even some of my ex's stuff down there and he moved out 4 years ago! Time to claim the house as mine.

Just what I need...more fabric!

After work yesterday, I went to Fabricland with my friend Sylvie. They were having a 40% off sale. I was able to pick up some of the fabric I need for my daughters' Halloween costumes. I want to get an early start on these since Sylvie and I have signed up for a raincoat class at Darrell Thomas Textiles during September and October, so I'll be working on that too.

Daughter #1 wants to be a bluejay (the bird, not the baseball player). I'll be using Simplicity 3663. I picked up this slinky fleece (this a not a great picture...). They had just enough for the wings and back. I think I'll use regular fleece for the belly.


Daughter #2 wants to be a soldier. I'll be using Simplicity 3997, but, of course, she'll be carrying a Canadian flag... I picked up this cotton camoflauge twill.


I also picked up some stetch lace to make the Jalie Brazilian panties for myself.

I sewed yesterday!

Of course, it wasn't for myself...

My BF drives a truck - a BIG truck. Although there were curtains to separate the sleeping area from the driving area, he found it a bit small back there. So I made him curtains that go beside the doors and across the windshield. That way he'll have more room to move around when he shuts down for the night.

I first ordered the curtain rod for this back in April, but had several problems with Sears and didn't receive it until two weeks ago. BF installed it and then I measured for the curtains. But he didn't get back until yesterday so I finally got the curtains made (He's leaving again today, so I had to do it yesterday...)

While I didn't actually accomplish any sewing for myself, it felt good to actually make something, and he is very happy with them.

Maybe I'll actually do something for myself today.

This morning I was browsing the preview of the September issue of BWOF and absolutely love this dress! I think I'm going to have to pick this issue up when it comes out!

2008-09-109_Dress

Feeling guilty...

I was home alone yesterday (my girls left in the morning for weekend away with their father) and I didn't do any sewing. I had to stay home as I was waiting for my new clothes dryer to arrive.

I did cut the lawn (if you can call the weeds in my backyard a lawn) and cleaned out some of the girls toy boxes (how many toys can two girls actually play with?? I can only throw things away when they're not here...) but I didn't do anything sewing related, except play around with my storyboard, (again!), and spend too much time on the computer reading about sewing.

I think part of my problem is that I don't have a dedicated sewing room (or space even). My sewing machine and serger are on a table in the corner of my bedroom. I need to pull out my cutting table and/or ironing board when I want to work on something, and then need to put it away afterwards. With two kids, two cats, and a BF that occasionally stays over, I can't leave my stuff out. So it often just seems like too much work...

I think I need to look into either finishing part of my basement to use as a sewing room, or merging my small home office with a sewing room. At least I'll be able to shut the door. Of course, that may not last long as my daughters are currently sharing a small bedroom and may one day decide they'd like separate rooms...

I love to sew...

or do I?

I love to read about sewing, I love to see what others are sewing (I'm addicted to Pattern Review), I love to look at, and buy, patterns and fabric. But when it comes to the actual sewing, something gets in my way.

I have several unfinished projects that I just can't seem to finish. And many, many projects in mind that I just can't seem to start.

It's time to make a decision. To sew or not to sew. That is the question...

Saving money?

I save a LOT of money because I "sew", but not in the way you'd think. Most of the time when I go clothes shopping, like I did today, I will see something I like and say to myself "I can make that". So I won't buy it. Or even try it on. And odds are, I won't make it either. So I keep wearing the same clothes...

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the same thinking doesn't work with shoes... LOL!

ETA: Oops. I forgot about the money I spend "collecting" patterns and fabric....

Of course...

Gorgeous Fabrics has not one but two silks that would be perfect for this blouse.

The first is a stretch silk charmeuse (STC1979)



And the second is a silk charmeuse (CHA1621)



I'm not going to order until I actually DO some sewing...hopefully tomorrow I'll get something done!

Look what I found...

at Banana Republic. An aqua tie-neck silk blouse. What are my chances of actually finding a similar fabric??

It's not looking good...

Here we are, August 7 already, and I haven't made any progress in the wardrobe contest. I've had a busy couple of weeks... I took my daughters to Montreal for a couple of days, and then my mother came for a visit, so I haven't had much free time for sewing.

I'm pretty sure of what I'll be making, and it's all from my stash, so I just need to get the storyboard done. And I'll have Saturday to myself this weekend, so I'm hoping I'll get something accomplished!

Gotta go to work now...I'd rather be sewing!