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Just a short and sweet post this afternoon.

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Have a wonderful springy day!

Brown Paper Packages

Ok, so maybe I didn't receive a literal brown paper package, but let's be real.  Getting any kind of package with new fabric inside is perhaps one of the best kinds of mail in the world.  The only thing better would be a box full of kittens.  Maybe I'm biased.  But I digress.  I just received some awesome new fabric, and now I have to decide what I'm going to do with it!  I've been leaning toward a lot of 1950s styles and designs, thus, purchasing this fantastic citrus fabric:

citrus fabric   

How beautiful is that?  It's silky soft, almost like a sateen, which was a wonderful surprise.  I'm a little in love (don't tell my husband).  I also ordered the anchor chambray that you see, but that's for another post.

Now, the pattern.

When I originally found this fabric, I was looking for something for a Lisette shorts pattern (Simplicity 1789) that I've been wanting to conquer.  This was a pattern that I attempted last summer with the cutest floral fabric (RIP) and incidentally made entirely too small because I decided the measurements on the envelope were a  lie.  Wrong.  But I'm determined to make these shorts, so I'm doing it, dangit.

source 

I've been envisioning some bright shorts similar to these styles:

source

But as I was ordering, I got to thinking:  This would make a gorgeous, fun, Betty Draper skirt.
 

Tell it, Betty.

I immediately thought of a Cynthia Rowley pattern (Simplicity 2215), which I also bombed last summer.  Once again, I cut it much too small, and there was this whole stupid pocket snafu, and I just don't want to talk about it, ok?

Moving on.

source

The debate:

Cute Summer Shorts vs. Betty Draper Skirt.

Both are a little high-waisted, which is a gold star in my book, and I can pair both of them with items from my current wardrobe.  I think my main hesitance on going for the skirt is that I've never attempted to wear something so bold.  I worry that I'll love it, but only wear it a couple of times because I won't be able to suck it up and be "brave."  Either way, I'm going to start cutting one pattern or the other this weekend.

Suggestions?  Opinions? 

Let's Get Sewing!

I have a lot of sewing skills under my belt, but I am completely out of the loop when it comes to sewing clothes. I graduated from college with an MFA in Fiber Arts, which means I'm knowledgeable in dyeing, printing, many types of quilting, and lots of free motion sewing. My skills in garment construction is another story. My history of sewing my own clothes has been sporadic at best, and punctuated with frustration and giving up.

Last summer after I got married, I was suddenly overcome with the need to sew clothes. This is not a new thing, and tends to happen every few years, and always ends in bad words and much resentment toward inanimate objects. But this time I was determined. I bought a billion too many patterns ($0.99 sales have a tractor beam on me), tons of fabric, and started hacking. I managed one cute shirt out of my desperate attempts, and failed miserably in a few others. I realized that I wasn't paying enough attention to the patterns before diving in (read: I needed to actually read the WHOLE pattern. Who knew?). Another problem was my impression of sizing was completely skewed. Just because I wear a Small in most things I buy from the store does not mean I am the smallest size listed on the pattern. After those completely misguided attempts, I decided to give my patterns and fabric the cold shoulder and put it away. My husband and I moved at the end of the summer, and my patterns and fabric remained packed in time out after the move for a long time.

Now it's been almost a year and I've licked my wounds. My courage has peeking peeked it's head, and unlike Punxsutawney Phil, has not seen it's shadow and is here to stay. Down with winter!.....I mean, let's get sewing! I'm ready to tackle my sewing challenges with a more patient and unassuming eye. I've recently had a little success with some new patterns after fully reading and taking the necessary measurements, and I'm getting my sewing groove back.

After a quick review of my pattern collection, I recently decided that I would challenge myself with sewing my way through my library of patterns. My ratio of unopened patterns to finished garments is feeble at best. I've always done well with following through with projects better if I have a goal that I document with photographs so that I can see my progress. In this way I will also be able to keep notes with each finished item with what when wrong/right and any changes I made. So, a goal has been made, and I'm ready to set down to rules.  

Goal:

Become a better seamstress and learn new sewing skills by sewing through my collection of patterns.  

Rules:

1.  Do not buy new patterns in mass. ($0.99 sales are your weakness!)
2.  Do not buy fabric just because you can't wait to start sewing.  Be thoughtful and only buy fabric you really love.

3.  Do not buy new clothes. New clothes are sewn clothes.

4.  Take better care of the clothes I already and will own.

5.   Be thoughtful to what I add to my wardrobe. (What do I need? Do I really need an eighth black shirt?)

With all that said, I will do my best to adhere to these rules and accomplish my goals, but I also want this to be fun. If I cave and buy a cute blouse, I'm not going to beat myself up too much. It's not worth it. I don't want this challenge to be stressful, and I'm also mindful of time and cost. But for now, let the adventure begin! I'm excited to make my wardrobe really my own.