I Need a Reboot

Sewing has come to a near-complete stop.  With my weight all over the place, nothing fits and my sewjo is on leave.  Clothes I made as early as May don't fit now (too tight) and I'm sour about it.  Waaaaaah! 

Wadders are again ranking supreme this year.

Vogue frankenpattern pants

Yeah, I think they're headed back to wadderville.  I tried to take out some of the fullness in the lower leg, but now the grain is off and the leg is too tight.  I have zero desire to try and fix them.

BWOF 9-2006-114 (sans pockets)

Still on the hunt for a wrapped dress, I muslined this pattern.

The verdict?  I need an FBA.  I knew I needed it just looking at the pattern.  But I forged on anyway.  Even with the generous give in my knit, the bodice is still too small.

Butterick 5678

This is the very popular shoulder princess seam button front shirt.  I attempted this pattern three times and have concluded that it just doesn't work for me.  When I shortened the length, the shirt was too tight and wouldn't button.  When I restored to the original length and took smaller seam allowances, the shirt was big and unsightly.  Uncle!

Simplicity 1523

Simple knit top, right?  Wrooooong.  The bust pleats are an epic fail.  No amount of pressing flattens these things and it is not a good look on my bust.  If I try this pattern again, I have to move the pleats or something.

 (photo credit:  Judy Sumler)

McCall's 7254

This was a fail because of the fabric.  I used a medium-weight sweater knit with too much crosswise stretch.  As a result, the front droops horribly and looks unkempt.  The only photo that exists is on Instgram and, now that I think about it, I think I deleted it.  It's awful, really awful!

Starting from Scratch Challenge

While this isn't a wadder per se, my progress is stalled.  I made it as far as Step 7 but stopped because one of my garments from a previous step is a disaster and I lost motivation.

I made another version of my TNT New Look 6407, but with the collar stand only.   For some reason, the fit is terrible.  Terrible!  The collar stand is inches away from my neck and the neckline gapes horribly.  I have enough fabric left to cut a new stand and collar.  But the sewjo...

Sooooooooooooooooooo yeah.  I need a reboot.  I don't know what to sew and I need clothes.  Even my palate-cleaning jeans aren't motivating me right now.  I need to find something to sew that can accommodate weight changes and that won't frustrate me too much.

On the bright side, my pottery is on jam.  I finished this lamp several months ago and finally wired it up yesterday.

I have another completed lamp that needs wiring, but I ran out of parts.  I'm working on another set of dishes for myself and for a dear friend.  I also have some lidded jars and vases in the works. 

Until next time, peace!

L

How to Lose Your Sewjo in 4 Easy Steps

Step 1:  Start a sewing project involving two patterns from the same company with similar pattern numbers.

Somehow I thought it was a good idea to cut out both New Look 6407 and New Look 6704 at the same time and out of the same fabric.  Let that marinate for a minute.  SMH

Step 2:  Combine stretch cotton poplin with step 1.

I love me some stretch cotton poplin - except when I hate it.  I get excited about how the fabric can help with fit and then highly annoyed at how it puckers like crazy.  I have steamed the shit out of these princess seams and the puckers keep coming back as if an iron never touched it.

 New Look 6704

Ugh x 100!  I did a lot to get the front bodice to fit (future post), but these wrinkles are just wrong.  Maybe I need to add some more length to the front panel to help ease the princess curve.

I haven't decided if I will finish it or not.  Maybe I will just to get practice on the techniques.  Will I wear it?  Um........no. New Look 6407 is coming along much better.  I used french seams throughout and the puckers aren't nearly as bad.

I think the bust curve is too high, though.  I didn't notice that on my first version perhaps due to the busy print.  I love that shirt and have worn it several times already.

Step 3:  Be inspired by what everyone else is making. 

Inspiration is a good thing.  Not finishing two shirts in progress and wanting to move onto something else - not so much.  Area 51 is already bursting at the seams (hah, so punny) and doesn't need any more visitors.  I need shirts and think both of these have great potential.  BUT...the puckers...
 

Step 4:  Be so tired that you fall asleep as soon as you sit down.

This has happened for the last seven weeks.  I'm not kidding.  Y'all know I usually skate Friday nights.  In the last seven weeks, I've only been skating once.  Last Friday, I had EVERY intention of going.  I sat down and closed my eyes for (what I thought was) 20 minutes.  Lights on, clothes on, everything.  I woke up two hours later.  Oops.

How do you lose your sewjo? =)

L

I Think I Know What Tanked My Sewjo

Early last year, I cut out yards upon yards of fabric to make some tab-topped panels for my bedroom. Using this really nice creme-coloured cotton drapery-weight fabric, I began construction sometime last year. Fast forward to now, I decided to finish the curtains and hang them up.

Hold up. Wait. Not all cremes are the same. This creme has a LOT of red in it - so much so that when I hung the first curtain, an eerie (read ugly) pink hue came through from the bright sunlight. Yuck. I stared at it and tried to like it. I did not and still do not. I'm not a pink person. I can take shades of pink in small quantities and that is all. Having this hue in my place of rest is not going to work. Sigh.

So, that's it. These stupid curtains tanked my sewjo. I was so disappointed because I spent a lot of time finishing and sewing these long (and I mean long) ass seams. I spent even more time measuring, cutting, and sewing the tab tops and finishing the hems.

Man, why can't creme be a universal colour?? Sigh.

One panel is from a pair of curtains I bought many years ago. The other is one I made. Can you spot the pink panel?

My solution? I went shopping. I was NOT going to start over. Nope. Not even. I know I can make curtains. I've made the curtains in every room in my house. I don't have to make these. I went to IKEA and found what I was looking for: four super long CREME tab-topped panels. Aaah, joy. I have to admit thatwhen I first looked at the package, I was miffed that the hem wasn't finished. I thought for &*$%'s sake, can't they FINISH the freakin' edges?! Then, upon further inspection I noticed that there was a package of hem tape and instructions on how to customize the finished length. Heh. Sweet. Now I have some extra hem tape too. I will hang one curtain, measure the length and topstitch it.

I feel motivated to do some sewing. I spent some time with my friend Melody yesterday and I cut out the fabric, lining, and interfacing for my vest. I hope to get that finished this weekend.

L~