Monday, April 25, 2016

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

An update in no particular order

The most important update is that my husband and I now have a daughter! She's amazing, we're in love, etc. etc. Also, to make a long story short, I had two miscarriages before getting pregnant with her, and we also found out that we are carriers of a rare genetic disorder. I know that many people go through pregnancy loss, and on the off chance that someone reading this needs to talk things over or wants information (I'm no expert but I can probably point you towards resources), please send me a message.

Results of the years-ago stashbusting sewalong:


* Blue cotton jersey was sewn into a self-drafted top. The yoke and sleeves are one piece, sleeves are hemmed with a band, then the front bodice is (obviously) gathered. I quite like most of it, but the bottom hem has killed me; I have never figured out a way to make it lie flat. I think a band would help but I just haven't gotten around to trying to figure out how wide and long to make it and actually do it. I hate cutting knits. I also did an almost-good job with the neckline band except for a few spots where I was off with the topstitching. Oh well. It's wearable, comfortable, and I can replicate it.


* Lavender silk was sewn into a Sorbetto (sans pleat) and worn to see The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. Nathaniel Stampley has a beautiful voice and I could have listened to him sing every single song.




* The navy wool was sewn into a short-sleeved Laurel dress. It has been worn to a Christmas party, the Nutcracker ballet, and most recently to see Wicked. I lined it with a really pretty coral habotai that I originally bought to use as a lining for a Lady Grey coat, but I totally messed up the sandy tan silk seen in the original post because I apparently do not know how to cut silk. That lining was my nemesis. I also don't really know how to line things. It was a mess. I do have stabilizer that I forgot to use, and I didn't use a single trick that I've read to cut silk - somehow I just expected it to behave, and when it didn't, I just pushed forward. Next time I'll do better. The wool was a dream to sew, though.

* I donated the black and white linen. I also donated the colorful ITY. I didn't like either one with my coloring which is something I've gotten way more picky about in the last few years. I'm also really trying to pare down my "stuff" and not keep things that I'm not going to use and love.

I have a nice gray wool for a Lady Grey but haven't started anything but pattern tracing. I'm planning to dye a rayon satin from Dharma Trading Co. to use for the lining. It might be a long time before I get around to it.

I won some fabric in the Itch to Stitch birthday giveaway! I will give that its own post.

I have a pile of patterns I'd love to sew up but very little time for sewing. My most recent makes are for babywearing (post to follow). I have sewing plans - as always - and hopefully can make more time to sew. I feel like it took me a solid year and half after my little one was born to get into a relatively solid routine that gives me a little bit of time to work on my own projects. I work at a snail's pace, though. That gives me some time to document the backlog of things I've made in the last 2 1/2 years (which isn't a huge amount). Up next: the babywearing makes.