Well, hello there, friends!
I’ve been a bit absent from my blog lately, but not from sewing. I do have a few new dresses to share with you, but I haven’t taken photos of them yet. My sewing time is taken at the moment by my last minute sewing of 1920’s ensembles for both my husband and I for the Gatsby Summer Afternoon, which is a super cool 1920’s/30’s themed picnic in Oakland. I haven’t been since 2013 as last year there was a football game on the same day and our Bears coming to town superseded this lovely vintage event. Anyway….. I’ve been planning my outfit since early this year and am just now getting to it…. I have my hat and slip sewn and my dress is nearly put together. I’m adding embroidery and beading to my dress, so the sewing is the least time consuming of all. After that, I’m making a seersucker jacket for my husband. So yes, I’ve been rattling away on my sewing machine! I do share quite a bit about what I’m making on Instagram.
I also have a few cool projects going on that I’ll share with you in the future and hopefully I will be back soon to share the dresses I’ve already made.
As it nears the bottom part of 2015, I thought it would be good to revisit the sewing goals I set for myself earlier this year. I am doing rather poorly with this. Perhaps I will have burst of steam to finish the year out and actually complete this list.
1. Sewaholic Robson
Source: Sewaholic Patterns
I haven’t worked on this since February. It started to get warmer around the time I was nearing it’s completion and my head was turned to sew all the pretty dresses….. I actually only have the hems and buttons left to do. This current 100+ heatwave doesn’t make me want to start on it again, but perhaps a blast of El Nino will help me finish it. It’s made out of fuschia silk faille with a hot pink polka dot rayon lining. It has covered buttons as well (which I’ve already covered….). It obviously won’t make much of a raincoat….. Maybe I’ll make one in a waterproof fabric and let it sit for months as a UFO? 🙂
The interior at the moment…. I was actually reminded of my sewing goals through today’s #sewphotohop prompt — Sewing Resolution
2. A Winter Coat
Once again, warm temps do not inspire me to make cold weather clothing. However, I did buy the Grainline Cascade Duffle Coat when it was released with hopes and dreams of making it. I have some gorgeous Marc Jacobs purple wool coating in which to make this with. If the cold winter comes to CA that they’re predicting, I may get a jump on this before the year is out and maybe, just maybe I will make my goal.
3. Bra and Panties
Source: Kwik Sew
Unless a 1920’s camisole and tap pants set count, I haven’t made this and although I always think about it, I still haven’t sewn any up….. I have the patterns, the fabrics and the supplies. I don’t know what’s stopping me. Undergarments are the foundation of every awesome outfit, but I just seem to hate taking myself away from sewing clothing….
4. Leggings
Hey, there’s one I actually accomplished!
5. A Suit (and a Blazer)
Source: Pattern Review
When it was cooler I was searching for the perfect navy suiting to make a blazer. And then I forgot about it….. I do have fabrics to make some suits, but never start them. This isn’t quite a suit (sheath and coat), but I think I will get going on this for a function before the year is out. But, don’t hold me to it….. I am easily swayed by pretty dresses….
What about you? If you made some sewing goals for this year, how many have you checked off?
Oh I am super keen to see your Robson Coat. I started my back in February and finished in last month. I’ve just managed to get it up on the blog. Rainproof fabric is so hard to get around here, but your’s looks such a fabulous colour.
My goal was to sew more. It’s kind of a wash, if i’m going to be honest. I’ve sewn 2 dresses and a blouse this summer and I’ve got another B5982 awaiting a hem and some way of securing the lining around the waist and the zipper. I want to improve my fitting and I know that I can only do that by sewing more but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. My brain is jelly at the end of the day and while I know I know I’m improving, I get frustrated with the trajectory. I need to figure out narrow shoulder adjustments.
Hmm, my one tangible sewing goal was to sew my wedding dress. Nicely achieved, if I do say so myself. 😉 I also worked on improving my technique and trying new things. I will be doing a couple more projects related to that before the year is done, including making my first blazer and attempting to tackle pants for the first time, too. But sadly, the other goals of taking care of myself are all over the place so that is what I am focusing on this fall. Not really sewing related at all, but I guess it is, because I can’t sew if I am not feeling well. :/ I have to work on that a lot. 🙁
The previews of your trench coat are driving me nuts! I can’t wait to see it! The Cascade Duffle coat looks awesome too. I hope the weather cools down soon for you to get both done this year! As for lingerie, once you take the plunge, you’ll see it’s not that different from and just as addictive as other garments. 🙂
I am not doing great with my 2015 sewing goals at all! I am also not doing so hot at photographing and posting my makes.
I love the color of the trench and hope that you get inspiration/cool weather and get it finished. That fuchsia is going to be gorgeous with your hair and skin tone!
Yeah, it can sometimes be a pain to take photos, can’t it? Especially when you have other things to do!
That trench looks stunning. I love the colour. You make so many gorgeous things that I wouldn’t beat myself up about not finishing your goal pattern list. 🙂 I have sewn up none of my goals for this year although I have done two out of my three “vintage pattern pledges” and a couple of “sewing dares”. My machine has had a bit of a wobbly and refuses to do button holes or stitch for long without being a bit odd so I have a few things cut out but not finished. I did just buy a vintage Singer buttonholer so I can use one of my vintage machines instead. I would love to make a coat or a jacket and am planning one before the end of the year. I am moving house again with work in October so hopefully I will have some more time to sew then. Xx
Oh, a new house and a new sewing space! 🙂 I really can’t wait to finish my trench and wear it. I’m more of a make and wear right off the sewing machine gal, which is probably why I haven’t completed it. Someone came over while I was making it and asked where I was going to wear it when they saw it on my dressform. I was like: “EVERYWHERE!”
My biggest goal fail so far is my lack of a rain jacket. But yeah, like SoCal and NorCal, we’re in a drought up here. Throw in a ridiculously hot summer, and the last thing I want to sew right now is outerwear. I also can’t decide on a pattern–I want something with a hood, so that eliminates a lot of outerwear/jacket patterns right off the bat (I can’t believe how few jacket patterns include hoods). Everything else I’ve looked at after that would either be a pain to grade up or has some red flag of a detail. (e.g. There’s a Burda Plus jacket that would be perfect…except that it has cut-on sleeves, and I’m not sure that I want cut-on sleeves on a jacket.)
Let’s hope our weather turns to normal this fall and we both get a lot of rain! I made a hooded raincoat a couple of years ago and it’s enormously helpful in the rain. I’d love to make another sometime. I wonder if the cascade duffle would work well converted to raincoat? Maybe we’ll be lucky and a plus size hooded coat/jacket will come out with the fall patterns!
Always happy to see a post from you Tanya even if it does involve reminding me of all the resolutions I have not accomplished… YET! I have had the Robson and the fabric to go with it for 2 years now! AND the Minoru…Heck, I have everything to make the Lolita Patterns Spearmint coat too- what is it with me and coats not getting made!? Like you I have everything I need to make a few bras yet they are languishing in my “stash.” I also wanted to make a pair of jeans this year and well… maybe I should stop there! You made leggings! Yay! (Oh we may need a raincoat in CA this year since an El Nino is on it’s way!!) PS. I love keeping up with you on IG… 🙂
Ah, but look at all of those lovely dresses you’ve been making lately!!! I had the Robson + fabric sitting in my sewing room for over a year before I got to it. Hopefully I will complete the coat before a year passes….I think our warm weather does not make us want to sew outerwear!!! I also love keeping up with you on IG!!