Sewing Mojo: Missing and Found

A couple of weeks ago my sewing mojo ran away screaming. I blame the enormous winter coat project. I baked a bit, knitted a bit, let the sewing lay quietly. To coax my mojo back I made my Mom's friend a tote bag to match my Mom's own from a few months ago.

The drawing is way better, but I managed to make the bag way bigger on accident.

I hope SK likes it!

I even found the same lining and I literally couldn't kick that damn cat out of the picture.

Then as fast as the mojo went away, its can a'roarin' back! I excitedly started cutting out tons of teeny weeny appliques for a special project and then......I started feeling a sharp pain in my hand. Well frick-sticks. So I have a very deep bruise in my hand and am trying not to use scissors at all. All cutting will either be done by my very sweet boyfriend or by my very sweet rotary cutter. And no handsewing!

New Patterns: McCalls Winter 2013

Early prom arrivals!

Would you rather...

go as Barbie?

McCalls 6838

go as what my imaginary best friends Tom and Lorenzo would call the glaring titscrepancy?

McCalls 6837

or go in this dress which I think was made with cheap screen door material?

McCalls 6836

For my imaginary prom, I choose cheap door dress. There's potential which other two don't aspire to.
Normal clothes?

McCalls 6833

Ok not too normal, its still pretty fancy pants. The skirt is way full and the antique colored lace is way too much with that brocade. It all comes together to look like a very mature (or rich) child's Christmas dress. The non-full skirt option is more adult.

McCalls 6834

I though there was a seam there until I saw the line drawing. That point is just where all the pleats open. I think in a less stiff fabric the garment would look more like the line drawing and have some of the promised flow. The sleeves make it a bit twee.

McCalls 6835

That's just...no....its just rectangles....This is NOT a dress, its a coverup on its best day! And please, for the love of god don't do this:

McCalls 6841

This was actually an extremely trendy look from earlier this year, but instead of giant cowl the fabric reversed and folded at the bottom. The style was better rendered by Hot Patterns 1153.

McCalls 6839

I hate these cut-out, cowl back tops, with the *SHUDDER* shoulder ties to keep them from falling off. Reminds me of the cheap tween clothes I sometimes convinced my understanding mom to buy me. Thanks for indulging me, momma!

McCalls 6846

Please excuse me while I run screaming from the room. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

McCalls 6847

Dental assistant's smock.

McCalls 6844

Love this fabric. Love the shawl collar. HATE the peplum.

McCalls 6840

Ok, I have this shirt in chambray. No joke. Love those obnoxious, annoying sleeves.

McCalls 6842

Rah-rah cheerleader skirt.

McCalls 6849

That is aggressively ugs.

McCalls 6848

I cannot imagine the pain of sleeping in romper. I flip over about 14 times before I fall asleep and then supposedly, I spend the rest of the night either kicked off the covers or stealing the covers. Do you realize how much this thing would ride up, anywhere and everywhere? Oh man.

On that....

If I were in an indie pattern company, I would be....

I would define my style as 80% Grainline with 10% each of Papercut and Victory for zazz. Don't get my wrong, I love the others too, Megan Nielsen, Sewaholic, many more, and its not like I wouldn't make their stuff, I love it, I have plans for them too, but if I had to define who 'got' me, its Grainline. Slightly masculine, modern, and clean. Et tu?

Archer #2

Archer #1 is totally jealous of Archer #2. I told him to be the bigger Archer and accept it. He said, I am the bigger Archer, you made the new on one size smaller. Touche, Archer #1, touche.

The one size smaller experiment shows that I need the smaller size in the shoulders, the waist, and the back. I love the way the shoulders fit here. Also the back is way more manageable while still having plenty of flowy, blousy fabric. The bust on the other hand neeeeeds to be cut at the larger size. See the button gaping up there? Not a problem in Archer #1.

Oh man alive, I put that pleat in backwards! I couldn't remember which way it went so I guessed. Guess I guessed wrong? Those instructions are really good, totally my fault. The fabric is cotton voile from Fabric Place Basement, the green is, um, not the best quality.

I love my new gas station attendant/bowling league uniform. All the seams are finished as french seams, EVEN THE ARMHOLE. I never understood the physics of how one could attach the sleeves with a french seam, but bygolly, it worked! Damnit, this shirt is sturdy!

 

Unfortunately, it attracts cat fur like a muthah.....