Distraction Project: Not so well planned

 I had an idea to make another patchwork bomber jacket, this time from knits, and largely inspired by the way a lot of the left-overs from recent projects looked good together.  I didn't honestly, though, think I'd wear such a thing, so I put the idea aside.  Then the unexpected vet fees happened, and I revisited the idea with the possibility of auctioning the jacket toward that.

With that idea in mind, I started cutting squares.  Knowing I would use a different pattern than I used for the last patchwork jacket--a different pattern with a much larger size range--I knew I'd need more patches than before.  I cut up all the left over pieces from the previous projects, scrounged through the doll knits drawer for more, and still came up a bit short.  From the larger yardage knits, I chose a velour that I had no ideas for...then realized that it was a cotton velour.  (It was part of the friend's generous sharing of a relative's fabric stash, thanks again!)  As soon as I realized it was cotton (or at least cotton-inclusive), I wanted to make it into something for me.  Something...long-sleeved.

So I started by cutting the sleeves (from the "no longer anywhere near the correct size but I keep it anyway because sewing shirts from it 15 years ago really changed--for the better--something in my relationship with sewing" New Look 6217) and then very quickly realized there really wasn't enough of the cloth left to make an entire bodice.

I was still determined to make something from this.

I laid out the front side of New Look 6217 to use the armscye, then used New Look 6068 in the correct size to fill out the rest of the front...then arbitrarily cut a dramatically curving "empire" height bottom edge for that piece.  I repeated the combination of patterns for the back, using the edge of the front piece to determine where to cut the relatively straight lower back edge.  "Empire" is in quotes because it ended p way too high--like, above the fullest part of the bust high.

So.  Having realized that I had cut what was, essentially, a yoke...from a slightly heavy purple velour...I had to pause to figure out what to use for the rest that wouldn't result in looking like a background character from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

After toying with using a woven, digging through my fabric to find something suitable, and failing, I remembered an extremely synthetic knit I've had a lot of for a long time.  I made an effort to stop second-guessing myself and used that

I'm not saying it doesn't look like something from ST:TNG...

Another "quick" project

Among the many textile things the friend brought over the summer were many pieces of partially dis-assembled clothing, including a purple tiered skirt with the waistband cut off.

  I had it stuffed in with my fabric for a while, and finally decided to make a quick bodice to sew it  to, to make another under dress.

Of course things didn't go as quick as they could have.

It's Curtains Again

This time it's a single lace curtain panel, turned into another attempt at an under dress...that I added pockets to, because it looked cute over the clothes I was wearing when I tried it on.  If a layer might potentially be on or near the top, it needs pockets.  Why even sew if you're not gonna add pockets?

Grayyyyyyyy

The return (somewhat) of cooler weather + PMS made me say "Heyyy, I wanna sew some mori kei layers to wear under the dresses I've been sewing."  The PMS also conspired to make me ignore the fact that I dislike sewing thin synthetic knits and so decide to purchase a 4-yard-for-$4 dark gray thin synthetic knit precut at Walmart.

The first thing I wanted to try sewing from that knit was a pair of leggings, using the leggings pattern I cobbled together years ago from an old copy of Simplicity 9721 that I haven't owned for years.  Considering how much disappointment came from the last time I tried a different leggings pattern, and also considering that there were four yards of 56" fabric to experiment with, I figured I should at least try it, since the last pair of leggings I had made with it are things I still wear. (And I seem to have made them before starting this blog.)  Now, though, those were made with a 4-way stretch, and extending the waistline up by 5" created enough room to comfortably encompass all of my diastasis recti bulge mom belly.  The dark gray thin synthetic is only a 2-way stretch,and the 5" extra made it enough to go aaaaabooouuut halfway up the bulge, and also not quite all the way to the ankles

Yes, that's a picture of them hanging awkwardly on a hanger, which doesn't exactly illustrate the fit issues.  I'm wearing them now and my ankles are a bit cold.  The waist band doesn't seem like it's going to be an issue, in terms of comfort.  The main thing will be to see how bad the knee and posterior fabric growth will be by the end of the day, since 2-way stretch just doesn't have the recover that 4-way has.

Still, I considered that pair of leggings enough of a success to go ahead and try to use up all the rest of the fabric in another project, the success of which is still TBD