I'm just saying...

I wrote on Cidell's blog that I was going to hold off on buying fabric till April, unless a trip to India was in the offing. Because, I can resist many things, but not pretty and cheap Indian fabric.

That being said, here's the temptation I face on a daily basis. This is (a part of) my mom's sari closet.



Here's the thing - she wears a sari roughly once a month. I know, I've counted. So, essentially, I face 6 yards of fabric per sari, under-used, tempting me, whispering, "cut me, cut me, she'll never notice I'm gone..."

So far, I've resisted.

But its hard.

More pics of temptation...






In the fall, my brother and me started taking out a couple of saris a day and hiding them. We were wondering how long it would take for my mom to notice. It took 10 days. I'm just saying...

One out of three. This sucks, really.

I've made a few tops in January, and its really sad - the one I was bitching about, Simplicity 3838 is the one I like the best.

So, Simplicity 3838.



Pattern review here.

Despite me complaining about how pregnant this top makes me look, (and it does, trust me. I took a shot of my profile, but I'm vain enough to never post it here), I still really like this top. Its comfortable, kind of cute, and its easy to wear. Tops like this fit perfectly into my wardrobe - I'm always looking for something just a shade nicer than a t-shirt to wear over jeans.

Dismal failure 1 - Simplicity 4020.

The pictures confirm - this is definitely a wadder.



How many ways do I hate this top? Ah. Let me count.

1. Ok, horizontal stripes at most out-of-shape body part? Ummm - no. (I couldn't help it though, that was the way the fabric stretched.)

2. The fabric is thin enough, you can see the indentation of my belly-button. And everything else, actually. You can see my bra through this. (Ah. Announcing that on the internet. Good idea.)

3. The worst is, apart from the above two points - it looks really dowdy. The kimono portion looks shapeless, its just dressing-gown like, and ugggghhh. Awful. Its not the pattern - I've made this pattern before, and that came out relatively cute. Its either the fabric, or something I did sewing. I'm not sure which one - but its back to the drawing board for this.

I'm not too bummed - I've wasted a buck on fabric(stupid Goodwill find, I must stop doing that) and a couple of hours of my life. It could be worse. I'm definitely going to try this again though, with either a floral (I think those work well) or a solid. Definitely, no stripes.

Slightly less dismal failure - BWOF 09-2007-101.



This was definitely my fault. For sure. I have this bad habit of buying remnants, and then trying to force my pattern to fit. To get this one to fit, I cut the ties a lot smaller, and made the shirt a lot shorter. Too short, as a matter of fact. This hasn't been hemmed yet - and its already about 2 inches shorter than I'd like it. (It was an accident, though. I thought I was measuring accurately.) And I made my sleeves shorter too, since I didn't have enough fabric, but it turns out, I like the sleeves in that length.)

I made a size 36 - which is my usual BWOF top size. In perfect 20-20 hindsight - I should have broadened to a 40 at the hip. The shirt is pretty boxy, and another inch at the hip would help it hang better. I could also shape it better at the waist - there's a lot of excess fabric there. My fabric doesn't stretch a lot too, so its actually a bit tight near the armpit. (I think its visible in the picture.)

The thing that makes me mad is, I really liked this fabric, and could have used it elsewhere, in a sleeveless top, or something. I tried to make it work here - and wasted it all. Bleah.

Anway. This top didn't take long to make either, so, back to the drawing board again. Not a total wadder, anyway, I think I can wear this one outside the house. (If I shouldn't, please, nice people on the internet, please tell me.)

Sewing - with a plan.

I don't want to call it a SWAP - because that would imply too much planning, which, quite honestly, I don't do.

However, ever since I saw this post at Carolyn's - the idea of cluster sewing has been simmering in the back of my head. 3 tops - 2 bottoms - I can do that.

So, here's what I'm thinking of making.

The Winter Collection - clothes to wear in order to go out for dinner and drinks.

1. Simplicity 3838



I want to make the view with the long sleeves. Some kind of print - I need to mull what I have in the fabric stash for this.

2. Simplicity 4020



I made this already in a pink striped sweater knit - though I'm mulling on whether I want to keep it, or throw it away. (I'll take photos, but the problem is that its a very thin sweater knit, and you can sort of see my belly button through the fabric. I'm a woman in her 30s, is this appropriate?)

If I do decide to wad it - I'll make it again, in some kind of colorful printed knit, or in a solid black.

3. BWOF 9-2007-101



I have a black and gray animal print fabric that I think I have just enough of...

4. Simplicity 4135



Pants! No shortage of courage here. I have a dark gray wool for this one. (I'd like to try a BWOF for this, but since I've never made pants before, I might want pictures. Hence, the Simplicity.)

5. Some kind of skirt. Potential candidates are Simplicity 4036 (as close to a TNT pattern for me) or Simplicity 3962.



or



I'll make this in a black wool.

So, some color in the tops and black and gray bottoms should make the 11 combinations possible. I'd like (optimistic here) to get this done by the end of February - so I'll still get some winter mileage out of it. Most of the patterns I've picked are really easy, in fact, the only one I'm a bit nervous about is the skirt - so, perhaps this is do-able.

I'm off to trace the BWOF...

Cidell and Sarah, thanks so much for offering to get me some patterns. You are too nice!

I did, however, manage to nag/cajole/persuade/whine and make my friend go back to Joanns. Here he is, in Wisconsin for the NFC game - detouring to go to Joanns for me. (Yes, I'm pretty spoiled.)



That look on his face is purely for me. The caption that accompanied the photo on Facebook said -

Packers fan loves spending game weekends finding sewing patterns. Thanks Reethi.

Umm. Yeah. I freely admit I'm spoiled.

(Ok, bonus picture, cause it was soo funny to see my never-been-to-Joanns friend root through a pattern drawer.)

D'uh!

Being in Canada, the pattern sales are rather scarce. Especially the really cheap, 99c ones - I'm quite sure those don't exist here.

So, when I heard about Joann's Simplicity sale this week, I wrote to a friend in the US who is visiting next week, and pleaded for patterns. He's a guy who's never been to Joann's, so, I gave him detail, sizes, numbers, etc.

Like so...

I need:

4135 - size H5
3533 - size H5
2999 - size H5
3997 - size K5
3678 - size K5
3835 - size D5
4014 - size AA
4045 - size H5
3750 - size K5
4076 - size K5
3566 - size K5

Detailed, right? Sizes, everything?

Yeah, not. I forgot to tell him what pattern company. He called me from the store, but I didn't hear the phone ring. Crap!

I am an idiot. Now I need to bribe him to go back.

(I'm still laughing at the image of him wandering around the pattern section at Joann. Does that make me a bad person?)

My top is done. It fits well and I'm really pleased with the way it came out, even if it makes me look pregnant. I need to take a pic...

Happy New Year!

Wow, I'm so sewn out, after 8 pairs of pyjamas. (Or pajamas? I'm sticking with the British English spelling on this one.)

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments on the dress. (Especially to Sarah, who sent a billion comments over my way) I confess, I still haven't worn it, although that has a lot to do with the fact that its winter, and freezing.

Anyway, the project that's currently under way (though very slowly) is Simplicity 3838. I'm making the view with short sleeves. (I'd originally wanted to do the long sleeved one, but my fabric was a $2 remnant - why is this story familiar? - and I didn't have enough for the long sleeves.)

The tragic part is - I've got started on it, attached the bodice to the waistband, the bottom skirt to the waistband, etc, and I tried it on, and I think the uniform consensus was - pregnant & maternity-like. Aaarrrgh. I'm very tired of the failure rate of my projects, not so much in fitting and construction (though I have those too) but in deciding, looking at a pattern envelope, what will look good on my body.

I'm going to persevere through, however, it might look better with the zipper in, perhaps.

Or, I could just go to the gym, and get rid of the gut, but hey.

I think my sewing resolutions should be to sew clothes I will actually use.

Bah. Overall, I'm not a happy camper.