The Great British Sewing Bee provides the best inspiration!

Ok, first of all - how very awesome was the final of the Great British Sewing Bee? I laughed, I cried... it was so very inspirational! Massive congratulations to Ann - who is amazing! (I'm a lurker-ish member of the Stitcher's Guild forum, and Ann is so helpful.) Congratulations also to all the other contestants, who really represented sewing well in how nice, helpful, funny and cooperative they all were.

Anyhoo - I've been really fascinated by the time constraints on the sewing in this show, and find myself wondering if I could actually sew an A-line skirt in 3 hours, a pair of men's pants in 3.5 hours or a lined jacket in 8 hours.

(The answers respectively are: Probably, Are you kidding me? No way! and Yeah, in my dreams.)

So the other day, as a next project, I pulled out an unlined knit jacket pattern from an old Burda magazine (06-2009-114) and asked myself - can I sew this in 5 hours?

This jacket is meant to be constructed out of sweatshirting. 

I got to work at 8.00pm Monday night.

- It took me 1.25 hours to trace out the pattern, add seam allowances and cut out the pattern.
- It took me 45 minutes to cut out the fabric.
- Another 20-ish minutes to interface all the pieces that needed interfacing.
- I then started sewing...

At about the point where I had an hour left - I'd finished assembling the body and the sleeves and I had three important bits left:

- Pockets
- Hemming
- That notched collar!

Ok, I've never made a notched collar before. Since I was doing a GBSB-style challenge, I decided using the internet to google construction details was cheating. I'd have to figure out the Burda gobbely-gook instructions.

That didn't go so well either - it took me 30 minutes to have the collar basted. At this point - 4.5 hours into the project - I decided I wasn't going to be done, and went to bed.

However, the next day, I did google some instructions, and hacked away at my jacket. I vaguely kept track of time. I got the collar on, decided my pockets looked woefully hand-made, and skipped them, and then hand-hemmed the jacket. (No perfectly matching thread, otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered.)

The result? A wearable jacket. It isn't obviously the most perfect of sewing, but it works as a first notched-collar attempt. There will be more.

The great motto of the story? Sometimes - it's about the doing. I've a tendency to browse the Internet, overthink the next project, walk away when a difficult bit comes up, etc. But there's just no substitute for actual doing.
 

  

BWOF 02-2013-126 - A mini palette cleanser

The never-ending dress caused me to back up on many other sewing resolutions, and so last night, I took a bit of time to trace and cut out out the February t-shirt that everyone's been making with great success.

Today, while hanging out at my parents, I quickly sewed it up, and hey, not bad! I did do a few silly things (chiefly, read the neck binding width as 4 inches, not 4cm - but hey - make it work!)

The fabric is some remnant knit that my mother gave me, I really like it. I wear black much more than chocolate brown, but brown's a great basic as well.

I will definitely sew this again! But first, something from the March and April issues of BWOF. 

The birthday dress that never was...

You remember the Choose-Your-Own-Adventures books in the 80s? I'm going to tell this story in the form of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book. It'll be entertaining. Or cathartic.

Once upon a time, Reethi decided she wanted to make the Burda January 107 dress. She had a lovely red wool fabric sitting in her stash, and this dress would have been perfect.

At the same time, Reethi remembered that her last pants would have been rather tight at a straight size 40 and she knew she`d need to compensate for this tightness. She therefore took out her tracing paper, and traced out a...

If you think Reethi wisely remeasured herself, and then traced out the corresponding Burda size, go to Page 100.

If you think Reethi guesstimated - go to Page 45. 

Page 45: 
... and traced out a size 40 on top, and size 42 below. The bodice had princess seams, and rather than add in petite alteration lines, she just decided to leave out the seam allowances on the bodice, reasoning that that would shorten the bodice appropriately.

So, Reethi cut the fashion fabric out, and got to work. She stitched the bodice seams, and then the bathroom project intervened. She fiddled around making t-shirts. She procrastinated and procrastinated cutting out the lining. The lining slipped and slid all over the place, but Reethi persisted. This became the project from hell, but there was a bit of dogged determination.

Eventually, Reethi reached the stage where she attached the supposedly-shortened bodice to the skirt, so she did that, serged the seams together (of course), put in the invisible zipper with applaud-able skill, and then tried the dress on. To find...

If you think the bodice fit perfectly, despite all the clearly wrong steps, go to Page 127. 

If you think Reethi should have basted her bodice first, go to Page 64. 

Page 64: 

Ill-fitting bodice, wrinkly hem. Oh, don't miss the peculiar tail-like flipping of the side hems.

Umm, yeah. That was a disaster. The dress' waist was significantly lower than Reethi's actual waist. So, Reethi proceeded to spend a good 3 hours ripping out the beautifully sewn invisible zipper, her serged-together bodice and skirt, took out another 2 inches of length on the bodice, fiddled to make the darts sort of line up, and then proceeded to painfully resew the dress back together. The bodice still didn't fit right, but at this point, Reethi had sort of given up caring.

Like people marching for survival in the desert (pardon the wee bit of hyperbole here), Reethi's only thought was - one step at a time. But at the same time, this project was now being approached with a fair bit of dread. These contradictory impulses meant that the dress would sit, neglected, for many weeks at a time.

But Reethi's 40th birthday was drawing closer, and this was the dress she wanted to finish and wear. And so it was that at 12.30am one night, Reethi found herself at the cutting table, slicing off almost 5 inches at the hem, to get the hem to be where she wanted it.

Slicing off the hem was a good idea? Go to page 138. 

Ooh Reethi, remember: measure many times, then cut once? Go to page 73. 

Page 73: 
Yeah, that was another disaster. The hem dipped up and down. It undulated like the hills. The skirt vent looked like a little tail. And so, Reethi did what she should have done the first time - measured the hem so it would be even. However, by this time, the skirt was too short to do a proper hem, so she had to use hem tape, and then hand sew the hem on the street-car the day before the birthday. Much puckering resulted.

And the result? This story does not have a happy ending. Somehow, I was hoping the red fabric would rescue this dress, so it was greater than the sum of it's parts. But in the end, an ill-fitting bodice and a puckering, uneven hem killed this dress. I wore it out to lunch on my birthday - hated it so very much, and wore an old pair of pants and a t-shirt out to the birthday gathering.

Trust me, I might be smiling in this picture, but I was throwing a tantrum on the inside.

In the end, the dress was rescued from the garbage bin. It fits my friend Jeeva really well. She's the happy owner of a well-sewn dress. (Badly fitted to me, fits her great!) She's happy, and me? Well, I need to learn to not be an idiot, no? Self-inflicted injuries are the worst!

And below? The future that could have been...

Page 100:
Reethi remeasured, realized she was a size 38 on top, a size 42 on the bottom. She traced out the right sizes, made the right pattern adjustments, and sewed a beautiful red dress. She wore this dress out on her 40th birthday, received a ton of compliments, and was all pleased and happy. The End.

Page 127: 
Reethi tried on the dress, and the bodice fit perfectly! She realized she'd dodged a major bullet. She then proceeded to do everything else by the book. She sewed a beautiful red dress. She wore this dress out on her 40th birthday, received a ton of compliments, and was all pleased and happy. The End.

Page 138: 
Even though no measuring was involved, Reethi evidently had crazy straight-line estimating skills, since she took a rotary cutter to the fabric like a mad woman, and no damage was done! She then proceeded to do everything else by the book. She sewed a beautiful red dress. She wore this dress out on her 40th birthday, received a ton of compliments, and was all pleased and happy. The End.

Skills and such...

So, I spent a bit of Sunday trying to teach a friend to sew. It was an interesting experience... I think I bit off a bit more than I can chew, to be honest.

 - I'd forgotten that though I've only been sewing garments for 5ish years, I've been sewing quilts and suchlike for most of my life. I knew how to sew straight lines, set in zippers, cut with a rotary cutter, etc - all important garment sewing skills - before I ever cut into a pattern.

- I have no experience fitting other people. I knew this was a problem, but I thought my friend and me were more or less the same size. We aren't. I'm a B-cup - bodices fit me with minimal fussing - my friend is likely going to need an FBA. Which I don't know how to do. It'll all be rather interesting when we get to it.

- I wasn't assertive enough in the choice of pattern, we picked a pattern my friend liked, vs. something that would have been a more beginner friendly sew. So, we are sewing with a woven, lined pleated bodice, invisible zipper - these are all some pretty major skills to teach someone who's having difficulty sewing a straight line. Umm. There's going to be a fair bit of muddling through.

Anyway - that experience, plus watching the Great British Sewing Bee (Team Ann!) - got me to think about skills. And blogging. And our online blogging personas, vs. our actual skill levels.

There's a lot of sewing on the Internet that's really cute, but just not that technically great. And as long as we are blogging for our own amusement, that's perfectly fine - my first skirt was utter crap, but I felt like a rock star for making a semi-wearable skirt!

Where it gets problematic is when blogging crosses the line from "I'm showing you my work" to "I'm going to teach you how to do something." At this point - experience does matter! Enthusiasm, while lovely and fantastic, is not sufficient... (It is immensely likely that next week's bodice sewing session is going to be quite disastrous. Slightly in my defense, I'm not getting paid to do this. If I were, I'd beg off, I don't really have the skills.)

Now factor in how lovely and supportive the sewing community is - and there's not a lot of calling a spade a spade. Which is unfortunate. Cause how will you know? Without honest reviews, how do you know what pattern is amazing, and which one is badly drafted?

Anyhoo, random, middle-of-the-night musings. I'm working on a never-ending dress (and a glass of wine - though not at the same time, that would just be asking for disaster!). It's in its last stages though - the lining is in, the zipper is in, I just have the skirt vent to fuss with, and the hem. I'm hopeful to finish it during the week, and finally get to start on something else. 

Fragile beauty in the time of chaos

I mentioned in my last post that the last few weeks have been rough. My house has been in utter chaos - chief cause being a bathroom remodel. And unfortunately, I'm one of those people that cannot function in utter chaos. I just shut down. (I'm a pretty messy person, I function just fine in normal messiness.)

Chaos in the bathroom...

Chaos through the rest of the house.

As a result, my sewing has been a combination of scattered, unproductive and unfocused. I've started many simultaneous new projects - a sure way of creating multiple UFOs.

And the finished tile and bathtub. (I did take out the painters tape at some point.)

Still, everything must come to an end, even chaos. The bathroom is now done, and my house is slowly getting tidy. And there are even finished projects to show off.

This fabric is pretty special. It used to be my mother's favorite sari. All through my teenage years, I've watched her reach for this sari. However, time and multiple washes took its toll, and a couple of years ago, this sari fell apart - the silk ripped, my mother cried, and I cackled evilly and stole the fabric. (Ok, fine, that was a bit wicked. But - in my defense, see this post.)

Since this fabric was well loved and treasured, I was anxious to use it well. However, it's really, really fragile, and I needed a pattern that had no zippers, no button holes, nothing that would at all stress the fabric in any way whatsoever. Enter Simplicity 2192.

Ahem. It's all very pretty, but really, the fabric tore as I was serging the shoulders, so I ended up not serging any other seams. It also would randomly fall apart on me, so I've ironed interfacing to minimize the damage in about a dozen spots on the inside. This is not a top that is long of the world.

(Also, I dare not wear a jacket over it, for fear of tearing it while taking the jacket off. Let's just say this is a pretty impractical make.)

Still, I do like the pattern, and will make it again.

And hey - outside photos! Spring has sprung here, hopefully. I've tempted fate by turning off my heater. We'll see. It's been a long winter. (And as you can see, I still haven't put away the snow shovel.)

In which a sewist (me) makes something out of nothing...

A rather long time ago, my friend Caroline gave me some fabric that was left over from a skirt she'd cut. There was hardly almost no yardage at all - just the bits and pieces that are left over when you cut a pattern out. The kind that's maybe 12 inches or so wide, and the full length of your fabric? She wasn't quite sure what to do with it, and I confidently proclaimed that there was enough there to make something, anything.

Umm. Yeah. There was, but only just. Still - challenge completed.

Excuse my bra strap. Oh, and I painted my living room yellow. I love it, but there's no denying it - it is bright! 

I was looking for a princess-seamed (or similar) pattern - since I wouldn't have enough width to cut either the front or the back on the fold. Thankfully, Simplicity 2938 came to the rescue. I've made this up before - both as a top (first version, second version) and as a dress - so I knew the pattern well, didn't have to make any modifications, and could use this as a quick little stress-relief make.

As an aside, to say that the last month and a half have been chaotic is the understatement of the century. It has been utter, complete, total chaos in these parts - at least part due to a bathroom remodel. I've fled to my parents - almost in tears - more than once during this process. Understandably, as a result, sewing output has been tragically low.

Still, thankfully, my apartment and my temperament are both slowly re-approaching normalcy. I'll do a blog post at some point showing off both the chaos and the finished bathroom.

That crash you hear is the sound of a broken resolution...

So there I was, dear readers, visiting my cousin for the weekend. He lives in the DC area - conveniently, about a 10 minute drive from G Street Fabrics. My last G Street trip was so successful, I thought I'd take a peek and see what they had.

I walked through the store, all smug - here I was, with a specific list of what I wanted - some sweater knits, some cream fabric for a shirt, nothing else. The prices weren't that attractive, I wasn't that tempted until...

Ahem. Erase the smugness, I'd stumbled upon the $2.95 a yard clearance tables. 

6 pieces of fabric and $35 later, I left, chastened. That's quite enough for the year, Reethi, I scolded myself. Surely, you remember the resolution? 

I commit to using 25 pieces of stash fabric in 2013. I also commit to buying new fabric only if I will use it up right away.

Evidently, I didn't remember the resolution, because, what else could explain today's little splurge? (The trio on the left.)

I was in Little India, I walked past a saree/fabric store that was closing, everything was on sale - and before I knew it, a navy blue satin had jumped into my hands, along with this lovely fine cotton shirting in a shade of mustard, and a yard of black dupioni that the shopkeeper offered to sell me for $12.

(Toronto readers - it's called Sonu Fabrics? - it's on Gerrard, around Coxwell. The satin and the 100% cotton was $3 a yard - the dupioni was the end of the roll, so I think I just got a really good price. The sale price per yard seemed about $20.)

So, 9 pieces of fabric in less than a week.

Atonement is possible, of course - what's life without a little forgiveness? I would like to make it all up this year. That should erase some of the badness. :)

Moroccan Morning - now available for sale!

I finished binding the quilt yesterday, and promptly took some photos in my backyard in fading daylight. But so pretty!

The pattern's available on my Craftsy store right now, and I'm putting up an Etsy listing as well today.

Has PatternReview jumped the shark?

Ok - I'm not actually deliberately trying to be controversial here. But I do wonder... has PatternReview jumped the shark?

Specifically causing me to ask the question - it's March 1 - I went on to see what the contests were. There's one running now, the fitted blouse contest, and one upcoming contest - the Pattern Stash  contest (starts March 15.) Neither appear to have a prize attached to it.

Back in Jan/Feb - the Handbag contest ran for a full month with no prize. In fact, winners have been picked - no prize?

In the last 5 years I've been part of Pattern Review - every single contest has had a prize. Sometimes, things I want to win, sometimes, things I'm not really that interested in - but without exception - every single contest has had a prize.

So, what gives? Is this "no prize for contests" a new thing? Or is this just stuff slipping through the cracks?  

Toronto Sewing Blog Meetup - best Saturday afternoon ever!

Ok, can I gush a little, and talk about how much fun I had yesterday afternoon? Toronto Sewing Blog Meetup - best idea ever! About a million thanks to Gillian and Adrienne, who took the initiative and did the hard work to get a bunch of us GTA residents together!

I had such a blast!

I'm rather shamelessly stealing Gillian and Adrienne's photos - I was too busy having fun, I think I took one photo.

Rather than try to list everyone who was there, I've added a link of my fellow GTA bloggers on the left - that way, I can blog-stalk them!

Ok, everyone who's ever met a sewing blogger in person will attest to this - the sewing community is so incredibly nice! I'm always a bit nervous when meeting new people, but I think this lasted about 10 seconds yesterday - Catja handed me a cake pop, Gillian handed me a name tag, and I promptly forgot to be nervous, and just had a blast instead.

We shopped (ahem, I'll get to that bit in a moment), and then did a super-fun fabric/pattern swap at a bar, accompanied by beer and food. (In that order, I'm afraid, beer on an empty stomach is a very bad idea!) I scored! My first Colette pattern (the Crepe), a Vogue pattern, and a vintage pattern with a very cool mock-wrap blouse (which I must make!). Also, a metre of some soft black poly (I think), which will be perfect for a blouse, and one little bit of some Art-Deco printed cotton, which will work well for a quilt.

Ok, now for the shopping confessions - it actually wasn't too bad. On my way down there, on the subway, I wrote a little list of what I was allowed to buy - things that were actually holes in the stash. I ended up buying just one piece of fabric, a piece of stretch faux leather, that I'm going to make leggings out of.  (Guys - I live 30 minutes from the fabric district, there's no need to stash, seriously! Or so I have to remind myself.) Also, I bought interfacing, but that's practical and necessary!

Best afternoon ever! There's talk of a summer version, and I can't wait!

A sweater attempt with Simplicity 3568

Dear readers, I've been pretty good about keeping the fabric purchases under control (only lining bought so far in 2012, no actual fabric yet!), but I'm coveting sweater knits. It's partly the cold, it's freezing outside, and not that much warmer inside my house. Also, all my sweaters/cardigans were purchased about 5 years ago (or more) and I desperately need to make myself replacements. (Without making a thing out of it, I've largely given up on store-bought clothes - I bought a pair of jeans last year, some lingerie this year, but that's it, I think, in terms of RTW purchases recently.)

However, I did have this mustard fabric that was suitable for sweater making, and so I pulled out Simplicity 3568, and got to work yesterday. The pattern wasn't ideal - for starts, it seems to have been drafted both for knits and wovens, and the cowl neck instructions are frankly insane. The sleeves are also crazy-wide, and the fit is more boxy than I wanted. 

Still, it had the basics of what I wanted, and so I got to work - I sewed it up, tried it on, and then pinched out width from the sleeves and the sides. Except, unfortunately, I got a bit carried away - the fit is now too tight in the under-arm area. Sigh. It's wearable though, and unbelievably toasty - just not exactly what I wanted. 

You can see the fit issues here - lots of wrinkling around the under-arm, extending to the bust. Meh.

The 2013 Goal Tracker

I want a post where I can keep links to all the 2013 goals in one place, so here goes.

Sew something from every Burda magazine I buy. 

Jan 2013 Burda - Black wool pants, Red dress (that went to Jeeva)
Feb 2013 Burda - Brown t-shirt
March 2013 Burda - 
April 2013 Burda - 
May 2013 Burda - 
June 2013 Burda - 
July 2013 Burda - 

Finish a quilting UFO once every 2 months. 

Jan/Feb quilting project - 9 patch quilt.
Mar/Apr quilting project - 
May/June quilting project - 

July/Aug quilting project - 

Stashbusting Sewalong - using 25 pieces of stash fabric

1. Backing for 9-patch quilt
2. Crazy jungle print leggings and sleep set.
3. Simplicity 2938 green print top.
4. BWOF 01-2013-??? Red dress
5. BWOF 02-2013-126 chocolate brown t-shirt
6. McCalls 6112 purple dress
7. McCalls 6551 orange dress
8. Backing for Dave and Erin's quilt.
9. Black McCalls 6510
10.Blue McCalls 6566

11.Simplicity 2246 - Green shirtdress

- Make a raincoat. 
- One project from each of the 6 Japanese pattern books I own 
- Participate in the 2013 SWAP, and in 3 Pattern Review contests

Crazy cubed

There I was, moaning on about how my jungle-print leggings wouldn't qualify for the Stashbusting sewalong, when I decided to do something about it.

First - I planned to sew a little tank-top. But then, a bit of genius (or insanity, take your pick) struck - I'd make a tiger print tank-top and shorts as a sleep set. Genius.

I barely had enough fabric to make the shorts - in fact, the front of the shorts has a bit of selvage showing. It isn't really visible when I'm wearing it though.

While I thought this outfit would look seriously insane - strangely enough, it actually looks quite good on. Less crazy than you'd think.

(Incidentally, I had to use a lot of restraint in terms of a blog post title. Every combination of "tiger print" and "clothing to sleep in" was rather risque, though very funny.)

Oh, and the title - chosen for alliterative effect - is also because I now have 3 garments out of this crazy bit of fabric.  

Cake? This is so utilitarian, it's almost bread

Dear readers, is there anything more practical than a pair of black wool pants? I don't think so. Forget cake and frosting - this is bread.

And I couldn't be more pleased. I love bread. These pants will get a ton of use, and I love sewing things that get a ton of use.

(Apologies the more-or-less crappy nature of these photos. It's Feb, you get indoor photos of a black pair of pants on my more-or-less crappy camera.)

Also - this is from the Jan 2013 Burda magazine (pattern 123, I think?) so yay me! Sewing resolution? Check. Possible SWAP garment? Check again.

In less fun news, I think I need to go up a size in my BWOF sewing. There has to be a consequence to all the food and drink I've been indulging in with abandon, but damn! I hate proof.

Stuff about the pattern:

- I traced a size 40, which was a bit tight, so I narrowed all my seam allowances through the waist and hip to add another inch or so.
- I took an inch off in length between the hip and the crotch, shortening the crotch - which I'm pretty pleased about, because these pants now fit really well.
- There's an error with the waistband length measurement, I think - I cut it to the right size, but it didn't work (before my alterations to the side seams, of course!)

- Apart from that - these are the easiest pants in the world to sew - no pockets, no fly front - just one little invisible zipper - a perfect beginner pattern (also a perfect pattern for a lazy intermediate seamstress.)

Stuff about the fabric:

- Black wool, bought at LA Fabrics in Toronto - about $10 a yard? I have many yards left, unfortunately, but perhaps that will mean that I can make a jacket as well.

A matter of semantics

Please ignore the daft look on my face, my paint-spattered jeans, and my ridiculous pink flip-flops. There was something going cooking on the stove behind me, and I was afraid it would boil over - leaving me time for the quickest photo ever!

So, this is another Burda 11-2012-136A top. (My first one here.) I cut it out in 2012, and finally finished stitching it up a week or so ago.

In my mind, this doesn't count for the Stashbusting Sewalong, which is fine - seems reasonable, blah blah, blah.

On the other hand, I'm evidently an idiot - because here's what my pledge reads:

I commit to using 25 pieces of stash fabric in 2013. I also commit to buying new fabric only if I will use it up right away.

Not 25 garments. 25 pieces of stash fabric. Which means the fabric must be used to a point where no other garments are possible with what's left. (The leggings therefore now don't count as a full use, since I think I can eke out a tank top from the rest.)

Stupid, stupid Reethi. Way to make your life extra hard. :)

A little extra crazy!

Umm - these are a bit bolder than most of my regular clothing, dear readers. But I really do need casual clothes, and I was looking to quickly try out the McCalls legging pattern (6173) before I try to make a fleece-lined version (it is *cold* here in Toronto.)

This camouflage/animal print has been in my stash since about last summer. I bought it on impulse, when the Fabricland on the Bloor-Yonge line was closing, but it wasn't a very good impulse. The fabric is a cotton knit, very little lycra, meaning I was always a bit dubious about how good the stretch would be, and whether it would recover ok.

It worked out ok though - I've been wearing it for the last couple of hours without any serious wearability concerns.

I've only complimentary things to say about the pattern. I read that it ran large, so I made a small, altering at the marked petite lines. It fits pretty well, and is easy! (One pattern piece - no side seams. Nicely done, McCalls!)

I do need a longer top though - my ass does not need to be seen in leggings, and demands to be properly covered up.

One more picture - I took a billion photos  - this one shows the pants better, with with a bit of my head cut off. It's a sad commentary on my photo-taking skills that these were the best three.

Un-UFO-ing: A completed 9 patch quilt

The UFO story - I started this quilt way back - maybe 2 years ago? I made 25 blocks from scrap fabric, then got tired of the project, stuffed the blocks into a bag, and promptly relegated it to UFO-land.

Due to a silly most excellent 2013 resolution - I pulled the blocks out, made 75 additional blocks, pieced them together, basted, quilted, and bound. Phew!

Which means - the quilt - she is done!

I laid it out on my bed to take a quick photo. Quick being the operative word - I evidently didn't bother with smoothing it down.

As always, I had 'help' quilting.

Little Biscuit is seriously the world's most indulged cat. She wedged herself on the quilt in such a way I couldn't move it at all. And then, she looked annoyed when I continued sewing. (In fact, she's now head-butting me so I can't type.)

 As always with quilting, my philosophy is to use up scraps. These two blocks contain left-over fabric from 4 items of clothing I've sewn - this green BWOF dress, this floral vintage, this top and a pink skirt that I evidently never blogged about, but which was the second skirt I've ever made! (No new fabric purchased - I stole the sashing fabric from my mother's stash.)

And this one uses left-overs from my PJs. What can I say? I'm really bad at throwing away scraps.

For backing, I used a stash fabric, bought at Bouclair, when they were closing out their garment fabric section. This was over 5 years ago, I think. I have a ton of fabric from that shopping trip, and I'm glad to use this piece up. (And I used almost all of it up, score! I just have a 6 inch strip left - easily used for something else!)

In the era of high speed internet access, do people still apologize for picture-heavy posts? If so, my apologies.

This hits one 2013 goal (quilting UFO finishing), and one stash fabric used. (Only 24 to go!) Not only that, but since I used some itty-bits in its construction, I think I'll link it up to the Stashbusting Sewalong, as well.

Ah, the smugness.

And now, sewing for me. (This quilt is a very belated Christmas gift.) The Jan Burda awaits, and hopefully, a house-project-free weekend.

The good, the bad and the ugly...

Lots of miscellaneous ramblings here, dear readers. Humour me, will you?

The Good:

1. Stashbusting!

 

The Stashbusting Sewalong coincided very nicely with my urge to use up what I have, vs. rush out and buy more. Thanks, Emily and Cindy! 

My specific pledge - I commit to using 25 pieces of stash fabric in 2013. I also commit to buying new fabric only if I will use it up right away.

With the sew-along, there's also themes - Jan is itty-bits, etc. These, I'm going to play by ear - I work best to my own schedule and there's things I need to/want to sew that don't necessarily fit into this. 

2. Toronto Sewing Meetup!

Yes! Gillian and Adrienne are totally making this happen, and I can't be more excited. I love hanging out with sewing people (previous meetings: with Clio, with Sue, Connie and Claire). Now, I just need to remember the stash pledge. :)

If you are a GTA sewist - you should come!

The Bad and the Ugly:

Only one rant here - umm, free time - where are you? There's been a spate of house projects - last weekend was spent removing a valence and patching the resulting gap in the ceiling, the previous weekend was spent moving a whole bunch of bricks to my backyard (I'm hoping to make a pathway.) 

In between that, there's this quilt - which I should have just sent away for quilting (I thought my quilting skills need practicing. They do. However, this might be one where I should wave the white flag, decide I don't care if I can't quilt, and just outsource it.)

I've been pretty diligent about not getting distracted - I know that if I start cutting something, or tracing something - this quilt will fall firmly back in the UFO pile. However, the down side of that? I feel like I've been working on this quilt all month. And I'm itching to sew some garments for me! 

I haven't bought the Feb Burda, thinking I should make something from the Jan Burda first - and I can't make anything from the Jan Burda till this quilt gets done, and this quilt feels like the never-ending project, and aaargh!!!!

(Deep breath. Perspective. Quilt almost done. Only 2-3 hours of work remain.)

Work in progress

Pieced together and basted - all that remains is the quilting and the binding.

2013 Goals

In the next installment of Gillian's Top 5 list making, my top 5 2013 goals.

This is my favorite bit, dear readers. I love setting goals. I suck at tracking them, I suck at meeting them - but setting them? Love it.

Okay, let's hit it. This one is definitely in order of priority - 1 being the most important, etc.

1. Sew something from every Burda magazine I buy. Every single year, I feel like I make a variation of this resolution, and then break it promptly. Not this year - I'm determined.

2. Finish a quilting UFO once every 2 months. Finished quilts are useful. Half-finished blocks lying all over the place are just plain annoying. Get it done already, Reethi! (However, I've so many half-finished projects that this goal could take over my life, so I'm just going to aim for finishing one every two months.)

3. Make a raincoat. Every single time it rains in Toronto, I wonder why I haven't made myself a raincoat yet. 


4. In keeping with using the things I buy, I'd like to sew one project from each of the 6 Japanese pattern books I own (all three Pattern Magic books, both the Drape Drape books, and Shape Shape.)


5. Participate in the 2013 SWAP, and in 3 Pattern Review contests.

There'd be a 6th goal on buying fabric, but Emily and Cindy conveniently announced the Stash Busting sew-along, and I'm going to join that and make my fabric resolution as part of that.