Culling? Not!

Yesterday, I had breakfast with Howard, brunch with Kyle, and lunch with Aryck getting in some one-to-one time with all my boys. They're leaving this morning and will be back in a week. I'll miss them even as I enjoy the time to be irresponsible - in a good way - focused on what I'd like to do, eat, read, watch, sew, or knit and the people that I'd like to go for coffee, lunch, or dinner with. Some major alone time, which might sound funny since I'm alone frequently - but not completely. It's the break from responsibility and diabetes I look forward to. The only time I really relax is when Kyle is with Howard. I know that it'll be a wonderful week without them and equally fabulous when they're back home again.

With the guys packing to go, the house was in chaos already so I dove into the fabric closet and did some major sorting - Culling? - NOT! It seems, I've done that already and almost everything in the closet was keep-able for one reason or another. There were a few pieces too fancy for life as I know it however, they'll be good for muslins. There's no point buying fabric to make muslins with while "throwing" this stuff out. They weren't fancy fancy - just too much for at home or for today's office or church wear, which is - sadly - way less dressed than what I'm used to or would prefer.

After all the sorting and sifting, my favourite fabric was the black shot with pink, denim-like piece below. The section on the left is the front side and the one on the right is the back. It's meant to be reversible only I don't really think the two sides look good together. Isn't that strange? LOVE the darker side.




The fabric will be perfect for this Vogue 8561 skirt by Marcy Tilton. To see the lines better, you can click here for the Vogue page OR here to see the skirt on Rusty Bobbin's Blog. Beth is an AMAZING seamstress. I really enjoy her blog.




The skirt on the right is made with a striped fabric like mine. The style lines and stripes lower the "frump factor" as my friend Caroline and I were talking about on Sunday. We've both been studying fashion and sewing clothing since our early teens (think YEARS and YEARS) and we're very familiar with the styles and lines that look good on us. Because of that, it's easy to get complacent and bored. A long pencil skirt looks fabulous on me, so good that my husband commented on the one I wore Sunday - LOVE THAT GUY - but that doesn't mean I can't do a straight skirt slightly different like this pattern of Marcy's.




The blouse pattern I'm (slowly) working on is Vogue 7903 by Sandra Betzina. It's altered and ready to cut out once I decide on the fabric, which it only makes sense to co-ordinate with the skirt. Unfortunately, there are more bottom weight than blouse weight fabrics in my stash. Next time I'm shopping, I'll keep that in mind. For now, a safe bet would be black. I have LOTS of that. Otherwise, it'd have to be pink and there isn't a piece the right shade and, even if there was, it's too dusty to wear near my face. Black it'll be. This embroidered cotton should work well.




Even though I'd hoped for more, two boxes of fashions fabrics (plus other things) are on their way to the second hand store. That's good. Somehow - don't ask me how - I have five more boxes of fashion fabric than I had the last time I went through the closet, which wasn't all that long ago. It's most likely because I moved the ones in the guest room back to the studio. No matter the reason, there's a lot of fabric and it needs to dwindle away.

All wasn't hopeless though. I did get rid of some "potential". There were a lot of scrap fabrics, old quilts, and second hand clothing that could have been recycled into something new and exciting only, it wasn't happening. I've been shuffling them around the last few times I've cleaned the studio so this time, some went to the garbage and some to the second hand store.

AND - a bonus - in the boxes of second hand clothing, I found a pair of jeans, a skirt, and a pair of fully lined, linen Capri pants that I have now shrunk back into. They're back in my closet again. YES YES.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful: a week to sew and spend times with friends while being "irresponsible".