Too Late For Turquoise

The house is clean and shiny. I finished by noon and then ran a few errands ending up at Fabricland. I was too late for the turquoise sweater knit. After sitting there for over a year, someone bought the remainder between Friday and Monday. Oh well. That's how it goes.




Instead... I bought the sweater only it's going back. For several reasons. I still don't want it in grey and ...

... the armhole is incredibly low. I'm already petite through the armhole so it looks like bat wings on me. Not a good look. Buying the sweater allows me to measure a few things and to compare the completed sweater to my T & T t-shirt pattern that will be the base for the design. Sewing my own lets me change a few things like the length of the sleeve. Although they look shorter in this picture, they're actually full length. I'd prefer three quarter length. I'll measure the sweater today or tomorrow morning and then return it. Does anyone else do this?

ChristineB sent some links for rhinestone buckles. Thank you. I'd already found some at SewBizFabrics.com and ordered a round and a rectangle. Hopefully they don't take too long to get here. I'd like to work on that ribbed sweater but - LOL - it's not as if I don't have plenty of other things to sew.

Carolyn left the funniest comment. She wrote: This is a journey and I believe the first step on the journey is to give up pattern schizophrenia. Not every pattern is made for every woman to wear!

I looked up schizophrenia just to see how it would look with pattern and Wickipedia defines it as "a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking and of emotional responsiveness." Yes... well... something certainly kicks in when I'm having pattern... or fabric... or notion... or book... or ____ fill in the blank envy BUT....

Reality is another thing. It's good to be learning even when some of that learning is not what we expected. I didn't try any more clothes on when I went back to buy the sweater but I did look at a few other garments and try to define the line between way out there and slightly out of my box and headed in a more interesting direction. When I look at the patterns in the Self Imposed Sewing Club - as shown in the header - I can see comfort and possible discomfort.

Starting left to right - the only thing that has stopped me from sewing the yellow sundress is the lines of the halter top. I think that will be easily overcome but doing it anyway and more beautifully overcome by exercising my arms and removing that skin tag that drives me crazy.

Next, part of me wonders if the wide legged pants will make me look fat and part of me thinks they definitely won't, they'll balance my hips. On Sunday night, on Extreme Home Makeover, one of the women wore similar pants. She wasn't a skinny minny. In fact, she had curves like me. It was encouraging.

I've already tried the off the shoulder top twice. Last year, in a knit, I was more comfortable than this year in a woven. Perhaps, I'd enjoy it again in a knit however, the take away for me is that I want a little more fun and femininity in my clothing and some surprises like that lace up back. That's an awareness I'll keep in mind as I try on more RTW.

The checked off the shoulder jacket won't bother me nearly as much as the top did because I'd wear a higher neckline underneath, probably one that echoes the shape. I haven't sewn the jacket yet. I have sewn the skirt from that pattern. It's the one I played with for over a month and although, in the end, there was an issue with the waistband, I liked the skirt. I'm going to sew it again soon. It will look great with the sweater I'm knitting. OH... someone asked which sweater pattern that was. It's the Crossover Top from the Vogue Winter 2009 magazine.

In the center square, the skirt on the left is so me. I'm not in the least apprehensive about it and think that I'll wear it quite a bit. I love the flirty flippiness. It's a skirt version of the off the shoulder top with the lace-up back. Practical with punch. The only concern I have with the swing jacket is the primness of the front and the length but I think it'll work if worn with a fitted garment underneath as it's shown. When I was younger (although granted I was a LOT thinner) I had a blouse pattern with this style of back and I wore it a LOT. In fact, if I still had that pattern, I would probably sew it again. Thinking about that top makes me wonder when I switched from woven garments to knit and how to ease myself back. It was sewn from a 100% cotton.

The pants and jacket to the right of the center square are WAY OUT of my comfort zone. With the done up to the neck jacket and tied around the hips pant details, they will be a real stretch but I still want to try and see. I will however look for something similar in RTW to try on and I'll make those other pants first.

The KwikSew skirt is a no-brainer. Again, it's very me. In fact, it's so me that I'm almost hesitant to sew it because I've been there done that before except that I bought the perfect fabric for it in September and yesterday, I found a knit that matches for a top. YES YES. The skirt has similar lines to my favourite style and to The Frivolous Dress sewn for my birthday. If you click through, what's interesting about that dress is that the lower front and low back didn't bother me at all because the shoulders were covered. It would be fun to add the lace-up details to that pattern. Hmm....

The red skirt at far right of the header is once again WAY OUT of my comfort zone. Shams at Communing With Fabric has sewn it several times and it looks fabulous on her although our body types are exact opposites. That might be a clue I should pay attention to. She also didn't seem to find it too labour intensive or fussy to make. This is the skirt that I'm thinking of taking to the Ron Collins workshop in February. If so, I'll definitely want to make it out of something soft.

SO... although I'm pushing myself a bit with the SISC patterns, it's not too far and I seem to have started with the most difficult patterns. These projects interspersed with projects that have a higher success rate will, I think, be interesting and exploratory without bordering on insanity. I hope.

Since the turquoise fabric was gone, I'll copy the frilled sweater using the purple that I already have. And then, when the rhinestone buckle arrives, I'll use a grey sweater knit that I bought yesterday to copy the ribbed version. After that, I have a black knit and the perfect (not lace but perfect) overlay to copy the lace version. All three of these projects excite me because I'm adapting and creating something specifically suited to me and I'm starting with a T & T pattern and taking it in my own direction. Another awareness to pay attention to.

I feel like I've rambled on today. Hopefully I've said something that works for you. I wrote this posting this morning instead of yesterday afternoon so I'm feeling a bit rushed. I need to get ready and take Kyle to a doctor's appointment, to school, and then I have two appointments. Tonight is knit night. Probably no sewing today. Definitely tomorrow.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - I applied for another part time customer service representative position yesterday. Eventually, I'll be hired. It's good that I'm excited about that prospect. I'm really looking forward to working for someone else again. And, it's a nice bonus to have a direction for my sewing and to be thinking about a work wardrobe.