REMEMBER ME???

??? only one blog post for the month of July?  I can't believe it, this is so not like me!  I am rarely at a lost of sewing related conversation.  But my July just turned topsy turvy for me.  Needless to say there was not much sewing going on around here.  Today was my first day of pre-planning for the new high school year.   I know, I can't believe it either, but school actually starts next Thursday, August 1st.  That was the fastest 8 weeks ever!

I didn't take my usual June vacation because airline tickets were off the chart.  I was able to schedule time off during fall break early in October so I still have something great to look forward too.  October will be here before I know it.

Lately I've been dreaming about Fall sewing plans, this is so not like me!  I'm the one that usually has problems switching sewing seasons - always feeling there's so much more I'd love to make for the current season.  Not this year folks!  I've already got plans people; not to mention patterns and fabrics.  Matter of fact,  I can already see myself wearing those first six garments -  in my minds eye that is. I really don't think they'll take much time to whip up either - but that's just my mind talking ya'll.  Jackets, tops and dresses - those six pieces are going to be f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!

Today at our opening session (over 2,500 teachers present) these were the prominent colors that jumped out at me.

How pretty!  So primary!  So attainable in knit fabrics; and three of these colors are already living in my stash.

Otherwise I have managed to start a nice top - paying homage to my blogger friend Merche and a beautiful Patrones silk top she made back in June.  I started it last weekend and would have finished but for a humbling mistake.  I sewed the necktie on backwards that resulted in it tying on the right instead of the left.  I tried to make myself live with it, but had to grit my teeth to remove all my teeny tiny hand stitches to take it off and do it again.

THE WRONG WAY

THE RIGHT WAY

Of course my fabric is not silk, but it's called Baby Silk Ditzy a 100% polyester picked up at Hancock's on the 1/2 price table.  It sews like a dream and is soft and drapey.  I went back to get more to make a dress, but of course it was already gone.  Someone else found out what a great fabric it was.  I plan on finishing the top over the weekend.

p.s.  I'm not absolutely loving Bloglovin.  It's o.k. but takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to pull up on my phone even with 4G.  I'm glad that I also transferred over to Feedly.  Just saying...

CONTINUING WITH THE SUMMER BREEZE COLLECTION...

...I was thinking that I'd totally gotten away from the Pantone colors that I originally wanted to include in my Summer Breeze Collection, but decided to use the rest of the fabric that I used for my Mother's Maxi dress to make a self drafted yoga band maxi skirt for myself.  Let's just call this color emerald green.

I've been wanting to learn how to make a good fitting yoga band for months.  I'd tried it before, but with less than satisfiable results.  Well I tried it again yesterday, and this time it worked.  Only thing is, I might have made the band just a little bit snug, but it is completely wearable.

Here's a picture of the skirt with the 8 1/2" band fully extended up.  I like that I finally found out how to make the band curve inward in the side seams.

and a picture with the band rolled down as it will be worn.

The skirt has a lettuce hem treatment which I find completely suitable for a casual knit garment.  My plan was to wear it with my 3rd Briar top.

I'm not sure yet; I like the skirt, and I really like the top, but I'm not absolutely sure that I like the two together.  On the dressform it looks a bit matronly - and I sure don't want to emit that persona.  We'll see.  If it doesn't work I can always find another top for the skirt, and wear the Briar with something else.   These two pieces used up 3 1/2 yards of stashed fabric.  Maybe joining  the "Style The Stash" Sew-a-Long was a good thing after all because I've used approximately 15 1/2 yards of well marinated stash fabrics since the first of June.  That's interesting because I'm not one that usually  tallies fabric in/fabric out counts.  But that's a lot of fabric.

ANOTHER BRIAR TOP...

...I just wasn't able to get much going sewing wise on Saturday.  I started working on a project that just didn't pan out.   A bit depressing to say the least so I won't go into detail about it.  Just one of those days I guess, but I really do hate when that happens.  I was able to redeem my sewing emotions by cranking  out another Briar top yesterday that turned out pretty nicely.

Somewhat of a tee shirt - I love this little top.  I am a little smitten with the name of the pattern (you know how I like to name things), and I really can't wait to make it into a sweater for the winter.  There's a charcoal grey sweater knit that's been marinating in the stash since way last year that I know is meant to become a Briar.

I used a slinky 4-way stretch knit remnant to make the top this time and made a few pattern adjustments as well.:

• I decreased the center front circumference of the neckline 2" by tilting the 1" pass the foldline at the neck (did that make sense?)
• I raised the neckline 1" starting at the center front foldline and tapering into the original shoulder
• Added 3" to the cropped front length
• Decreased the back full length version 3"
• Decided to make this one with 3/4 length sleeves opposed to short because it's so cold at work

 

I used a 1 1/2yd remnant that was left over from this sleeveless vest that I made two summers ago.  It's Simplicity 2283.

 I never wore it because the royal blue was hard to match.  Now the vest has it's very own top - does this make it a twin set???