Happy Sewing Month!
I can't believe that this is my final week before I head back to work. YIPPPEEEEE! Lay-offs are difficult and somewhat depressing especially when summer time is not one's favourite season and mosquitos are flourishing. I could not stand to be in the garden--the mosquitos were that bad. I managed to harvest one zucchini, two tomatoes and two cucumbers before the mosquitos drove me back indoors. But I digress... It will be great to get back to work. And then again I'm going to miss my sew-when-I-feel-like-it sewing schedule. Maybe that is why I love autumn so passionately, I'm back to work and it is mosquito free.
National Sewing Month had its start in the early nineteen-eighties as a means to recognize the importance of home sewing. Ironic that it was also the time of free trade deals, the decline of the North American sewing industry and the rise of fast-fashion.
Today, we continue to celebrate our passion for sewing with National Sewing Month even though sewing for most of us is a year-long celebration.
This year's theme is "charity." Do you do any charity sewing? This month I'll be doing charity sewing for the school I work at when I work on four angel costumes for the Advent concert. I wonder if I'll get them done by the end of the month. We'll see...
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Along with scenery like this vine draped tree, doesn't it make you want to break out some plaid? Nature is full of beautiful surprises and so colourful this time of year! All these happy things has me gleefully considering autumn sewing projects.
During my last week before heading back to work I would have loved to use the time to make a cape. Did you see this one that recently came out of the new McCall's pattern release?
This pattern is for a coat and comes with a detachable collar and cape.
I love the idea of this cape and thought that it would look cool (and very Canadian prairie chic) in a red plaid over a jean jacket. That was my plan but sadly the new McCall patterns have not arrived at the only fabric store that carries McCall's. I'm sure they will get here once I'm back to work and have less time on my hands.
Bummer, because look at the back neckline darts. Aren't they beautiful? I guess it is a blessing in disguise that the pattern is not available around these parts since I do have a lot on my sewing table already.
So Sew instead of a plaid cape, I will spend my final week off sewing another hoodie.
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| McCall's 7259 |
I love the idea of this cape and thought that it would look cool (and very Canadian prairie chic) in a red plaid over a jean jacket. That was my plan but sadly the new McCall patterns have not arrived at the only fabric store that carries McCall's. I'm sure they will get here once I'm back to work and have less time on my hands.
Bummer, because look at the back neckline darts. Aren't they beautiful? I guess it is a blessing in disguise that the pattern is not available around these parts since I do have a lot on my sewing table already.
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This past weekend I pre-treated this blue knit sweatshirt fleece for my next version of kAtheRine Tilton's hoodie, Butterick 6253. This time around, I am using a sweatshirt fleece fabric with a higher cotton count, only 10% polyester in this beauty. It is thicker than the previous fabric and has a firmer hand. And it didn't wrinkle like the other fabric after it was pre-treatment.
Right now, I'm trying to decide on a zipper from my stash. The pattern calls for a twenty-four inch zipper but since I'm shortening the length of the tiers I can go with a twenty-two inch zipper no problem. The only twenty-two inch zippers in my stash are the black ones. I wonder if I could get away with an even shorter length since the blue or yellow zippers are my favourite colour choices. What do you think? Make it work with the blue or yellow zipper or go with one of the black zippers?
In other sewing news, have you checked out the "Inspired by Books" contest entries over at Pattern Review? This contest has me filled with over-the-moon happiness. The participants were inspired by poems, novels, characters and even books themselves. It's great reading about how their clothing was inspired and woven together by the printed word. As a book geek and someone with a B.A. in Literature (this might explain the annual lay-offs--take note college and university students), I was all over this contest. I'm just glad I'm not a judge, there are so many inspired entries. Go check them out!
Well, that is all in sewing news today. Happy Sewing and Happy National Sewing Month!
Right now, I'm trying to decide on a zipper from my stash. The pattern calls for a twenty-four inch zipper but since I'm shortening the length of the tiers I can go with a twenty-two inch zipper no problem. The only twenty-two inch zippers in my stash are the black ones. I wonder if I could get away with an even shorter length since the blue or yellow zippers are my favourite colour choices. What do you think? Make it work with the blue or yellow zipper or go with one of the black zippers?
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Well, that is all in sewing news today. Happy Sewing and Happy National Sewing Month!
I have been meaning to make a cape for several seasons now, I should just bite the bullet and actually do it!
ReplyDeleteMe too, but this is the first cape pattern that has me considering it a bit more. As of yesterday, it is still not in the fabric store.
DeleteHave a good school year Graca!
ReplyDeleteThank you, I'm looking forward to it! I should pretreat the fabric for the costumes before I head back though...
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