Monday Morning Re-boot & Goals!

Good morning, all!

I generally do not wear RTW skirts at home -- or anywhere else for that matter -- but I did think this little Salvation Army vintage denim number had some cute pocket and waistband details I wanted to share.  Half Carol Brady, half Braveheart.


Which brings us to pattern drafting.  The saga continues this week as I move on to Lesson 3: Pants!  I'm very excited.





But first a quickie review of last week, which had two clear themes:

1.  Skirts. I drafted a pencil skirt and and an A-line skirt from scratch, working from Dorothy Moore's Pattern Drafting & Dressmaking book.  I chose this book because it was there (at the flea market) and I was ready, not because I necessarily think it's the best.  There are lots of good pattern drafting books out there.  Perhaps there's one you recommend.

2. Harem Pants. I'm almost afraid to mention these as they very nearly precipitated an MPB reader rebellion; I was ready to double-bolt the door and hide under the mattress.  Seriously, I love to know you care and if you don't monitor my fashion foibles, who will?  I'd rather hear the truth from you rather than some stranger on the street threatening to report me to the NYFP (New York Fashion Police) -- or worse.

Now on to the week to come:

1. As previously mentioned, I'll be returning to pattern drafting.  It will be interesting to see how these pants turn out.  I'm not sure how applicable the palazzo variations will be to men's pants, but that's not really the point is it?

2.  I still have the striped cotton fabric I intended to make some kind of caftan shirt out of.  I'm not sure whether I'll use Simplicity 4788 or not.



3.  Cathy will be back in NYC shortly, so it's time to start thinking about her wants/needs.  There are all kinds of options -- Twenties, Fifties, Eighties?-- so it's just a question of deciding and then scheduling some Salvation Army accessory shopping.

That's it for me.  Now how about YOU?

Jenny: How's that torch dress for your jazz singer friend coming along?  tanitisis: An update on those Jalie jeans would be greatly appreciated.  Myra: Did you make those four (!) pair of pajama shorts?  Little cotton dresses: How is the neck-tie blouse?  Did you finish it?  Nikki: Did you decide whether you'll be entering something in the Pattern Review menswear contest?  Melanie Jade: So we have to wait three more weeks to see your painted wedding dress?  How can you be so cruel?

I sometimes ask myself if you wouldn't be getting more accomplished without the distractions of seeing me in pencil skirts and harem pants all the time.  Perhaps I'm doing you more harm than good.   And yet, what am I supposed to do -- stifle my own creativity for your sake?  Let's face it, there are more distracting blogs than mine; sometimes I can barely sleep at night seeing what people are stitching up.

In closing: Please limit your exposure to blogs, especially my own.  These blogs are not a realistic representation of life.  Real people do not sew all day and blog all night.  And please, try not to read blogs while driving.

Now then, let's do our ankle rolls and warm up our pedal feet -- we don't want to cramp.

What are you sewing this week?

For your sewing entertainment....