Two Fabrics

I wasn't going to post about these fabrics until I made the tunics but I'm hoping to get some feedback, about the second of them especially, so here goes. These are both from the same Etsy shop that I mentioned before.

First, I have washed this one but not ironed it so it looks a little wrinkly. I suspect that it's going to be one of those "wrinkles are a feature not a bug" fabrics anyway.

I love the colors in this one. Naturally, they don't look quite as deep and rich as they do in person. This is going to be another McCall's 9065. This is bold but actually a pretty typical print for me.

And now it's Crazy Time. I wanted something a little crazy and "out there" so after days of looking and thinking and seeing my first choice (which actually, in retrospect, wasn't especially out there) sell out, I chose this. (I think my other half is going to have words about this. He's not really into crazy.)

From top to bottom in the photo is nearly the entire width of the fabric. It's oriented differently than I expected but that doesn't change my plans. My original plan to was to center one of the shapes - I don't know what to call them, wavy columns? - vertically on the tunic but which color, the pink or the red and teal? Then I thought, maybe I don't want to center that shape after all but rather have the zig-zag space between them run down the center, more or less, and the more I think about it the more I'm liking this idea.

I'm excited about this fabric and was going to sew it right away but now I'm thinking it might be best step back and let it simmer for a few weeks. Looking forward to your thoughts.

And So an Obsession is Born

I have a habit - I don't know if it's a bad habit or not - of using the same pattern over and over again when I find one I like. Here is my second McCall's 9065 and I have in mind at least three more that I want to make very soon.

But first I want to talk about the fabric. The little local quilt shop used to sell one and two yard pre-cuts. I say "used to" because I have not seen any there since they changed ownership, which is actually probably not a bad thing. I would go in and grab several two yard cuts, whichever ones caught my eye, with no real idea of what I would do with them. This was one of those pieces. You might not want to stare at it for too long if you're prone to seizures.

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Isn't that the craziest? Honestly, I have a little trouble making my eyes focus on it. I have had it for a couple of years and the other day, for no particular reason, I thought of it and decided to try to get another M9065 out of it.

I shortened it about two inches and as you can see made elbow length sleeves. I also raised the neckline a little bit so I won't be flashing everyone. (I have an idea for fixing the first one. It's really just too low.) I like it and I'm thrilled that I used a piece of fabric that I wasn't sure when I would get around to, if ever.

As I said, I have already planned three more tunics from this pattern, all long sleeved. One will be a cozy red and white plaid flannel and the other two beautiful, beautiful Dutch wax prints (likely another new obsession but I'm going to try not to indulge any more for a while) that I ordered specifically for this purpose and received today. I am really excited about these.

Summer... No, Wait! Fall!

Hey everyone, I bought a new pattern and actually used it only a few weeks after I bought it! And if you're saying "So what?" maybe I should tell you that I have patterns I bought over 20 years ago and have never used. (But I will use them! Someday.)

Anyway, this:

(I always forget how incredibly yellow the overhead light in this room is.) I used the hem of View B and the sleeves of view A. They are supposed to have tabs but I'm not fond of sleeve tabs so I left them off and stitched down the turned up cuffs so they will forever stay in place with no fuss.

I swear my topstitching was straight before the camera got a hold of it. The camera hates me. It not only makes me look fat and old, it makes my sewing look wonky. (Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

I originally bought this lightweight cotton fabric with the intention of making a summer top but the days have been a little cooler and I was inspired to make this instead. And I love it! It was super easy to make and it fits perfectly without any alterations. The neckline is maybe a bit too low for cool weather, not to mention modesty if you're concerned about that sort of thing, but it's okay. I'm definitely making more of these.

Here's one more pic: