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Jun 14, 2010

Monday Morning Madness + GOALS!


If there ever was a silhouette I didn't want to see again, that's the one.  Let's bury it for another twenty-five years, shall we?

Happy Monday, kids and kidsters!

I don't know about you, but I'm still tired from the weekend.  Oh, not because of Cathy's photo shoot, but because of these two:


I spent Saturday afternoon fabric shopping and tearing up the town with my friends Johanna and Rachel and it was exhausting!  Johanna you know of course as the gal with the ten vintage sewing machines.  Rachel you recognize from her popular blog, A Sewn Wardrobe -- not that she was wearing any of that wardrobe on Saturday, mind you, which kind of makes you wonder...

Rachel is one of those people you hang around with when you want to feel really old and crabby by comparison.  She's so vivacious and enthusiastic and fresh it's alarming.  And don't even get me started on her dewy complexion.


Ugh.

Johanna's less irritating if you can reconcile yourself to a woman with a fantastic sewing machine collection who is basically a knitter/crocheter.  There -- I said it:  Johanna pretends to sew.  She buys fabric and notions, she even picked up a box of Singer attachments for a slant machine at the flea market on Saturday, but I have yet to see her actually use any of them.

Observe:


Does that look like the skirt of a sewist?  (What he's wearing is anybody's guess...)

Anyway, I'll have more details later in the week or just check out Rachel's blog to hear her (peppy and youthful) side of the story.

So let's review last week:

1. In a word: Cathy and that don't-even-mention-it pattern she modeled this weekend.  "It" arrived Monday afternoon so I dropped everything and stitched it up.  I posted the results yesterday and most of you were kind and understanding about it, for which I thank you.

I never drafted those pants like I said I would.  However....

2.  I successfully re-threaded my Brother 1034D serger -- a great little machine, imo -- and used it to finish Cathy's ravel-y seams.

3.  I bought this!


It's almost vacation time here at MPB and we're bringing Cathy along!

I'm not 100% sold on this halter-top bikini so maybe I'll pick your brains about it later in the week.  Cathy has all the usual hang-ups about swimsuits plus a few unusual ones.  And she absolutely refuses anything that screams "Beach Blanket Bingo." 

Now on to this week:

1.  I still want to do something with this cotton stripe I picked up last week.  A shirt, boxers, a caftan -- or some kicky combination of all three?

2.  Drafting -- I must get back to drafting.  This week: pants.

That's it!  I'm going easy on myself for a change.

But I'm bearing down on you.  So... 

Ruth: Did you finish your hemming? (How about your hawing -- yuck yuck); Liesl: How did your collar turn out?  Stacyverb: Where can we see your poppy-print top?  Kate: Scotty dog update please!  Lozzen: How are you doing with your notched collar?  Did you figure it out?  Casey: Did you make your floral dress?  Laura: Does Evie have a nightgown yet and will there be matching mules?

I don't like to make an example of any of you individually, but it is an effective strategy.  Just look what fellow MPB  reader and blogger Elizabeth made up:  a June sewing plan!


This is the kind of outside-the-box thinking I'd like to see from all of you.  Elizabeth, congratulations on a job well done.  This is a great idea and even I resent you a little bit for thinking of it.

And so the week begins!  What will you be sewing or -- let's acknowledge the obvious -- thinking about sewing?

Do tell!

P.S. -- Don't people have beach parties anymore?

30 comments:

  1. Well so far I have finished the black gingham shirt and I've seamed the linen/rayon skirt with curved godets. emadethis.wordpress.com
    I can't proceed further with the skirt because my machine is in the shop. I come to understand why people have multiple machines... I tell myself I have no more room, but if you, Peter can live in a NY apartment with two dogs, a gazillion machines and your partner, I certainly can manage with my son, husband, and 2 machines and a serger.

    I still can work on my knit shirt in my plan, and I'll be piecing a quilt I've planned for my son since my serger is up and running.

    As to the mysterious disappearance of beach parties--I think it's because Annette was too fabulous for everyone. I can understand Cathy not wanting to go there.

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  2. I'm hoping to construct Butterick 9536 (Vintage) this week - I bought the fabric and notions (buttons for covering with fabric!?!?) on Saturday and am steeling my nerves for a muslin attempt. I'm taking off the collar in the effort of making it actually wearable today... Given my fear of bold and bright colors, this sucker is going to be made of a rather staid (if sumptuous) dark beige/natural. I'm hoping that, given the right accoutrements, I can get a lot of wear out of it (white shiny belt + colorful sweater = summer; brown belt + darker sweater = fall?). I've spoken about this dress a few times on my blog in the past month or so - after the dress is finished, I'm going to tackle Butterick 6782 vintage (either with the turned up cuffs or self-proclaimed "pert" petal collar motif).
    I'm going to be busy! I just need to decide what fabric to make the blouse out of...and what sort of closure to use (neck zipper, back button closure?).

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  3. Working on my vintage looking chemise. Hand basting about fifty little tucks into it. I am wearing my new 60's linen dress I made while I'm doing it though -(I'll post it on Wednesday).

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  4. Last week I started cutting out my burdastyle Danielle dress. I want to wear it to a friend's wedding reception in two weeks, so I really need to get on that one.

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  5. I have all the BBB movies in my netflix que and after seeing this trailer I see I have to put them to the top of my list. That is what I will doing this week. And now they can't come soon enough. God I love these movies. Screw sewing!~!

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  6. I will be working on a Vogue jacket pattern this week. It's all cut out so the sewing should go quick. I'm also making a matching pair of pants that I'm not sure about, I might need Cathy's opinion when they're done. Also, if I can fit in a couple of shirts that would be great because my closet is definitely lacking in that area.

    Loved the photo shoot yesterday. The sewing was beautiful even if the pattern was less than ideal.

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  7. Is there a patron saint of unfinished projects? I have two: a knit blouse, and a pair of jeans that just needs waistband and hemming. But they've both sat for a month now. So I need to get back in the groove.

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  8. Well, last week was very productive for me; we got the shades for the pergola on the deck installed:
    http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/2010/06/12/curtains-up/
    and I finished a red bamboo floor-length dress for a fancy affair at our local university:
    http://www.kitchencountereconomics.com/2010/06/13/best-summer-party-dress/
    On the down side, I felt rather cocky because I'm out of the sling for my broken shoulder and into PT, and almost fell down the stairs after catching my shoe in the hem of the above-mentioned dress. Grace is NOT my middle name.
    This week, I'm going to make a navy skirt out of the pencil shirt I drafted from the same book you are using, Peter. And, I am on the hunt for plain forest green knit.

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  9. I've decided to try to finish the 2010 wardrobe contest on PR. I've picked out my patterns (well, mostly stuff I had already) and I've ordered fabric . . .so we'll see. I'm going to make my dress first (Butterick 5214). Of course, I'm already making it complicated because I'm trying to eliminate the front seam - the floral fabric I'm using, I don't think it will appreciate a seam right down the front, and I hate trying to match patterns.

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  10. The poppies are finished and have already been taken out on the town! Blogged here. Thanks for nagging, um, I mean following up. :)

    My favorite beach party movie is Clambake. Bikinis, bad music, and Elvis as a scientist of sorts. LOVE IT.

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  11. I have cut out a pair of blue jeans and hope to sew them this week. Over the weekend, I set up the machines (serger for finishing seams, 401 for construction, 503 for top stitching) and got all the pieces traced and the fabric cut. This week I hope to actually get some sewing done. I am sewing straight from the pattern so that I can decide what kind of alterations need made. It promises to be an unflattering disaster! But at least I will get some practice top stitching!

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  12. I don't know how vivacious I am: I'm still tired, too! Had such a great time Saturday. Listen to this: I tackled that knit yesterday and am almost done w/ the striped number!

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  13. I've cut out a top, using fabric I *love*... but I totally messed up the sleeves, so I hope to have the strength to face it down this week (as my kidlets are away this week). I'm also trying to decide which of my sheets I want to use for the next Crafster challenge/photo shoot of my girls. And my husband just bought me a kick-ass camera to use for said photo shoot, so I have some manual reading/playing to do!

    At some point I want to make myself a pretty apron too. My current apron came with our kitchen towels... at least I don't care if it gets dirty or stained.

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  14. Peter, I wanted to show you this clip of the Golden Girls, because it looks like Dorothy is wearing something similar to Cathy. Fabu!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tOjEm0nnVE&feature=player_embedded
    Also, I'll take some fabric and patterns to my kid sister at my parent's house in GA and we'll fiddle with a polka dot shirt dress for her (she's tinier and cuter, so it will require less material).

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  15. Still finishing those stupid Ruby shorts.
    Love those 60s beach movies! And yes, people do still have them, at least those of us that live near the coast. My sister is having one for her birthday.

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  16. I can just imagine some of Cathy's issues with swimsuits. Ahem...

    What about a skirted bikini bottom for her? ...just thinking out loud here...

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  17. Ack! Outed! Now that I have a (dis)reputation to uphold I might have to go buy another sewing machine not to sew on =D

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  18. All hemming finished. This week I need to work on a baby quilt gift.

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  19. Two scotty dogs finished and delivered to new babies' mamas! Third... not finished and my brother's wife is due any day now!! This week: that last dog will be finished and a bag sewed to give away (from the greenbaglady.org)

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  20. working on a shirt for my hubby for Fathers' Day - my first men's shirt. Wish me luck.

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  21. Unfortunately, no she doesn't. She and her Mommy almost have matching jammies, though--I need to hem the shirt on Evie's and do the buttonholes. I should have it done by the time they show up for dinner tonight. I have a different pattern of another pair cut out, as well as the nightgown (cannot do that with a toddler in the house. Too much lace, too easy to screw up mitered corners.) and I made a romper for her, since my SIL is taking Evie to Florida soon or a vacation. It looks like I won't be making the christening gown of doom after all. My sister swore that she wasn't going to need it until Alena was two months old, but has instead decided to do it this Sunday around here. So instead, Alena will be wearing the one my great-grandmother made in 1912.

    So... my plans for the week include the rest of Evie's nightwear, the stuff I have cut out for my sister's kids, and another romper for Evie. And I have to launder and press the heirloom christening gown.

    I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed, 'cause I was kinda looking forward to the Christening-Gown-of-Doom. As soon as I finish the nightgown, my research for it is concluded....

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  22. Monday's almost done, here, but I actually have some goals. Daughter's wedding is over (well it was over almost 10 days ago) so it's back to work for me at my etsy shop. And despite the stress and heat of the wedding, I seem to have gained a few pounds, so I really hope to have a flowy knit dress finished by next Monday (the weekend really). The fabric is already washed and ready to cut.

    Hmmm, making a swim suit does seem ambitious what with Cathy being so picky and all.

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  23. OK, I have spent over a month saying I'm going to finish my 70s zip-up skirt and haven't done it yet, so I'm going public. This week it shall be done! I have a hem, waistband and zipper between me and said skirt. This is the week I shall conquer it!

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  24. Well, I have (stupidly) joined the pattern review wardrobe contest. I have the story board for that, my summer essentials sew-along list AND and inspiration board for the new Colette patterns up on my blog. It's a veritable FEAST of sewing planning!! Just ripe for things to go all wrong ;o)

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  25. Be very careful with the pants drafting, dear Peter. My experience with it this Saturday past led to tears.

    I have been trying for several months.

    (And not having a decent pants pattern is hosing up all my sewing with a plan plans.)

    le sigh.

    But you seem to have some kind of magic sewing gene so I am sure you will bust this out like magic.

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  26. OH! And speaking of beach parties and campy beach movies, thank you thank you thank you for reminding me of Eric Von Zipper!

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  27. Hey Peter, Someday I hope to go fabric shopping with you. I was in NY last week after being at our place in Asbury Park for NJ pride. It was one of those spur of the moment decisions, and I was totally focused on just one thing.....finding hair canvas. I'd heard of hair shirts, but hair canvas???? Bingo, had no trouble finding it on W 39th. My goal is to pre-shrink 4 yards of wool herringbone this week, but it totally depends on the weather which doesn't look very promising. :(

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  28. Ack! Alas, I never did make that floral dress up. Or rather, I made the bodice, scrapped it, and decided to start over. All the adjust/recut pieces are sitting next to my machine as I type! lol. I just need to get movin' and groovin' on that this week... I was bad and bought some more fabric last week to add to the towering pile that I need to start using! lol.

    Can't wait to see what you whip up this week!

    ♥ Casey
    blog | elegantmusings.com

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  29. That trailer was . . . painful. . .
    Check out Linda Evans at the end! This must be before her Big Valley gig.

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