Moving On To Other Projects......while still quilting....

Good Morning. While I did not get as much quilting done this week-end as I had hoped, it was productive in other ways. While in the process of completing my semi-annual wardrobe purge/discard, I became inspired (finally) for my color palette. Since I have little need for ball gowns anymore, I concentrated on wardrobe staples. Many of last fall seasons pieces are tired and will be relegated to everyday wear versus public observation.! What does all this mean? Shopping. Last year I mostly sewed from stash, but you know what? I am bored with stash now. I still have some fall fabrics that I will keep, the rest will move on to someone who will look at them with a fresh eye and a new vision. As surprising as this is for even me, I spent some time browsing one of my local Joann's. I have not been lucky in recent years finding fashion fabric there, but this time, bingo. Part of the "finds" were the result of me actually taking time to look, study and plan. I will share these as time permits and review my plans and process. Of course, I always have grand plans, hope springs eternal. When life intrudes, I adjust, simple as that.  As mentioned in previous posts, I pre-wash all my fabrics. I want them clean, I want stabilizers removed, I want to check for color fastness, and shrinkage. I sort of picked up a lot of fabric. I am happy, it was all on sale (30% to 50% off) and a nice quality. Even after washing, they remain very nice. In the queue I have: silky poly blouse fabrics, jersey knits, rib cord knit, ponte, ponte-roma, wool- look blends that have 7% or less wool, sweater knits, wool-look gabardines.  Fabric and Pattern #1:  This a very stretchy poly jersey. It is lightweight but has a substantial hand and drape ability. Designed specifically for the Joann's store line (stated in the selvage) someone had mentioned that it is part of the Project Runway line. I cannot confirm this but the colors are clear and blend well. Of course, there are the dots, I love a good dot!  The pattern is a Vogue  #1275, by Sandra Betzina. I have several patterns from this line and have yet to sew them up. Because the sizing is different, (A through J) to correspond to real measurements versus sizing numbers. After time and gravity take their roll on our middle-aged bodies, adjustments and fitting complicate our garment sewing. This particular pattern has princess seams for adjustment but also have a bust dart. This is somewhat unusual but should help customize fit. While I don't care for over-fitting clothes, these pattern elements will avoid the generic block-look T-shirt. The Shirring and trim details add style to what otherwise would be a simple top.  I am making the long sleeved version A. I have to say I am not so keen on the shoulder detail on the short sleeve version B. Sort of looks costume-ish  or like a drum majors jacket. While the mindless, boring, eternal stipple and loop-stipple quilting continues (blah!) I will work on this too. Hope you have found some inspiration as well. I think second to finding time this is the largest challenge for the sewist. On that note I want to direct your to two web sites that offer up inspirations galore. The first is Marcy and Katherine Tiltons site. With pattern design, fabric, and artistic foresight, they predict fashion for real people in every day lives. Nothing runway wacko there.  This link will take you to the latest newsletter. http://www.marcytilton.com/index.php?cid=1702 From the newsletter I found another really interesting site. Enter the Sweetspot Salon.  http://enchantedlife.net/sweetspotsalon/     I have signed up for the newsletter and the interview series, it is free. Please check it out. Gratuity Moment: just when I think my enthusiasm is gone, my inspiration is flat and my endurance is waning, a new piece of fabric refuels my passion, sewing, all kinds.