Tuesday, August 22, 2017

I Need A Time Machine

Hello. It has been awhile...so much for my plans to blog more frequently. 

I have started down another rabbit hole. Like many quilters...I was originally a garment sewer. As a young professional I made all my clothes. Then I became a stay-at-home mom so I converted to a  jeans and T-shirt wardrobe. I have one small box of clothing patterns I saved.

A blast from the 80s...I loved this pattern. Never made any of it. The top still interest me. Maybe I can length it to wear with leggings...those super baggy pants aren't in "Vogue" anymore. And of course I love that is says it is a "Paris Original." Excellent!


My renewed interest in sewing garments was mainly ignited by reading another quilter's blog, Suz at All The Good Ones Are Taken. She made some really cute dresses for her work wardrobe.

I have also been noticing all that pretty batik rayon fabric showing up on websites and in my local quilt shops. So...I went pattern shopping. Wow...prices have really jumped in 20 years. The patterns were 40% off at JoAnns so I grabbed a few. The pattern from the 1980s above retailed at $9.50. The most expensive pattern I bought a few days ago was $30...before the discount. Even 25 years ago you never bought a pattern at full price. Some things never change...there is always a sale on patterns.

Back to the new patterns. My favorite of the bunch is the top below that really looks fun. It has a knit base that you layer with three different fabrics you texture with pleats and yarn. Nothing new here...I have always gravitated to challenging projects and almost always changed up the original patterns.


Some more practical designs, basic tops that should work well with rayon batiks that I can pair with leggings. I do wear mostly leggings in the winter time...easy to slip my snow pants over for a quick walk outside.


I have a few pieces of fabric left from my garment sewing days that I might be able to resurrect. These are a stash of hand dyed Cherrywood cottons that have a wonderful suede texture. 


Here's a vest I made 25 years ago out of  a Cherrywood colorway. 


Please sewing fairy...help me actually follow through on my clothing plans!

I found this pretty batik rayon yardage on sale via the internet. Pretty scary to open up this Pandora's Box of sewing clothing again...


I have been trying to finish a quilt but I seem to have gotten sidetracked for almost a week now. And...Breakfast Club is Thursday (no idea what I will work on...sigh) and I am going to the state fair on Friday to see how my quilts have done this year. I entered three pieces. Maybe I can enter garments next year! (I do need my head examined.)


I always seem to have time to buy more fabric. I have been eyeing this set of strips for months and they went on sale so I just had to buy them...these are the interior colors of my house. 


On a sad note, my Tutto sewing machine cart needs a wheel replaced. The new parts came promptly several months ago but it requires using a rivet gun to make the repair. After months a waiting for my airplane mechanic son to help me...I am giving up and planning to ship it to Tutto for repairs. I really need this fixed by winter...it gets dragged through the snow and ice at the quilt shop...might be why  I need a new wheel.


Here's hoping I do a little better at blogging more regularly...

4 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I used to make some clothing years ago but I never got into it a lot, I was never really good at it. I have checked some patterns out in recent years though and have been amazed at how much they cost! even with the discount!

Donna quilts said...

OMG I haven't looked at clothes patterns in years. I guess I shouldn't be shocked that their price has risen too. I, too, used to make most of my clothes when I worked in the office world (I would have loved that jacket from the '80s!) and then, made a lot of clothes for my boys when they were young. I enjoyed it. But jeans and t-shirts are my go-to wardrobe now!
The colors in your "dotalicious" strips are going to look fabulous in a quilt.

Sally said...

I was never a garment sewer - Oh, sure, I made an A-line dress in 8th grade Home Ec class but I don't think that qualifies me as a garment sewer. My daughter-in-law once asked me to make a tote bag for her and, being the wonderful Mother-in-law that I am, I said yes...that started a whole new life of tote-bag-making for both my DIL and all my grands...I love the feel of rayon batiks!

Suz J said...

Oh wow, I am so surprised my pitiful clothes sewing enterprises have inspired you! I often look at all the wonderful things made by others, and then go back to my quilt sewing... they don't need to fit or be comfortable to be successful. I really like the patterns you have chosen, so just a matter of getting started one day, and seeing what happens! I have one more pattern to sew before winter finishes, otherwise it will have to wait until next year - but I keep laying quilts out on the floor!