from a piece of black wool melton that I happened to have in the stash. I actually started it over a month ago and haven't sewn a stitch yet. It's progress was interrupted by making Anna's dress for my grandfather's funeral and my sequinned jacket for the party (both necessities), but really I've dragged my feet on all the steps so far: steaming the wool and pretreating the interfacing, cutting out the pieces, block fusing all the pieces and marking the darts - which is where I'm up to now.
This would have been a lovely jacket worn over all those colourful summer style dresses I made during winter and that is the real problem. It's spring around here now, and we are having glorious sunny days, so my brain is telling me I don't need a cozy jacket made from wool melton no matter how cute! So every time I go into my sewing room instead of sewing I've been going through my stash picking out lovely cottons and linens for summer sewing, flicking through my patterns and - the ultimate sign of procrastination - cleaning up the sewing room!
But I will finish it because I shan't let myself break my no new UFO rule now. I'm hoping that by posting this I will shame myself into finishing it quick sticks so I can report back next week with a photo of a sweaty me out in the sunshine wearing it! This post is a virtual kick in the pants, hope it works....
Thanks for all your lovely comments on the sequinned jacket, it is a surprisingly great addition to my wardrobe. And I've even found the perfect thing to wear with it over summer:
These sparkly Seed shorts in an oh so flattering boxer short style, available for the bargain basement price of $249.95.
Oh that's right, I have lost my willpower not my mind! But jokes aside, if you look closely you can see these are constructed with a silk underlayer, and the sequinned layer is a separate outer layer which is a good way of dealing with the scratchiness of sequined fabric. Ah there are lessons to be learnt everywhere we look.
Mysummertouch - I too thought that to sew sequinned fabric you needed to cut the sequins off from the seam allowance, but I tried just sewing over this fabric as normal on a scrap bit and it worked just fine. I did break one needle when I went too fast, but by going a bit slower it sewed together like normal fabric and the seams pressed flat. I think it's because this fabric is actually tiny little metal rings, instead of small metal discs like traditional sequins, so the needle was able to sew in between and in the middle of the rings. I'm glad it worked out like that, because cutting out the sequins from the seam allowances sounds pretty tedious, and I probably would have procrastinated on this one too!
Samina - I am not really a fan of sequinned garments either, and in fact when I was in the fabric store I was actually looking for a nice embroidered silk or some other textured colourful fabric when this caught my eye. Again I think it's because it's not the traditional large, reflective sequins in gaudy silver or gold ( or red shudder) but is a little more subtle.... I hope.
Vicki - how could I have forgotten Sofie's formal dress? It is the perfect balance of fabrics and colours. I wish I had worn something with that level of style to my formal instead of the black sheath dress I wore (thinking I was uber cool).
Anyway fingers crossed I report back in with a finished jacket.......
Stick to your UFO rule, belive me it will pay off.
ReplyDeleteYour UFO rule is a good one, I try to apply it to my quilting. I actually finish some quilts, but have way to many in the started pile.
ReplyDeleteSince I began sewing clothing I have started and finished each item before starting a new one. Though I am so not getting as much done in that area as I would like!
I don't like to have UFOs around either, but sometimes it just has to happen at the change of season. I've got a wool top, cut out and ready to go soon. It got caught at the very tail end of spring. The trick is not to forget about them...
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about your sequined fabric - it's missing that, ahem, geriatric look that I usually associate with a sequined jacket. You should make the shorts, though. Between the jacket & shorts, you might get mugged at the retirement center!
ReplyDeleteHmm, maybe I need a UFO rule. Tasia at Sewaholic posted about the benefits of sewing out of season http://sewaholic.net/sewing-out-of-season/ it might get your interest back if you think of the jacket along those lines.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! UFO's too funny... I mentioned that I was working on some UFO's to my parents the other day while I had them on the phone.... and it got kinda quiet from the other end! My dad said.... UFO's??? Then I explained what it meant.... he said glad to hear that we don't have to send the men in the little white coats to visit you!
ReplyDeleteThe jacket pattern is really cute! Guess I best go check it out! Hang in there... you'll feel better if you finish it.... think of it this way.... if you finish it first... you can reward yourself with sewing something else!
Do you want to wear sequins with sequins? No! no!! no!!!!!! Please, don't do this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for answering to my questions!
About UFOs promise - if i did promise not to make another garment before finishing the previous, I'd just stop sewing! I'm constantly distracting on something else to sew! Somethimes it is because I don't know how to sew or draft particular area, and it takes time to figure it out. Another reason is just I get bored and tired at the end of sewing and put the garment aside, and then procrastinate.
I just realized that we are the same age. When is your Birthsday?
About the jacket from Burda - hope to see it soon done on you!!! I think the blog is a good way to kick oneself to finish UFOs!
I generally have no UFO's either. But I too am stuck on the jacket I began for Sherry's (Pattern, Scissors, Cloth Blog) RTW sew-along. Although I haven't been as disciplined as you, and have gone ahead and started and finished many other things. I really want to finish the jacket. I've thought about doing a post like yours to "shame" myself into finishing. Maybe I will follow your lead :) Good luck with the jacket!
ReplyDeleteI would have like to have seen your progress to date with the Burda jacket. Keep going!!
ReplyDeleteBlame the weather Kristy. I've set aside too wintery projects and started summer sewing. I missed your sequined jacket, so will take a look at your earlier posts.
ReplyDeleteSo how is the black jacket going? Hmmm. Well I think it is ok to put it aside until say March next year. Can't have it holding up the sewing que!
ReplyDelete