Sew-a-longs

so on www.patternreview.com , I've joined 2 sew-a-longs...   this should be both fun & educational....  I'm still sticking to easy patterns though...

The 1st is "one-garment-a-month"...   I really thought this would be easy but I'm finding the time and the days slipping by so fast.  My initial plan was to sew 3 times a week for 2 hours each time, that way I could get out 3 or 4 garments a month...... and here we are at March 6th...  I sewed on Sunday March 1st  for 2 hours and ain't had time to even look at my sewing machine since.... it ain't looking so well.... I will get my 2 hours in today though.

http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingDiscussions/topic/36954

My 1st garment is B4557, view F

I'm using a bright yellow cotton that's been in my stash for about 2 years....... I've preshrunk and pressed it and cut it out on Sunday...Of course I will post pics when I am done, hopefully today

The other is "technique sew-a-long" ....   this is a monthly challenge and should prove very interesting if nothing else...  In this, we challenge ourselves to try various seams and hopefully even perfect them by the end of the month...I really need help in this area...  I can say over & over again, Ive literally forgotten EVERYTHING... Some things are coming back to me faster than others, thankfully.

http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingDiscussions/topic/38387

I was getting so much online help from pages of this book and another 1 similar, I decided to purchase it...  Its a very good reference book for sewists of all stages...  I highly recommend it.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240" caption="Singer New Sewing Essentials: Updated and Revised Edition (Paperback)"][/caption]

For this challenge, I won't make a garment for each technique but I will use scraps to practice most of them and maybe I will get pretty good at a few.

McCalls 3341

I added pics last week on ASG but forgot to update my blog...

here are pics of the final project, well at least the areas that gave me initial trouble..... Don't know why I forgot to add pics of it right side out

whew lawd this takes dedication...

Ive been adding to my stash of patterns and even a lil fabric... but for some reason I cant get into the groove on finishing up either project I've started...  yet I want to begin another one...

I was having problems with the sleeves on Butterick 3814 and then I cant get the split or waistband to look good on the McCalls 3341...

but Im determined to finish both of these TODAY.. shouldnt take long.. both projects are already 95% completed...

Im a slave to organization  ( though the follow-thru stats arent as impressive) ....in my crackberry, I actually have entries reminding me to exercise and to take vitamins, even to drink more water....

so now I will add an entry reminding me to sew... I want to sit at my machine for 2 hours, 3 times a week...  that should yield me one or two projects a week

I will post pics of the finished projects later....   Im fighting off the urge to buy a dressform until I get my ideal sewing space

Sew & Sew pattern # 3814

so the kids have been out of school for 2 days.... because of the snow, today makes 3.....   Last night I was looking thru my stash and found about 8 yards of navy blue poly-rayon...   no telling how long it's been there but the color near the selvage is fading..... could be due to improper storage, likely due to it being cheap fabric...  the rest of it looks decent so I decided the fabric would be my test dummy for some old patterns I found in my stash.. the first being See & Sew # 3814

Mind you, I work midnight to 8 and hadn't been to bed all day knowing I was off last night and would get a good 8 somehow.... so while the kids and I watched TV, I pinned then cut out this pattern on my desk that is nearby....

I'm hoping later today to get a chance to stitch it up into a final project[gallery]

Why I'm doing this??

Oh Geez... I dunno...

I've been sewing off & on for years, since I was a pre-teen I suppose....  I've always been fascinated with fashion design and sewing, even took a few classes but never pursued anything major...  I'd stop sewing for a few years and pick it up again....   I'd classify my expertise as sophomoric...  I remember a lot, forgot even more and though I hate to admit it, I have a LONG way to go before being considered good....

Thanks to 99 cent sales, I have a rack of patterns....  Unfortunately, living in the boonies, I have very limited access to decent fabric.....  There's G Street Fabrics down in metro-DC.. but they are UBER-expensive...   but at least it's quality stuff....  Otherwise, I have Hancock's...  not exactly close but it can be an on-the-way-home-from-work trip... mediocre  to decent quality fabrics... pretty good sales, and I ONLY buy on sale....  and then there is the bottom of the barrel JoAnn's...  YUCK to the umph degree ( though I gotta give em credit cuz they were the only shop in this neck of the woods with Ravens fleece....   Speaking of.....

2 weeks ago I made my youngest sons some PJs....  well I made the pants, the tops still aren't finished...  and thus I now have begun a pile of unfinished projects.... Sounds like a pro move if ya ask me....

Anyhoo, Q is a Steelers fan like me, so I must finish his top before the SuperBowl on Sunday.... Smiley has some Raven's PJs for me to finish as well... and now my oldest son, Duke, wants some Dallas Cowboys PJs though he is a Colts fan....   <sigh<  I will get to his hopefully this weekend as well....