Sure, it just starts with a little wondering. A sketch or two. Then 2 hours later, you figure out you can really pull out a Plan that works with the Stitcher’s Guild SWAP rules. What can I say? I’m a sucker for storyboards.
(original plan, already changed :P)
There are 3 options for the garments, a no-dress, a 2-dress, or a 5-dress plan. This years twists: you need embroidery on a piece (fabric with embroidery on it already counts, I believe), an interesting closure (funky zippers, etc), and a piece requiring matching (like plaids). 11 garments total, although one can be purchased or made before the official Dec 26th start. All garments are to be finished by April 30th. If you are interested, check out the link and dive in – there’s no reason why you can’t start the contest on April 29th, as long as you can sew all 11 garments before the 30th!
As usual, most of the garments I’m planning don’t have tried-and-true (TNT) patterns already. Luckily, I have a sewing mother, and just spent a week at her place over the holidays, where we didn’t see much of Dad or DH, because we steamrolled through the fitting and cutting process faster than I would have dreamed possible.
Pieces fit and cut out: first shirtdress, black linen (McCall’s 3691 – mangled that pattern quite a bit); first button-up shirt, blue stretch cotton (my draft), cropped jeans (frankenpattern based on my fitted pant draft and Jalie 968, will have pearl snaps on the fly as the “interesting closure”), black pants, linen-look blend (my fitted pant draft originally based on a Burda magazine pattern); white short sleeved shirt, cotton & broadcloth (last chance for New Look 6945 – I so want to love it, this one has a higher neckline and lower hemline than the original); cowl long sleeved T, plum knit (combo of my TNT Jalie 2005 T and the cowl from the Selfish Seamstress – check out the “stuff for you” category on the left side… after you snort your tea reading her haikus); and a tunic/jumper, black embroidered cotton (my draft, based on the fitted pattern for the shirtdress) which replaces the flowered short skirt as the “matching” requirement. There is just enough of the flowered fabric to make a full circle skirt, which would disqualify it from the matching requirement because (a) that removes all seams, except where you put the zipper in, and (b) it’s impossible to put a zipper in and keep that part matching in a large scale print. I’d rather have the full skirt than make it a straight one and have it qualify.
The crossed bodice top (hacked up my TNT Simplicity 5683) was already half cut out previous to the contest, and remains so right now. Which means 8/11 garments are mostly ready to sew, #9 (white button-up shirt) depends on how the sleeves and collar worked out on #2, and #10 (fancy shirtdress) depends on how #1 worked out. The last top may end up being knit, I’m not sure yet.
From now on I promise more pictures, but I figured it was easier to keep the story of each piece together.
OK, I’ll give you one –
editing my basic pant draft for the black linen-look pants.
Wish me luck. And an even temperament. The timeline doesn’t leave much room for “shove it in a drawer until it behaves”!
Knits & Wovens 