Halfway Done: 2019's next projects

Well, it's hard to believe but 2019 is half gone! I feel like I've stayed pretty much on track with my goals to sew mainly from stash so far this year -- I've sewn up more than I've purchased.

But that is shortly to become untrue, since we've got the bad news that our local Fabricland is closing due to rent and space issues. I've been so upset by this news, I've hardly been able to go into the store -- it makes me feel so sad! I hate to see the employees who have just found out their jobs are disappearing; I get so upset on their behalf. And on behalf of this very creative community that I live in that has so very many people who depend on this store for their own small businesses, or like me, just as the place to go when I need to feed my creative soul. I really don't know what we will do without it, since there are no garment stores anywhere else in our county, and I won't be driving the hour or more out of town to get to other stores very often at all.

But I've been writing to the company and to the city, along with many others, and we hope that something can be done. It's been very hard to deal with over the last couple of weeks, though. Very discouraging to the sewists among us. I will be buying as many standard supplies as I can in the closing sales, although I feel terrible that there has to be a closing sale at all. So, my stash will likely grow.

But in other, and much better news, I'm starting up a local Garment Guild this fall! So excited to meet other garment sewists and talk about our passion. We're working on the fall program now and it's going to be both super fun and very educational. If you're local, check us out at Stratford Garment Guild or on our FB  page or instagram feed to join the fun.

**************************

As for July's plans -- I am hoping to have some time to sew this month as I have a few days off.

I have some ideas of what I want to make, and what I need to make -- not always the same thing!

First, the needs -- I need 2 basic straight skirts, one white and one black, to wear with all of my light summer tops. Fortunately I have suitable fabrics in both colours, and need to decide which two of these four patterns I will use (the top two are in the lead right now).

Then I have a dress I've wanted to make for a while, Butterick 6185. It's now cut and prepped for sewing so I should be able to finish it this month. I even had fabric in my stash that's similar to the pattern cover image!

And then a couple of more dresses (anybody surprised?) in the stack. I really want to make a Style Arc Adeline dress. I like the shape and wonder if it would suit me. I've picked out an acidic apple green linen...actually an old tablecloth, for this make! Also, I've been reading a lot of Virginia Woolf this summer (currently on The Years, which I'm really enjoying) and I just realized that Virginia Woolf's first name was actually Adeline -- which makes me really want to make this dress even more.

Then there's another Style Arc, a pattern that I've made before -- the Lacey Dress. Last time I used a stiff cotton, so I changed the gathered skirt to a pleated one -- this time I have a striped rayon in mind so want to make it again and see the differences due to fabric choice.

In a perfect world I'd finish these so I could also squeeze in a By Hand London Anna Dress -- I have a beautiful rayon that I'd like to use for that as well.

And I have my eye one last Big Four pattern, this light summery New Look 6340. I have the perfect thrifted cotton for this one, already washed and pressed and ready to cut...if I get to it this month!

And amongst all the sewing, I really want to trace off a few PDF patterns to start working on next month! My list includes Jennifer Lauren's Quincy and Sorrell dresses; Sew Over It's Penny Shirtdress; the Himari dress from Love Sewing magazine; and the Chalk & Notch Fringe Dress.


What about you? Do you have a big summer sewing list? What's on your sewing table these days?