Overcoming a Sewing Rut with Something AWESOME

For the past couple weeks (every since I finished my awesome ostrich dress) I have been feeling pretty much in a sewing rut. Remember how I said I never have UFO piles? Well, scratch that fact. It no longer exists. The past couple weeks I’ve been trying to muster the excitement to sew something. I cut out all the little pieces to sew Quinn a new Hawaiian shirt (because he will never have enough of those) but I realized I don’t have any interfacing, which I need. But I TOTALLY don’t feel like driving to Joanne’s to get some more. So now all those little cut pieces of fabric are just sitting on my ironing board waiting.

Then I thought I might participate in the PR&P signature style week. So I printed out a pattern, traced it, cut it all out… When I realized I don’t have enough of the fabric I planned on using. Plus I just wasn’t that into it. So now that pattern is sitting next to the cut out fabric for Quinn’s future shirt.

Then I thought, “you know what? Maybe I just don’t feel like sewing for the kids, I’ve been having way more fun sewing for myself! Let the selfish sewing commence!!!”

I have dress that I bought from H&M when I was in Jersey last time that I really like. So I decided to draft my own pattern from that existing dress! It was actually really fun, especially figuring out how to draw a dart in the pattern without having to take the actual dress apart. I had this awesome ponte knit that I bought in my last NY shopping trip, which was in the wrong section so she only charged me $5 a yard instead of the $10 (WOOHOO!!) I had orignally planned on making a fun pencil skirt with it, but I TOTALLY was able to make this ENTIRE dress out of just ONE yard! How awesome is that??

This actually went SUPER fast!! I traced the dress onto freezer paper on Tuesday, cut and sewed it together Wednesday and then hemmed it onThursday. All during Quinn’s nap times :) It felt SO good to be able to whip something together this quickly! I LOVE KNITS!!!

I didn’t really think about making it chevron-like but I sort of had to do it that way in order to get the pattern to fit on the one yard of fabric. Turns out I LOVE the look! The pattern I drew out was supposed to have the front cut on a fold but there just wasn’t room for that nonsense. Yay for happy accidents!!

This was a pretty fun little photo shoot. I was having a play date at a park with a friend of mine and her two kids, I asked her if she could snap a few pics of me since Jake has been working so much lately (I’ve had a small taste of what it is like to be a single mom.. much respect, that shite is HARD) I knew I wouldn’t have been able to get photos of me for ages if I didn’t have someone else do it. Also, how do you like those gorgeous flip flops? This isn’t a fashion blog, people. It is a sewing blog. REAL LIFE.

Anyways, she made me feel pretty awesome, since she loved the dress anyway and was totally surprised that I made it, but I was telling her how I initially wanted to bind the neck and armholes, but then just got lazy and folded them over and sewed them with a double needle.. She was like “Um yeah, you were LAZY when you were SEWING YOUR OWN DRESS. Whatever, Michelle” Hahah it really made me think, sometimes as a sewist you get a little caught up in the details of perfection, when people who don’t sew just see what you make and think it is absolutely amazing and professional looking.

This might actually be my most favorite dress I’ve made to date. (I know, I know, I’ve been getting more and more excited with every new garment I sew myself!) I finished it, put it on to pick Millie up from school, and both her teachers were like “wow I love your dress!!” Like a dope I was like “WOW thanks!” without ever mentioning that I actually made it. I need to be okay with letting people know I sew!

I find it funny how not too long ago (only a few months ago) I was SUPER afraid of sewing for myself, now it is the only thing I want to do! It is so much fun being able to create something specifically made for your body! I feel a little bad that my kids aren’t getting tons of outfits like they used to, but seriously. They have tons of clothes. They really don’t need anything. My closet is barren!