Wrapping Up Loose Ends

     This summer has been productive yet a bit overwhelming.  I have decided to become very self-disciplined about my hobbies.  Cleaning out my sewing room in order to make it a room in which to actually sew has been quite the reality check.  
     The reality is that I purchase new patterns and fabric because of the current trends .  Then I feel guilty about all of the projects I have started but never finished and put off the new projects.  I tell myself I can work on them as soon as I finish the old ones.  Truth is -- that will not be happening in this lifetime.  I am going to change my whole philosophy -- determine what I am most excited to work on and make it NOW.
     How do you get rid of perfectly good fabric with no purpose in mind?  Do you donate it, give it to someone who also may not know what to do with it, or just keep it like I do?
     Well, to wrap up another loose end, here is a picture I meant to post when I lost my camera. (Still not found)  This is the pajama top I made to go with the pants during Karen's first Pyjama challenge a year ago.

I have worn these pajamas more than any other because they are soooo cool in the summer.  The fabric is lawn by Lisette.  I had to iron the top for the picture but it is a fabulous fabric.  The thin cotton makes sleeping at my parents lake house endurable.  McCalls 6249 is a simple make and I will definitely use this pattern again - soon to use up some of my stash!

Pyjama Reveal!

Here they are:

Very comfy, and the adjustments I made are perfect.  I shortened the waist by two inches.  I wanted them to fall just below my navel.  I think this was the best choice to break through my slump.  I love them!  I have already begun cutting out a top to go with them.

And this is the current read on my nightstand.  It is definitely a page turner.

A Breakthrough! Pyjama Challenge

I know it sounds strange, but I have been going through the strangest block I have ever experienced.  I think it is related to a few different issues.  The first being a huge and difficult change in my job.  In addition I can't remember who it was, but I recently read about a blogger who said that putting her projects in a blog for others to see created a pressure that made it difficult to sew the way she used to.   I find that to be a strange phenomenon.  One of my first posts was a real wadder.   On top of that, I began to notice that I am really unhappy with the weight I've gained.  Add a change in my job that resulted in double the work and increased time.  Sewing began to make me anxious until I couldn't even think about it except to vicariously live through the blogs of others.
     Now that you have provided me with a free therapy session, I am happy to say that Karen at Did You Make That? has helped me to create my first piece of apparel for me since the block began in September -- Pyjamas.  Silly as it sounds, I was in tears when I finished cutting them out.  I caught up with the challenge yesterday and will follow her instructions for today as soon as I am done with this post.
     Appropriately, I was making this new pair of jammies while wearing a pair that I could improve upon.

  What a terrible picture!I had to have Dan take it for me, but he is a very inexperienced photographer having never taken it upon himself to take a picture unless forced to.  The legs are seamed and will soon be attached.  The next pictures are just as bad.

Thank You Karen!

Can't Wait!

     Found my camera in my secret hiding place.  I kept it a secret from myself.  Luckily, my husband saw me put it in a compartment in my car under some cds.  Unfortunately, I didn't mention the missing camera to him until I had spent several hours looking for it.
     I added to my stress yesterday by sneaking in a little me time.  I ran over to Jo Ann's for what I thought would be a quick trip to pick up my niece's birthday present and some "Pyjama" fabric.  Two and a half hours later, I came home with satisfaction and frustration. 
     I am extremely satisfied that I got everything a twelve year old girl needs to begin sewing independently.  I bought her a pair of Gingher dressmaker shears, a marking pen, tracing wheel, pins, a tomato cushion (everyone has to have at least one,) a rubber thimble, and an adorable sewing box that came with a few goodies.  The fushia, leopard print, sewing box matched all of the fushia notions and came with a measuring tape, needle threader, pearl head pins, and threaded needles.
    The frustration came with this great Lisette lawn fabric I bought for Karen's "Pyjama Challenge."    I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures.

 I don't know how I am going to wait until this weekend to get started!  It was hard to find something I could imagine myself loving and being jammie-comfy in.  I had lawn in mind but didn't think I would find it at JoAnn.  The pattern she recommended was no longer in the Simplicity pattern book, so I chose McCalls 6249.

I am planning to make the capris and bought enough for the top.  The ruffle on bottom is a bit young looking for me.  The fabric is fun enough.  I don't think I need the ruffle. The lawn will be perfect for the summer nights at my parent's house on the lake.  I often have trouble sleeping in the heat.  The button selection at JoAnn's has been seriously depleted (like all the other sewing offerings.)  I decided that these simple, flat, green buttons would be good for a wild sleeper like me.  Have you ever rolled over on a shank button? Ow!