2011 sewing resolution

I have to get real about sewing from my stash.  When I moved 2 years ago, I had 2 boxes of it, and I thought I was being so diligent in sewing from my stash!  It turns out it grew, so that now I'm moving again into a tiny apartment (about 200 s.f.) with 2 boxes and a giant Samsonite suitcase full of fabric (oh, there's other stuff too, not just my sewing supplies).  Speaking of the Samsonite suitcase, that puppy is heavy empty never mind completely stuffed with fabric!

As I was packing, I had to force myself to get rid of the larger scraps.  I don't know if you're anything like me, but I'll look at a scrap and if it's big enough to cut a facing or pockets I will squirrel it away.  This time, I asked myself if I could honestly use the scrap if given 2 more years and if the answer was NO, it had to go.  I filled an entire trash bag full of scraps!

I also took the opportunity to get rid of ridiculous fabric, like the extra yard of red poodle hair fur that I used to make Lee's Clifford costume a few years ago.  I am on the edge about getting rid of the left over tulle from the Bjork swan dress because I imagine making a crinoline.  Someday.

It's not like a hoarder... Oh, but that's probably denial speaking.  In going through my stash I couldn't help but feel that I am one step away from living in complete squalor or becoming a candidate for TLC's Hoarders show.

Not my house... but maybe soon?  EEK!

I really tried to cull the fabric stash, I did.  I also tried to organize it as I packed, but the only thing I could really separate out was coatings.  How do you destash?  How do you determine when a scrap is too scrappy to keep around?  How do you organize your fabrics?  Any ideas for living in a closet-sized apartment with a full-sized stash?

Linen hiking shirt: Burda 09-2010-109C

Thanks for all your kind words on my last post.  The shirt is couldn't be salvaged and I'm glad to have a bunch of sympathetic readers to cry to!  Melissa, I love it that you know them Stillers!  The fabric will be used to make a gift bag for  a Teacup Piggy.  Personal joke.

In the meantime...

There are two types of hikers: those who like natural fabrics and those who like technical fabrics.  I'm the latter while my sister is the former.  I went hiking with my sister a few months ago and she pulled out an old linen button down shirt from Goodwill that she'd hurriedly hacked off at the waist.  So hurried that it was cut at a jagged diagonal.  She was trying to counteract the enormity of the shirt (XL, when she is more of a S).  The effect was kind of Jack Sparrow.

 So for Christmas, I decided that I would make her a linen shirt that fit.  This shirt is rayon linen, prewashed.  I chose the design because of the deep vent in the front, simple collar (easy to layer!) and cuffs that can be rolled up.

It fits fantastically.  All seams are french seams to reduce chafing.  Instead of applying the plastron with raw edges, I turned in the edges on both sides for a completely smooth bib.

Front. Isn't my model lovely?

Plastron or bib front.  Where does Burda get names like Plastron?

Vented cuffed sleeves.

Back, also with smooth application of Plastron.

Here is Burda's line drawing.  It's also available as a dress, and I think it would look great in a crepe satin as they use for the sample in the magazine.  I wish that it was drafted in my size.  I'm just too lazy to size down because there are so many patterns that I could easily just make a different garment that's drafted for my size.

Burdastyle 09-2010-109A,B,C

Distracted with scissors.

Can you see what's wrong with this picture?  I didn't realize it until I had almost finished the sleeves...

All cut upside down!

This was going to be Lee's Christmas present.  After the Celtics shirt last year, he requested a Steelers flannel shirt.  I scoured the internet for fabric.  It turns out that you can get Steelers broadcloth, but Steelers flannel is rare.  And then... well, I guess you can see what happened!  For maybe a split second, I considered finishing this project but it's a little too time intensive for a joke gift.

A little housekeeping on the blog

I enjoy blogging, because it helps me keep track of what I'm doing and I get a lot of inspiration from the blogs I follow.  I also like getting comments on the things I sew and tips on how to improve my sewing.  Along those lines, I've only recently discovered that I can reply to some individual comments via email.

I don't understand why it's only some comments I reply to; the comments come to the gmail account (m3li88a(at)gmail.com, if you're so inclined) associated with this blog.  Sometimes when I hit "reply" it will go to "noreply-comment@blogger.com" and other times it will pull up the commenter's email address so that I can respond individually.  It has nothing to do with whether I've been able to reply to someone's comment in the past.  It appears that whether I get someone's email address when I hit "reply" is a random event.

Do any other blogger users know how to reply to commenters individually?  I'd rather do that when I want to answer specific questions or follow up on advice rather than posting another comment in the comment section or writing another post to address comments.

That said, @Slapdash Sewist, I think that the tulip pleats don't pooch out the way one would expect them would (I thought they would) because the dress is very fitted in the bodice, back, and waist.  No chance for pooching unless you're standing on a subway grate!