The Return of the Plan... and the Blogger

MakeNine2019 plans, part one. This is my year; I can feel it.

Well, well, well, look who's blogging again. I started putting my 2019 #makenine plans on Instagram, but I realized it was rapidly turning into a essay worthy of an actual blogpost. So here you have it: my first post in over a year.^* Let us glory in its length.

This is part one of my Make Nine, actually -- the Make Nine quickly morphed into a Make Twenty-Seven -- but I'm only allowing myself to get to part two once I've finished at least 2/3 of part one. As always, these are more project/fabric/yarn-based than pattern-based, although I usually have patterns in mind when I buy fabric and yarn. The goal is to seriously sew down the stash, because somehow during the move 5 bins turned into 15 and I've been steadily adding to it since; I'm getting antsy and the DC is climbing the walls because the piles are getting bigger, not smaller. And I am seriously on a fabric ban until next August (unless I need some underlining -- see #5 below).

This is a very small portion of what I need to sew/crochet up.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

Cardigans to Swoon over

8.

That is how many Swoon Patterns scarf-neck cardigans I have made. Granted, one of those wasn't for me, but still. I may have a problem.

I volunteer as tribute!

Hang on, let me set the mood...


Okay, now we can begin.

The recently revived Sewcialists blog decided to kick off its revivification with a tribute month. I knew exactly who I would be copying using as my inspiration: Lauren from lladybird and her many Butterick 5526s. Given my fabric choice, this one seems the most likely culprit, but honestly back in May I was catching up on her old posts and finally found the princess-seamed button down of my dreams (meaning that it was a) still in print and b) on sale). Scooped that right up.

And then waited until August 30 to start making this top. Because obviously I could make my first button down in two days when I really should have been getting ready for back-to-school.

(Spoiler alert: I couldn't and didn't.)

Sheer effrontery

Things have been busy at la maison PhysicsGirl. We're all moved in and (mostly) unpacked. The new apartment is amazing. There is so much light and space. And kittens.


Note: the kittens did not come with the apartment. I miss my Lucy a lot and she was irreplaceable, but we had a big spot in our hearts for kitties that needed to be filled. Meet Hector (the gentleman with the white mask) and Cassie (the elegant lady in grey). Follow me on Instagram (@aem2_) if you want to be utterly spammed with kitten pix.We got them just over a week ago from Toronto Cat Rescue and they've already wormed their way into our hearts.

Before we could let them worm their way into the apartment, however, I needed to get the sewing room/study unpacked. It was fantastic impetus to get it done. As was the @SewWeekly The White Stuff challenge. Which means I have finally checked off something from my #2017makenine list: a white Tilly and the Buttons Mathilde blouse^*.

Pledgin' & plannin': Me-Made May '17

I, aem2 of PhysicsGirl on the Loose and @aem2_ on IG, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear 2 me-made/refashioned items each day for the duration of May 2017, repeating an item no more than once per week and without planning. I also pledge to sew at least one new item and finish one of my UFOs.

This is nearly the same pledge as last year, except that I am finally admitting my limitations and know that if I couldn't finish my sewing plans and UFOs last year when I had nothing but free time, there's no way I will finish all my UFOs and planned things to sew when I've barely had time to breathe this year. So, I'm only planning to sew one new thing and finish one UFO. I will also be taking pictures around the city using Fat Mum Slim's Photo-a-day prompts. There's no Flickr group this year, so I'll be doing my usually weekly round up here and possibly daily on IG.

I haven't sewn anything since last July, so this will be a bit of a challenge. I have many planned things to sew, too. Some of them are even cut out. Sadly, many of them are the same as last year's plans, which pretty much proves my point. I'm presenting them from most-likely to be finished to least-likely. I'm limiting my plans to things where I already have the fabric ready to go and where I can wear it in the next few months (so all that grey wool flannel will have to wait).

I cut out two Swoon cardigans last December: one in teal merino and another eked out of a grey sweater knit acquired from Andie. I'm actually hoping to sew both of these this month, but I'm leaving my options open. I don't know why I didn't include these in my #2017MakeNine -- had I managed to sew them in the first few days of January, I would have at least been able to check something off.

Moot point, anyway.

White Mathilde blouse. I cut this out a few weeks ago and I could easily sew this in increments, so this might be The One.

A McCall's 8789 sheath in tan check that I cut out 3 years ago.

I have one pair of viable jeans, my yet-to-blogged-but-when-I-do-it-will-be-back-dated Jalie pair. I need more pairs desperately and have the denim ready to go. The pattern needs to be modified at the waist. I'd love to be able to at least have these cut out before the end of the month.

Tiramisu in blue/green abstract knit that I bought in Montreal two summers ago. Realistically, this is probably a June project.

I have a pair of RTW black capris in swishy but sweaty polyester that I've been wanting to copy in a breathable linen. I bought the linen at Mood last June, so now all I have to do is make a pattern from the original. No biggie, right?

As for UFOs, they are legion, but I'd like to at least finish my glen laid Thurlow trousers. The waistband needs to be partially unpicked and the darts deepened.

I am also going to attempt one back-dated post per week; the jeans might finally get their day in the limelight.

Fingers crossed.

Making nine... plus a little bit more

Happy perihelion, everyone! To celebrate, I'm jumping on board the #2017makenine bandwagon, because I like planning. Whether I will have time to finish them is another question.

Oh yeah, I'm on Instagram as @aem2_. Yes, I finally joined the 21st century.

A post shared by Andrea M (@aem2_) on Jan 1, 2017 at 3:10pm PST

These are all things I've been planning for a while, and I even have fabric for most of them. Tops: Sewaholic Renfrew in black merino, Tilly and the Buttons Mathilde in white, Muse Jenna in chocolate brown merino. Bottoms: Jalie jeans; Simplicity trumpet skirt in grey flannel wool; Sewaholic Thurlows in likewise. Outers: Sewaholic Cyprus cape and Robson trench, and ClosetCase Files Clare coat.

If I get nothing else made this year, I really, really need a new pair of jeans. I have to take in the waist and let out the butt on the pattern, which is why I've been putting it off.

Naturally, my plans extend beyond these nine. Especially since I've got two Swoon cardigans cut and ready to be sewn, although I'm hoping to sew those before I go back to work on Monday, which is sort of why I'm not counting them in my nine. I have so many plans, but other than the outerwear and white t-shirts, I'm trying to limit myself to the ones where I have the fabric/yarn already, since I'm running out of fabric storage space.

Swoon cardigans in teal merino and grey sweater knit

Cake Tiramisu in blue/green abstract knit

even more jeans... I've got enough denim for four pairs

socks: I need to make the second of Aged P's Sidney's sideways socks plus a pair for me, Magic Bean Stalk-ings

Asymmetric cardigan in white acrylic from Aged P

UFOs to finish:

Sewaholic Thurlow in tan glen plaid

My granddad pants need to have the zipper replaced

McCall's 8789 sheath in tan check

NL6000 sassy librarian dress in navy suiting & white linen

Sewaholic Alma

Plus many things where I need to resew a seam and add buttons. Ugh.

I'm not going to plan these out, even though that's usually how I guarantee that they will get done, because I don't want to either rush the make or feel guilty if I don't get it done in time. The only thing I really need to finish is Aged P's second sock in time for her birthday.

Here's hoping.

What a smashing, absolutely dashing spectacle

Another weekend, another opportunity to dress up — and inadvertently complete a Vintage Pledge make. I mean, it being a Vintage Pledge make was inadvertent; I only realized that the hat applied on my way home. Yay, planning. Handy, since it's #VPJuly and all. Scroll down if you're only here for the food clothes, because here be horses.

All I know about horse racing comes from Dick Francis mysteries and The Sting but I've always wanted to go to the racetrack, so I was happy to join in when a bunch of pals decided to go to the 157th running of the Queen's Plate at Woodbine on Sunday.


I lucked out by getting this handsome lad to go with me. First stop: the Hats and Horseshoes Party where all the food and beverages were tasty but seriously overpriced. Also? There was croquet. Just like the Gatsby Party, right?

Nine days a week: MMMay16 week 4

This week is a little long, yes? It feels like it kind of went to hell for me because in the middle of getting ready to leave for New York, I had to deal with an issue that wound up not being an issue but still wound up taking too much time because somebody didn't bother to tell me they weren't coming by after all thereby wasting said time and not letting me get on with all the stuff I was supposed to be getting on with. Plus I got a bit sick on the weekend. No UFOs finished, no new makes.

Sigh: MMMay16 week 3

Wow. So this week, I failed the "no-more-than-one-repeat-a-week" part of the challenge. Twice. First because I have been way too lazy to actually, you know, go outside my apartment — the deck is technically part of my apartment, even though it is outside. I've been rereading Robin McKinley books and some higher-class historical romances^* and didn't really get out of my pjs for three days. It is officially late Spring (people are calling it Summer already, but I'm not going to risk it) and I think it is finally time to take all my warm-weather clothes out of hibernation.

Once I finish that chapter.

Make up your mind, May: MMMay16 week 2

It's Spring in Ontario: one day slightly chilly, next day beautifully warm, then we plunge down to near-freezing with threats of snow and actual hail. Good times. Clothes were worn. It's halfway through Me Made May!

Eight Days a Week: MMM16 week 1

This year's MMM will be interesting because I'm not going into to work so I have no real reason to get out of my jammies other than to go outside and take pictures. Which, I'm hoping, will help get me out of my jammies. I've committed to wearing at least two me-made or refashioned items every day, with no more than one repeat per week, and make at least one item per week while finishing all my UFOs. This will be no problem, right? I'll be posting photos daily in the Flickr group and going into more detail on my weekly wrap-ups here. This week has eight days because for me, the week ends on Sunday. As always, I'm following Fat Mum Slim's photo prompts.

I've also been taking the opportunity to catch up, timey-wimey wise, on some old blog posts and I've linked to a bunch of them below. Really, my aim is to keep you from doing whatever it is you should be doing by taking you on a kind of wiki walk.

Pretty in pink paisley

The internet has spoken, and we have chosen button #2 for the Mathilde. So now I have no real excuse for not pushing on with that top. In the meantime, a super-quick sew:


So, I had some fabric leftover from my maxi Anna from last summer. It was just enough to squeeze out a Sewaholic Belcarra without having to sew scrap pieces together.

Help needed: too many button choices

So, I've nearly finished my sheer green Mathilde — oh yes, I didn't make that April 23rd deadline, but we didn't wind up going to the concert anyway — and now I don't know which buttons to put on it. Help!

It's a sheer forest green poly-something, and I'm thinking it's more for evenings out than for work. For those of you that don't know the Mathilde: it buttons down the back, and the buttons can be either normal or a feature, like so:



I tried to adjust the colours on these pics to make them true to life, but life is imperfect so I've also put short descriptions below. I've grouped them mostly by colour, but the order is otherwise random.

1. Forest green button that matches the fabric and so would blend, despite what the photo looks like.
   
2. Wood green with black centres. This is the most true-to-life colour representation.
   
3. Turquoise shiny pearl
   
4. Red shiny pearl
   
5. Black — like #1, these are actually a bit small.
   
6. Pearl ivory — I don't have enough of the three-ribbed ones, so the top one would be slightly different.
   
   
   
   
7. Royal blue peacock buttons currently on the blue Mathilde above (so I'd either have to buy more or take them off and go through this again with the blue Mathilde)
   
8. Darker royal blue buttons (which actually match the blue Mathilde above)
   
9. Light blue pearl flowers. These are my least favourite, tbh.
   
   The next row is just the back of the pearly buttons because I kind of like the patterns better.
   
10. Back of #4.
    
11. Back of #3.
    
12. Back of #9.
    

Choose wisely for me!

This is the kind of thing where Instagram would be useful, except you can't get it without a smartphone and so far I am too lazy to download Bluestacks just for one app.

In which PhysicsGirl gets over a slight hangup and sews a top

Posted timey-wimey nearly two months later.


I have been slightly terrified of button holes. Not making them, because my machine makes a very nice button hole, but placing them, because while my machine makes a very nice button hole, I hadn't quite figured out where to put the fabric to get consistent placement. More to the point, I've been leary of my ability to accurately mark button hole placement. For this reason, I've been putting off starting my Mathilde blouses, which is all highly visible buttons up the back. This despite my having cut out two versions of said Mathilde nearly two years ago.

When I signed up for MakeDay at Victory Patterns studio (hosted by by Kristiann from Victory Patterns and Jennifer from Workroom Social — and yes, she is just as bubbly and friendly in real life), I decided it was time to pull up my socks and get going on this top.

First days, last days, and a casual skirt

Posted very timey-wimey more than a year later.


It's the first days of the new year, so we went to the last day of the last days of Pompeii exhibit at the ROM. Seemed fitting. I wore my first make of the new year: a tan denim Lekala spiral gore skirt. It's the second time I've made this skirt: scroll down to see more details but the tl;dr version is that... I like it, but it's too big in the waist. Again.

Strutting loud in pyjamas

Timey-wimey pyjamas!


I've made more three more pairs of Sewaholic Tofinos. I finally made the blue plaid flannel pair made at the end of June, just in time for the heat to ramp up, naturally, but I'm going to hold off on blogging them until I finish the DC's matching pair. Noteworthy: the print-matching, the satin piping along the seams, and using a poly satin for the belt.

Ersatz tiki

Blogged timey-wimey almost a year later.

R and C had a tiki party last weekend, and I thought this would be the perfect excuse to copy Heather's tiki dress and finally make an Oona-worthy maxi Anna. Alas, the only fabric I could find that I really liked that was... colourful... was this pink paisley polyester.

Waves of history

Timey-wimey Tiramsisu.


The DC and I went to the ROM today. I'm supposed to be wearing a totally different dress, but that hasn't happened. Yet. Instead, I'm wearing a dress I made in June.

I mentioned I had planned to take part in the Sewaholic Belcarra sewalong; similarly, the Monthly Stitch had an indie pattern month sewalong which I was officially going to join because of prizes. The official part never took place, but I did do three of the challenges, mostly. My Gatsby dress was my quasi-Franken-Indie outfit, and I made up some New-To-Me Measure Twice Cut Once Mary knickers (although there's a fit issue that I'd like to sort out before I blog them). This Cake Tiramisu, made with the last of the mystery fabric I got from Fabricmart, would have fit either the New-To-Me or Dresses categories.