Hey... about that 9 in 6 challenge?

I should follow up on how I did on that challenge I set myself to sew 9 items in 6 weeks, because I know you are all on the edge of your respective seats. The short answer is... not too bad, but not as well as I had hoped. It should have been no surprise to me that I'm terrible at meeting deadlines unless there is a specific goal involved (say, an event or a potential prize); only one of the items was finished by the deadline set in the original post.

In order:

1. Grey linen Thurlow trousers. Not even close.
   
   
   Not true. The thing is, these have been so very nearly finished since the end of June, but I ran into fitting issues at the crotch and fixing them involves unpicking seams. Four of them. And, as should be staggeringly obvious to anyone who knows me, I am lazy and don't like unpicking seams. I did get one seam sort of done at the end of July before the swimsuit deadline loomed and I switched projects. I'm going to finish these, I swear. I hope this unseasonal weather we've been having means that I'll even get a chance to wear them at least once before I have to pack them away.
   
   
2. Bombshell swimsuit. Done! Not by the deadline, but in time for Lindystock.
   
   Success! I am so chuffed I made a swimsuit. It fits and everything and is pretty darn flattering. Now all I have to do is swim in it...
   
   
3. Math Cheat tank. Done! Deadline went sailing past, so I set a new one.
   
   This was the point where I realized that a mere date wasn't going to be enough to push me to start, let alone finish a project, so I knocked it out in time to wear to the first meeting for the Lindy Rally. I think the straps are a bit too short, so maybe someday I will lengthen them. Somehow.
   
   
4. Pistachio macaron: Done! Barely in time for the new family reunion deadline, with added trauma.
   
   I still like this dress more than I thought I would. I have even worn it to work. Consensus said to leave well enough alone, so no trim. I'm still waiting for it to get a bit colder to see if I need to line the bodice or if the itchiness is a heat-thing; so far, it's been tolerable.
   
   
5. Paris silk sundress revamp. Nope.
   
   I had no event to wear this to, so I didn't even come near it. That may prove to be a blessing in disguise, since I have since learned about gelatin baths, which might make working on this much easier. Oh well. A project for next year.
   
   
6. Flanging Flaring the eyelet dress: Half-done.
   
   I have sewn both flares (which for some reason I called flanges throughout August) and attached one in time for a sewcialist meetup. Because of the practically nil seam-allowance, I had to hand-sew them in, and when I finally got around to attaching the second flare, I did it in such a way that the zipper kept getting caught on the thread. More unpicking. Yay. I also hope I can wear this at least once before next summer, but I may have missed my chance.
   
   
7. White pleated skirt: Done! With bonus top! Not by the deadline, but in time for Dîner en Blanc (blogpost coming)
   
   The skirt was a quick sew. The top was a nightmare, for some reason. I haven't really had the opportunity to wear either of them again, but I think the skirt will get more action next spring. I also made earrings and a fascinator for the evening, so this was my most productive event of the summer.
   
   
8. Lining the Easter Parade dress. Not a whit.
   
   At this point, I had already decided to put this one on hold plus I had made an extra top, so I don't feel overly bad about not finishing it. It's still a wearable dress, should the need arise.
   
   
9. Gingham pencil skirt. Done! And on deadline! Woo!
   
   I think the only reason I finished this one on deadline was because I decided to crash the Sew Weekly Reunion challenge. I am amused, by the way, that the picture they used to feature my skirt isn't one that includes the coloured flares. Anyway, I've worn this skirt a few times and it's been great on the bike; I'll get some action shots for when I get around to posting about the flares.

So the result of the challenge: five and a half of the nine original projects complete, with a bonus item thrown in. Not too bad. That's slightly less than one item per week, which is a pretty good average. I was right in thinking it was more than I would reasonably want to handle. Should I choose to do something like this next summer, I will limit myself to one project per week and make sure I have an event to motivate me.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I was also hoping to finish two crocheted items in August: the cream sweater I started in May and then let languish, and the green scarf I designed. The scarf just needs the fringe crocheted onto it, and it's not done because I want to get the sweater done first. About which: at the end of May, I had finished the main body and part of one sleeve and then let the thing languish. I have since finished both sleeves. All that needs to be done is to sew the shoulders and the sleeves together, crochet the button bands, and then attach the buttons and the ribbon. Another project I'd love to finish before it gets too cold to wear.

Since the challenge post also included my September plans, I thought I would update you on those projects. The short answer is that one dress is mostly done, and the other is... well... I photocopied the bodice pattern pieces. That counts for something, right?

1. I had planned to wear the blue-polka dot V8728 to Jaymz Bee's Jazz Goes to the Movies event September 12, but beginning-of-school craziness meant that I didn't start it until a few days before. Usually, that's not a problem, but there were issues with the fabric (large sections had faded) and Thursday arrived with me still having to install the zipper, make the binding and bind the neckline, and hem the sleeves and skirt. I might have been fine, but I sort of messed up the binding twice and... let's just say I wasn't happy with what I ended up with. (I wound up wearing something else and completely neglected to take pictures, but a good time was had by all.) The main issues are that the neck droops (I'm hoping putting the binding in properly will fix this? And maybe taking in the shoulder seam a smidge?) and the torso is too big (which means I'll have to redo the zipper. Ugh.). It also needs a belt, but I'm worried that I don't have enough fabric to make a self-covered belt. The new plan is to fix it in time for Swing Out to Victory November 9.
   
   
2. I was hoping to wear the Advance 6118 to a wedding September 28, and I had even photocopied the bodice pattern as per Brooke's grading instructions, but I need to muslin it first. I had thought to make the muslin into a stand-alone top out of cotton so I could take part in the Fall for Cotton challenge, but the last week of September rolled around and I knew it wasn't going to happen, so I didn't even start. I don't want to mess it up by rushing it.
   
   

So I wasn't terribly successful in September, either.

Just to make this post even longer, I'll tell you about my October plans. The sewcialists on Twitter have been a busy bunch and decided to do bimonthly colour challenges, which they have creatively called Sewing a Rainbow; read more about it on Leila's blog. October is, of course, Red October. There are even buttons (punny and otherwise), thanks to the awesome Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow.


As an aside, the other thing I did this summer was contain my ever-increasing stash. Since I've started sewing more and, more importantly, buying fabric with no immediate plans, and since I live in a smallish apartment with no storage, the stash has outgrown my old method of keeping extra fabric in bags in a basket on a shelf in my bedroom. I bought three clear plastic bins (plus one for yarn) and have made a rule that I am not allowed to buy more fabric if it won't fit into the bins. Which rule was quickly amended to "unless I have a specific and immediate plan for it." Said amendment was introduced because I had just ordered some stuff from FabricMart, which included a 6-yard mystery bundle, and also because I knew I was going to make something for the Tweed Rally. I should have been fine, right?

The 6 mystery yards? Was all knit. Which takes up three times the room as the equivalent amount of woven material. The bins are bulging, and I couldn't even fit everything in. The result is that I really need to stashbust.

On with the plans.

1. The most important thing I have to do is start making my cape for the Tweed Rally (Come! It will be a fun time!). I'll use the short version of the Go To Patterns cape, ditching the hood and adding a standing collar and welted pockets. I'm going fabric shopping today; I hope that Designer Fabrics still has that stuff for $8/yd I saw back in August. Update: I did and they did. See pic below. Or that there's some of this stuff that Andie found still left. Sadly, this will not be decreasing the stash, but I'll try and muddle through somehow.
   
   
2. I bought some gauzy red stuff at that closing sari store in May with the idea that I would make a second Sorbetto hack if I liked the first one. I did, so I will. That'll be a quick sew and #RedOctober sorted.
   
   
3. If I have time (she said, laughing), I'll attack the next two projects. I'll make a lindy skirt out of the not-exactly-swimsuit Bombshell material. I was thinking of the trumpet version of Simplicity 2451, but now I think I want to make a DKNY V1351, since I have a huge amount of the fabric left over and I really don't need another swimsuit.
   
   
4. I don't really need another Hallowe'en costume, but there is stash-busting to be done, and I have a few options. One is to make the underdress for the flapper outfit I wore back in June. Another is to finally make the corset and undertop for my Rusty Tinkerbell outfit (pre-blog). The final option is to make a Macaron out of some quilting-weight card fabric. Which would also fit the #RedOctober theme and be fun for teaching probability and combinatorics.
   
   

I'm going to put some future plans here just to keep myself honest. November

Finish V8728 for Swing Out to Victory.

Finish the cape for the Tweed Rally.

I've had the Jalie Jeans pattern since January, and I finally bought some stretch denim. PhysicsGirl is making jeans!

December

Some of the mystery knit from FabricMart is a fun dark gold and black and, for me, flashy piece of goods. I was thinking of another V1351. It would be nice for the DC's office party.

I've also had New Look 6000 for months and have been meaning to make a librarian dress à la Selfish Seamstress. I have some navy wool suiting, and I just need to decide what to make the white collar and cuffs from. Linen? Cotton poplin? Suggestions? Is anyone still reading this far down?

December will be Green December, so I'll take the opportunity to finish lining the Easter parade dress and make the flapper underdress if I don't do it for Hallowe'en. I also have plans for the rest of the olive green M*A*T*H tee...

After that, we'll see. I have some patterns with no fabric and some fabric with no patterns and a pattern wishlist that just keeps getting longer and longer, so we'll see what Santa brings me. Ideas are brewing...