In order to keep my momentum going this season, I go by the rule of ABC – Always Be Cutting. I need a steady stream of cut projects so I always have something to work on. This summer I was cutting new projects out when I could, even before I finished my current project. I’m wondering if it’s just to distract myself.

I’ve been away from my blog for awhile. The month of September was a blur. I went on a pretty long vacation to the Azores, so obviously I was not sewing. When I came back, it was pretty hard to get back into the groove of things. However, I was able to finish my 2nd tie front shirt, McCalls 8620, in a fun lobster print. I finished it just in time to take on my vacation and was able to wear it a few times out.

I think making the first one with some practice fabric really helped me get this one right. I ended up shortening the shirt as I didn’t really care for the length on the first one. However, when this shirt is tied up, it does feel a bit short on the sides, so I just need to be aware what pants I wear with it. I like the fabric a lot though, and this shirt definitely works best with a softer shirting cotton than the quilting-type cotton I used for the first one. I was also able to perfect the collar. I had to adjust the size on the facing section on the front of the shirt so that the front came out a bit to a point on the “lapels” and was able to be tucked away more cleanly on the inside.

The other issue I ran into was when I ordered the buttons online, only half the quantity came and they were unable to send me the right number in time. Luckily I found some black buttons in my stash – they were a little smaller than what the pattern wanted, but it was fine for this shirt. Unfortunately, I think these buttons might actually be navy blue, but they are pretty dark so it’s hard to tell. I think it worked fine, at least my eyes can’t really tell.

I’m not sure if I mentioned before, but I love this tool to get the buttonholes even on my shirts. Because I had adjusted the length on the shirt, I needed to make sure I still had enough fabric on the bottom for the tie in the front, therefore I had to adjust where the buttonholes would go. This gage ensures that no matter where I place the top or bottom button, I can figure out the rest of the buttonholes evenly without having to measure each individually. It’s definitely a tool that has exceeded its investment.

Even though September was a bust for sewing projects, I did manage to get some great fabric while I was on vacation. I actually found fabric that had specific images from the Azores, so I had to buy it. I’m thinking this would be good for a housewares type project or possibly a bag. I also got this great sportswear fabric that was very colorful and some baby wale corduroy with a print that reminded me of the decorations on the churches out there. I also got a few pieces from a store on Terceira island that seemed to be going out of business. I got some knit and stretch denim for a really good price. I love getting fabric on vacation, because whatever I make always reminds me of that trip.

Now that I’m back to my regular schedule, I’m super excited to dive right into my sewing again. I didn’t get to everything I wanted for this summer, so some of these projects may need to be put aside for now. I did end up sewing up a starter sundress and I think I’ve worked out what the fit should be on my next one. The hardest part was the straps and figuring out how short to make them so they didn’t fall off my shoulder. Unfortunately as soon as I got the straps where I wanted them, the fabric must have had a flaw because it had frayed really bad from where it connected to the bodice. There is no way to fix this without taking apart the whole bodice, so I may be trying to sew it up by hand. Very disheartening that this may not end up being wearable, as I almost got the fit right. I spent way too long on it as is, because I ended up sewing the middle section on upside down and had to take the whole thing apart (I may get into that more on another post).

But with fall coming up, I’m also finally working on this corduroy skirt that I had cut out at the beginning of the year. I made this skirt before in a size 12, but it got way too big for me that it’s basically unwearable (and I’m even looking for a new home for it). I cut this out at a size 10, but on further examination of the sizing, I realized I should have cut out a size 8, so I trimmed it down a size. Let’s hope I don’t gain any weight this holiday season!