Being Bossed Around got me thinking of a Special Sewing Swap...

 I've always loved surprises in the mail, and I've always loved to give surprises. Back before "Wonderfully Made" was this blog, it was, for many years, another blog, called "iwasknittogetherinmymother'swomb.typepad.com." It's still living, and you can check out those blog posts, too.  Anyway, with a passion for blogging and surprises, while I was writing that blog, I also hosted some pretty awesome swaps. They were more selective in their membership with people that had a true passion for quality swapping and a willingness to commit to that endeavor. A few of my favorite swaps?  The Halloween Sock Swap. And The Special Swap, which really was a special swap in which I called a theme every other month and we put together a package around that theme (it involved knitting, of course). I paired up the participants and let them run with it. They were great swaps and we always had a group of people that did indeed make them special.

The Sew Bossy Initiative is a swap, of sorts. And I was sucked right in. My first Boss Around was from Paige at Lux per Diem. I sent her a vintage style pattern and Hawaiin print and some other goodies, and she sent me this pretty floral and an OOP Laura Ashley pattern, and all the notions to go with.

I haven't gotten to that project yet, but it's on the top of my pile after a junior bridesmaid's dress is completed. I am already thinking of ways to make that dress my own, and want to get it made so I can enjoy it during the late summer/early fall.

Well, then my buddy Lori expressed an interest, and she and I agreed to a Sew Bossy Swap.  I got her package last week, and it included a fabulous graphic silky print and a pattern that I probably would have never even given a second look. But that's the idea...she gets to boss me around! So, this tunic is under Paige's dress in my project pile.  I keep thinking of it with leggings and boots for fall.

Anyway, back to the swap thing...I've really been thinking about seeing if there is any interest out there to do a Special Sewing Swap?  I would call a theme, we'd have a budget and I promise, it would be a blast. If you love getting surprises in the mail and love to gift others, and you love to sew and are interested in playing along, I'd like to know what you think.

Leave a comment expressing your interest, if you are a blogger, and let's see what happens!

fall inspiration

Oh no! How did it get to be almost September????  I was browsing around the fabric store yesterday during lunch and yes, I have the fall fashion bug. Yes I do.  All I have to do is see the new Cabi fall line and see all that fabric, and  see some of my favorite runway looks and fall trend articles and see all that fabric, and I'm ready to roll.

So what is inspiring me these days?

cabi owens jacket

faux leather parts

cabi grid vest

plaid. and faux leather

eclectic voyager at joann's

oxblood and faux animal

junya watanabe

pink tartan

tracy reese

moto and print mixing and film noir and the whole opposites attracts thing is just getting me excited!

what's getting you excited about fall fashion?

a coat that is stuck in my brain, and thrifting during weight loss

                                                         I am in love with this coat.
And, of course, it's Burda, and it's a pdf pattern. AND I have to make it.  So, now that I'm obsessed, I'm                                     wondering if there is a big 4 pattern out that that can be modified.

                                 Any ideas? Let's make this coat from pre-printed patterns!!!!!

I still haven't been doing any sewing for myself. With three commission jobs and a few birthday projects, I've pretty much been keeping busy when we're not setting up our shop. And working full time!  So, to get me through the weight loss transition, I've been thrifting again....which I TOTALLY love to do.  One of my favorite spots has been Clothes Mentor. I'm able to find something every time I go there, and can get some nice brand names that I otherwise wouldn't buy. It's clean, organized and has more current styles from the last year or so.

This dress is a Banana Republic knit wrap dress. Their wrap dresses are available online from the sale price of $79 up to $130.

Now this is just me, but I would never walk into a Banana Republic store and buy this dress. I wouldn't buy it online, either. But I would pay $18 for this dress and give it more life. How do I decide what to purchase at re-sale?  It has to be a classic style that can transition a few seasons. This dress is a classic style that can transition a few seasons, and also fits with my desire to buy less fast fashion off the rack. 

Can't you just see this  with some boots and a cardigan, too?

Actually, thrifting/re-sale makes such good sense when you are in a weight transition.I often think it would also be fun to have a co-op of sorts where women that are going through the same thing can all swap and share clothes.

Promise, I'll share some shop photos soon...so you can see what's been keeping me from my sewing machine these days!

Back from vacation and a sporting a new Scout!

Fresh back from the beautiful sandy, rainy, cold, cloudy rough shores of Lake Michigan, where we went for our annual getaway. We've been going for 17 years, and well, I guess a bad weather year from time to time is tolerable. I still love it there, and it's one of my favorite trips of all.

We spent most of the time just resting and relaxing, browsing our favorite shops and exploring a few new-to-us places along the way. Not much to report other than  I feel refreshed and ready to dig into preparation for our shop opening August 15th. Which means lots of work still, but I'm pretty excited.

No, I'm really excited. My daughter and I had a talk about that yesterday, after she sensed that I was holding back a little on the excitement end of things. True, I said, and later, after lots of thinking about it, I discovered the pathology involved...The less I'm excited, the less I'll be disappointed. It's that old fear thing ...afraid of failure, risk and rejection. So. I'm making a conscious effort to face that crap straight in the face and allow myself to be vulnerable in this new venture. There.

Just before I left for Michigan, I had time to squeeze in a little sewing time. And yup, I downloaded a pdf pattern file. I sure did.

Grainline Studio Scout Woven Tee. I printed and taped and measured and made. Which wasn't that much of an undertaking, really..I think it was only 19 pages! But an easy 19 pages to lay out and tape.

I  cut the 16, only to realize I needed to go down a size. So I cut my top smaller, and then even took it in at the side seams a bit more. Scout has some generous ease....of course, my fabric choice may have contributed to the ease as well.

                
I decided to do the front and sleeves in a poly silky fabric, which really feels like a silk scarf. The back is made from white cotton knit, which doesn't have much substance to it either (while having a knit on the back means I didn't have to fiddle with sizing too much, it means that it also contributed to the generous ease I mentioned above). The overall effect is that it feels like I'm not wearing Scout at all...as if it has floated right off me!

This is a delightful little pattern. I am looking forward to making another one!

What a surprise to see that when I returned from vacation, my total weight loss was 22 pounds since the beginning of the year! Happy, Happy, Happy!!!!