In the Studio:: On tossing out and starting fresh

This past week I did an extensive studio clean-up and scrapbooking supply organization (don’t get too excited, still not quite done with that part but it’s coming along nicely).  I have a pile of sewing projects to start/finish and a list of layouts and albums both digi and paper to work on, oh and hello…December Daily will be upon us before we know it – ahem!

I have been vexed by a dress that I sewed in April, and it has been in the pile and on the list since then.

Enter McCalls M5890

mccall-s-patterns-m5890-misses-jackets-top-dresses-and-pants-in-2-lengths-size-ff-16-18-20-22_7353165

I had a lot of trouble with my sewing machine which resulted in not a great sewing outcome for this garment… the fit was OK and I wasn’t as wild about the fabric as a long dress, and the topstitching was horrible due to said machine problem (since having machine thoroughly cleaned this fall, the problems have all resolved themselves…magic!)  and I just wasn’t feeling it.  at.  all.   For months I’ve been going back and forth… can I fix the topstitching?  Should I just make a skirt out of it (I have about a yard extra to make waistbands etc…) and try and salvage something?  Do I even like the pattern anymore?  Do I like the fabric anymore?

Answers to above ?’s ??  No fixing the topstitching… No to the skirt, it’s just too contrived…No to salvage….No to the pattern, at least the top of the dress, don’t like how the neck/arm/capsleeve came together weirdly…No to the fabric, maybe for a t-shirt or shorts but not a dress, plus, it’s winter now ugh.

So here is my answer to the above conundrum:

freedomfromtiedye

Yep…86’d the whole thing… including the extra fabric…and I crossed it off my list.  I have to say, it was really hard to just toss it in the trash.  The save-every-scrap part of me was screaming but for the good of my sewing karma, it had to go.

I feel so much better now.

On to the next project!

Have you ever totally trashed a project?  Was it freeing or guilt inducing?

 

Four boxes and two bins…part four

Yay!  The last of the big boxes…I am so happy I took the time to work on this project.  Definitely time to clean out the old and start making stuff…I can feel new projects on the horizon…but now on to Box Four…

piles of stuff...

piles of stuff…

Ah ha!  So this is the box with the lighter weight fabric earmarked for clothing…. wondering where this went….Have a lot of sewing to do from this box in the next few months.

Re-purpose

-pieces of fleece leftover from making “cozy pants” for the girls…I’ve been cutting them up into 6” squares and will sew those squares together for throws for each of them.

Keeping

-Two lengths of linen colored linen fabric…originally purchased for shorts/capri’s and a jacket…may turn into shorts and skirt

-Three lengths coordinating Amy Butler “Blossom” (I think) prints….one for a skirt, one a blouse and one for jacket lining…. definitely going to sew these up this year, not quite sure into what yet.

-Three lengths denim, from mid to very lightweight…. skirt? shorts? top?  All of the above?

-Linen/cotton windowpane plaid…have had this forever, not sure what to do with it but it is really beautiful.

-Three lengths cotton prints for sleeveless blouses….honestly, one of these pieces I am not really that thrilled with so I may let that go.  The other two are cute and I have to dig around and see what pattern I could make with them…

-One length pansy print fabric I have had forever and have been afraid to cut up… I think this is the year

-Two pieces cotton twill, black and brown…for shorts…now that I’m wearing my shorts longer, I hope there is enough of each.

-Length of linen/cotton/poly blend print…black and brown batik…I really liked this when I bought it but now I’m not quite so sure… can’t decide if I want to put the effort into making something out of it or not…would probably be a full skirt….will keep for now and think about it.

-Big length of muslin for fitting.

more crummy photos, I know…trying to shoot quick and move on to the next pile of stuff!!  you get the idea!

more crummy photos, I know…trying to shoot quick and move on to the next pile of stuff!! you get the idea!

Pitching 

-cotton print no longer thrilled with

-pieces of blue bottom weight cut out but never sewed…now lily is too big for them!

*Yay*!  (insert jumping up and down and hand clapping)  The big boxes are done and just taking things out and re-folding them I have gotten a lot more room.  Definitely will not need all four boxes going forward.

Now just the bins to go through…on to the next post!

See the other posts in my 2014 Fabric de-stash series:  

Box ONE  ,  Box TWO and Box THREE

 

Four boxes and two bins…part three

Ah ha!  I see you can’t get enough of watching other people de-stash their fabric… well I have to admit, it’s much easier that working on your own …

This process has not been too too painful so far, so moving on to box three !

Again, apologizing for crummy blurry photo!

Again, apologizing for crummy blurry photo!

This seems to be my “fine fabric” box with all my woolen pieces …

Keeping

-Two pieces of Spanish Lace for Mantillas that my mother gave me…my father brought them back from his USMC maneuvers in Spain  one white, one black   *gorgeous*  no idea what I’m going to do with it.

-Beautiful linen cotton from Britex in SF  (2 1/8 yd / 60” wide) from a work trip where we managed an hour for fabric shopping… pulling this out to make a shirt this summer.

-2 yd 60”  wide red italian wool flannel…. card attached says 65 wo / 25 pa / 10 cashmere recycled….so soft and warm…have been saving to figure out the perfect thing to do with it !  and if anyone knows what “pa” is, let me know…I’m just assuming I’m going to be dry-cleaning the finished project anyway.

-5/12 yd 45” wide  black very fine worsted wool…  again, beautiful, can’t remember where I got it and not quite sure what to do with it…maybe a dress??  don’t wear dresses but there is enough for several things

-2 yd 65” wide grey wool flannel …. again, soft and warm…given to me by one of the gals I worked with at Hathaway in NYC many moons ago…she was cleaning out and knew I sewed and knew I would appreciate it.  Need to find just the right thing to make out of it.  (see my problem?!)

-2+ yards 60” wide black/grey wool suiting… I think this is from Britex as well….might have gone with the black worsted.  I think I was going to make a suit jacket out of this with pants and a skirt to match???  back when I worked in an office and people wore suits and pantyhose to work.

-2 yds taupe and 2 yds khaki worsted wool/blend bought at Fabric Place probably to make slacks…when I worked in an office…keep?  pitch??  hmmmmmm  will have to think about this one.

-lots of yards black satin backed flannel coat lining….I think I bought this to re-line a coat I don’t even have anymore (!) but I am going to keep it because it is really good fabric and I’m sure I”ll have to re-line something at some point so back in the box it goes.

The "keep" pile…will set this aside for winter sewing.

The “keep” pile…will set this aside for winter sewing.

Pitching

black “posh” fabric lining….I really can’t stand this stuff…I’ve lined lots of things with it and it’s hot and sweaty and heavy so I am not going to keep it.

That was almost too easy …

See the other posts in my 2014 Fabric de-stash series:  Box ONE  and Box TWO

What are you de-stashing these days??

 

 

Four boxes and two bins…part two

Getting on a roll after a very successful purge of Box ONE (Here) so on to Box TWO!

Box2-before

sorry for the blur iPhone camera + night time + tiredness = blurry photos

Keeping:

Box2-smaller than 1 yd pieces

As it turns out, this is the box that has all my printed cottons/quilting cottons plus some “utility fabrics”.   There is a stack of cottons of 1 yd or less, some “fat quarters” some 10×10 pieces, will be good to merge these with the “fat quarter” collection that will eventually be housed in an Ikea dvd tower.

Box2-big cotton lengths

17 fabric lengths 1 yd or greater… all printed cotton, some 2+ yards or greater…can’t figure out how I ended up with quite so much maroon/dark red fabric.  Will have to think  on how I am going to use these up… could be summer pj’s / pj shorts, or maybe a top or two ??  Maybe a quilt/quilt back??  Glad I have photos to refer back to instead of digging through the box

Box2-utility fabrics

Utility Fabrics:  length of footie pajama “feet bottoms” that white nubby rubbery fabric that helps keep you from slipping… leftover blue jean pieces for patching… some small pieces of fabric from LR sofa pillows just in case??? … piece of orange fabric for Gwen’s lambie repairs.

Relocate

-The white sheet Charlie cut up for a “Charlie Brown” Halloween costume…need to move that upstairs to the costume box

Pitch

-a few small flannel scraps went in the trash, not enough to donate.

That was almost too easy …