Finished Project: SBCC 322 - Tonic t-shirt (version 2)

I loved my first SBCC Tonic t-shirt so much that I jumped right in and made a second one:

Striped Tonic t-shirt

 Remaking a pattern used to be a rarity for me. I'd have the best of intentions, but it used to be that when I was done with a pattern the first time, I was Done with it. That pattern might sit on top of my sewing desk for the next six months with the good intention that I'd make it again, but I rarely did so unless A) it was a quick and painless sew and B) I was in love with the finished garment.  I've gotten a lot better about this over the past year or so, although I'm not sure if it's so much that I've been "better" about it, or if it's been that I've been mainly sewing easy knit tops/dresses since my daughter was born 19 months ago.

I made a few minor adjustments:

• Raised the neckline at the center front (CF) by 1".
• Added ~ 3/4" at the side seams at the hip. (Note that my current measurements correspond to a straight 2X across the board on the SBCC size chart, but I needed a little more room than that for my large rear high hip.)

The CF alteration raised the neckline to a level that I'm a bit more comfortable with at work (not that it's bad as drafted).

The addition at the hip helped a little with the pulling at the back, but I think that to get a "perfect fit", I really need a center back (CB) seam back there where I can play with a sway back/large butt alteration. You know how a lot of women's hips are larger after having a baby? My hip measurement is proportionally larger compared to my waist/bust than it used to be, but everything redistributed itself to my butt. You'd never know from looking at me straight on that my hips measure 2.5" larger than my bust, but they do...and that measurement largely comes from junk in the trunk. I don't have a problem with it--it is what it is, but I am now dealing with some fitting issues that I did not have to deal with pre-baby.

Doggy photobomb!

In any case, I'm very happy with version 2, as well. This striped top will become the first piece of the HotPatterns capsule wardrobe that I'm starting. I'm psyched about this--I will be swapping out a few patterns for non-HP patterns, but for both patterns and fabric, I will be able to complete the entire capsule wardrobe from stash.

My next entry in the capsule wardrobe will be the gray, belted cardigan. I am using the suggested pattern of the HP Fast & Fabulous Four Seasons Kimono Jacket. For fabric, I am using a firm, wool sweater knit that's been in my stash for around four years (I think). Remember a few years ago when fabric.com got in that lot of Vera Wang fabrics in that many of us ordered way too much of? This fabric was one of those fabrics. It was listed as a "wool jersey", but in reality, the hand/weight feel much more like a sweater knit, and it's been sitting in my stash since then. I am hoping that it will be a good choice for this project.

Sewing Goals 2014: Non-stash related

While my highest priority goals for 2014 revolve around stash balance and reduction, I have a mish-mash of non-stash related goals of things that I'd like to accomplish in the following year. In no particular order, here are my non-stash goals for the following year:

• Sew a water-resistant jacket with a hood.
  
  I made a rain jacket a few years ago (and still wear it), but it really bothers me that it doesn't have a hood and that I still have to use an umbrella when it's raining. I want to rectify that this year, especially since it rains so much more in Seattle than San Diego, and I know that this to-be-sewn jacket will get a ton of wear.
• Sew a winter coat.
  
  I don't have one that I like. I need one. We seem to be through the worst of our cold weather here in Seattle, so I will probably take my time with this one and/or punt it to fall sewing. I already have the pattern and fabric bought for the one that I want to make (see my Winter coat post).
• Sew my daughter's Halloween costume.
  
  I did this last year. It was fun/rewarding. I want to do it again. She's old enough now that she'll be able to pick out what she wants to be, so that will add a new angle to things. If her current interests hold through to the fall, she'll likely want to be Elmo, Muno (from Yo Gabba Gabba), a duck, or a penguin.
• Sew a capsule wardrobe.
  
  I've alluded to having a lot of holes in my wardrobe in previous posts. I am a classic example of a person with a closet full of clothes and "nothing to wear". I have four pairs of Old Navy jeans that actually fit me quite well and a few knit dress/leggings combos that I like/wear, but I am really lacking in tops that both fit and don't feel out of style and jackets/toppers to go with those. My ultimate goal here is to come up with 4-5 outfits that will get me through the work week so that A) I don't always feel like I'm wearing the same things styled the same way again and B) not go through my closet on Fridays really struggling with picking out a top to wear and picking out something that either doesn't fit all that well or isn't that flattering but is clean.
  
  I had been pondering what pieces should make up a capsule wardrobe like this, but Trudy from HotPatterns sent out her own suggestions for a 12-piece capsule wardrobe this morning:
  
  HotPatterns 12-piece capsule wardrobe for spring

This is it. THIS is how I dress for work. The only thing on this list that I wouldn't wear would be the white jeans (mental block against the 80's-ness of them and not being a size 4). I'm actually about to finish a striped t-shirt similar to the one pictured here. You might also notice a LOT of overlap between Trudy's suggested patterns for these pieces and the "candidate patterns" from my stash that I mentioned in my Pattern Stash post. The other nice thing is that I can sew this ENTIRE capsule from stash patterns and fabrics (substituting a non-HP pattern here and there).

I'll do a series of more comprehensive posts on my capsule plans as I work them out and execute them.

• Get over my fear of fly zippers.
  
  Really. I've been sewing long enough, I've sewn a few decent ones. I don't know why I still tense up at the thought of them.
• Execute a wearable set of welt pockets.
  
  I've gotten to the point where I've done test samples that look wearable. Here's another area where I need to get over my fear and actually put them in something that I'd wear.
• Fabric out for the year should be 50% greater than fabric in.
  
  I have a spreadsheet where I am tracking this. I've already fallen behind because I got bitten by the merino wool sale at FabricMart, but I know I can recover.
• Explore the functionality of my Babylock Evolve.
  
  My one splurge/semi-frivolous purchase that came out of my signing bonus for my new job last year was to upgrade my old Brother 1034D to a new-to-me Babylock Evolve serger/coverstitch combo machine. I've already been using the 3- and 4-thread overlocks and coverstitch quite a bit, but it can do so much more, and I want to learn how to do so many more things on it.

So that's it. I have 8-non stash specific goals for the year. I'll check back against these throughout the year to see how I'm progressing.