Hooray for Well-Timed Mail Deliveries!

Thank you for commiserating with me on sleeve fitting issues (and for not trying to sell me on some “if you just do this simple thing, you’ll shrink your arms in no time” plan. I’m not against arm-toning, but for right now I’d like to focus on making the clothes fit my current shape)

I’m feeling much better now mood-wise. I got just the things to pick me up and renew my enthusiasm via yesterday’s mail. First up, a gifted package from the lovely Anne, aka Prttynpnk, of Pretty Grievances and Jungle January fame. A length of purple leopard something drapey fabric.

I think matchy-matchy jungle blouses for Guinevere and I will be in order for Spring. Thank you Anne!
Next up, a package I had ordered. I recently was clicking around the read-lists on some of the blogs I follow, looking to see if there were others I should be adding. I happened to find What Would Nancy Drew Wear and a recent posting there with a link to a Pinterest page of “here’s some patterns I’m willing to sell, make me an offer”. Now, I am not usually one to make offers. I’m not a bargainer by nature. I love the thrill of the thrift store as much as anyone, but I don’t have a passion to haggle. I’ve probably missed many opportunities that way, but it is what it is. In this case, though, I found a few I couldn’t pass up. Happily, she accepted my offer and sent me a couple of patterns.

I never noticed it before this pattern, but most vintage patterns don’t seem to have shadows showing behind the “models”.

Those four are all 1/2 size patterns. This works well for me. I’m just over 5’3″ and definitely of a rounder shape than most misses patterns. Of course, misses patterns can always be altered/graded, but take a good look at that top pattern and tell me you really, really are wanting to have to do an FBA. Can’t see it? Ok, here’s a closer look.
I realize it’s really just a stylized princess seam down the front bodice, but it’s also the kind of thing that makes me think it would be easier to have my own custom sloper and draft it from scratch than it would be to keep the shape while making it bigger. Having a pattern that starts out as close as possible to my own measurements makes it much easier to adjust. Unfortunately, I’m finding that though 1/2 sizes are drafted for shorter/stouter women, the sleeves only seem shorter, not stouter…still have to alter that bicep piece.
A word about the Advance 5983. I’m absolutely fascinated by the asymmetrical skirt. Buttons on one side, giant pocket on the other. It has the potential to turn out completely awesome or a complete disaster. We shall see which side it lands on, but I’ll need just the right fabric for it, and I’m not sure right now what I want that to be.
This one also was bought in the batch, but it isn’t for me. I’m planning to give it to Auntie Laura because when I saw it, it reminded me of her. The thing wrapped around the waist in the middle picture is called a “cape” in the pattern description. It’s something between a shawl and a wrap blouse, and I think I’d like to have one to wear over a sun dress someday. (do you think she’ll let me borrow the pattern?) 
Lastly, to complete the improvement in my mood, I found that particular piece of stash fabric I’d been looking for. After looking in all the containers and on almost all the shelves, I found it on the shelf I’d left for last, since I was thinking I certainly wouldn’t have put it there.

This is not a trendy piece. The colors are not particularly attention-grabbing on their own, but they are colors that when I happen to wear them I get all kinds of complements on how great my complexion looks and how that dusty, rosy, pink in particular is something I should wear all the time. Since it hasn’t been a trendy color, it’s been fairly hard to find in ready-to-wear over the past few years, and even more difficult to find in a garment with the right cut, size, and fiber content to make it something I would buy and wear. 
It’s definitely blouse-weight apparel fabric w/ a high cotton content. It’s lightweight but not incredibly sheer, nor too crisp. There is a bit more than one yard, but I’m cutting myself some slack on the definition of a small piece of fabric for Stash-busting purposes (thankfully, I don’t think they’ll kick me out for this). I used to be able to make a top or skirt out of a yard or less of fabric, but these days, I need to have a little bit more than a yard. I suppose I could keep making stuff for the kids out of pieces smaller than a yard, but I’m the one in the family with the most need for clothing at the moment. I’m thinking this fabric would work well as a Portrait Blouse a la Gertie’s book. I’ve been playing with the pattern, and I think I’ve managed to get it up to my size and proportions. (I’m not the girl with the waist size one less than hips that Gertie drafted for). Since it isn’t a super-small piece of fabric, if I lay out the Portrait Pattern and there looks like there’d be lots of fabric left for sleeves, I might change my mind and instead make it up as the Sewaholic Alma pattern I recently purchased.
Yes, I know. This looks like yet another spring/summer make in the dead of winter. I think the rain is getting to me and my sewing is starting to reflect aspirations of 75+ degree weather. However, I happen to have a stretch corduroy ready-to-wear blazer in the exact shade of rosy-pink needed to complement the blouse fabric. I also have a woolen something or other just over a yard length in the stash that will make the perfect warm skirt to complete the ensemble. 

While I was searching through the containers of fabric, I re-stacked them to put my knits closer to the top of the stack. I have a feeling that as the bitter cold of the last few weeks turns to a nice steady 50 degree rain, I’ll be in the mood for some new knit dresses a la Tiramisu.

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