Self-made September

We just moved into our new apartment, which means I am once again in possession of my sewing machine! I haven't set up the craft room yet, so it's still in its box, but I am very excited about getting back to making stuff. I have set up a challenge for myself to encourage creativity and maybe inspire a little new sewing. I am pretty good about wearing the things I make, but I think a self-imposed month of wearing at least one handmade article would be good for me. I have seen this around the web, so apologies to whomever came up with the concept if I am ripping you off. (I'll totally join your group if you have one.)

The rules:

-Every day I have to wear at least one article made by me.

-Crochet counts, as do any other new garment-construction techniques I pick up between now and the end of September.

-Refashioning counts, minor repairs or alterations don't.

-Relining counts because I have a skirt I need to reline, and I think this will encourage me to get that done.

-Accessories count.

-Sleepwear doesn't count. (I have a self-made robe that I wear a lot.)

-Repeats are allowed.

-If I am spending the day doing an athletic activity or lying on the beach or painting a room or something like that, I can just wear normal grubby clothes.

-If I'm interviewing for a job, attending a funeral, or meeting with a head of state, I can ignore the challenge, although I don't have to.

-I am getting back into town from a trip to see Jon's relatives on August 31, so the first couple days might be postponed if they're too hectic.

I will try to post an outfit picture every day, or at least take them and post them when I get around to it, and I hope to make a few new garments by the end of the month. Hooray for the return of sewing to my life!

My UFOs

A few months ago, my friend wrote a post about her unfinished objects. I am pretty good about not leaving sewing UFOs. I have a lot of unstarted projects, but I'm kind of a completionist, so most of what I start gets finished before anything else is started. Since I'm still sans sewing machine, so I can't write about anything new, here are my two longstanding UFOs.

Item one is this blouse. I started this before going to college, which means it has moved to at least four apartments with me. I think the blouse pattern is nice, but the fact that it's fully lined might have been a bit too advanced for me at the time I started it. Additionally, the fabric I chose is awful. I don't even know what fiber it is. Some sort of nylon or acetate. It was on clearance, and I thought $1/yard was a great price for it. I would not have bought it today. It looks tacky and feels awful. That is why this UFO was sent to the big saucer in the sky when I was moving away from Houston. I had gotten it out several times and told myself I would just finish it, whether it was a good blouse or not, but I decided I didn't want to waste my efforts on something I knew I wouldn't like. I may try the blouse again in a better fiber, although I'm not sure what I would wear it with. It's very dramatic, and those palazzo pants on the pattern envelope are an appropriate match, but I don't have anything like that.

Item two is another shirt skirt that I started about two years ago. For some reason, the waist/hip area on this one was more trouble than the pink one. I got frustrated with fit issues, put it down, and never picked it up again. When we move and I get my sewing machine back, I think I should try to finish it. I don't think it will actually take much time, and I think it'll be a really cute skirt. It has a curved hem, so it will look more like a shirt, and I think that will look cute.

Those are my sewing UFOs. I also have a part-finished crochet shrug that I think will be really cute if I pick it up again and my stitch tension hasn't changed. I can hardly wait until we move so I can start sewing again!