Bits and Pieces

1. Delayed by illness the last couple of days, sorry, but my giveaway (as determined by your requests and random draw on random.org) of Patrones magazines go to: Lyndle (Plus); Michelle (Kids); Nakisha (Dos Piezas) and MaryMary86 (regular edition straight sizes). Could those people all e-mail me their snail-mail addresses to westmoon243 at gmail.com and I will post them off ASAP. Some people offered to pay postage, and while I greatly appreciate the thought it isn't at all necessary as I am happy to fork out a few quid to spread some pattern entertainment around the sewing world. :D

2. Previously unconvinced by the brightly coloured Burda 07-2012-114 blouse I made, I have become more convinced having decided to sew on some poppers to the placket. It does look much better with the neck partly done up, and I am more enthusiastic about it overall as a result. Sometimes I think I shouldn't make any comment on a newly finished item until at least 72 hours have passed as I always change my mind about what I think about things in that time.

Asymmetrical zipped hoodie from Ottobre 05-2014

3. The new Ottobre is out! For once Ottobre did no sneak previews or anything for this issue -- the previews went up online and then my magazine turned up on my doorstep the very next day. I have made SO MANY Ottobre patterns over the last six months, I was super excited to get the latest issue. Alas, I had sort of daydreamed that they might have included the Perfect Winter Coat pattern that I was looking for (and, see below, have since more or less found) but the only coat pattern wasn't what I am looking for (to clarify: I didn't really know what I'm looking for, except for a woolly sense that I Would Know It When I Saw It, apparently).  At any rate, for me the standout pattern in this issue is the asymmetrical zipped hoodie, which I have already incorporated into my autumn sewing plans. I have the perfect fabric for it already and I should JUST be able to squeak the pattern out of it :D I also like the long shirt and the jersey tunic with the built in pockets, AND the sack dress with the built in pockets as well, although I fear it might not flatter me at all. In fact, the only pattern I don't like at all is the little blouse with the SLEEVE RUFFLE and ruffled peplum and ruffled neck and oh, lord, how many ruffles can you fit in one garment? (Also, dear pattern makers, WHY THE SLEEVE RUFFLE EPIDEMIC D:) Any other Ottobre fans with immediate plans from the new issue? :D?

My Very Ambitious Sewing Plan for Autumn 2014

4. Personally, I have MANY PLANS for this autumn. I put my very ambitious list into the sewing plan above. Things of note: SHIRTS. COATS. TROUSERS. In other words: EVERYTHING THAT I AM MOST FRIGHTENED OF SEWING. Yay? :D? That little Vogue envelope was a brainwave for my winter jacket-to-wear-with-jeans, so now I just have to remember that I've PICKED a pattern and not keep gazing pathetically at every issue of Burda etc going BUT WHERE IS MY DREAM COAT PATTERN.

I have some sort of order of sewing in mind: start with shirts, so I can try out some collars etc before I embark on outerwear patterns. I figure the Burda coat and the Ottobre jacket, being both armhole princess, will have some shared characteristics so that once I've done one the second of them should be easier. I think I might do the Burda coat first because the Ottobre jacket has the more difficult fabric (corduroy, rather than the plain navy coated cotton) although of course I'll be muslining both extensively anyway. I'm going to make some full length PJ trousers (because I've only made shorts up to now) before I embark on real trousers, and everything else is a knit or a skirt and will probably be easy (PROBABLY). Can I just mention that with the exception of the knit tops and the black trousers, absolutely all the fabric is from stash? I am NOWHERE NEAR my stash-busting goal for the year, so I must redouble my efforts over the last third of the year.

5. Heaven forfend I stop buying patterns though. My 'to buy' list now includes New Look 6303 which came out yesterday (although it won't arrive in the UK shops for AGES, sadly). I also kind of want to buy New Look 6301 when it's available, although I'll probably hang on for a sale for that one. I'm STILL on the fence about buying the Pauline Alice Cami dress. I really love my Carme blouses, but I wonder if the Cami dress is just a little too 50s-style for my taste. Also, I have this weird fascination with the Pauline Alice Malvarosa dress. It's a style I would never normally even consider but something about it makes me go back to the PA website and just stare at it over and over. I am torn between buying it, making it in some fabric I don't care about (I have QUITE A LOT of fabric I don't care about) and then if it's terrible I can just go shrug and move on, or focussing instead on the immense and complicated list of things I KNOW I want to make (see point 4). Why don't I have uncountable hours of leisure time so that I could do both? >:(