One last quick repeat for March, plans and progress

Red and white tee based on New Look 6150

I made one last super quick garment to finish up the month, another simple t-shirt based on New Look 6150 (like the navy one I made earlier in the month). This is version number 5 of this pattern, though I did make a couple of tiny changes this time -- shorter sleeves (kind of middlingly short-sleeved length rather than the elbow length tops I've been making up to now) and I also decided that the basic pattern I've been using is just a smidgeon too long, so I lopped about 2cm off the hem.

For this version, I used the remaining 1m-ish piece of a fabric I first used almost exactly 2 years ago to make up favourite Ottobre tee pattern. It was not one of my more successful 2013 creations -- the binding on the armholes dug in horribly and the neckband was dreadful, so I didn't really wear it all that often. The original tee was thus long since demoted to the pile of old tees I wear as PJs, so I felt it was safe to make another despite the rather wild and distinctive print. In the eventuality that we get some warm weather this summer I thought it would look nice with white trousers or white shorts.

Speaking of summer, or the possibility of it at least, I have just one more month of spring sewing left before my sewing queue has me scheduled to burst into full Summer Sewing Mode. I have quite a variety of things left on my spring list though, and I imagine I won't get to all of them before the weather moves me on to other things.

I am carrying one WIP into April -- the faux suede/faux leather bag I am in the middle of making. I have hit a fairly major snag in construction and don't quite know what to do to fix it, but hopefully some thought over the next few days will get me underway again. I am also going to cast on a new knitting project later this week (I decided to take knitting break after I finished my Groovy scarf), and I have some little embroidery plans/projects in motion as well.

As far as garment sewing is concerned, near the top of my list is to play with the HotPatterns Weekender Sunshine tee pattern. This is one of those patterns I have earmarked for use over and over for YEARS and yet never got around to making. I bought it way back when, long before I'd ever "spoken" to her on blogs/PR, I saw Michelle recommend this pattern as being great & particularly flattering if you have a larger bust. It's the only HP pattern I've ever bought (although like everyone else in the sewing world, I have about 20 of their free e-patterns) and I think it's about time I try it out.

Based on my wardrobe plan, I also know I could do with making a white buttoned long-sleeved shirt or blouse -- I'm still deliberating the details of this as I'd like to make something with pintucks but I'm being indecisive between a couple of different patterns.

KS3334

The bigger projects for April, though, are that I'd like to at least get started on one or both of a simple ponte knit jacket (I have more or less settled on Kwik Sew 3334, an unlined jacket with shoulder princess seams and a simple shawl collar) and some kind of rain jacket.

The ponte jacket is exercising my mind because I feel like I need to do a bit of digging to research how best to actually sew an unlined ponte jacket. Do I just overlock seams like I would any other ponte garment? Or should I be sewing them on my regular machine and then overlocking? Plus, I will need to do some fitting work with the princess seams, I am sure. The fabric I've earmarked for this project is really nice, so I'm hoping I can do a decent job with the pattern.

The rain jacket has me more perplexed. If I'm honest it is the thing I am mostly likely not to get around to, no matter how urgently required it is as I have no lightweight raincoat and live in one of the rainiest parts of England! I have the fabric -- a very nice red shower-proof treated cotton. It's allegedly ex-Burberry, but whether it really is or not I couldn't say. I even have a LOT of it (4m), so it's not like the problem is squeezing a coat out of too little fabric. What I don't have is really a single idea for what I want the finished garment to look like, which is unusual for me. I will probably post more about my pattern deliberations if I actually get to that point this month.

Finally, as we are now a whole quarter of the way through 2015, I thought I would (very briefly!) consider how I was doing on my overall goals for 2015. Alas, the answer is: quite badly! I am over budget on my spending, I actually have MORE fabric than I started the year with rather than less (although admittedly only 1.5m more, so it's not like I've added more than a tiny molehill to that particular mountain) and of my more specific sewing goals, only my quilt has been completed. On the other hand, I've done really well with my knitting goals and decreasing my yarn stash so far, so it's not all bad news. In fact, although my "Completed Projects 2015" page to date is rather thin and lacking in really anything one might call a challenging project, I am actually pleased the sewing I've done this first quarter, given the circumstances of how ill I've felt over the last three months and how much family drama has been going on behind the scenes here at Casa de Sewing Novice.

I'm not overly concerned about how far adrift I am from my goals as there's plenty of the year left. However, I'm definitely going to have be a bit more strict with myself about buying stuff generally and fabric in particular. I keep doing that "Oh, a couple of metres won't hurt!" thing, which is how you get to having bought 18m in three months without really even trying to buy fabric. /o\