Plan D

Yes, I've been hanging out on Instagram, but since I don't like reading long narratives on Instagram, I decided to take myself back to my blog to tell you about this project.

I call this the Plan D or Give Me Liberty & Give Me Dress. This has been in the works for years.

It started simply enough. I wanted to recreate Alicia Paulson's dress: the Folkwear Patterns Afghan Nomad dress made with different patterns of Liberty fabric. I spent some time collecting the fabric; the main fabric (if we can call it that) was bought at Liberty London in 2013. The other fabrics were bought on a trip to Mood Fabrics with my mother a year or so later.

I have to say, when I first started the dress, I thought, "This is going to be the most beautiful dress I've ever made!" I decided to do French seams and patiently worked my way through the pattern.

Unfortunately, I was not pleased with the results.

With the Empire waist and a high and tight neckline, it just wasn't working for me. So I decided to go with Plan B - modifying the bodice of the dress. I think I gave it a couple of shots before I put the whole project on a time out.

Fast forward to this year, and I've got a whole new system of keeping track of my sewing and knitting projects - a three-tiered system using a sports analogy: active roster, the bench, and the farm team. Anyway, what I was calling the Afghan Nomad Dress at the time made it onto the list, and I knew I had to either resolve it or retire it. There was no way I was going to let all that Liberty fabric languish.

So welcome to Plan C - the Cappuccino dress from Lisette & Co. I've made it once before. I call the first one my Acid Trip Deer Hunter dress.

I carefully took apart the Afghan Nomad Dress to salvage what I could of the fabric, and then I set to work making it come together. What's probably important to note here is that I did not make a muslin for either dresses, which, yes, could've saved me a lot of time. But hey, where would this blog post be then?

Again, I patiently and carefully sewed the dress (let go of the French seams this time). Excited to have it finished, I brought it home to try on for my partner and a friend of ours. Ack! It was too tight over the hips! (#covidass) I also felt like it was a little short. So back to the studio and Plan D.

I'd already done a full bust adjustment (something I'd blown off on the first one and regretted). To make the dress fit, I put godets in the side seams and then added an additional band around the bottom to lengthen it. There was a bit of fiddling since I was making it up along the way, but I have to say, I'm glad I persevered. Otherwise I wouldn't have this happy-making dress.

And here it is - Give Me Liberty & Give Me Dress:

Makers gonna make.

My Make Nine Challenge

I think I caught sight of this on Instagram, but it was Cal Patch's post that set the blaze to the spark. The fact that I've already planned on making most of these items this year anyway made it even easier to throw my hat into the ring (it's good that I own a lot of hats!). Also, I'll inevitably participate in the Summer of Basics (should there be one this year), which will account for three of my "make nine." Let me also acknowledge that there are a couple items about which I'm uncertain - not uncertain about whether I want to make them, but uncertain as to whether I can actually complete them within the year. Yeah, those kinds of projects.

But let's start with what's been settled.

1). Sew Liberated Schoolhouse Tunic

This pattern has been on my radar for years, but I kept second-guessing myself. A discount and an encouragement to post images of yours by March 19th (yikes! thought I had more time!) was enough for me to pull the trigger. I already have fabric for it.

2). The Brae Cove Tunic

I'm running the Squam KAL, but this one has its own KAL, in which I'm participating. Thankfully I'm almost done with my Squam knit, and the deadline for completion isn't until May 19th. As you may recall, I've found yarn during my yarnventory for this.

3). The Erica Dress

This is a pattern from Seamwork magazine, to which I subscribe. I like the idea of an easy and sophisticated wrap dress, and I found some matte midnight blue jersey from Mood fabrics. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to make any of the modifications. No deadline for this baby.

4). The Liv Cardigan

I started this cardigan last year with wool reclaimed from another project; however, I discovered I didn't have enough yarn so it was tabled. I've ordered yarn for this (no judgements!), and this will be one of my Summer of Basics makes. Believe it or not, I'm knitting it in black. I think this will fill the black cardigan gap nicely.

5). The Afghani Nomad Dress

I was inspired (years ago already) by Alicia Paulson's version and have collected a variety of Liberty of London fabrics to make my own version.

6). Pants: here's one where I haven't settled on which ones I'm going to commit to, and they range from challenging to pretty easy. I think what will tip the scales is which pair will fill the greatest gap.

The contenders are -

The Morgan Boyfriend Jeans

The Lander Pant

and

100 Acts of Sewing: Pants No. 1

 I'll make all of these at some point, but after I do a little homework (Seamwork's Design Your Wardrobe course), I hope to have a clearer picture of what I need. These will also be part of the Summer of Basics.

7). Azami

I've had this pattern and the yarn (the actual yarn it called for even) for awhile, and I feel like it's time to get 'er done. Mine will not be pink but a nice spring green.

Okay this is where things get vague -

I have the yarn and the pattern for Charley, but it's a lot of work. Like a lot, and I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it within the year.

I also have started on the Maggie dress from Alabama Chanin, but again, lots of work because of all the hand-stitching.

This is the tunic version; I'm making the dress version

And finally, I have two Merchant & Mills dresses in mind. The Trapeze, which I've made in two versions already, and The Rugby, which I haven't.
My Trapeze:

The Rugby:

There's the possibility of shifting commitments, but regardless of the list, there will be other makes as well. There always are. These, however, feel like they could be pivotal players in my wardrobe, and as such are deserving of special attention.

On My Mind Mondays: Giving Birth

Yeah, thought that might get your attention; however, it's not what you think.

On Friday I realized it was exactly nine months until my 50th birthday (step one:  put it in print) and knew that I couldn't let the opportunity pass to work on a project in honour of that.  So I'm saying I got pregnant with an idea on Friday, but like any fledgling idea or cluster of cells, it's not always immediately clear what that might turn out to be.

I knew that I wanted it to be a durational project, something that I would work on throughout the next nine months, and I knew it had to have significance for the occasion.  After talking with the ladyfriend, I realized that making the Turkish Coat from Folkwear Patterns would actually fit the bill.  I could engage in a textile-based project that would ultimately be both an artwork and wearable.  (Please note - I'm not talking about what some call "wearable art" or "art to wear." We can talk about my (probably misguided) distinctions later.)

The Turkish coat can be worked in sections, has options for hand (or machine - not my thing) quilting or trapunto, and can utilize various materials, which lends itself to all kinds of possibilities.  I haven't decided on fabrics yet except that I want to line the coat in silk and embroider words and phrases that are meaningful to me on it.

I'm thinking of the coat as something that will bring me to my birthday, something that I can use to meditate on the significance and perhaps the, uh, let's say insecurities I may be experiencing.  I'm also looking at it as something that will protect and comfort me, guiding me through the next 50 years (yeah, that's right - at least 50 years!).

Stay tuned for progress reports.