January 2020

January was a busy month. I can't believe that Christmas was just a few weeks ago - it seems like months and months have passed since January 7 (Orthodox Christmas).

Then we had a health scare that put my husband in the hospital for 48 hours for testing. Everything is under control now, but that was a super-stressful weekend, and is the reason that I bought fabric this month. It was total stress shopping (but I've used up more than half the fabric I bought so I guess that's good?).

I also started doing some more freelance writing and editing work in the last few weeks, which has left less time for sewing. You might know that I'm the Oliver + S/Liesl + Co. blog editor. I've been trying to ditch my other contract government job, because it's not easy for me to balance that and homeschooling when we're in the United States. So I have started trying to get more writing and editing work that I can do entirely from home, and my first six weeks of that have been very encouraging. It's been fun exercising my editing muscles again - I haven't done that since my time in an Associated Press newsroom some 17 years ago.

Anyway, you're here for the sewing. And here it is.

PROJECTS COMPLETED

I sewed a Liesl + Co. Saint-Germain Wrap Dress. I used 41 inches of sateen for my bodice muslins, and four yards of Telio rayon twill for my final. Look for a post on this one next month.

I made two Maria Denmark Birgitte Basic Tees (blogged here). I used 1.6 yards of remnant shop cottonish lycra teal stripe and 41 inches of remnant shop coral cotton/lycra, both purchased during my stress-induced shopping spree.

 


I made two dresses using the New Look 6444 pattern for my daughters. These are both View D. The floral was made using 2.44 yards of floral viscose poplin from Mood. I made a size 8 lengthened to 10 bodice and 12 skirt. I shortened the back skirt 1.25" off the back of the skirt to make the high-low hem less dramatic. I also shortened the waist elastic by about 1.5".

For my older, impossibly skinny girl, I sewed a size 8 bodice lengthened 3/8" and narrowed by about 1.5" in the center of bodice, skirt and ruffle pieces (by placing the pattern piece off the fold 3/4"). I sewed the skirt the length of a 10. I had to shorten the shoulder elastic by 2" and the waist elastic by 4"! I used 62" of a tencel/cotton chambray I got from Fabric Mart last year.

Finally, I made myself another Crafterhours knit pencil skirt. I really just love this tutorial - I've made five skirts from it now. I used up 41" of a heavy rugby stripe knit from my remnant shopping spree. It's a printed stripe and I can tell it's not going to hold up that well but I love it!

FABRIC PURCHASED

I had someone to help me watch the kids on the last day that my husband was in the hospital, so I went over to the remnant shop for some fabric therapy. I stress-bought seven cuts of knits for a total of 7.3 yards purchased. It cost about $15. I sewed up four of the cuts this month.

Fabric In/Out

January Fabric In: 7.3 yards

January Fabric Out: 13.18 yards

YTD Fabric In: 7.3 yards

YTD Fabric Out: 13.18 yards