The sewing muddle

Here it is, the last day of January, and I'm beating myself up because I haven't really sewn anything since signing on to the 2014 Ready-to-Wear Fast. I've tried convincing myself the reason is because I don't need anything more in my wardrobe, but that's not completely true. My wardrobe has gotten stale and boring; I've only got two pairs of pants (jeans) to wear, and while I have at least a dozen wonderful sweaters to choose from in this frigid weather, the stuff I have to wear under them is pretty manky.

The truth is, I get overwhelmed with possibilities.

Do I start simple with some basic A-line skirts and work up to the jeans I'm dying to make? I have at least a dozen patterns for cute knit tops .... maybe I should start there? On top of this, I've become a bit of a Craftsy addict so projects like Susan Khalje's couture dress and Pam Howard's Classic Tailored Shirt are like siren songs that pull me away from the practicalities of my life. Did I mention that I still owe my husband a tailored dress shirt for our 2013 wedding anniversary, which was eight months ago? Every time I smooth my hand across a pile of fabric destined for one of my garments, a pang of guilt prevents me from taking action on a new blouse or trousers for me. And I know he'd be really annoyed if he knew I felt this way. He'd tell me to forget his shirt, and get going on one of my projects.

So that's what I'm going to do. Stop the guilt and start simple. The denim I just ordered from Fabric.com is a bit too thin and stretchy, and I'm going to trust my gut that says this isn't the right weight for the jeans I want. Plus: jeans are hard anyway, forget throwing in the stretchy denim, which comes with its own headaches. The brocade above I've had in my stash since O was a baby (um, maybe 11 years ago?) It's a little stiff, but I think it has enough body to work as a skirt that hits me just above the knee. I like the colors -- a muted copper on gray -- and I think it'll look great with tights and a cardigan sweater. The pattern is a tried-and-true skirt pattern for a lot of sewists.

And knock wood I'll have something to show you next week! Have a great weekend!

ETA: By 6:00 p.m. I had not only prepped my fabric (by throwing it in the dryer with a damp dishcloth to steam out the wrinkles), but I'd traced the pattern and cut out my fabric! Maybe I'll have a new skirt by Sunday. :)