iwannahula

hello debi's sew grateful!  hello lisette's vintage pattern!

for miss fry's stupendous sew grateful challenge, i've chosen a pattern snagged during our NY meetup extravaganza.  i couldn't think of a better fit for this challenge than using something from that big old christmas present of a day.  the fantastic pattern swap portion happened per lisette's suggestion, and to boot, this pattern is from the glowing lisette's very own heeooooouge giveaway stash.  it's simplicity 8699, yonder auburn maned lady.  

(most of the swap passed me by. as we were starting, i ran into an old friend, and we gabbed through the whole shebang.  actually, we talked sewing.  he's a sound engineer, and a big lovely cheerleader for me.  he always makes me feel like i really know how to sew, because he takes such an interest in what i make.  but i digress.)

as Head Cheerleader made me feel like a million bucks, swapping went merrily on.  ah well, i thought, i didn't bring any goodies, so i shouldn't take any anyway.  but no.  SOMEONE LEFT THIS GEM UP FOR GRABS.  for the sheer brilliance of prints on the envelope model alone, i was in.  lisette was so happy i saw all aspects of its glory. this envelope is so pretty, i may frame it.

oh my god i'm so going to frame it.

   

the fabric is also from the meetup day, another example of me setting a rule for myself then immediately and brattily breaking it.  as the only host living in the meetup city, with regular access to the stores, i'd decided i would keep my bags empty.  i filled it with this at the very first stop.

man that day was a blast.  and now the pounds of fabric purchased seem annointed in magical waters.  it must be residual good juju of all those lovely ladies, i haven't had a fail with a single piece of it.  well, yes, there's the purple box, but that just needs some more seams.  and of course this poof of a skirt might be a fail in someone else's eyes.

there's truly no accounting for taste.

could anything go better with this asian influenced print than my heart enclosed elvis t shirt? methinks no.

to my delight, i found i had the perfect coordinating zip in my stash.  fat purple plastic.  sewing life is so much easier when you're not worried about matching the zip.

attaching the leather waistband was pretty easy, though the insane amounts of gathered fabric make the seam a little thick.  i left my universal 12 needle in and let kenny have at, stitching leather side down with a long stitch. (stitching leather is easy, yo, read more about it here if you're game.)  it's like wearing a belt without the added step of choosing a belt-- a process that can prove time consuming and room wrecking for me, as belts fly everywhere in an ever down-to-the-wire attempt to get out the door on time.

i think you can see it's a pretty simple pattern, but i loved using it, especially since it reminded me of the day and all beautiful peeps involved.  plus, once you've been sewing awhile it's nice to go back to rectangles and once piece waistbands and realize how much easier that rocket science is now.  do you have simple patterns you return to and marvel at your own prowess?  if you don't, get you some.  marveling at your own prowess is good for you.

debi, i marvel at YOU, you lovely huge hearted vintage slip of a whiskey drinkin gal!  please make it an annual event.  next year, i'll be prepared with tutorials and giveaways of my own to spread the sew grateful spirit. (ooh! hello segueway! this year you still have time to enter my shabby apple giveaway, which ends basically when i wake up monday morning and throw everybody's chances into one of them random generator jobs. get your dress yo!)