Suitette sorbet

I am almost more or less recovered from being the owner of a beach cover-up instead of a summer dress. 


Now all I need is a beach.


What I do know is that I need is a spacer project or two to restore my faith in myself as a garment making whiz - something that has not been particularly evident in the latest round of apron sewing, buttoned dress, shorty little number making.


I have to tell you though that that denim straight dress with all those buttons, Vogue 8800, actually survived a road test just fine. I had forgotten that denim does stretch on and driving to my meeting actually made it wearable without frightening the professionals by the time I arrived.


But still.


I need a sorbet, something to have between courses.


And fairly fast and gratifying and reliable I hope.


This means of course that the Claire Shaeffer latest Chanel jacket iteration is going to have to rest a little while longer in all its folded up pieces on the shelf.


I am getting pretty busy.


Despite the fact this was my 14th attempt to semi-retire,which I define as doing only exactly what I want when I want, too many incoming students and too few staff are sending me off to the front lines again for another academic year. My work is great, but sometimes I want less of it. 


Maybe I will try again at this next year.


At any rate.


I decided today to sew up some easy suit things, since I am going to be back at the full time stuff. I cut up some knits I have on hand. I am thinking St. John in my head but we are probably going to get something closer to Target. 


Not to worry don't we call those wearable muslins?


I cut out two of these skirts today, one black and one red, on Debbie Cook's recommendation:

The Magic Skirt from Pamela's patterns.


Yes I know that I could probably draft something this basic myself, but to be honest to press yes on PayPal just seemed easier. If these work I know I will wear them a lot.


I had enough red to cut out a cardigan, and I used StyleArc's Cozy Cardi with the front cut back a bit because I am planning not having closures and getting a sort of Chanel lite thing going on with trim:

Last time I was delusional, seriously delusional, and thought I would start dressing my age and wear my pearls and a wardrobe of perfect little Chanel jackets, I acquired about 47 different 5 yard lots of cool trims. My feeling at the time, and I was in NYC, was that if I had trouble making up my mind I shouldn't and that it was best to buy them all. 


It is time I used some of those trims up.


This of course was a similar approach used the time I was delusional before, and thought a person couldn't have too many white shirts.


You know where that ended up.


With 47 two and a half yard lengths of white fabric. Eventually I might have to go into the sheet business, but that's another story.


It might be a good idea to pause here and say that I know a lot of other sewers who have these delusions, but maybe cheaper ones. And of course my own personal opinion is that thinking you are going to sewing very ambitiously and charging ahead and tooling up way out of proportion, is not really delusional.


I would prefer to describe it as optimistic, flexible, and large minded.


Yeah that's right.


In the meantime let's see if I can pull myself out of this quality slump with some suitette units.


Cross your fingers for me.