Pattern Winners

There are winners everywhere this week...out there in reader space and also in my sewing room.  First, congrats pattern winners...

 Aleta, the Mission Jacket Sewing Workshop pattern is yours

and my friend, Ann, the Thai coat pattern is coming your way on my trip to PA later this month...

and later this month is also when Lucky the rescue dog gets his next grooming which he needs badly.

I'm a winner too since I am working on some TNT patterns in my sewing room and some new ones.  Last month I got one of those terrific "save the date announcements"....which sewing people know means "save time to obsess, pull out patterns and fabric, shop, snoop shop, fabric shop and last minute sew up a storm."  My cousin's son will be getting married the third week in May and Mr. Lucky and I are looking forward to a long weekend of family fun and joyous celebration.  But it turns out that I have a lot of other things going on in the next few months so I had better get busy planning for my weekend outfits right about NOW.  

 

I was happy with Burda 3247 last fall

so I pulled out a tropical print slightly corded stretch poly from Fabric Mart. 

 

Sewing the dress took less than an hour....but that's because I haven't decided on what to use for a lining or where to place a zipper yet.  But I'm thinking it will be good for the rehearsal drinks gathering on Friday night.  I'd like to add a lacey black shrug but if that doesn't happen in the sewing room I have a little black sweater shrug that I can wear.  So, one event outfit about half way done.  Evening wedding reception dress will take more thought.  

Next on my sewing list was to franken-pattern some knit tops.  I have two almost TNT darted T shirt patterns that I like, one is Pamela's Patterns T shirt and that's what I used for the upper body and added the style lines of a Katherine Tilton pattern, Butterick 

5925.  I like the swingy side panel and droopy pocket design, similar to some I have tried on from "Soft Surroundings."  Soft Surroundings Clothing

Their clothes in the catalog look like things I would wear...but of course in person they seem cheaply made and don't fit as nicely.  This version is a wearable mock-up.  The fabric is a super soft rayon knit but that print looks like a huge bowl of oatmeal with my low contrast coloring.  But it was nice to see that my pattern blending worked out well and my next version will be in a hipper, more Tilton-like black and grey design.  

Clever pocket top twist almost hidden by this printed fabric.

And the next version you see of me will be a little more high contrast as well.  Yes, I made the jump into getting some cosmetic work done.  Those of you under 45 might want to stop reading since you are probably not interested in the discussions amongst my peers (and those younger) about everything from plastic surgery to liposuction to continuing care communities, etc.  I'm far too much of a wimp to have anything done surgically or with Botox (botulism!!!)  and far too cheap to have "fillers" that would hardly be noticeable.  Nope, I've earned my wrinkles and I think a smile and a kind spirit are what I enjoy about any of my friends.  But I'm tired of my disappearing eyebrows so yesterday I went and had my eyes and brows done with "permanent cosmetics"...basically tattoos.  Several sewing friends and family members have had it done and it looked so nice that I never knew it until they told me.  I had a wonderful person spend 2 1/2 hours with me and today (and for the next few weeks) I look like I should be in Kabuki Theater but it will fade in the next month.  So yes, eventually I will share that progress but first the swelling has to go down.  As expected, my very extreme fairness also means that I bruise like the dickens.  Perfect timing to hunker down in the sewing room and be productive today and to undecorate the house tonight.  Here's hoping you have something useful to do in your sewing space as well.