The year is rapidly closing and I'm only slowly winnowing my pattern collection. But here are some final giveaways for 2016. Once again, I will pay postage anywhere in the world for these to find a new home. Leave a comment below or email me at janem1960@gmail.com and tell me which pattern would be a good addition to your collection. Winners will be selected in the evening on Tuesday, January 3 since we will be out of town for the New Year.
An uncut pattern that I never did use..
I did make this jacket about fifteen years ago and the fabric was a good choice but the dropped shoulder look is not good on my ski slope shoulders...uncut pattern since I had finally learned about tracing patterns;-) I have fond memories of this one because I was finally learning how careful finishing techniques can make a garment look so sophisticated.
No time to do an end of year review although I do enjoy reading them. Instead my head is spinning with plans for new projects, my sewing room is bursting with pattern pieces marked up and fabric ready for cutting and I am getting so excited about the late January Winchester, VA sewing retreat sponsored by my wonderful American Sewing Guild Northern Virginia chapter. My hotel reservations are made, now it's time to get serious about what projects I will be taking. I'm also packing for two months in Florida this winter now that Mr. Lucky has resigned from his duties as a volunteer ski patroller. He'll be skiing a few times in January but as a customer, not as a patroller. Two months away from my sewing room means I have to think long and hard about projects and pack carefully to have everything I need. More on all of this later. Until then, happy new year to all!
Back in the summer I made an informal commitment that I was going to work on cutting my pattern collection in half in one year. At the summer workshop with Sarah Veblen she remarked to me that she thought it was time for me to do more design work with the TNT patterns I have and less with new patterns. You'll see my slow, fumbling progress in that area in the coming months. It was the opportunity to look at my huge pattern collection, see that I enjoy an element or two and realize that I could, with persistence and help, translate those elements rather than try out a new pattern from scratch each time. I have friends who do this beautifully and consistently but that sort of pattern work has been a challenge for me. I'm working on the process and am now ready to let go of many of the patterns that I will never in my lifetime even pull out of their envelopes. I have not had a pattern giveaway for several years now so let's start on what is now being called "Giving Tuesday" in the US.
Normally I simply take my excess patterns to my sewing groups and twice yearly sewing retreats. But when I read in other sewing blogs about what many of you outside the US have to pay for patterns and shipping I thought I would broaden that offer to anyone in the world. In December I will pay the shipping for any of these to go anywhere.
Each Tuesday this month I will post a new collection. Just make a comment by Sunday evening about which pattern you would like and I will put your name in for a drawing. If no one bids for a particular one then I will put it aside for my local sewing friends and our January retreat.
Here are the giveaways for the first week:
Vintage Fitting Patterns
This is a size 14 fitting pattern for a time, I think in the 1960s, when Vogue made some changes to their sizing models. If you or someone you know uses vintage patterns from Vogue then this might be a useful pattern.
The next pattern says size 14 also and looks to be the same but does not have that NEW SIZING block on the front.
Both of these came from a dear sewing friend in Florida and I must have been keeping them out of sentimental value.
Vogue Pierre Balmain Paris Original #2360
Isn't this a wonderful pattern. Not a good look for me with that high neckline which only accentuates my scoliosis but the lines are classic.
The Fashion Sewing Group #1964 Skirt
I subscribed to Nancy Ericsson's newsletter for years and had all of her patterns. This is a copy of her skirt pattern that I think I received with a fabric order. I kept my original skirt pattern but discarded her jacket pattern since the armhole and armscye never worked for me. But she, like Shirley Adams on PBS, was a master of using one base pattern and changing details to get a whole new look.
The Sewing Workshop Bamboo Shirt
Sixteen or seventeen years ago I was so impressed with several wonderful sewing friends who took these patterns and made them the backdrop for gorgeous, artistic garments. Then I tried and I looked like I was wearing a shroud over a refrigerator. Now, much of that was because my lack of experience had me selecting wrong fabrics and I did not know how to adjust a pattern for my priorities. But I will say that the patterns themselves have superb instructions, creative details and I hope one of you dear readers is interested in making it work for you.
The Sewing Workshop Origami Blouse
Make a comment below by Sunday, December 4 and I will post the winners. If you can't comment below, then email me with the pattern you'd like to win...janem1960@gmail.com
I don't have a huge number of blog readers so your chances are darn good for this round.
Now off to the sewing room to complete an unfinished project before starting a new one tomorrow. Once I retired I had to find a new daily routine balancing the freedom I now have with my interests, health and responsibilities. One thing I like to do is make sure I start each morning doing something "healthy." Sometimes that means taking my daily walk or doing my shoulder physical therapy exercises first, sometimes that means working for ten minutes in my sewing space or journal writing or meditation....all mental health things for me. Sometimes it means getting a head start on dinner plans and today it meant starting up a pot of "Mineral Soup."
A wonderful gardening friend turned me on to a gardening blog (because I don't read enough blogs already:-) awaytogarden.com by Margaret Roach. In addition to terrific gardening advice and encouragement she features other authors and introduced me to this new cookbook by Rebecca Katz. I'm making up a half batch of soup right now and the house smells wonderful. Magic Mineral Broth Rebecca Katz The recipe is on her website and it forms the basis of many of the other soups that will be on our table in the coming months.
Here's hoping that your day includes time for doing something that makes you feel healthier in some way.
