Encountering "Pants" Challenges and Changing Course....

I should've guessed that as soon as I began my "Fearless February" challenge I would have problems coming straight out of the gate. But that's to be expected since I and all of you who have joined this sew along (or others who are just tackling tougher projects all your own) have decided to push ourselves outside our comfort zone. Ok so I'm not detoured by this. I actually expected it. Anytime you do something new or tougher there will be challenges, right? Mind you, I'm super calm right now since I had an EPIC BOUT WITH FRUSTRATION on last night. Fortunately I didn't trash my sewing room or throw anything. Came close though. Instead I took a prescription of chocolate chip cookies and got a good nights rest  LOL!!!! It worked like a charm because today I'm back to my same ole' optimistic self (wink).

So it's a new day and I've decided to take a whole new approach on the matter. So you wanna know what got me all wound up? Well yesterday I revisited Jalie 2909. I've made it twice before. You can see my 1st pair here and 2nd pair here. Well I wanted to make it again but with improvements---mainly to get rid of the back leg wrinkles. For some reason I'm so ANNOYED with back leg wrinkles with pants I sew. Nevermind the fact that I have RTW pants that have them and that doesn't bother me. In contrast the pants I make, IMO, have to fit perfectly. My small hangup, huh? Well I did another muslin and fiddled and fiddled with it but just couldn't get it the way I wanted---I couldn't get rid of the wrinkles. To do so I think I would've had to go through the pains of narrowing the back pattern piece and probably re-angle the crotch. That would've been too much trial and error and an unwise use of my time considering all I'm trying to sew this month.

So after much deliberation I've decided to try another pattern. All pants aren't created equal anyway, huh? Most of us know that each pattern company uses it's own set of drafting blocks to create their pants patterns--which are based on their own standard measurements. Some fit better than others. Some fit with only a little tweaking while some would just require re-drafting to your measurements to fit. Since I've been experiencing continual problems with the back legs wrinkles with this pattern I've decided to just switch patterns. Hey it was Einstein who said....."Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". I'm not insane---obsessed with sewing, but not insane! LOL! Well although I've done lots of tweaking and can't get rid of the wrinkles I've realized it's time to let this one go.......

 I'm now working with  Burda 7192.  If this doesn't work then I have another Burda pant to try.

 Heck, if I don't have any good luck with that one then I'll just create a pattern from a RTW pair. Hopefully I won't have to go that far. I tend to like Burda patterns which have more of a European draft. I'm a little curvy but I am rather tall and thin so I don't need alot of the extra width that the big 4 pattern companies pants have. So I'll give this a try and see where it puts me. I will be fine, I know it. I've been studying fitting pants and have learned too much not to get this all figured out. At some point you have to stop taking things SO personal and work with what you know and use your resources wisely to resolve the problem. Again, if this doesn't work out then I could always use a good fitting RTW pants as a pattern. Either way, before the month's end I'm gonna have me some good fitting pants and a great TNT pattern to use. I can promise you that!!!! I'm preparing to cut my muslin of Burda 7192 and will keep you posted on the results.....

Anyhow, how's things going with you? Have you hit any challenges lately and had to change course? Did you resolve the problem? Do share!!!!

It's February and let the Fearless sewing begin!!!!

It's February!!!!! Don't know what happened to January?!?!? We'll be back at December in no time!!!! Well it's February and I'm more than geared up to get this Fearless February Sew-Along under way!!!! I've been talking, and talking and talking about it so no need to go on and on.....

For Sew-Along Details visit HERE
For Sew-Along Button visit HERE
For the list of other Sew-Along Participants visit HERE. Participants will reveal their projects and give updates at their leisure.

Ok, now for a little pep talk......

I wanted to do a video to give you some final encouraging thoughts but I have a zit on my forehead the size of Texas and didn't want to showcase that to the world. LOL!!!! What I will say however is please, please, please HAVE SOME FUN WITH THIS SEW-ALONG. Remember we're doing this either because for once and for all we want to conquer our fears, quench our curiosity, overcome our laziness, diminish our anxiety______________ (insert any other excuse) about sewing certain items. The goal isn't about having a PERFECT finished piece. It's actually about embarking on the journey and what you discover once you get there. So whether you choose to just make a muslin or go through the entire process of fitting and sewing the garment(s) in fancy fabric, just be present in the moment---evaluating your work and learning. Take note of the triumphs, the errors and mistakes---all of it. Be sure to share that info---- it's SO invaluable. That's how we all learn and grow in our craft. There's no shortcuts!!!!  Ok, let me stop talking, I'm beginning to sound like some weird guru LOL!!!!

But remember.....

(yup, let's erase that "im")

Ok, with that being said, here's a list of some of the projects I plan to tackle this month. Believe it or not I'm still developing my ideas and gathering patterns. I had a list and then felt a surge of creative energy that has swept me in a few different directions. I'm going to ride those waves and just end up where I do. So I'll reveal my plans as the month and each project progresses. I'm loving the ideas I'm coming up with and I hope you will too. Here's a list of some of the garments I want to sew this month and why.....

-Slacks---I only own 3 RTW pair. Ridiculous. RTW slacks are super hard for me to find since I'm tall. I've made pants before but the fit wasn't as perfect as I would've liked so I stopped. I'm ready to take another crack at it. I've learned enough in recent years that I think will help me get a better fit. Makes no sense to know how to sew and not make good fitting pants! Not anymore!

-Jeans---Same reason as above & I've been so lazy---the thought of topstitching and all of those pockets. always turned me off to the idea

-Vest----Just curious. Have never made one and would love to add one to my wardrobe. They're so versatile!

-Jacket---Because I REFUSE to go another season without a cute white or black jacket as a wardrobe staple! You can wear them with dresses, pants, skirts, etc!!!! Don't know how I made it this far?????

-Little Black Dress---I've been talking about sewing one for years. Need to get with it! 

-Draped dress or top---I've been wanting to drape for YEARS! I've had my supplies, rulers and books for YEARS!!! Btw, just got my new Connie Crawford, "The Art of Fashion Draping" in the mail and it's AWESOME. It will no doubt be a helpful resource for me!!!!

-Other projects---- got a few wild card projects I hope to squeeze in as well. We'll see......

Ok, I'm thinking I'm going to tackle the slacks first.

Ok, it's a short month and no undoubtedly will be a very productive one for me and I'm hoping for you as well. I'm about to head off to bed so I can wake up around 5am ish to start my day. Who sleeps in on a Saturday? LOLLLL!!! I plan on doing some early am sewing. I an "Early Bird" and function better in the morning. I'll use that to my advantage. In the meantime, Happy "Fearless" sewing to you all......

Last Call for Fearless February SA participants!!!

We're just 2 days away from February and it's so great that many of you have joined in with the Fearless February Sew-Along (details HERE). Your energy and determination to be a fearless sewer is palpable!!! You've definitely inspired me and have got me pumped up and ready to jump in and tackle some new projects. The thing I love about this sew-along is you get to pick what you want and go at your own pace. There's no pressure. You can take on one project or several. The important thing is that you dive into some new territory and push yourself---and that at least for one month, we're kicking fear to the curb and just going for it!!!! Remember we've got nothing to lose and a whole lotta' knowledge and experience to gain.

As I mentioned before I wanted to create a list of the participants so that everyone can stay abreast of everyone else's progress--and more importantly cheer them on!!!  So I took the liberty of compiling a participant list based on the feedback I received from my first post HERE.  If you're participating and you don't see your name/blog below please let me know. If you want your name removed also let me know. I know some of you chimed in but don't have blogs. I'd still love to see what you did if you want to share. You're welcome to email me a pic and hopefully I can include it on my blog at the end of the month wrap up. Anyhow, once this list is updated I'll be sure to always refer to this post everyone can keep up with all the participants.

These are the lovely and fearless members of the Fearless February S.A. Pride so far!!!!!!!  Come on, if you haven't joined yet you're more than welcome. We'd love to have you!!!!

1.   Laura over at  http://miymdiary.blogspot.com/
2.  Lillian at http://lilliancouture.blogspot.com/
3.  Velosewer at http://cleverthinking99.blogspot.com/
4.  Jenny over at http://jennysews2.blogspot.com/
5.  Flora at http://www.aworkinprogress.me/
6.  Faye at http://fayessewingadventure.blogspot.com/
7.  Eleyna at http://eleynagomez.wordpress.com/
8.  Aminat at http://sewfit.blogspot.com/
9.  Uma at http://www.umapreve.com/
10.  Andrea at http://sewcupcakecouture.blogspot.com/
11. Lyyne at http://wonderfullymade1.blogspot.com/
12. Mocha Scrapper at http://pattern-therapy.blogspot.com/
13. Nothy Lane at http://aftagley.blogspot.com/
14. Sharon at http://sharonsews.blogspot.com/
15. FunnyGrrl at http://fallingthroughyourclothes.wordpress.com/
16. Sophie at http://filasewphie.blogspot.com/
17. Myra at http://1simpleinspiration.blogspot.com/
18. Dorothy at http://sewingfunthings.blogspot.com/
19. Chris Lucas at http://chrislucas.com.au/
20. Lisa H at http://sewonandsewon.blogspot.com/
21. Marie at http://knittedgems.com/
22. Catja at http://gjeometry.com/
23. Teri at http://asisewit.wordpress.com/
24. Erin at http://handmadefor1year.blogspot.com/
25. Towanda at http://lifeissewsewgood.blogspot.com/
26. Brenda at http://brendassewingnook.blogspot.com/
27. Dibs at http://www.missdibs.com/
28. Elise at http://whatthedormousesews.blogspot.com/
29. Cezanne at http://sewingivy.blogspot.com/
30. Suzie at suziestitches.blogspot.ca
31. Allison at  http://lipstickseamstress.blogspot.com/
32. Jackie at http://sewingbyjackie.blogspot.com/
33. Karen at http://babiesdogsandtortoisesohmy.blogspot.com/
34. Juanita at http://www.i-love-to-sew.blogspot.com/
35. Alice at http://sewmentalmama.blogspot.ie/
36. Edris at http://creativesewl.blogspot.com/
37. Florence at http://aprendizdeangelita.blogspot.com/
38. Juliet at http://crazygypsychronicles.blogspot.com/
39. Laura at http://returntosewing.wordpress.com/
40.  Prachi A at http://the2013sewingproject.blogspot.com/
41. Sarah at http://sarahlizsewstyle.blogspot.com/
42. Kathy at http://kjc57.blogspot.com/


If anyone else wants to join or if I accidentally left you off, please leave your name and blog info in the comment section.

Also don't forget to pick up the FFSA blog button HERE!!!! It's a great way to advertise the Sew Along!!!

In honor of the Sew Along, Lillian from Lillian Couture is sponsoring a giveaway on her blog HERE.

I'll be revealing my sewing plans on Friday!!!! Can't wait!!!

A Weekend of Repeats---McCall's 5394 & 6654

It's been a week of steady sewing. I've been at work on some great wardrobe builder pieces---2 ponte knit skirts, 2 leggings, and a cowl neck top. Below are 2 of the pieces that are finished and the other pieces are near complete. I would've had them finished but I took a couple of hours to study draping and pattern drafting. No, my new draping book haven't arrived yet so I relied on my older editions. The concepts are definitely becoming clearer and I'm finding myself dissecting RTW designs and thinking of my own alot more easier. I have to admit it's alot of fun!!!!Anyway, I digress. The 2 pieces I sewed, shown below, are repeats. I can definitely say they are my TNT legging and knit pencil skirt patterns.

McCall 5394

McCall's 5394. You may recall I made 2 pairs HERE. These are my "imitation leather" leggings. They're not pleather, but instead a stretchy fabric I found in the dance/activewear section at Jo-Ann's. From a distance it looks like leather but up close you can see all the sparkle in it. I love the effect. And I won't have to worry about sweating too much in these.

(see the mini sparkles in the fabric.)

McCall 6654

It was a little cool this morning so I wore my newly sewn ponte skirt with a black top and scarf. Excuse my squinting---think I had too much sun in my eyes. I first made this skirt HERE. Here's an upclose of the fabric.....

Ok, that's just 2 of the 5 pieces I'm working on. I'll post the others later as I wear them. The FEARLESS FEBRUARY Sew-Along (details HERE) is less than a week away and I'm nearly done with my planning. I'm so excited!!! Can't wait to unveil my sewing plans. And I can't wait to see yours. It's not too late to join in if you haven't already!!! Until next time, happy sewing!!!!

Test Driving a Pattern/ VIDEO Review

Ok, so I made this coat Butterick  in December. I made it with the strong suspicion that it wouldn't turn out perfectly. Strong suspicion is putting it lightly. I knew it wasn't going to work out . That's mainly because I KNEW I didn't have the RIGHT fabric to work with. I needed something thicker that would hold it's shape but just couldn't find anything locally.  I knew, I knew, I knew it probably wouldn't work but I did it anyway. And you know what......

I'm so glad I did!!!!!

I'm so glad my sewing has made it past the point of needing to appeal to my ego. Past the point of feeling seriously insecure.

So you ask, "why would you take the time to sew something you weren't sure would work out for you"?

Well my answer to you is.........for.........the........(wait for it, it's coming).........the SHEER EXPERIENCE!!! 

Let me just share some of my insights about Butterick 5822 with you by video.......





Ok, hope that gave you at least a little insight into my thought processes regarding taking on projects. I'm definitely alot more maturer in my sewing. Every failed project isn't a blow to my ego. It's exactly the opposite. Most of the learning we do as sewers is by hands on experience.  Just working up the courage and the nerve to do something despite the outcome is half the battle. Trust me I wasn't always like this. I was always hesitant and overly cautious. I've learned that you usually won't ever really feel ready to take on some sewing projects so it's just best to dive on it. Sometimes we learn as we go. As always one might be surprised by what is learned and how they can use that knowledge to better their work. In light of the upcoming Fearless February Sew-Along and all of your sewing in general----I really wanted to get that message across. So get out there and do some pattern test driving. You'd be surprised at how much you will learn. And remember.....
Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely. 
Auguste Rodin 

Some Fearless February Motivation on the WAY!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful MLK day on yesterday. It was really neat that the Inauguration coincided with it!!! I was planning to do a video tonight but my hair is a hot mess! How do I know, well my daughter looked at me and told me so LOL!!!! Can't go onto the world wide web looking crazy! LOL! So I've postponed it for later this week. In the meantime I've nearly picked out all of the pieces I intend to sew for the Fearless February Challenge!!! Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! I'm beyond excited! If this is the first time you're hearing about it then you can visit my post about it HERE!!!! Come one and come all! This is a challenge encourages us ALL to push the boundaries of our sewing by trying to sew something we've either put off, been intimidated by, or have always wanted to try. I think the energy is SO much more great with all of us doing it as a group. There's strength and inspiration in numbers!!!!! So why don't you join the sew-along? We'd all love to have you!!!!  Sew-Along details HERE and you can pick up the Button to add to your blog HERE! Please feel free to spread the word!!!!!!!!!!!

 I'll reveal my sewing plans on February 1st. I'm still running around gathering up supplies. I had a great time looking through fashion mags and patterns, deciding what to sew. But I can give you somewhat of a hint of one thing I'll be tackling. Guess what got shipped this afternoon and is on the way to me......................hint: it's a sewing book................and it was on my Christmas Wish list.................Give up?

Taaaaa-dahhhh.....

Yes! Connie Crawford's, "The Art of Fashion Draping" textbook. I already own her 3rd edition and Helen Joseph Armstrong's Draping for Apparel Design--but I after much research knew this would suit me better!!!! It was released in 2012 and has at least 200+ extra pages then my 3rd edition. I have been stalking this thing for months. It's been holding steady at around $90-$100. So when I saw it on Amazon.com for $55 you know I had to pounce on it. Needless to say I will be draping something and sewing it up to wear before February's up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One act of fearlessness!!!! I'm so excited!!!! Next month I plan to take "fearless" to the next level and keep that mindset for the rest of the year. We're going to do some big things this year. Can't you feel it. Ok, I'm getting a bit too excited. Let me get back to cutting out some leggings. This week I plan to complete 3 knit pencil skirts, 2 leggings, and a top. All is cut out but the one pair of leggins and the top. Then the sewing begins! Gotta make up for missing 2 weeks of sewing......

Fearless February "Blog Button"

Woot, woot!!!!!!!! You guys are amazing! Lots of you have signed on to participate in the FEARLESS FEBRUARY Sew-Along (see my last Post)!!!!!!!!!!! So exciting! You guys have fueled my fire even more! Sounds like you've got lots of great projects lined up and I can't wait to follow along with each of you. I applaud each of you for stepping up, moving outside your comfort zone and taking your sewing to another level. I hope to create a blog list---a directory of all of the participants so others can follow your progress too (as February nears I'll request that info). I've personally been looking through fashion mags and making some thoughtful decisions on what I want to make. I think I've got a nice little list going.

There was an inquiry about a blog button. Well here it is. This is my first time making one and I used an online tutorial so I hope it works ok. Let me know if you have any problems. Feel free to post and share with others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also if you need a "larger pic" feel free to copy/save/upload the one from my last post.

(Button code below)

Here's the code in this little box.......

<a href="http://tenthousandsewinghours.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Ten Thousand Hours of Sewing"src="http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u626/vvddbb/FearlessFebruaryButton_zps465de820.jpg"/></a>

How to use the code---2 options (Add in blog post or add on blog sidebar):

1. You can insert it in a blog post as I have by pasting that code you created into the body of the blog post.  First you must click on the Edit HTML tab and then paste the code into the body of the post. Then switch back over to the Compose tab. 

2. To add this button to your sidebar in Blogger, go to your Dashboard, Design and Add Gadget. Click on Add HTML and in the box that opens, paste the entire code you created. Click SAVE and then you can preview it on your blog and move it to the perfect location on your sidebar.

Well that's it for now. I've got to get back to some sewing and working on my February plans. I'll be back on tomorrow for a VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Toodles!!!