And the stash grows...

One big benefit of doing SWAP this year was that I challenged myself to make most of my projects out of stash fabrics.  I allowed myself to buy a bunch of the white cotton knit that I then dyed and embellished, but the rest was stash.  That was good for my bank account and for my husband's sanity when he looked into what is supposed to be our game closet.

Well, after my suit jacket attempt resulted in an item that is marginally wearable but NOT something I would take with me on a work trip, I was bit by the suiting bug.  Yes, the main problem is that the sleeves are 2" too short and there is a combo of my wide hips and erect shoulders that I have to address, but the synthetic fabric also was a big issue.  Steaming of the shoulder seams, etc., just did nothing.  I think if I was REALLY good at addressing all the other fitting issues and used the perfect stiffener/underlining (mine ended up too stiff), I could make a good suit out of a synthetic fabric.  And I would like to have something that stood up well to a bit of washing/scrubbing/daily wear and tear.  But, for now, I came to the conclusion that I need to try working with real wool.

I made a brick red wool skirt some years ago and loved it desperately until it just stopped fitting me after my two babies were born.  So I purchased a bunch of swatches from Gorgeous fabrics and Mood.

From Gorgeous fabrics, I bought this "gorgeous" navy blue wool - a nice dense, smooth weave and a light enough navy that it definitely looks "non-black".  It's a little less purple-y than in this swatch.

 But I got sucked in an made a crazy purchase, too.  I've loved my long-sleeved key-hole back burgundy blouse at work, and then there was something about this crinkled silk print that just screamed at me to come out of my self-induced "I look best in solids" print diet.

Yeah.  I know.  But 2 yards came home with me anyway.


The same thing happened at Mood!  I bought all they had left of this fig wool - soft but still thin and drapey enough for suiting (not coating, for sure).  Just 2.5 yards, so I probably can't make a matching skirt.  Phooey.

And, along with that purchase, I was dragged in to this kelly green silk crepe.

Part of my rationale is that I now have two TNT top patterns, a blouse and a shell, and a need for more "work" shirts in my wardrobe.  The shell will be completely plain, with a jewel neck and keyhole back.  The color is a bit out there, but it makes me happy and it's not like I work at a bank.  So, this is a good time to learn how to work with silk - something I've only touched in children's projects that were primarily done by hand.