Spring Fever

Today is deceptively sunny but not warm. I whine that I am tired of winter. "I am only sewing warm weather things from now on". Mr. Hunting Creek says, "Why don't you get some new patterns? It will cheer you up." Is he just being nice? no...he even offered to drive. So off we went. Here's what we are sewing for Spring:
Butterick 5327 What an unusual T shirt. I have lots of knits in the stash that would be perfect for both views B and C.
Also making a new tshirt is an excellent way to restore sewing mojo. Mine has been dormant since I finished the birthday shirt. I love the gathered neckline and ruffled sleeve and I love the tucks. I'm a sucker for tucks on anything. This is odd actually, because I get so cranky making them. But the pattern buying me is not very considerate of the sewing me. The pattern buying me also loves ruffles, for instance Butterick 5320 Now don't go getting all reasonable and saying, "But Mrs. Hunting Creek, aren't you afraid of looking bridesmaid-y?".

Yes I am, that's why I will carefully select not bridesmaid fabric. Something sinister, to conteract the ruffles. "What's sinister fabric?" Mr. Hunting Creek asks. He enjoys participating in wardrobe planning. (He and our son are quite dictatorial actually. Sometimes they interpose a veto on certain fabrics and patterns.)

Fabrics like this one and this one from Gorgeous Fabrics are perfect to counteract the bridesmaid tendencies.
Then since I have "saved money" by making a dress, accoring to the Law of Compensatory Cashflow, I have money Left Over for cool shoes. Our son says, "Is there such a thing as leftover money?". I carefully explain the Law of Compensatory Cashflow. Say I need to buy a dress to wear to a wedding. At Nordstrom, the dresses that I like that are Perfect are between $300-798. Sewing my own dress might cost as much as $40-80 if I used silk, or maybe as little as $35 if I used a knit. That would mean that according to the Law of Compensatory Cashflow, I have as much as $758 left to spend on shoes. "I don't understand how you have $758 'left over' ", he says. "You would never spend $800 on a dress ever. You always make them." "This is because you are not a future Nobel Prize winning economist, like your mother." I say. "It is great minds like mine that will get us out of this recession."
What are your great ideas to get us out of this recession? I am doing my part; I bought 10 new patterns this morning(not all for me; I am so selfless) and some rick rack for Best Sister Ever, plus thread and interfacing.
My birthday is in a couple weeks, and for a present to myself I will break my yearlong fabric fast and get something for my birthday. I like to make something every birthday as a treat. That will help end the recession.
Everyone must do their part to end this malaise, both financial and emotional. We can start by making cheerful clothes. What are you planning to make for spring?
Happy Sewing!

Birthday Shirt Finished

With at least 2 minutes to spare. We have earned our jello shot...
We were supposed to be at the birthday party at 430p. I was sewing on the last button of the birthday shirt 5 minutes before we left (as usual, I always finish everything at the very last possible minute. I don't know how I do this. This would be a very stressful habit if I were a bomb defuser.)
Here's the shirt, modeled by the birthday boy over his sweatshirt.
It is actually warm enough today to wear it.( over 50 degrees at least)
This is a basic casual shirt pattern, but I deviated two places from the instructions. The yoke and the collar pattern pieces instruct you to place them on the lengthwise grain, but that would have made the design sideways on the collar and yoke and would have looked distracting, so I placed them on the crosswise grain instead. This made the pattern blend better.I do this all the time and it works fine. Don't be afraid of making your own grain decisions if the shirt calls for a change. The pattern is only the rough draft; you are the "decider", (if I may borrow that from W). In the past I have placed the collar and the sleeves and the yoke on the bias and all was well. They just take a bit more care so you don't stretch them. Go ahead and experiment. Nothing is going to blow up, after all.
Here's a shot of his quilt from the birthday 2 years ago. These are his favorite colors, and they all play nicely together with college pictures printed on printable fabric in the nine patches. The pictures are printed on EQ Printables and are still soft and unfaded after 2 years of use.The lap quilt is backed with dark brown minkee and is super soft.

I want to make one for myself, now that I have fulfilled my birthday obligations.
Mr. Hunting Creek is making sad faces today, because he loved DBIL's shirt and he says he doesn't have a new shirt for spring casual day. My son is also whining about the speed of my shirt output. They are under the impression that this is a sweatshop. There was almost a marital incident when it was commented that "you used to sew much faster before". You mean before I had two jobs, two kids, a house, a garden, two dogs and a husband? Those were the days...
Happy Sewing!