Making Progress, a Mistake, & More Icy Weather

After nearly selling out at last year's Feast of the Hunters' Moon, this month it was okay to just start sewing whatever I wanted to work on. The size didn't matter, the block print patterns I selected didn't matter - I needed to restock almost everything and so I could get to work without  taking inventory.

I hit the tipping point this week. While I still have many items to make, it was time to stop randomly sewing and check what I have already made and see what I still needed to sew.

I started with the trade shirts, my biggest seller. Ten are completed, including two kids' shirts.

Then I looked at chemises. Six are finished with two more cut out and prepped for stitching up.

I took note of sizes and the number of each that I had in one list,

and then made a second list of what I want to be sure I make in order to have a good assortment for the Kalamazoo event in mid March. 

I also looked through my patterns - I was planning to draft a 2XL pattern for a chemise, but I had this nagging feeling that I already had that pattern. And I did - I found it in some things my mother had sent me. It was labeled "queen," the old, 1980s catch all size for larger women.

I laid it out and put the XL pattern pieces over the queen sized ones to compare them. I was right! The queen sized chemise pattern from my mother was the next size up from the XL. Queen is what is now called an XXL or 2XL and the size I'd been looking for.

It's now cut out and prepped and ready for sewing.

Notice anything familiar about the fabric weights I am using instead of pins to hold my pattern pieces in place? (Aside from the very obvious magnetic pin cushion, LOL)

They are Yankee Candle toppers! I usually have a candle burning while I am in my office or sewing room and as I was disposing of a depleted candle, I looked at its topper and had a light bulb moment. (Er, candlewick moment? Hah!) Why not try that topper as a fabric weight?

It worked very well, so I have begun saving them for use when I cut out patterns.

This week's work was very productive - three new chemises. Since all but the most recent are already pictured above, I'll just show the one I completed Friday afternoon.

This is a size XL

with sleeve buttons of silver and "paste" (rhinestone).

I was doing the final pressing and was ready to close down the sewing room for the evening, and I guess my mind was too much on our evening plans to go out to dinner with Lisa.

I set the iron down, went to remove the chemise from the ironing board, and bumped my arm into the edge of the hot iron.

Oooo, did that hurt! Luckily I just grazed the side of the iron but it was a good reminder to not get preoccupied with other things while using it!

My plans for today may be changing. Lisa just texted me and said that it is very slick outside - we had snow and ice again last night. Right after her text, I got one from Leslie who also said the roads were very bad.

I was going to get some flowers and head to the cemetery later this morning. A friend lost two children on this date years ago, and I do that for her every year. I'll see what the road conditions are later this morning but if I have to postpone going to the cemetery for a day or so, my friend will understand.

Wish me luck and stay warm!