12 in 2012 Project!

Hello friends!

Have you heard about the challenge that Suzie, from Su Sews So So is doing?  She is calling it the 12 in 2012 challenge.  She has picked out 12 projects, 12 skills, and 12 techniques that she wants to accomplish in 2012.  I really think this is a great idea and want to join!  I wasn't really sure what techniques and skills I wanted to do so I decided to just make a list of 12 projects and will talk about new techniques and skills that I may have learned or used when I blog about each completed project.  So without further beating-around-the-bushage...

For my first project, I decided I would give myself a little leg up...  I've already made my Peony dress, but it was a goal that was totally on my list before Suzie came up with this fantastic idea.  So, why not cheat a lot a little and put a completed garment on the list.  My peony!  Blogged about here and here.
And since I said I would talk about techniques and skills used when I blog about the piece (which I didn't do) I'll talk about it now!  This is the very first dress that I have ever put pockets into!  It was a great learning experience that I have since used on other patterns.  I also used Colette's technique for inserting invisible zippers.  This was a dream!!  I will never put one in another way.  I also moved darts for the first time!  The waist darts were too narrow and I moved them outwards about 1/2 inch each.  Very easy to do, but still a good skill to learn.  Along the same lines, I also shortened the waist to meet where my actual natural waist was.

What is my second goal you ask?  Why, my Minoru jacket of course!  Which is coming along quite nicely, if I do say so myself!  I'm itching to show it to you!  Can I be super honest with you all and tell you a secret?  I may have already finished my jacket... shhh!!!  *ahem* I mean...  I'm strictly following the sew-a-long, and will unveil my finished Minoru jacket along with everyone else.  But just in case you missed the preview of my fabric or *gasp* forgot, here it is again.

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Third.... bomb, bomb, bum..... Bombshell!  I bought this Craftsy course quite a while ago, and I watched the entire video and thought to myself, "wow, I can actually do that!"  then promptly didn't.  You know how doubt creeps in... that voice in my head can be a real little rascal sometimes!  The rational side of myself says, "oh I'm waiting until I have a little more experience under my belt before I try something that involved."  So this darn dress is for sure on my list of 12 in 2012.  I need to just do it!

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I have been dying to make a circle skirt!  I'm pretty sure my love of circle skirts started with Sunni's skirt.  And then I found the wonderful blog Casey's Elegant Musings, and discovered that she had a fantastic Circle Skirt Sew Along.  I was reminded again how much I wanted to sew a circle skirt when I saw Lauren's fan-frickin-tastic version here!  So, needless to say, if you didn't already have it monotonously repeated into your head... I want to sew a circle skirt.  

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Gertie's Gathered Skirt Tutorial!  Gah, this skirt makes me go weak at the knees and want to put on heels and dance around like a lil' trollop (in a good way, mom.)  I just mean, looking at the skirt makes me feel sassy, and spunky, and utterly feminine at the same time!  Yes please!

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Numero Seis...  A tailored coat.  Through A Good Wardrobe's wonderful list of indie pattern designers, I discovered Jamie Christina Design and this adorable coat pattern!  The Abby Coat is so fun and flirty, with an adorable peter pan collar detail.  I would probably add a few details to really make it my own, but I want to go through Gertie's Lady Grey tutorials and really learn how to tailor a coat, and apply the principals toward the Abby Coat.  I am torn though, because the original Lady Grey pattern is so darling!  Oh the choices!

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Next project on my list to tackle is a good pair of jeans.  I have actually been quite terrified of this idea until I stumbled upon the Jean-ius course that I blogged about here.  I'm so thrilled to be taking a class taught by Kenneth D. King, and he makes it all seem so easy and manageable.  I actually have two different pairs of jeans that I'm considering copying.  One pair is a boyfriend fit jean that is oh-so-comfortable, and the other is a skinny jean that has a slightly more relaxed fit than most. 

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The Chantilly dress pattern by Colette Patterns is a dress that I have lusted over, ever since I saw Tasia's version.  I have some fabric stashed away exactly for this project, but I've been putting it off because the fabric is slippery and I'm going to have to not only line, but probably underline most of the dress.  

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What is one wardrobe staple that every girl should have?  A basic pencil skirt, yes?  I think so.  Probably one in black, and probably one in just about any other color imaginable ~grins~  I do love me some color.  My roommate has a knack of calling them "Montana colors", and then I tease her about her increasingly gray wardrobe!  I don't know exactly which pattern yet, but I think the Jenny, by Burda would be a good place to start.

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Next on the list, the Pendrell blouse by Sewaholic Patterns.  If I'm being truly honest with you about it, I've made one before and was really unsatisfied with it.  But it wasn't anyone's fault but my own.  I used fabric that was too thick and had too heavy a drape to it.  I just didn't fit right.  I also needed to chose a smaller size, because the pattern has so much ease and I like my tops to be slightly more fitted.  

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So, I am an American, but will everyone forgive me and/or accept me if I say that our friends in the UK have a much better idea with the word knickers!  Underwear is just so blah... but there you have it.  I want to make my own knickers!  It seems like such a fun idea and a fairly easy pattern.  There would also be so many fun colorful fabrics and bits of lace that I could add.  Suzie, who actually came up with the whole 12 in 2012 idea just posted a lovely tutorial for making lace knickers!  There are also several lovely tutorials to be found on Pintrest.

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Last, but not least;  Mary from Idle Fancy has totally inspired me to make a dress.  She continues to make Simplicity 2215, which is a button down dress that is so lovely!  I'm dying to give it a go, I just have to find the right fabric... and belt, and cardigan, and shoes, and.... I feel like I'm finding excuses to go spend money.

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So there you have it!  My twelve projects I hope to accomplish this year.  I don't expect to do them in order, but I will try to do them all!  Geez, it seems a little daunting, doesn't it!  How about you?  Have you joined the challenge, or do you have a personal goal list?  Do we have any goals in common?  I'd love to hear from you!

P.S.  Maybe you have already noticed, but I've added two pages to my blog.  One is a little more about me, if you're interested, and the second is a page with audiobooks that I enjoy, since I'm usually listening to one while sewing.

A Sewn Wardrobe

Ok friends,

I have a dilemma.

I'm a nurse.  I wear scrubs.  The end. 

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I love to sew, and I really want to sew clothes that I get to wear, but really?!  Scrubs?!

I want to sew dresses!  And tops, and skirts, and all sorts of pretty things!  ( Can you just hear me throwing a three-year-old tantrum and stomping my foot indignantly on the ground?  Because in my head, that is totally what I'm doing right now!)

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Now, I know that I could sew scrubs.  Pretty easily in fact, but there is also the problem of me being really, really picky about my scrubs.  The fabric has to be just right, and then there are the pockets, and the fit, and everything!  The scrub patterns that you can find in the store all kind of suck.

Truth.

I know, I need to just take one of my favorite pairs of scrubs and tear them apart and use the for a pattern, but I can't bring myself to do it yet, plus, does anyone know what type of fabric they use?!  It's not regular cotton, I swear.  I just don't know what it is.  It's thicker, and possibly has some sort of stain treatment or something.  I don't know, maybe I'm imagining things.  But the fabric feels different.

So, am I the only one with this problem?  Am I the only one who doesn't have the opportunity to wear cute clothes every day (or night in my case) for work?  I really want to work on a wardrobe for myself, but where do I draw the line at sewing things that aren't practical?