JCC - The real story. Or what you won't read on SG - well, maybe some of it.

I got back into sewing last December - right before Christmas. I'd been kicking the idea around for a while, thinking my 201 had finally bitten the dust I'd given up a few years ago (but that's a story for a different entry, someday when there's nothing else to tell). I used to sew a lot, then a little, then none. But I needed a hobby, a creative outlet and clothes that fit. I enlisted the help of my BFF who assisted in machine research and got me hooked up with SG. (THANKS! KT)

I followed along on the SWAP in jaw dropping awe. I envisioned me whipping up a few things that hopefully didn't smack too much of happy hands at home and instead found a world of inspiration and detail. Of course now the bar is much higher!

Right after the SWAP, evjc proposed a JCC - 5 items including an accessory. She set the bar where I could hurdle it: one could be RTW, one could be sewn prior to June. That left 3 to do, I could do 3 in a month. And have some clothes that go together, that I planned and that fit.

I had just finished the floral skirt, and it became the inspiration for the capsule. Nothing fancy, it's V8363, the pattern determined by the amount of fabric I had. I'd picked up a remnant of Mills Creek home dec at G Street in Potomac just as they were closing. Now, let me say that I'm obsessed with this stuff. Don't know why, it's home dec and the pieces are small, but I love them. Whatever. I love this skirt. I like the way it looks. I like the way it fits. I like the way it feels. And I like the way I feel when I'm in it. I've worn it 4 times already, my only regret has been that it took me so long to finish the top to go with it.

I made this easy for me on skirt number 2. Although I'm a little tired of the pencil thing, I really wanted to finish this. I kicked around changing it out some, even thought of a tulip skirt or slacks, but in the end went back to safe and used the same pattern. I like it, it fits, and it works well with the fabric. This one also from GStreet - but at the FC location - purchased when my BFF spent a couple of days here and we went JCC shopping. I also picked up the lavender for the top on that trip. The skirt stuff was off their bargain table. I'd combed the store over and over and didn't find anything I liked to go with the blouse fabric - story below. Went back to the bargain bin once more while BFF was having some stuff cut and saw this: peeking out from under some pink fleece and green knit stuff. It has a little stretch, nice hand, washed great, and the stripes are actually a texture. AND it looked really good with the lavender. I'm very pleased. I hope I enjoy this skirt as much as the other one. I have enough fabric left for a vest, I think. It's on the soon to do list, after I finish my dress.

The top is V8419. Again, it's a repeat. I even reviewed it PR the first time - I think there's a link on my blog. This time, to make it office appropriate, I added the sleeves. The pattern options are long and fluffy long, so I took the long and shortened them. I was surprised - and not in a good way - at how it fit. You can see the pulling at the bust line and sleeve. Not as uncomfortable as it looks, but I'm not happy. I'll wear it, but will work on the fit some for next time. This top taught me that I absolutely need to do a FBA and cut down my size. Less obvious from the photo is that the shoulders are too wide and you can't see the gap at the back. When I made this in sleeveless, I think I liked the slight overhang, it was drapey and looked good. Not so much with a sleeve. Also, I added a bit of embellishment to the sleeve hem:

Just a little tone on tone stitching. I liked the first sleeve, it turned out nicely, but the second one just didn't do the same. I made no changes to the machine, but the stitches looked different, heavier and puckered. I may redo that sleeve sometime.

I was amazed at how hard it was to find fabric to match the floral. Remember I'd already decided on that skirt - and I'm nothing if not stubborn. So off BFF & I went to GS, blissfully sure I could just snatch something up that would look great, grab another fabric to make another skirt and off I'd go. Not so, my friends, not so. Taupe and beige were my first thoughts, but *ZZZZZZ*, just BORING. So I turned to the blues/purples. Better, but dang that was tough. Everything that was the right color was the wrong fabric - velvet or knit or raincoat. I almost ended up with an 80's double knit - pretty sure I worked with a woman who had that in a pantsuit. AKK! Last ditch effort, I wandered into the quilting cottons - uncharted territory for me. But there, on a shelf, lined up, all neat in a row, were 8 choices all acceptable. Laid out my skirt, piled them around and came out with this one. Of course I then had to find skirt #2 fabric.

Now I know why nothing I own matches. Whew! It was a challenge but a good one and I loved it.

The necklace doesn't get much blog-space. It's just there. The only interesting part is that the dark pearls were brought to me by DH from a trip to Guam. I have a longer strand of larger pearls from the same trip that I will most likely wear with this, but they didn't require any work so couldn't be submitted for the JCC.

White pearls are from Michael, also purchased with BFF on the same shopping trip.

Sew, there you have it. The story of the JCC - Purple Haze. I enjoyed doing this, I learned a lot, it was a blast participating and I FINISHED!!!

In our write-up to declare FINISHED we were supposed to say why we thing we should win. I couldn't do that. I don't think I should - I already did, I completed this. I know my competition and my level of competency and I know where I stand. I didn't do it for the $50 or for the glory. I did it for the experience and the participation and I got that. THANKS ELIZABETH!!!!

So, now you know, "the rest of the story". I'll add a few more pic's to my flickr, but it's acting up some, so that may not happen quickly. Thanks for tuning in.