AUTUMNAL SEWJO & A BROCADE MINI

Oy. What is it about the change from summer to fall that just makes me want to binge eat sweet potatoes and curl up under an afghan and do NOTHING at all? The same sewjo downer happened this time last year and I'm worried it will become some kind of dreaded annual tradition. Like my pap exam or the day we are forced to set the clocks back and lose an extra, precious hour of sun.

I'm sure it has something to do with all the cake I have on my list. It is rather hard to get excited about making pants. This evening I was about to cut out the muslin for my Simplicity Perfect fit trousers but got terribly depressed thinking about the many changes I will have to do to make them the skinny cigarette pants of my dreams. Muslins are not really the energy boost I need for my sewing batteries, I fear.

Last week I worked on a white cotton sateen Sewaholic Cordova jacket that really didn't match the vision i had in my head, and it is hanging in my studio sans lining, giving me the UFO stink-eye. So I'm thinking I may listen to myself and just take a breather for the next few weeks. Catch up on Game of Thrones and knit and not make beat myself up for feeling uninspired. I do have a rather big backlog of items to shoot and share, so hopefully things will at least perk up on the blog front.

Take this brocade mini for example....

I scored this precioussss  metallic brocade yardage during my 2012 trip to NY and knew from the start it was destined to be made into the Rachel Comey mini from Vogue 1247. Those of you who also follow the magic of Carolyn have likely drooled over her many, many versions of this pattern. It is really one of the most beautifully designed skirts patterns I've encountered. Some clever seaming and construction result in inline pockets along the hip seam. The slightly a-line shape is perfect for a mini. And quite the mini it is.... I did the smallest 1/2" hem I could squeeze out and I still found it borderline immodest. One has to be careful picking things up (bend at the knees Heather, not at the waist!) but that is thankfully aided by wearing black tights.

I only had 2 yds of 35" wide fabric so couldn't really bother with print matching. I think in a pattern this busy it's not the end of the world.

I *may* have bungled the waistband in the back... and I'm not sure how I feel about my lapped zipper. I was out of invisible zips and thought I would try working on my technique, but I think this garment would have been much better served with something less obvious.

The fabric felt quite stiff when I bought it but softened substantially when I washed it. I was nervous about it being too drapey, so underlined it with cotton batiste and serged all my seams. It got a lot of wear at the end of the summer, including a long day fabric shopping in the Garment District when I was back again in NY in September (felt apropos to be wearing something I had made from my last trip there). Unfortunately the brocade gets snagged easily. As much as I love it, I'm not sure this lovely lady will stand the test of time.

I've put on a little weight in the last few months so while the size 12 fit perfectly initially, it is now a little lacking in the ease department. I made another one I will share shortly that I let out a little in the waist and it is much less likely to get unbuttoned when I am sitting at my desk, trying not to think about the cookies for sale in the cafe downstairs.

Back to sweet potatoes and afghans. Hope you beauties are enjoying the season change more than I. If anyone has any tips for getting out of this lazy funk that doesn't involve "exercising" or "cutting out sugar", I would be eternally grateful.