Saturday's Pattern Review meet-up in NYC was such a great time. About 20 sewers (including bloggers Sheila, Andrea, Tricia, and Nancy) met up to visit Metro Textiles, Mood, Greenberg & Hammer, Rosen & Chadick, Paron's, and Pacific Trim. It was a long, but extremely fun and inspiring day.
I had never been to Metro, so I had to add a few fabrics from there to my "collection". A sewer had commented that she doesn't know how people leave there without buying something. I completely agree. The selection is great, and the prices unreal for the quality - even less than Paron's. At Metro I purchased a thick black and white striped-wool ($12/yard) and - my favorite - an amazing graphic Japanese cotton, unlike anything I own, which is so soft it feels like silk (at an unbelievable $5/yard). Kashi had a few variations of this print. It'll go into the pile for a spring/summer dress.
At Paron's (where I always find something), I picked up another gold fabric for another gold shell (since I cannot stop wearing the first one), and a lightweight wool with a bit of stretch for planned skinny trousers.
PRer Annette commented that I am growing quite a stash for a budding sewist. I'm sure it does not rival Carolyn's famed closet, but I'm afraid it is growing out of control. I have a visible pile of imminent projects (those I'd like to complete in the next month or so):
Plus a bag and storage bin under the bed stuffed full. I'm a rabid anti-hoarder, so this stash is beginning to bother me. I have enough to keep me entertained for the next few months - probably even through the spring. So I'm placing a moratorium on new fabric purchases for the next few months. (How unlikely is this to succeed? Do any sewers not have a stash?? I'd like to be one of those sewers!)
* * *
Thank you for the honest feedback on the poufy skirt and your suggestions to re-do the back, which I actually hadn't thought of. I'm going to take it apart, and play around with whether the back would look best straight or with fewer gathers. I'll keep you posted!
I took a step back from the skirt to work on Vogue 8511. The pattern has been a breeze to sew (minimal ease in the sleeves, very easy princess seamed-bodice), but my major dislike is that only the bodice (and not the sleeves or skirt) is lined.
I lined the sleeves, and would like to line the skirt as well. The front of the skirt is heavily pleated. What would work best: to draft a straight skirt lining (using the straight back pattern pieces as a guide), or pleat the lining like the skirt? I'm leaning towards a straight lining so that the pleats are not affected by a pleated lining underneath.