Showing posts with label Kwik Sew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kwik Sew. Show all posts

Monday, October 10, 2011

PJ's and a winner!

I snuck in a little sewing time this afternoon. Homeschooling really puts a damper on my sewing time. However just like everything, it's a season. And honestly, it's a season that I really, truly love (most days anyway).

Yesterday, my pastor's sermon was on having margins in life. White space. Silence. Relaxation. Rest. All things I clearly don't have much of in my life as of late. Coincidentally, the night before while I was slaving away in the kitchen, I was complaining reflecting to my dear, sweet husband how much simpler life was five years ago. Even tho five years ago things seemed simpler, time always has a way of warping the truth and they were probably not much different.

In any event, today I made room for a little white space in my life and said heck with the dishes and cleaning. Instead I decided to sew a pair of pj's for my youngest that I cut out and embroidered back in August. I used my very favorite kids' pj pattern - Kwik Sew 2815, which is sadly out of print, but they do have a similar one available which is 3234.

Robot embroidery is from Designs by JuJu - just love her designs, they always stitch out so great!


Without further ado, the winner of the fabulous MyMemories software is comment #7 - Marie! Congratulations Marie, I will be emailing you!

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Kwik Sew 3740 - Cowl Neck Top

Finally a post about a new favorite pattern. Who doesn't love Kwik Sew? They always have top notch directions that are easy to understand and great pattern pattern to trace from instead of wimpy tissue. Pattern 3740 is a classic and won't disappoint if you love a cowl neck. Here is a refresher of the pattern envelope photo.

Here is my first version - a sleeveless using some leftover fabric from another sewing project. Love it! Too bad the sun has disappeared from my part of the globe until next July. I even rotated my wardrobe and polished my favorite black leather shoes yesterday because it's been rainy most of the time for the past week.

The long sleeve version is going to get a lot of wear this fall and winter. I love it and need to make a few more. It is super quick to put together too.

Here is a more thorough review of this pattern:

Pattern Description: Close fitting pull-over tops have scoop necklines. View A has cowl collar and full length sleeves. View B is sleeveless and neckline and armholes are finished with self fabric bindings. View A & B necklines can be interchanged.

Pattern Sizing: XS-XL ~ I made a size xs in the chest and graded to a small in the hips

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Do I really need to answer this? Kwik Sew always has fabulous instructions so a resounding YES!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love that the cowl is two pieces. If the wrong side shows (which is doesn't seem to), it is the same fabric on the underside. Plus the under cowl is cut slightly smaller. I like the sleeveless variation too, however I messed up and cut the sleeved bodice front and back for my sleeveless top so the arms are a little more covered since the shoulder seam is wider on the sleeved version. I actually like the little bit more coverage so I think my mistake was a good thing. One other like is the neckline is more open. It's not too plunging, but not really tight up to the neck either.

One dislike is not trying it sooner! But actually at first I disliked the sleeve. KS sleeves to me are a little wonky. They are loose at the top and then are tight at the wrist. At first I thought I'd just find a different sleeve that I liked better from a TNT pattern, however as I've worn the top, the sleeve cut has grown on me. I think it looks a little more dressy so I'll probably keep the sleeve as is.

Fabric Used: The long sleeve version is an ITY poly/lycra fabric from Fabric.com - I actually bought it this summer so it really wasn't even stash (yay me!). The sleeveless version was a small piece I had leftover in my stash from another top - it came from Lucy's fabrics long ago and is a lovely "dry" rayon/lycra knit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I just used a size larger in the hips.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Oh gosh, yes! I want to make another one for winter with long sleeves. I just love this pattern.

I highly recommend the pattern, but it made Pattern of the Year for 2010 on PatternReview.com and has been reviewed 33 times already, so you probably don't need my recommendation to try it.

Conclusion: Super cute cowl top, it even bypassed my old standby of Burda 10-2005-114.


The forecast is showing rain for the whole next week so with any luck I'll get some other sewing done. Maybe another cowl neck?

Monday, September 19, 2011

Good Bye Summer?

I'm going to spare the apologies for not staying up to date on my blog. I write when I feel compelled to share and as time permits and apparently neither of the two have lined up for quite some time.

While summer is officially over on Friday (boo hoo), we typically have later summers in the Pacific NW with gorgeous weather well into October. The perpetual joke around my area is that summer never starts until July 5th. Independence Day weather is always iffy and we can have gorgeous spring days, but lots of rainy spring days here too. It's definitely different than other parts of the country, but it's where I've always lived and I'm used to it. Since summer is so short here (at least I think it is when you hear about the long summers of the south), I really didn't sew much summer wear this year. I had high ambitions, but family, friends, & camping seemed to take over in rank. Plus we took a three week road trip in May that took us as far east as Colorado, so that pretty much took a whole month away for any sewing.

Looking back at my sewing journal, I have sewn 43 yards so far this year. Not too bad, but why does it seem for every yard I sew, I want to buy five more? Am I the only one? Please say it aint so! I'm not sure why I get so ambitious in the buying department, Lord knows I can sew faster in my head than in reality so I guess that is why!

I got two UFO's finished up in July. One was a blouse from Butterick 5025 and the other was a skirt from My Image magazine Spring/Summer 2011. I'm pleased with both garments. I have worn the blouse a few times, but feel like it needs to be a smidge longer to wear with jeans and the skirt is a fabulous staple in my closet for year round dressing. Here is the completed ensemble.



I need to take some photos of a few of the things I've sewn lately and share them. One of my favorites is Kwik Sew 3740, a cowl neck top. It's super cute and I think it just replaced my old stand by of Burda 10-2005-114. This is the envelope of the Kwik Sew pattern. And true to Kwik Sew, it's was definitely quick (and easy) to sew. I made two!



So are you ready for fall and fall sewing? I haven't made a plan of attack for sewing and I'm not sure if I will. I really want to make a nice wool coat and since I have several cuts of Vera Wang wool coating from Fabric.com (hmm, was that fall 2009 that they had the big bonanza there?), I don't have much of an excuse not to get one made. Share with me your fall sewing plans, I'd love some inspiration!

Friday, January 01, 2010

2009 Wrap Up

Well I had planned to put this up yesterday, but had trouble with my computer and then we lost power at 6:15 last night so it had to wait until this morning.

I was inspired by a few graphs I saw so I did a little tally of what I sewed in 2009. I have been keeping track of what I sew for a little over three years in a spiral notebook. It has come in handy so many times and it's also fun to look back and see what I've made.

In 2009, here is a breakdown of "who" I sewed for. As you can see, I wasn't in first place, instead it was all about the kids (go figure). The gifts were things I made for extended family members (ie not my own kiddos), mostly for Christmas gifts but some where birthday gifts and baby gifts too.

Here is the breakdown of pattern brand used. There are repeat patterns on here and KS is dominating because that is my go to PJ pattern. Also the "That Darn Kat" is the undies pattern I use for my youngest ~ you can see which ones in this post.

Another thing I notice is that I need to suck it up with my BWOF and Ottobre - seriously those magazines are expensive and if I'm not using them, then why the heck am I buying them? I have 5 years worth of BWOFs and 10 years worth of Ottobres - I should never be sewing anything else (or buying anything for that matter!). My Ottobre is up for renewal and I'm considering dropping it, but breaking up is so hard to do. I really look forward to getting the magazine, but with 10 years worth, can there really be something different and new making it worth the price each year? I still have a few weeks to ponder it. Have you had this struggle? If so, how did you decide?

Now on to my Christmas sewing. I sewed like crazy for the entire month of December and am so glad that is over. It was fun and a great idea, but it was so time consuming and overwhelming at times. A few of my favorite things I made are pictured below.

This is a pillow I made my sister. Why I like it so much is that she and my BIL acquired a business in 2008 called Acorn Uniforms in the Seattle area so it's rather fitting for them. It's a free pattern at YCMT if you want to make your own.


I also made three of these door hanging pillows to give as gifts. I wanted to make myself one, but ran out of time. I'm sure I'll make more of these, they are super easy and so cute. You can get this pattern free at YCMT too (can you see I have been using this site lately - it's really great!).

I always make the kids special pjs for Christmas Eve and really liked the prior year's matching snowman pjs. When I looked for matching fabric online this year, I didn't find anything that jumped out at me plus a lot of the Christmas knits were too girly. I really wanted to use fabric I had stashed and then it came to me - M&M pjs! My MIL collects all things M&M and all the kids have their "own" color so I decided to make them pjs in their M&M color! They were a hit and looked so cute IMO. I used this freezer paper stencil technique for the M's.

Up for 2010, not sure. I am not really a resolutions girl. I don't like making goals that I don't know if I'll keep. Heck, I have "to do" lists in my head each morning and most of the time I don't even get those all the way completed. I do know I really want to make myself a nice coat. I purchased some gorgeous wool coatings from Fabric.com in the fall so I have the supplies. I also want to make a trench with the Burberry fabric I purchased at PRW. Another pair or two of Jalie jeans are in order too. Lots of "wants" so I'll just keep plugging away and do my best while still enjoying my hobby. Oh and definitely using those BWOF (it will always be BWOF to me by the way) and Ottobre mags!

Wishing all my readers a healthy and happy 2010!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Jean Jacket Review

I've had this jean jacket in my UFO pile since late September. I had only cut it out and then set it aside because I was starting the Palmer/Pletsch fitting class at the beginning of October. Then came the pants class followed by Christmas sewing so there it sat patiently waiting for me to return to it. I think it would still be sitting there, but I decided to get busy so I could enter it into the Pattern Review UFO contest. I finally got enough motivation up yesterday to get it finished and I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. It's your basic unlined jean jacket made with Kwik Sew 2895. I like that view A has a bit of waist shaping so it's not as boxy as your typical jean jacket.


Topstitching Details and SnapSource snaps


I received feedback from a reader that she would like it if I posted my reviews on my blog too, so here I go with my first review (yep, it's copied from my review on PR, but it's all the pertinent info).

Pattern Description: Misses jackets with front and back yokes, three panel front and back, pockets in the yoke seams with flaps, and topstitching details. View B is shorter and has a waistband and cuffs while view A is longer and has no waistband or cuffs.

Pattern Sizing: xsmall - xlarge, I used the xsmall and made version A.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, they were very straightforward and easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really liked the styling. I've seen many great versions of this jacket on PR and purchased the pattern a long time ago. I know it has lots of positive reviews, but I couldn't help adding one more.

My only dislike is in myself and how long it took me to get this jacket made. I cut it out at the end of September when I was on a cutting spree and then never got around to sewing it. I guess my slacking allows me to enter this into the UFO contest that is currently running. There is really no reason this became a UFO, just the lack of time and other things got pushed ahead of this item. Unfortunately it's a little too cold for me to wear it now, but I am sure I'll be wearing this a lot once the weather warms up.

Fabric Used: Red stretch twill I had in my stash - I am sure I purchased it at Joann's. I also used size 16 SnapSource snaps for the closures instead of buttons. I might have opted for size 20 if I had them, but I didn't have any on hand so I went with the 16
s and am pleased with how they look.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I made no pattern alterations and sewed a straight xsmall. It is actually pretty generously sized and am glad I didn't grade up in the hips like I contemplated doing.

Next time I make this jacket I will omit the chest pockets. I will put the flaps and just not sew on the pocket bag. I will never use the pockets, so what is the point in sewing them? I guess they might add a little more padding to bust! lol I also might lengthen the jacket a smidge too.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I'm quite sure I will sew this again and I definitely recommend it. Just think of the multitude of fabrics that can be used for a variety of looks - denim, twill, linen, corduroy, etc. There is a fair bit of topstitching to do, but I don't mind all the topstitching and like those sort of details. I even got very nice approval from my family on this one. I have some pretty embroidered linen that I think I'll make another version with and also some velvet corduroy that would be great too.

Conclusion: Great basic jean-style jacket that is a classic wardrobe piece.

Hopefully this jacket is the start of my sewing mojo returning. I think I worked myself too hard at the end of the year and burnt myself out.

P.S. I really want to see your garment label, so please email me. I made it a clickable link in my last post, but maybe you didn't realize that. Email me at noboty at gmail.com ~ thank you! :-)

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Childbirth

If you any children, you know the pains of labor fade into the sunset once the baby is delivered. Well the same is true with making the Amy Butler Weekender Bag. In my quest to give more handmade gifts this year for Christmas, I decided to make my SIL and daughter each a Weekender Bag. Well what the heck was I thinking???? Apparently I don't vividly remember all the blood, sweat, and tears it caused me when I made myself one in January. I need to be declared insane!

Now after starting the bag, I'm not fully committed to finishing it in time for Christmas. I'm reconsidering this might be a good graduation gift for when she graduates nursing school in March (that gives me a little more time). I think I suck at big projects. I like more instant gratification projects. Possibly I'm longing for a few new things for me, so I will set this aside for a bit and bring it back to the machine soon. I will finish it, the question is whether it will be in time for Christmas - that is still to be determined.

Here is the bag in it's sad state~

Now onto my other sewing projects that I promised to share in my last post. First up is the outfit I made to wear to DH's work Christmas party. Of course you can just call me "Last Minute Lucy" on this one. I seem to have this theme every year. I want something new to wear and don't start it until the day of the party. I had purchased a black knit with subtle silver sparkles in it when my local indy store went out of business in January. I never knew what I'd do with it. It's a pretty stable knit with not a lot of give, but something kept drawing me back to it so I got 2 yds to toss in my stash. Well here is the end result, a Jalie Crossover top and a little A-line skirt I quickly drafted out of the scraps. I lightened the picture to help see the details better, but it's still hard since it's black. What I liked about the outfit was that I wasn't freezing. They always have the air cranked up and if I had any sort of sleeveless dress or top on I'd freeze.

I also recently made myself two black skirts. One I still need to photograph, but here is the other one. Forgive the lack of a full body shot; the ones my daughter took were horrible and there was no way I could post them. The skirt is from Simplicity 3631. I had Marta fit this pattern on my at my class in October because I really wanted to have a flattering straight skirt. She seemed to think the size 12 was perfect, however once I had the fabric cut and got started, I found this skirt too big. I ended up shaving it down to about a 10. I still wasn't happy with the result so I pegged the hem in about 2" and I like the look better. I'm happy I have a basic black skirt, tho I'm not sure if I'll sew this again. Quite frankly I think that A-line skirts look much better on my shape than straight skirts. The other one I made is too straight too, oops!

So here is the front view (btw, my knees are even tho the picture looks like one knee cap is way higher than the other, must have been how I was standing)~


And the back view (nice bruises on my leg, huh?)~


Here is my middle son in his new Kwik Sew 2894~


And pj's galore~




And finally I have a few bibs for my son's teacher. All my children have had the pleasure of having this wonderful lady be their teacher and she's finally bringing home her baby from Vietnam! The little girl is almost 11 months old and figured a few chenille bibs would be a welcome gift. As a mom, I know you can never have too many bibs. It was a good way to give my embroidery machine some love too.

Up next? Good question. I should be working on that darn bag, but I think I'll set it aside. I have a pillow that needs a cover and I am in desperate need of some tops.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

I need a fabric diet!

Today I traced off a jacket from Ottobre for my youngest. My plan is to enter it in the Children's Clothing contest on PR. I wanted to make sure I purchased the adequate amount of fabric, because what I want to get is rather spendy and a smidge leftover always feels like such a waste. It's regularly $30/yd, but on sale today at Fabric Depot for $18/yd. Still a little spendy in my book, especially for a child, but I only need 1 yard plus a zipper. And really it's going to be a *cute* winter jacket and I can't buy one at the store for that price.

Once I got the jacket traced off I was looking through my fabric cupboard trying to find some inspiration. I was pulling things down and realized I really need to curb my appetite for fabric. It's hard. They are all so pretty. I want to bring them home to my lovely sewing studio. It's not a crime, right? Well it should be a crime so I will stop buying. Some may laugh at this statement and think there is no such thing as too much fabric. Well for me there is. It makes me get tense and nervous. I don't like clutter and to me this is clutter. Yes I like to be able to pick something I want to make and shop what I already have, however it still makes me uneasy to have as much as I do. So I'm going to give it the ol' college try and refrain from buying. Now stop taking bets, this will surely last longer than a day!

Yesterday I snapped this picture of my "baby" in his new shirt I made him. I used my trusty KS 2894 and love the way the top turned out. Inspiration began with a shirt I saw in the spring/summer Mini Boden catalog. I made the top back in July, but it was too big and too hot to wear it. I lined the hood in knit jersey and the applique is done in orange twill - tires complete with button hubcaps. He is beyond thrilled as you can see by the picture. I will cherish this. My kids loving mommy making something just for them. A one-of-a-kind creation that no one else has. That is why I sew.


Off to shop for the coat fabric. I'm bringing home coat fabric and a zipper, nothing else. You can shop laughing now....

Friday, June 20, 2008

Some new garments!

Happy First Day of Summer!!! Today is summer-like weather here in SW Washington (finally), tho tomorrow is bringing cooler weather and the possibility of rain - rats!

I've been so darn busy lately, but managed to squeeze in two things for me in the past week - yippee! First I made a new top for me last weekend from BWOF 02-2008-122. I decided to use a knit instead of a woven fabric (what the pattern suggested) and am pretty happy with the results. The top was super easy to make and because I used a knit I omitted the back zipper so it was even quicker. I did have some issues with the front gaping open, however I did neglect to interface the upper front and back pieces. As you know too, I'm not too well endowed, so that could have been part of the problem of it being too big in the upper chest. I fixed the issue by sewing some clear elastic on the seam line which I gently pulled to make a gather. Viola, all fixed! I forgot to take a picture of this fix during the construction process and now it's all enclosed, sorry! Also I brought up the back neckline as I knew I'd wear it more if I was more covered up and took 5" off the length. All in all, I'm pleased with how it turned out. Here is the review if you'd like to read more.


It has been so cool out the last few weeks that I'm having a hard time believing summer really is coming. I decided to make myself a new fleece hoodie to wear around the house. I used Kwik Sew 2993 and it was super easy! The best part is I used up some fleece that has been in my stash for eons (actually I used all of it because I had to recut some pieces due to the fleece being too lofty and the front pockets looking terrible - must faster to recut than rip stitches out). Because of the trouble I had with the pockets looking terrible, I decided I'd just omit them. When I tried my jacket on during construction, I decided that I really did need some pockets, so I opted for an inseam pocket. I felt so clever thinking of this solution on my own! lol I used a pattern piece from another pattern in my stash and it worked great! Here is the jacket review on PR.

And a close up of the inseam pocket.

And last, but no least, I finally wrote a review of a top I made for my daughter a few months ago. She seems to really like the top so that is good since she's creeping up on 11 and those 11 year olds can be so fickle! It's a Ottobre 04-2007-31 ~ my review.


Well I'm going to go enjoy some of that glorious sunshine we have. Hopefully I won't be so long between blog entries, but now that the kids are home, who knows how much sewing for myself I'm actually going to get done. Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

10 years later...

okay not really, but that is always what I say to DH when something is taking forever. So sorry it's taken me forever to write reviews and post pictures. It seems as tho one day leads into the next and here we are the middle of February already.

First up is an Ottobre Woman t-shirt I made from the 2/2007 issue. I made this right before our cruise and packed it with me. I love it and see many more variations of this in my future. My review can be read on PR.

Next up is another one of my Grandma's aprons. I got this fabric on clearance at Joann's around Christmas and it was in my "to do" pile so I decided to whip up a new one real quick - I need a little bright colors right now anyway with all the dull winter weather that is around.

While I was a Super Bowl widow, I got a chance to make Will a new sweatshirt (per his request). It turned out perfect and is from the current issue of Ottobre (1/2008). He adores it and has wore it countless times already ~ here is my review on PR.

My oldest son needed some new pants (as usual), so last week I experimented with a pattern from the 3/2002 issue of Burda WOF that was a pair of elastic waist pants. I made a wearable muslin first and took the alterations to the pattern (slicing and dicing) and this was my end result. He loves them and particularly loves the Pirate Ship embroidered on the pocket. I used red Jeans Stitch thread for the topstitching and added some knee patches to the front so increase the longevity of wear (hopefully). More info on these pants is in my review.



I have two cousin-in-laws who are pregnant, but are not finding out the gender of their babies. So I've been working on some gender neutral items for the both of them. Here are two baby gowns from Kwik Sew 3090 and hats from New Conceptions Baby Essentials pattern.

A sleep sack from Kwik Sew 3089

And last but not least, a shopping cart seat cover. The pink one below is one I made this past fall for my aunt's granddaughter. I'm posting them so you can see what they look like in the shopping cart. Yesterday I made a gender neutral one for this weekend's shower. I also posted a review of this pattern on PR today. It was a super easy pattern and is only $3 on eBay!



Now for a bit of family fun. DH & I have been talking about taking our kids to visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, OR for quite some time. We decided to make the 2.5 hour trek this past Saturday and the kids were so excited. Unfortunately they have changed it since we were last there and there wasn't as much to see, plus the packing line is closed on the weekend. It turned out to be a dud of a trip, tho the kids thought it was fun. On the way home, we drove up the coast line, making a loop and seeing different scenery. We stopped in a little town called Seaside and walked around a bit, but Andy was getting tired and onrery, plus the sprinkles were starting to come down, so back in the van we went and traveled home. It was a fun family day even tho the tour of the factory was a bust. Here are a few pictures from our day.







Happy Sewing!!!

Friday, December 07, 2007

A little sewing and more

Yes, finally I got some sewing accomplished. Just minor sewing, but still it's sewing and I am proud! Last weekend I worked on a raglan tee for my oldest son - it's from the 1/2003 issue, # 31. I made a little patch using my embroidery machine on the arm that matched the design in the print so that was fun. I have another top cut out and ready to be sewn up for him, I think he's entering another growth spurt (he eats like there is no tomorrow and is always hungry!). I did post a review on PR if you'd like to read more ~ review for 1-2003-31.

Then I made two more pairs of pj's for my youngest. I used up small pieces of knits which felt good too. They are made using the retired Kwik Sew 2315. It's been a workhorse pattern for me, I have made countless pairs of pj's using it.

A while ago, I also made my oldest son a hoodie shirt using Ottobre 4-2005-34. It turned out really cute and finally posted a review about it too ~ review for hoodie.

Also in the sewing department, I'm working on a pair of trousers for myself. They are Simplicity 3686 (view B). I made two muslins the other day and had just a few minor fitting issues with these. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I'll like the end result.

Now for a more "Susie Homemaker-ish" thing, my middle boy had to bring a snack to school on Monday, so I made a fun cupcake tree for the class. He was really excited about how it looked and I'm sure the other Kindergarteners enjoyed it too. It was really easy (obviously) and the idea came from my Cupcakes: From The Cake Mix Doctor book. The book is really neat, tho I don't like it as much as the two original cake mix doctor books because there are not pictures of each cupcake. I need visuals to be inspired in cooking and this book just doesn't have that. The other book has little thumb nails in the front and I wish they would have done that in this book. It's not as effective as a full color picture next to the recipe, but it's better than nothing.

Now many of you have heard about the terrible storm that traveled through the Pacific NW last weekend and early this week. It went right through our area and was very dramatic. Horrible heavy rains and winds like you wouldn't believe for about 48 hours. Thankfully the only damage we had on our property was our big maple tree falling. It was over 100' tall and held the rope swing my children adored swinging on. It was at the bottom of our driveway close to our house and praise God it fell away from our house and down the bank. I don't even want to think about the damage it would have done to our home (mainly the garage). Here are a few pictures, tho it really is hard to see the magnitude of how big this tree was compare to actually looking at it.


Lastly is a photo (a very sad photo) of a town about an hour north of here where my good friend lives. So much of the town was flooded (some places had 10' of water). In the picture is Kmart (building on the left), a strip mall (in the middle), and Wal-Mart (on the right) and then the road going over the water is actually a freeway over pass (that is I-5 under it). Thankfully the freeway is back open now tho there was damage to the road that is going to take time to repair. And of course there are now lots of displaced residents of the area trying to figure out housing. There were many other hard hit towns all around the area, but particularly on the coast line ~ any still don't have power almost a week later. It's so sad ~ my thoughts and prayers go out to these people. Thankfully my friend's house sustained no damage, but many others definitely weren't that lucky.

Well duty calls. We have a Christmas party to attend tonight and tomorrow night so I need to get ready for the weekend. I have no clue what I'm wearing tomorrow night (the fancier one - DH's work party) so we'll see what the weather and my mood brings. I wanted to sew something new, but it's just been too hectic around here so atlas I'll have to wear something I already own. I thought about my Vogue 8386 , but it might be way too cold. Time will tell.