It's coming along and I'm passing it forward

Good day to you.

I hope you're getting lovely weather wherever in the world you may be. We are finally getting enough rain to hopefully ease the drought conditions here in Northern California, with a few days of sunshine interspersed so we can actually see spring and renewal in our future. I have daffodils, a few tulips, hyacinths, Asiatic lilies, and some mini iris coming up in the yard, and the roses are starting to sprout lots of leaves.

I haven't got a picture of Dale in his shirt yet, as he's gone down hard with a nasty cold and cough. He's spending the majority of his time sleeping trying to get rid of it. Hopefully soon.

I've been moving forward on my SWAP, but it seems to be taking a different direction. I have the grey tropical wool pants from the story board almost complete doing a few minutes here and a few minutes there. There are currently lying on the ironing board with the hems pressed and pinned. Hopefully tonight those will get done. Then I just have to do the waistband and they're good to go. I am not lining them, but will wear them with a pants slip instead.

Next up is going to be a a jacket in a cream colored silk tweed that I've had in my stash FOREVER! I think this goes back to around the time I quit being an outside sales person in 1996. I will use my TNT jacket pattern for this one that is a dramatically altered Simplicity 4273, now OOP. I'll probably add patch pockets, not the original slanted ones, but regular ones because I just NEED pockets! Like a little boy, I always have stuff in them. :P}}

The lining will be a silk charmeuse I bought on a great sale at Sawyer Brook in January 2012. Their description: Elegant silk charmeuse is printed with crosswise stripes seemingly over a large outline floral motif. Florals range from 7 to 9 inches. Mauve, almond, and gunmetal stripes over coffee and mocha outlines. For me, it's rather muted, but I do like it a lot and think it will be fantastic with the cream silk.

That will be moving into place with a matching grey tee and a pale blue silk broadcloth woven shirt from fabric that has also been in my stash for a very long time. That will together make up another capsule for my SWAP.

Looks like I won't make a full SWAP by the end of April, but I am getting garments done that will work in my wardrobe with lots of other pieces, and I'm using up some of my stash in addition to some of the new lovelies I couldn't resist!

I'm also working with my niece Julianne to make a custom pants draft, using the Don McCunn "How to Make Sewing Patterns" method. I have never had this draft not work if the measurements were correct. We have the first draft complete, and this week I'll be stitching up a muslin so she can try it on Saturday when she comes. At that time, we'll drape in the darts, and hopefully cut out her first ever pair of custom pants. She's doing a denim, of course, so I'll keep you posted.

Saturday is also my next 9 patch class. I'm getting lots of fun things fit into my schedule. I'll take the first block for show and tell, and then get the materials for the next one, which will need to be completed by the second week in April.

Need to get some work stuffed into the cracks around the sewing unfortunately, so I'll keep you posted as things come up.

Have a lovely day, whether it be coming into Spring or going into Autumn wherever you are.

More later!