I need a distraction

First off, the good news: While by no means perfect, my welt pocket is looking much, much better than yesterday. (Though is the dart supposed to go crooked like that where it splits?)









The bad news: After struggling with it for a solid half hour, at least, plus at least another 15 minutes of staring vainly at Lauren's tutorial post, this is what my pocket lining is doing. I just can't make heads or tails of it, and this is the only way I could figure to get the brown showing through the welt, rather than the print. I don't think I sewed it backwards or upside down, based on the illustrations, but I'm obviously missing something here and I'll feel really dumb when I figure out what it is. (Well, more dumb, because I am honestly rather discouraged with this entire thing right now.)

So, to distract myself, here's my tentative plan for the rest of the FESA sewalong.

Fashionable Foundations for Frosty Weather
Trousers, skirts, legwarmers and more! Anything that keeps your lower portion fashionably cozy fits perfectly here! The chilly weather necessitates the donning of bifurcated bottoms and sassy skirts!

Obviously, I've got this one covered by Pantsapalooza, assuming I can make it past this first pair of pants and actually start working on the other 4!

Chic Chemises for Cool Climates
Blouses, tops, vests, cardigans, and sweaters! These wardrobe essentials can carry you from day to night, not to mention provide necessary layering to keep out the chill.  

I've got a couple of things planned here:

These two knit prints are tagged for long-sleeved Renfrew tops. The black striped one, which was part of a Christmas haul from my parents a few years ago, will have to be a layering piece out of necessity. It's pretty thin. The green is a little thicker, with a crinkled texture, and has been in the stash for several years. The nice thing is that I can use black thread for both, so I can assembly-line construct these as well! I'm thinking maybe a scoop-neck for the black and a v-neck for the green, since I've only made the cowl neck variation so far.


I also have a new knitting project! Would you believe this one has been in progress for a few weeks now? This cardigan pattern is called Roheline, and it's proved rather difficult to get going, though it's completely not the design's fault. The first time I cast it on, one of the dogs somehow got the yarn out of my nightstand drawer early one morning, and in the ensuing tug-of-war between him and my husband, the yarn broke. So I had to start again. Then I had a couple instances of misreading the chart pattern and having to rip it out. And at least once or twice casting on where I just didn't have enough of a tail to finish. All together, I think I started this sweater about 7 times! But I've made it up through row 7 or 8 as of tonight, so I think I'm good now. I hope.

Fabulous Frocks
Dresses of all styles; mini, short, or long! Keep yourself warm in your modish designs, layering with tights and boots!

I meant to get this one done near the end of the summer, so hopefully putting it on my fall list means that I'll get it done sometime before the end of next summer, right? Anyway, this is the Darling Ranges dress. And of course I plan to overcomplicate things for myself by attempting to fully line it. That blue bemberg rayon was the closest match I could get without actually using white (which, actually, Mood didn't have at the time). And it's a pretty lightweight rayon print, so those white streaks are just a liiiiiittle too transparent for my comfort. The fact that it will add some extra warmth doesn't hurt either, since elbow-length sleeves in the middle of the summer around here just aren't happening. Which makes this obviously a fall dress.

Underneath It All
When you're spending months covered from the neck down, a glamorous underpinning of your choice adds a secret, luxurious touch that chases the cold away!

Tender Tootsies
Let's not forget your frosty feet! Socks, slippers and the like are the order of the day. Keep those tootsies warm and dry!

Those Cozy Nights
Is there anything better than snuggling up in a cozy pair of pajamas with a hot drink and a book whilst Jack Frost works his magic outside? I think not! Sleepwear of all types are the way to go here!

I don't currently have any plans for these few categories, but we'll see if I change my mind. After all, despite my long-term anti-leggings stance, the upcoming Espresso leggings are tempting me to give them a shot.

Baby It's Cold Outside
Coats, hats, and mittens donned to keep the cold at bay, especially when out enjoying the spectacular fall colours!

I don't think I care enough to bother matching stripes. It's just to keep me warm at the retail job. #knitting pic.twitter.com/m3Zpi475AH
— Becky (@sew_and_so) September 17, 2013

I do have a pair of handwarmers in progress that I'm frantically knitting for work, but I keep that at my parents' house as a project to do while I wait for flute students. So this Twitter shot is the only pic I have of them for now. A matching hat may follow. And I do hope to knit the beginner scarf for my Craftsy class soon, too.

So, I know this is a hugely ambitious list, and last year I was crafting for FESA well into the winter. But that's ok. Especially because there is one more pile...


Just as a sneak preview, these are the three things I have tagged for the Doctor Who sewalong. But I'm not going to tell yet what I have in mind, or what categories they fall into. Because, as River Song would say, spoilers!