Cmon baby, finish whatcha started

Don't you hate finding halfway completed projects? Like a pattern that's been cut out but that's it, or a dress that's mostly done but why didn't it get finished? Well, no more - for me, anyway. I've promised myself to finish one project before starting another.

So here is the newly completed Vogue 9959, a now-discontinued pattern for LONG skirts. At the time I was thinking that long was the way to go, after all, I'm 5'8" so I can carry it off, right? And the drawings look so very fashion-forward. Only now that I've seen myself in it I'm thinking it's a bit too long. Which is very easy to fix. Besides, how will people see my knee-high, black, lace up Mudd boots with such a long skirt? The fabric is that wonderful skull bandanna fabric in black. I have to resist the urge to buy more of it whenever I see it.

Sewing is so relaxing...

...except when things don't go my way.

Case in point: I figured I'd take a little break and cut out a skirt, Butterick 4743 (view E). I figured I had enough fabric, since it called for 1 3/4 yards and I had maybe an inch or two to spare. So I start the layout (following the directions exactly as I've learned the hard way not to try to outguess those layouts) - and I can't get the pattern pieces to fit. ???? Could there be a typo? Not according to the Internets. Finally, in desparation, I took the liberty of measuring the width of the fabric ("Little Ladybugs" by Alexander Henry, cute but not cutesy), and guess what?

The fabric is 43" wide. Not 45" as the pattern calls for. Just two inches short. Two inches! Well, that was an hour spent fruitlessly, and now I have to get back to studying. Hrumph.

messenger bag - see&sew 4583

Here's a messenger bag I recently made up for a Swap-Bot swap. I have so many tote bag patterns; they all look great, but when it comes time to make one up, the directions all seem confusing. I blame all the reading I've been doing for prelims. This pattern, Butterick 4583 (a See & Sew) was gentle on the ol' noggin. I love love love this fabric - whenever I can, I pick up a few more yards of it, I love it that much. I will make a dress out of this one day, oh yes, I will.

I need to find a better interfacing for heavy-duty jobs like this, lately I haven't been happy with the results of the stuff I've been picking up at JoAnne's. It's not awful, but it's not perfect.