Warning: This is not a neat and tidy look into my sewing room like last time. No, this is what you may find if you stop by my house unannounced and ask to see the guest room.

:/

To be fair… I’d say it’s about 50-50. There’s a 50% chance you will walk in with it looking nice and neat. I feel very uninspired when it’s messy, so I do clean up typically before I start a new project (or if I know I’m going to have visitors). But then there’s the other 50% of the time when you may find it looking something like this…

This is what happens when I’m looking for a pattern that I know I have cut out somewhere but can’t find (hint: this particular time I was looking for my Foxglove Tank pattern – previously used here – for my latest project that’s currently hanging there on Charlotte waiting to be photographed). :/ I have “most” of my cut patterns in a binder… but then there is also the stack at the bottom of the pile of fabric in the closet. On the plus side… I did get some skirt hangers on amazon recently (like these) to hold fabric in the closet and it’s been working very well (not that you can tell… because I have WAY TOO MUCH FABRIC). The picture below, right is my mending/refashion pile in the back of the closet. AKA… the “throw-it-into-the-corner-and-never-look-at-it-again” pile.

  

Go ahead… say it with me: Ahhhhhhhh….!

Then there is my UFO drawer:

I started this in hopes that being more “organized” would spur me to finish some of my unfinished projects. I put the fabric (cut or uncut) and the pattern into a Ziploc bag and put them all in one spot near my sewing machine so I could easily reach in there and grab a project to work on.

Let’s be honest here for a second though… that drawer has not been opened since I put all of those in there.

Ugh.

Soooo… in honor of UFO Showdown month over at The Monthly Stitch, I’m pulling a few things out of my drawer… and out of my closet… and off of my printer… and out of some other piles… all in an attempt to get inspired to finish a few things!

(1) Cold off the printer (it’s been sitting in my printer tray for a few weeks now) – Grainline Studio Morris Blazer – I received this pattern during last year’s Indie Pattern Month Pattern Swap and still haven’t touched it. Sad day. :( I have plans to use this ponte de roma from Cali Fabrics currently sitting in my stash.

(2) A wearable muslin made from this shirting fabric that I used to check the fit of the Spit Up & Stilettos Harper Blouse – used for my Anna costume for Halloween (final version seen at the bottom of this post). The purple fabric is beautiful but it wrinkles like CRAZY so I’m just not super excited about finishing it.

**UPDATE: Spit Up & Stilettos / Sew Loft Patterns are no longer available at the source (she switched to only selling children’s patterns under her new label Sadie + Sam) but the entire library of her women’s patterns can now be found (still for free!) at Hoopes Park Studios!**

(3) A while back my BFF wanted me to make her a shirt. I sent her a few options of patterns that I thought she might like and let her choose. She chose the Hot Patterns Joyful Top. SO I cut out the pattern, cut out the fabric… and then stopped. I ended up making her this instead, which I love… but I have no idea what happened there. :/

(4) My second pair of Maritime Shorts (see the first pair here), cut and ready to go. Problem is I need to make some changes for the fit to work. So there they sit.

(5) Zero excuses. I bought this Stitch Kit way back when for the Greenwood Tank (also made here). I already cut my fabric… and it is such a quick sew I have no excuse not to finish it right now. I get distracted way too easily.

(6) My sister gave me this sweater last winter and asked if I could mend it for her. Naturally I said, “SURE! I’ll give it a try!” Well then it got thrown into that darn throw-it-into-the-corner-and-never-look-at-it-again “mending” pile. Then she asked me about it a couple of weeks ago to see if I still had it. Ooops :D Well, her birthday is coming up later this month so maybe it’s finally time…

:/

That’s the thing about me doing things for other people (sewing, mending, photos… anything in my list of non-professional skill sets). I really enjoy it… as long as they don’t have a deadline! :)

(7) I got inspired after this post from Amy at Sew Well. I thought… “yes! I need to make ALL the running skirts!”. I got my fabric together, printed my Jalie Multi-Sport Skort pattern… and then put it into a bag and into my UFO drawer as soon as that California cold weather hit.

(8) See comment above about me doing things for other people. These leggings were requested by my cousin after I told her I had some fabric left from our Avon Walk outfits. The fabric is cut. I have no excuses.

(9) Again, I don’t do well with deadlines. Jeans in January may not have happened, but at least I reprinted the pattern (Ginger Jeans, view B this time) and it’s all ready for me to cut into. In other words I’ve made no progress. Such is life, sometimes.

I also have a third uncut, printed pattern sitting next to my sewing machine. That guy in my life has been requesting something other than PJ pants for a long time. Every time I make something for myself, he’ll sneak in a comment about it. So I printed this pattern and we’ll see… maybe I can put something together before that dreaded holiday that’s coming up in a week.

Maybe…

:)

So that’s what I’ve been NOT working on. What have you been setting aside? Or are you one of those people who finish everything that they start. In which case, you are my role model and how do you do it!?

In other things… I’m currently crushing on this new pattern, this shirt (we’ve only recently hopped onto the Parks & Rec bandwagon, and I have to say I am a huge fan) along with basically everything else in her shop, and thinking how perfect these would be to wear for Valentine’s Day.

That’s about it for now. Time to go take the pups for a walk and then perhaps clean the sewing room.

(lazy bums)

Until next time,