Fall Essentials Sew-Along

My relationship with the rest of the sewing-blog-o-sphere is a complicated one.  I'm always stumbling across challenges or sew-alongs and thinking "wow, I'd love to do that!" and then realizing the post I'm reading is from February of 2009.  Well, this time I'm only a month and a half late, so I thought I might as well sign up anyway!  And I realized, glancing over my handy-dandy sewing spreadsheet, that I've basically already been participating (click to enlarge):

I'm such a practical seamstress, any challenge that focuses on "essentials" is going to be right up my alley.  As you can see, I've already made:

1) Cloche hat

2) Long-sleeved maroon blouse

3) Wool dirndl skirt

4) Flannel dressing-gown!

and my concrete plans for the near future include:

5) Wool bolero, lined in cream polka-dot quilting cotton--this is hanging off my dress form at the moment, halfway finished.

6) Another chemise dress--they make excellent slips, nightgowns, and layering pieces.  I just need to straighten the grain on the fabric and I'll be ready to cut this one out.

7) Some kind of project with blue-and-navy plaid wool suiting--I'm currently leaning towards a jumper dress, because I think that will get the most wear with sweaters and blouses underneath (and I just can't bring myself to spend my precious sewing time on a wiggle dress that won't get worn).

8) A hat with earflaps for Dear Partner.  I'm not sure how this project is going to go, honestly, since my hatmaking experience is incredibly limited, but I've got gray corduroy and interfacing and fleece interlining (for warmth) and plaid cotton flannel lining, and I will not be dissuaded.

I've also got a few projects in the early planning stages, which I may or may not get around to before winter:

9) Some kind of wool jersey top.  I'm obsessed with the one Lauren Bacall is wearing in this photo, but Lord knows I've never sewn with knits before and this is a potential disaster project...

10) Bloomers, from an old cotton sheet I have lying around for muslins.  It's cold in Syracuse.


I'll come back to this page and add links as I finish things!  I feel better when I'm fitting in some sewing time regularly--it's motivation to keep my teaching commitments manageable, for one--so I hope to get through a couple of these by the time December rolls around.