Last year's ideas, refurbished and presented as new. But at half the price !

Somebody really should smack me sometimes. I truly deserve it. Ever since Hancock Fabrics’ recent e-mail – ‘All “Spot the Bolt” Fabrics, $3.27/yd !!’ – I’ve wanted to go, so bad ! But I was just there, what, two weeks ago ? I just barely put the last finds away, and one of ‘em still has to be washed yet. And didn’t I just ‘have’ to buy another $5. cube to store the last enormous $4. thrift-shop haul ? Dang, I’m spoiled. But that itch to go is still there. 

Guess I’ll have to sew something to get it to go away ! But what ? Still want that Craftsy.com pattern, but while we’ve done well on the Austerity Plan this week, we still have to get through to Friday evening, and I don’t wanna spend even small amounts unwisely when it can wait. Still have to try Version 3 of Dearest Son’s ‘commission’ dress, and I have another freebie AG pattern I printed out the other day, when someone who sewed it noted how tight it was on her dolls – hey, might fit DP&M with minimal alterations ! And it really is a stylish dress. . . Then I found a Harry Potter-style robe I liked, also a freebie. She offers several other free patterns here, if the wizarding world ain’t your thang. And, now that I think about it, I never finished that Halloween costume I started working on last year, shortly before crap hit the fan, which was a shame, it had potential. With all this going on, I think I can wait on buying anything new for quite some time, if I can just beat down the ‘wannas’. 

Well, I still wanted that costume I was working on last year, so I found the pattern – it’d already been scanned – and made a few changes. I wanted it fuller in the top, less in the skirt, and longer. Found a blue remnant from a thrift bag – pretty, and about the right weight, yet not long enough for the full-scale costume, just enough for a test. Main problem I have is that the costume is long-sleeved, but the solids and prints that look right with it are spring-like in nature. Well, if it looks good, I can always shorten the sleeves later, right ? 

So. There it is. Modified it a bit more from last time, but the base is still a Simplicity Crissy pattern that kind of knocks off her original orange lace mini-dress. Should be floor length, but that's as long as the fabric scrap allowed. Can you tell (even though the color’s wrong and I haven’t even studied the right belt yet, and it’s too short, and doesn’t hang right ) what I’m going for ? Well, no big deal if ya don’t, I’ve gotta get some fabric in the right color that drapes better, that’s fer sure, but I think about all I gotta do for the next version is widen the shoulders maybe ¼ inch and adjust the collar. Really, it’s not bad, and pretty close to what I want. Even if it does resemble a choir outfit more than a movie costume, I’m happy with it. It often takes me three tries with something new ‘til I get it right, and I’d completely forgotten how I sewed the first one. Wrote it down this time ! (grin)

All because I didn’t wanna pay $8. for a better, ready-to-go pattern I know I’m only gonna use once. My cheap ways get me into some real scrapes – and some fun times when I meet the challenge ! Besides, it doesn’t have to be perfect or even remotely movie-accurate. I just have to like it !