shopping as inspiration

sewing has kind of ruined shopping for me.  everywhere i look, i see items that i can totally recreate at home using patterns i already have.  like this one...i look at it and think "oh, raglan top with a cowl neck."

and this one?  "totally the knot hem tee pattern."

and here?  "ooh, i could modify the pattern i have for the tie front top."

this, on the other hand, i look at and think "WTF was that designer thinking, and how can they possibly be charging people good money for an unfinished shirt?"

and since we'd set aside saturday for the bean to start working on a school project for which the due date will come up sooner than we know it, i figured i could do some sewing while she sat at the computer to do her research.  i got a head start on it the night before, cranking out this top that i really like:

and i used a super cute french terry fabric with rose gold foil stars on it to make the bean a dress.

the fabric is kind of thick, so it'll have to wait awhile before she can wear it.

this is one of my new favorite patterns - a slim fit dolman-style top using some really fun elephants i've had in my stash for awhile.

i did have a few fails, though, like this top that makes me look like a referee:

and this dress that i really liked except that the pattern on the skirt ended up super crooked due to the construction of the pattern.

i love that dress though, so i made myself cut out another one using fabric that i couldn't screw up.  much better:

i really need a full-length mirror in my sewing area.  heh.

and i made the bean another dress too, so she could wear it to a party at the local country club:

i've got an insane pile of sweater knits that i'm dying to cut into for some fall/winter pieces, but we're looking at triple-digit temperatures here in soCA for the next couple of days.  the heat isn't really letting up on us anytime soon, and that doesn't really motivate me to make sweaters and cardigans and pants and stuff.  i'm too much of an instant gratification girl and i want to wear the stuff i make, stat.

i may be hoarding those knits for at least another month.  YARG.