Now as you may have gathered lovely people, I am both terrible at keeping on top of things in long challenges (Spring Palette was a dismal fail..) and good at working to a super strict self-imposed deadline (hence all my stuff I start on a whim just before I have to wear it!). I have also just been stunned into silence (ish!) by the astounding and lovely Mena at the Sew Weekly’s amazing self challenge – the 7 in7 challenge in which in 1 WEEK (yes-that’s 7 days) she shall make 7 dresses from the Colette Patterns range (that’s not 1 week a dress-that’s 1 week for all of them). And this is potentially on top of her making another outfit for the standard sew weekly challenge! (She just did a Crepe for the challenge but I’m not sure if that’s included… or if next week’s is.. I guess we will find out!) This is probably the most mental challenge I have ever seen, as most of those dresses are quite complicated! She is also allowing the followers to have a say in the fabric of the dresses (as if it wasn’t complicate enough!) so if you want to input into 7 of the quickest made dresses ever-head on over!
Now this has shamed me, as I am always starting things with grand plans and then not finishing anything. Therefore, I have assigned myself my own super swift 7 day challenge – UFO finishing! (for those that don’t know - a UFO is an UnFinished Object, of which I have many)
Roswell week (which starts today!) will include me trying to get as many UFOs finished or abandoned entirely as possible, ideally all of them. Conditions - I have to do something sewingy everyday if reasonably sensible (ie going to the pub counts as an excuse but watching friends repeats on tv does not). I shall post every day about my (hopeful) progress -this is to stop me chickening out! I shall not sew or plan anything else (unless drastic repairs are needed urgently). I can decide to just chuck projects but I have to really mean it (otherwise they will still just lurk in my mind!). For the purposes of the challenge the week starts when I get home from work tonight.
Now obviously this is only a challenge I have just made up on the spot, but I made a badge anyway (picture-not jazzy html), so if anyone else fancies trying it and uncovering the horrible truth about their UFOs feel free!
My UFO list (bearing in mind I am not currently near my sewing stuff so there are probably more I have forgotten about!) currently includes things in a number of different levels of unfinished.
Glee Dress for Charlotte – technically I finished this, and she wore it, but the back zip and waist seam are a complete mess and I have been promising to fix it for ages, plus the inside seams are all over the place. Also I never took any pictures of it.
Christmas dress (yes I hang my head in shame) –I never finished the seams on the inside so I can put it through the washer! – only been about 6 months on that one…
Silky cami top - it just doesn’t fit right, so it has been sat at the fit tweaking stage for about as long as the Christmas dress.
Jersey skirt for Spring Palette challenge – So long Sarong. I couldn’t get the gathers to sit right (I hate knits!) so I just left it. I will have to take the waistband off and try again.
Shifting skies skirt – I am about 2/3 of the way through the underskirt, with the over skirt not started. Hmm, this one might prove a bit of a challenge (but I will try!)
Pendrell homage. Again, stuck on the fitting. I got so sick of tweaking this that I lost interest, but I need to try again! It might be too much for the week but I shall give it a shot!
Green dress refashion. About 6 months ago I bought a shapeless green patterned smock form Shelter and decided to refashion it, I pulled the neckline off and pinned out the darts, then abandoned it (I don’t even remember why). Should be pretty easy to finish.
Flowery dress refashion. In the same Shelter trip, I got a misshapen babydoll tunic that was about 3 miles wide with a stretched neck you could drive a car through. I actually finished turning it into a dress, but it is still a bit shapeless and I have been meaning to go back in for a more thorough job.
Napkins. When I made my brother a picnic rug for Christmas, I only had chance to finish 2 of the napkins, and promised to finish the other two immediately. I haven’t.
Black skirt repair. A month ago I bent down in my favourite pencil skirt and ripped it down the back seam. It has been awaiting repair ever since.
Agnetha. Ok so this one is only here because she doesn’t yet have a stand. If I get a chance I might pop to the scrap yard and see what I can find.
Oh dear. Making that list was rather depressing! I think I may have just given myself an intervention! It worries me how many of these I have already slightly blogged about and then just abandoned! BRING ON THE CHALLENGE! BRING ON ROSWELL WEEK!
