I have been looking forward to this race since it was announced earlier this year. I knew it was going to be awesome. How could it not when it's path goes through the paved roads of the battlefield? Ok, so before I get ahead of myself, a little background - this is the inaugural year for the Prince William Half, and I really hope that it comes back next year. It was very well run, and just a terrific race. Some first year races, have hitches and glitches, and if there were any for this race, then I was not aware. The starting time did get pushed back by 15 minutes, but that ended up being beneficial to me. I think it was pushed back though, because so many racers were still arriving, but honestly there wasn't a traffic jam that I could see or heard about. So let's get onto the meat of the review.

So if you've been reading this blog lately, then you know that I've been trying to use up my stash of fabric. Apparently, I'm also going through old patterns and finally making them. Nothing like wanting new clothes and not having to go out and find something. It's almost like free clothing. I mean I know I paid for all the stuff at one time, but that time is not right now, so it does feel like I'm able to update my wardrobe for free.

We have a wedding to go to soon, and this is as good a reason as any to whip up a cute new shirt. This shirt is going to be perfect for when I feel like a busted can of biscuits. Ladies, you know those days, and you know which ones I'm talking about. I really do like how feminine this shirt is, and I really like how the model on the pattern is wearing it with a pencil skirt. I have a pencil skirt that I think will work so off to work I go. 

The first problem, came when I didn't have enough of my sheer fabric. Luckily, I did have some leftover lining fabric that matched my main fabric, so rather than self lining this top, I lined it with my new fabric and went along my merry way. I opted to make view "D". I'm over the handkerchief hem. View "D" also allowed me to hide the lining fabric to a degree, because the bottom isn't graduated like it is in some of the other views. Win, win!

The pattern is not simple, and I'd really only recommend it to confident, intermediate skilled sewers. Some of the directions are wonky and take experience to know how to accomplish what they want you to do. The elastic below the shoulders is one such example. How they tell you do the elastic, and the way you end up having to do it are two different things.

I maybe should've lengthened the top, but I didn't think about it and I don't think it's too short looking on me. I paired it with my skinny jeans for the photo, because the skirt I was going to pair it with - well I didn't like how it looked with the top, so I've already gotten another pattern in the works. A simple pencil skirt from a pattern that I may have bought in 2002......

Until next time, cheers!

This is another stash busting project, but I do remember purchasing this fabric at Walmart. It was on clearance, and a great chambray. I paired it with a fun cotton geometric print, and had plans to make the hubs a new shirt. The hubs will not get his shirt though. When I told him of my plans, after finding the fabric again, he told me that he didn't really want another bowling shirt. That's fine with me, just means I get another new shirt. Who doesn't need another button down?

So I've totally had this post written for over a month, and forgot to publish it. Whoops! Well here is the next installment of the stash-busting clothing sewing.

Here's the third top I knocked out last week. The top is basically a version of a pillowcase dress. I opted for the variation with ruffles, because ruffles. I had this gauze lying around for ages. I got it several years ago from mom, and it's just been sitting. So as a part of the great fabric purge I decided that the gauze would be perfect for this pretty, feminine shift.

I did cheat a bit. I didn't feel like hemming the ruffle so I just ran the edge through the serger with a slightly darker shade of olive green thread. 

The biggest conundrum with this fairly straightforward pattern was when it came  to stitching down the back to the sash. It doesn't tell you exactly where to stitch so you kind of have to play around with the fit and drape of the top on the sash to get it right. The sash also seems especially bulky, but it does flatten out a bit. I may have stabbed myself several times while trying to get the tie just right. I call it sewing acupuncture. 

The top is very comfortable and sews up very quickly. The ruffle version is a bit more difficult than the other variations of the top, but it's not overly difficult. The simpler version of this top would absolutely be a great top to start your sewing skills, but the ruffled variation should be done by someone who's maybe still beginning, but has gained some confidence.

Cheers! 

So let's go back a few weeks. Three weeks to be exact.