I finished my Kelly Anorak last week , so I’m moving on to my Linden Swap project. After that, I have a handful of small, boring projects fixing and adjusting things. I’ve also been invited to a gala, but don’t have anything to wear. I have just enough time to make a dress, but my sewing budget is pretty much empty, so I’m trying to consider my options.

Date: Monday, November 6

Time sewing: 20 minutes

What I did: I adjusted my pattern for my Linden Swap recipient, which didn’t take too long as we wear pretty much the same size. I also pre-washed the fabric. I also ducked into the St Vincent de Paul on my way by to see if there was anything suitable for re-fashioning into a gala dress. There were a couple of things that might work, but were generally boring, cheap fabrics and I could probably get something on sale at the fabric store for about the same amount.

Date: Tuesday, November 7

Time sewing: 20 minutes

What I did: I pinned and cut out the fabric for my Secret Santa Linden. I realized, as I did so, that I had tooooons left over (and by tons, I mean some, but in Linden Land, that translates into some solid pieces) and decided that I would cut out bits for half a Linden for myself. I managed to eke out everything except a body front and back. I scrambled through my scraps, but didn’t have enough of anything suitable (I had some black jersey, but that doesn’t seem appropriate match for burgundy velour). I only need .6 of a metre to finish it and can probably find that in a remnant bin or on sale.

Date: Wednesday, November 8

Time sewing: 20 minutes

What I did: I sewed all of the cuffs as well as sleeves to body front. That’s it.

Date: Thursday, November 9

Time sewing: 30 minutes

What I did: I pressed the cuffs, sewed the sleeves to body back and sewed the side seams. It seems so ridiculously underwhelming to blog about making this top as it feels like I have made about a thousand Lindens at this point.

Date: Friday, November 10

Time sewing: 15 minutes

What I did: I planned on not sewing at all today as my mother is visiting, but somehow I can’t resist the siren song of my my sewing machine! We got a massive cold snap and I realized that the blanket scarf I bought last year (but never wore, due to its sheer ridiculous proportions) matched my Kelly Anorak perfectly. Because the scarf was huge, as blanket scarves are, and also really thick, I couldn’t figure out a way to wind it around my neck without it opening/ falling off every five seconds. I hypothesized long ago that cutting it in half lengthwise would probably do the trick and had scheduled it as one of the “catch up” tasks I planned on working through in December. I decided it couldn’t wait and just did it. I have no regrets as this scarf is now functional and super pretty.

Date: Saturday, October 28

Time sewing: 25 minutes; 10 minutes

What I did: I pinned all of the cuffs and almost got through sewing all of them, but had to stop as we are pretty sure that the serger was keeping the baby from falling asleep. Oops. So I blogged until she fell asleep and then finished.

Date: Sunday, October 22

Time sewing: 15 minutes

What I did: I organized my WIP bin and washed a swatch of the fabric for my Linden Swap top.

Total time sewing this week: 7 hours 35 minutes

What I learned:

• Velour is ridiculously sheddy. I have burgundy fluffs everywhere. It’s also really slippery. Use SO MANY pins when sewing with it.
• Sewing for others is hard. I am so in love with this fabric and already have plans to buy more to make my own Linden.