Spring Break Sewing!

It's finally spring break! I thought it would never get here. I get a week off from teaching --- but that does not equal a week off from work. Nevertheless, here I am at home, drinking my coffee in my pajamas on a Monday morning. I have a huge pile of grading to work on today, and lectures for next week, but I'll work from the comfort of my own home and on my own time today. Tomorrow I'll go back into the office and actually try to get some research done (yay, research!).

In the spirit of actually having a bit of a break, though, I'm going to make sure I am not spending 10 hours (or more) at work every day and I'm going to get some sewing done. My plan is to jump into the vintage patterns that have started appearing in my pattern library.

Up first is Advance 3540. I won this pattern and fabric in a giveaway hosted by Gertie back in June. I'm not sure about the size, so I started making a muslin of the short sleeve version yesterday out of some cotton fabric I cannibalized from an early sewing project that turned out just ok (meaning: I've never worn it). I figured this would at least be a useful reason for cutting it up. So far, the pattern is very simple and once I get the fit settled, the actual dress should go very quickly. There's no zipper, just two buttonholes in the front for the tie at the empire waist.

Next is Simplicity 5315, that I won in a giveaway hosted by Leah at Struggle Sews a Straight Seam. I was at Hancock Fabrics yesterday picking up a few McCall's patterns for $1 each, when I saw this aqua and dark chocolate (not black) cotton pique for $2.95/yard and thought it would be perfect for this simple, casual sheath (sleeveless version).

These are both really simple patterns that should go together quickly, but I'll have to make muslins of both to check the fit, and that is what will slow me down the most. I have one more vintage pattern in my library, but I doubt that I will get to it this week. And who knows what I'll be in the mood to sew when I next have time to start a project? I tend to just go with however I'm feeling. I figure that it's my free time and it's supposed to be fun, so why should I stick to a "plan" and have it feel like a chore, right?

Anyway, I should probably get started on that grading so that I can avoid feeling guilty when I stop working at 3 or 4pm and start sewing instead. :P

Happy spring break!