Virtual Retreat: Extreme Home Sewing Edition

After a night with almost no sleep (thank-you brain, for being overactive) and a ten hour shift at work, I'm just too tuckered out to attempt to work on any of the many projects I have going. I also had several surprise projects show up this month and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

Pretty much sums up how I feel

Lucky me, its Memorial Day Weekend, and after work tomorrow and a trip to my mechanic to get my brakes fixed, I'll have a three day weekend with minimal social obligations. Karate class is cancelled, my friends are going camping, and there is no Dagorhir practice due to the holiday weekend. Saturday is 100% all mine and Monday as well.

So it will be a Virtual Retreat Sewing Weekend for me, by which I mean I will pretend like I'm on a Sewing Retreat, go into my room, close the door and work work work. Here is my list of projects (think Get It Done May 2.0 Extreme Home Sewing Edition):

1. Hem Anita's skirt ( a project I've had for about a month that will take me maybe an hour but I just don't feel like doing it)

2. Hem Uncle Dave's work pants

Unfinished side not shown

FYI, I think hemming is the most boring sewing ever, so we're doing this first to get it out of the way. Ever hemmed curtains? Oh my gosh the straight lines just will not end. Fortunately, these projects are easy and of a short duration.

3. Finish piecing Nana's Quilt Top. Sandwich, quilt, and bind. One side to go on the inner border and cut and piece the outer border.

4. Cut out and sew two pairs of pants for Jack. I think I already have one pair cut out, I just need to find it. And I have the material for more. I just need to find it. The pattern I use is by McCall. I use heavy weight thread, zig-zag stitch all the edges, and double stitch the seams. All this is time consuming but necessary, as spending a week slaying the armies of Mordor is a bit hard on the clothes. I also make his pants out of duck cloth. Its a little heavy for the summer but they are breathable, durable, and apparently very comfortable once they have been washed a few times.

5. Finish Jack's Ranger Coat. I'm sorry to admit that this project has been two years in the making. Two years ago I pieced the outer coat for Ragnarok. A year ago I added the lining. And this year I plan on finished the sleeves, which will be removable through the use of eyelets and laces. I'm also sorry to admit that I do not have a good picture of this available.

6. Cut out and sew three shirts for Jack. The man desperately needs new garb this year.

7. Finish my purple surcoat. Started months ago.

I just ordered a new shirt pattern that will hopefully allow me to make short-sleeved shirts for the guys that do not look like commercial t-shirts.

Has several different patterns in a large array of sizes. This one pattern should work for just about anything I want to make.

Okay well that list is enough to keep me busy for a couple weeks. Stay tuned for daily updates on how I do!