My inappropriate return

By "inappropriate" I mean both seasonally and age-wise. But, hey, I'm back!

I sewed this pattern slowly, in stops and starts over several weeks (months?), and excuse the melodrama, but it was like learning to walk again. Having not worked on a sewing project since maybe June, I was real rusty.

The pattern is the Fancy Tiger Crafts Sailor Top. It has great instructions, especially for a beginner, or someone like me who's trying to remind herself that she knows how to sew. I especially appreciated the raglan sleeves.

The fabric is a very lightweight cottony something or other from the Lisette line, and does give off a slight whiff of children's apparel (smells like teen spirit preschool). I bought it at Joann's a few months back, in a bout of retail therapy. Funny thing is, almost immediately after my purchase - like the next day, I started to feel a distinct shift in my style taking place. I've always been someone who can look at an array of objects/prints/whatever and immediately pick what I like, definitively. I found I was suddenly disgusted by the cutesy florals and bright colors in my closet. Ditzy prints and peter pan collars? How twee - how could I be bothered? Polka dots? Who CARES -- all those things I'd been drawn to, basically my entire life up 'til this point, seemed to say all is well, delightful, and predictable, which didn't feel right anymore.

This was... unexpected. I'll attribute it to winter's general bleakness, and my (now not so recent) singledom making me want to feel like an adult who has her shit together, and not like a naive, silly girl who prances around in pink polka dots (not that there's anything wrong with that). Those things are just not for me at the moment. It's much easier to both dress and feel happy-go-lucky in the summer, right?

I forced myself to power through (if you could even call it that, it was so SLOW!) sewing this top, and over the time it took to complete I've come to accept the garment, sloppy gathering & dodgy ditch-stitching and all. I'll tuck it away in my closet to save for spring, and move on to something that feels more sleek and appropriate for the moment.

But, you guys! Grumblings aside, I am truly pleased to have finished a project. Finally! I do intend to sew more things and more often than I'd been doing recently. It does feel pretty good to be creating things again. Also, I've got the Finch Makers Retreat coming up and am starting to get excited! April Rhodes will be there, y'all -- APRIL RHODES!!