2 shirts finished

Where does the time go? Mum is doing better - thanks to all who have commented and sent their prayers. She is awake and starting to show frustration, which is a sign that she wants to get OUT of hospital and we are all cheered by that. But as "What About Bob" said, it's baby steps to the elevator.

In the meantime, I finally made it to the Fabricland for shirt buttons and got enough for both the striped shirt and the camp shirt. I made all the buttonholes on Friday and sewed 17 buttons on Friday night while watching tv. Therefore, I was ready on Saturday morning to wear the striped shirt to visit Mum.

She had bought me the fabric one day when we were both at the store together. In the photo, I am also wearing the very first jean jacket I made from that Vogue pattern I use all the time - it is a lightweight cotton twill. When I got to the hospital, I pulled up my gown (she is in isolation) and flashed her my bright clothes and told her that the shirt was made from the fabric she bought me. She totally reacted and formed a face that went "ooh, ah!" and so I was thrilled (she can't talk due to a tracheotomy).

I only took a photo of the other shirt before I did the buttons but here it is anyway. Now I only have to make three buttonholes on the grey suit jacket and I'm done all those UFOs and can start on something new. DressADay has inspired me to start "sewing with a purpose" or SWAP. The second link is to the page where SWAP is described and the root url of that page is a woman who sells fabric in Nova Scotia. She has a contest and I won't be ready to enter it this year but maybe next year. In any event however, it's all about not just sewing this and then that with no direction. (That's a heckva sentence, sorry.) I have two lengths of twill - one in a mid blue and the other a kelly green - that could form the basis for the two solid colours part of SWAP. And a couple of weeks ago, I was actually inspired to give away about a half dozen skirts I never wear (waistbands too small) and dress pants I'd bought from Sears and now never wear (same problem) so I actually have an inch or so of open space in my closet. I have to do the same with the blouses I have that are polyester and therefore don't work well with my body chemistry. I have to stick to cotton and rayon.

Anyway, I now have to go study project management - I'm taking a course in it at the dame college where I teach. They offered it for cheap to staff but I am finding it interesting and it is possible it could add to my resume. I'm going to do some proper planning for my SWAP but I'm also going to give myself the "out" to sew something else from my stash, just for fun. What was really interesting was that when I went to buy the buttons, I walked around for about 10 minutes with a remnant bolt of some nice 100% cotton for another camp shirt but in the end, I put it back and didn't buy it because it wouldn't necessarily have gone with anything else in my wardrobe. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks!