Ho Ho Ho...Merry Panic !

I am in the midst of a full-blown Holiday Gift Giving Sewing Panic!

But is is a fun one, and within 11 days...it all should all be done.  And if not, my sister and my husband are quite used to gifts a few days weeks late...it's become a tradition around here ;)  But anyway, here's my plan--

On the left you'll see the new "Negroni"  Men's Shirt Pattern from 

Colette Patterns. It is a classic camp shirt that I am making for my husband, Roger. First I'll make it up in the nice lightweight blue denim (shown above) to test for fit, and then if it fits well and I like the pattern, I'll make one from the distressed gray silk that you see on the far left of the photo.  I really do not expect any problems...a camp shirt is a camp shirt. And while this pattern comes with very detailed instructions, I'll be refining some of the details. It won't add any time, so If you would like to 'watch' me as I refine some of the details of this new pattern let me know in the comments section, and I will snap a few pics along the way :)

While I am working on the shirt, I'll also be preparing the fabric and cutting out the pieces of a Coat for my sister Carolyn...her birthday is Christmas day :) Along with being an accomplished medical professional, my sister is now a business woman!  She has recently started to sell the fabulous jewelry line, Silpada. So I think the casual yet classy coat from McCalls that you see pictured will be perfect for her as she travels here and there to showcase all that amazing jewelry. I am making it from camel wool/cashmere knit that has been aging in my stash for a while.  The only snag I can see about making this coat for my sister is that she is very petite....5' 1" tall and about 95 pounds. Luckily, our sleeve length and shoulder length is the same, so I should be able to scale down and shorten the smallest size (8) without too much trouble, and I will also reduce the flare a bit so the coat won't overwhelm her.

The gift that has a definite deadline is the one I making for the young mother who "lets" me sew for her 2 little girls!  Jill is a sweet 26-year old beautiful young lady and a wonderful mother, who is always ready and willing to help me when I am ill...and she brings her little girls to visit me frequently :) That means alot to me because I have no children of my own, and I get to play "grandma" when they are here! I plan to make a top for her from matte jersey and the "swing vest" with the McCalls pattern shown on the right using the dark red microfiber suede pictured above. She is a tiny little thing but I think the x-small size will fit, based on her measurements.

To add to it all, our new Pro-Tricot Deluxe Interfacing has just arrived at Fashion Sewing Supply ! I have been developing this new interfacing for the past several months, and it is fantastic...I mean really really nice. I am so excited and proud of this new interfacing :)  Made especially for knits, it has stretch both width and lengthwise due to a touch of lycra and a special knit weave. Our new Pro-Tricot Deluxe comes in 4 colors, it doesn't shrink at all, leaves the knit fabrics to which it is applied very soft/drapey, plus the fabric remains stretchy yet stabilized and completely machine washable.  Whew..so many great features. This is not your typical tricot interfacing!
It is already selling very fast at the introductory price...so I will be cutting and packing orders before I can even think about sewing today.  Oh, did I mention I have few shirts to sew for clients, as well? It's a good thing that I absolutely LOVE my job jobs :)
So, let the merry panic begin!  But as that slogan we've seen all over the place says, I'll just...Stay Calm and Sew On !