Sewing -- Cheyenne Tunic and Linden Sweatshirt

Last week I completed two very challenging and time consuming tasks. Both, once finally complete, were incredibly rewarding.

The first, was a week and a half long slog through paperwork, bookkeeping, and ultimately tax preparation, ugh. It's a good thing I love numbers :)

The second, was a reward for completing the first task. Once my books were signed, sealed, and delivered, I allowed myself some much needed and long awaited sewing time. I don't break out my machines often since I tend to fall into a deep, deep sewing trance, spending full days and late nights sewing, with reluctant breaks for food and sleep. Knowing this about myself, I schedule my sewing time around my work and Elsie's schedule so that I'm not neglecting any of my responsibilities.

This session I tackled Hey June's Cheyenne Tunic after admiring it on my friend Mandy. The pattern was way beyond my skill level, but Mandy told me it was easy to follow and encouraged me to jump in. Because it had been so long since my last sewing session I decided to whip up a Linden Sweatshirt as a warm up. I scored a whole pile of 100% cotton jersey bedding at the thrift store and made a wearable muslin (aka night shirt) to get a feel for the pattern. It was fast and easy and the shirt is super comfy! I can't wait to make another Linden once I finally get my hands on some proper sweatshirting.

For the Cheyenne I used a flannel bed sheet from my haul with the intention of making a wearable muslin. This pattern introduced me to so many new techniques and there were many finishing steps compared to what I'm used to (whipping up tanks and tees on my serger). I actually got to use my sewing machine for the majority of it which was a nice change of pace. Because of this, the project took me a long time to complete. I also made many mistakes that had to be ripped out and redone. In the end, I finished with a very nice looking shirt. And despite the worn out, pilled flannel bed sheet, it's very wearable. I absolutely love it and plan to make many more! Because it is so labor intensive, my only regret was not splurging on proper fabric for this one.

This was my first Hey June pattern and I loved every minute. The pattern layout is clear and easy to follow and nothing is overlooked. Considering the amount of new territory I crossed (making a button placket and sewing buttonholes, using interfacing, making a collar and buttoned cuffs), this pattern is perfectly suited to new-ish, non-techincal sewers like myself and I highly recommend it!

I had a few scraps left over which I decided to use to make a matching set of zippered pouches (another project I'd never done!). I perused tutorials online to get the general idea of size and construction. I made my pieces 9" x 5 1/2" for the large bag, 9" x 4 1/2" for the medium bag, and 5" x 4 1/2" for the small bag. There are so many tutorials and patterns out there but this one just made sense to me and was the least fussy. I used this tutorial to learn how to install the zipper (another first!).

They were fast and fun to make (and a little bit addictive—I wanted to make a more!).

I adore sewing. When I sew it takes over the house (...our house is very small). I set up my 6 foot folding table for cutting, leave my ironing board out, and set up my sewing machine and serger back to back on my breakfast table. I don't take any of it down until I'm completely through—Elsie always shakes her head at the mess. I love getting into it and letting myself get totally swept up in a project.

...but it sure feels good to reclaim my space when it's all done!

Do you sew? If so, what was your latest project? What's your sewing style—do you let it take over the house? Do you have a craft room with a permanent sewing station?