sewing in my sleep

The past few nights, as I lie on my back thinking before I fall asleep, all I can think of is sewing. Jo-Ann’s is having a 60% off sale on all of their spring fabrics, so that killed my “no buying fabric” rule for the summer. But one of the fabrics had whales on it! So, of course, that was necessary. I also got some lovely fuchsia knit; I hate purple, it’s my least favorite color, but this sort of purple-y pink has been catching my eye lately. But I haven’t worked with knits much, so this is what I’ve been dreaming about. I want to make some sort of sleeveless top, but one that could be worn on top of a short-sleeve or even a long-sleeve shirt once it gets cold again. I love sewing summer clothes, because anything without sleeves is much easier than anything with sleeves… but my mother keeps reminding me to prepare my wardrobe for the cooler climate of Cleveland, Ohio.

So that’s my basic idea, on the left. I don’t like the tunic style that’s popular right now; I prefer to avoid looking pregnant. So rather than a flowy knit top, I’m going to use princess seams to keep it fitted, and in the princess seams i want to put little patch pockets. Hopefully these will be some fun print; I’m sure I have a scrap of cute knit somewhere that I can use. The straps would have big fun buttons to attach them to the top strip, thus making it a top that could be sleeveless or could go on top of a long-sleeve shirt without looking weird. I’m excited!

I’ve also been coming up with lots of new product ideas that I’m hoping to get finished this summer before I go off to college. The shop is really important to me, though, so I’m almost positive I’m going to keep everything going next year. But my favorite big idea (literally big!) so far has been these totes. They’re big and floppy, and comfy seems like a strange word for a tote, but they’re so nice for carrying things! Every time I finish one I want to keep it, but nope, they’ve made their way into the shop. They’re also a great stash buster, so hopefully I’ll make room for all my new fabric.

Speaking of the shop, the shopping cart script has been edited and upgraded. I don’t know if any of you have tried to order things lately, but for some reason the “add to cart” function stopped working. Obviously, this makes it pretty difficult to order things. But I’ve fixed it up, and not only is it repaired, but the entire shop is running more smoothly than ever!

Summer vacation is beautiful; I’ve been doing lots of biking, working at random little jobs, and sewing away. I’m hoping this summer lasts as long as I need it to… I’m not quite ready to head off for college. I’m excited, sure, and it’s not like I want another year of high school, but it’s just strange to think about. But I’ll be taking my sewing machine with me, so I’ll be prepared!