Goodbye Cotton, Hello Wool

It's August already? It can't possibly be. School's only been out of session for like... 3 weeks, right?

I'm in the midst of Vogue 8241, using a yard of blue/white rayon stash.

It's fully lined, so there's lots of trimming and clipping and pressing going on. 

This is the back of the bodice, lining side up. I'll need a pretty button for the top closure at my neck.
The instructions have me finishing the neckline/armhole/shoulder straps in the weirdest way... which involves slipstitching the lining/fabric together along the top of the armhole.  I like to use a machine stitch here, to guide the fold when I press the edge over, and it also gives me a guide line for my hand-stitching.

I love blue and white prints. This is the end of my "summer" sewing, though.  With school starting just after Labor Day, it's time to hand me the wool, please...

I had BIG plans for sewing a beautiful new fall wardrobe this summer. Some really great coordinating wardrobe staples, like pants and skirts and jackets. I have the most beautiful fabrics from my visit to the NYC garment district a few years ago.  The Khalje/King "Sit and Sew" class seems like a lifetime ago, but it was 3 years ago. Nope... 2009.  4 years ago. Again, where does the time go??? 

 Why haven't I sewn this yardage yet?
- I wanted to get skinny first. There's always that, "I'll wait until I'm thinner!" voice. Well, I've gone from a 12 to a 6, so that excuse is gone. Thank you protein, veggies, and Crossfit.
- The fabric was a kind of my "souvenir" from my trip. Cutting into it? Then, it won't be waiting in my stash, waiting to be petted and pouted over ("I wanna go back!!!").
- "I'm not worthy!" was running through my mind when I would think of working with it, like my skillset was just too lacking to risk ruining my awesome NYC fabric. I know I'm capable of sewing the classic pieces I had planned for this fabric. I think this is really just about reasons 1 and 2.

So, I'm over it. I'm doing it. I'm pulling patterns and cutting into that yardage, enough is enough. Because life is short, no one (namely, ME) is enjoying that beautiful fabric while it sits in a box in a closet in my basement. And, most importantly, IF I SEW IT ALL GONE, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO NYC AND GET MORE. Am I right, or am I right?!

So, first up on the list is this lovely suiting from Paron's that has always wanted to be a Chanel jacket. While I'll likely not go all "couture" on this (so much more stash to sew), I do have the silk charmeuse and pattern ready to go. I found the buttons on Etsy last week, along with some gold ones for another Chanel jacket in the works...

The Etsy seller was wonderful, quickly replying to my questions and creating custom listings for the exact number of buttons I needed. Also, she sent along 2 extra buttons, lovely pink ones, that perfectly match one of the NYC fabrics, a pink boucle...

So, if you need buttons, check out Lakesha at ChicButtonsExpress.  She's affordable, and in Chicago, so my order came right away. Now, I just need the trim... Does anyone have recommendations for trim vendors on Etsy???  Do you find yourself saving the best of your stash, too?