Sewing Things About the Internet

It seems like I've poked my head back into the sewing blog-o-sphere just before it is ready to explode!  I know there's always a sewing blog event going on somewhere, but it feels like there are going to be even more things coming up than normal in the next few weeks.  Aside from Self Stitched September and National Sewing Month (which always happen next month), a few other big announcements caught my eye:

(1) McCall's company has a blog - and they are going to do their first sewalong! I'm waiting to see what pattern they pick.  I sort of doubt I'll participate - I just don't know if I can get excited about someone else telling me what to sew right now - but I am very interested to see what sort of pattern they pick, and to see what sort of insights a sewalong from the actual pattern company will provide, as opposed to, say, another website trying to sell fabric.

(2) Speaking of selling fabric, Fabric Mart blog will be hosting The Fabricista Fashion Challenge 2.  On the one hand, if I were going to try to participate in something like this, now would be the time to do it.  The skating season is over, and it couldn't hurt to have a little inspiration to jumpstart the mojo.  On the other hand, I'm sort of back to the same problem as above - I don't know if I really want people telling me what to do, especially not right now.  I'm a bit torn, but I suspect if I'm feeling hesitant, it isn't the right move for me right now.  I am definitely going to pay attention to the challenges/contestants/results though!

(3) Pattern Review is always hosting at least one (but usually two, or sometimes even three!) contests.  I've entered a few in the past, but the most recent contest - the One Pattern Many Looks contest - actually might be worth considering.  Partially because my *eep* ten year high school reunion just got announced this week.  And I have a few other concerts/performances/shows I am planning on seeing during the rest of the year, and I would love to make some new clothes to wear for slightly dressier occasions.  Oh, and I would like to make myself some stuff for work too.  Not to mention that one pattern/many looks means maximum stash usage in a minimum time window.  If I can find the mojo to get me in front of the cutting table, it would be all good.  Luckily, the contest just started on the 15th, and while I would love to make myself a closet full of trench coats, that isn't happening for this contest.  I know the goal is to use one pattern to get as many garments as possible... but I'm thinking of doing at least 2 patterns with multiple looks.  Maybe.  We'll see what happens, but of everything this is the most likely thing for me to participate in.

In the meantime... I'm cleaning the sewing space.  Like, major overhaul reorganization.  It's good, so far, I think.  Playing with the stash is good.  Nothing inspires more than handling miles of pretty fabrics.  I'll post photos once I'm done.  It won't be the awesomely epic sewing cave-rooms of other bloggers, but I think (hope) it will function better than my current set-up, which had been feeling frustratingly cramped and claustrophobic lately.  Especially when it started acting as a fabric storage facility for half the dance skaters in Southern California.  Yet another thing on my list of reasons why I was avoiding my sewing space, and yet another thing I am going to try to fix moving forward.  So, I'm thinking about getting back in the game, one step at a time.