Toaster Sweater + Black Ginger Jeans

I've been doing a relatively large amount of personal sewing over the last few months given how much sample making I find myself doing during office hours. It's become clear how much I rely on sewing to relieve stress and anxiety; when I have a lot on my mind it can be really soothing to lose myself in a fun project, especially if I have something interesting happening in the background (probably why I've managed to coast through half of Buffy in the last few weeks. Again.)

I am curious to see how this routine will play out once I separate church and state and move out of my studio this summer. I plan on having a sewing space in my new apartment, but I wonder whether I will still be sewing 3-4 nights a week once I don't have a giant cutting table and all my supplies at the ready. My kitchen situation will be greatly improved so it's likely I'll be funnelling a lot of my "idle hands are the devil's plaything" energy into cooking and baking, which used to be a singular obsession before I rediscovered sewing (I cannot even tell you how excited I am to start entertaining again - right now my home/studio is a mess of boxes and it's too chaotic and embarrassing to have people over).

In the meantime, here are a few garments that have been hanging in my closet waiting for a non-rainy day to shoot them. Naturally, when we finally ran outside to take some pictures it started drizzling, so please pardon any raindrop smears on the lens.

I've been meaning to sew up the Toaster Sweater by Sew House Seven for a while. I got the pattern and fabric at Stitch Sew Shop and made this outfit in February (the curse of wanting to take photos of the things you make is that they sit there unloved and resentful until the timing is right. I learned the hard way this week to document before wearing when I finished a gorgeous dress and wore it straightaway, only to have the zipper break. Me, tipsy, cutting it off late at night. Dress, waistband destroyed, now sitting in wrinkly pile, seething. Me, humbled).

As for this Toaster, while I looooove the fabric ( a beautiful oatmeal fleece with a herringbone weave and matching ribbing for the bottom panel) I definitely made it too big. I made a large for reasons that escape me now, even though I was hoping to have something slightly fitted and cropped for when I'm wearing high waisted jeans. It's definitely snuggly and cozy but I will be sizing down the next time I make it, along with shortening the arm cuffs which I find a touch long for my frame. Otherwise the pattern is simple but well designed, easy to assemble and a fun alternative to the basic sweatshirt.

These are Ginger Jeans, naturally, made with our brass hardware kit. I made the high waisted variation using the glorious black Cone denim we offered in our last kit. Unfortunately they are just a touch too small. This stuff is stretchy but firm, and because this particular denim doesn't bag out much, a slightly too small pair stays slightly too small even after wearing them a few times. This is part of my seemingly never-ending denial about how my body has changed in the past year. Old standbys like Ginger just don't fit in the same way, so I will be modifying my personal pattern for the next pair I make (which incidentally will be happing this weekend at Pintuck & Purl in New Hampshire for one of my Ginger workshops).

Fit issues aside, this is basically the perfect work uniform for me, especially with my super comfy Dr. Scholls mules. I'm trying to build a selection of easy, comfortable separates I can throw on in the semi-panicked state I find myself in every morning after hitting the snooze button too many times. You'd think as a self-employed person my mornings would be peaceful and leisurely, but the dogs have to be at work for 8am every morning and I am captive to their schedules (they work as therapy dogs and their trainers need to be on the road early every day). I'm going to try and break in these jeans a little bit more (wearable except when I'm sitting for long periods of time), but am secretly hoping my new-ish hot yoga regimen will make these a little more comfortable over the next few months.

What's your getting dressed routine in the morning (semi-panic or no)? Have you made the Toaster sweater yet?