Puzzle Pieces?

Life today made me think of puzzle pieces - sometimes they just seem to fall in place and some days you just twist and turn them looking -yet unable to see the forest for the trees. Or in my case -unable to see the project for the pieces? So  I have found a new piece of advice - Begin Somewhere!

      So, first I had to decide which project to attempt? Did I want to work on a fleece jacket for grandson or did I want to attempt 3 tee shirts for DH for his birthday in April ? I was stumped and the more I debated the worse it got . So, I decided to take the advice I had embroidered on a laptop sleeve "BEGIN SOMEWHERE.
     OK, I picked my pattern for the fleece jacket . I pulled all the pieces out and knew I would have to copy the medium size from my multi-size pattern. This took me about an hour and as I was working I wanted to be dishearted that I was making slow progress. Then I had a conversation with myself that I should keep myself " in the moment" because if I was going to use my time then I should remember that I should ENJOY what I was working on.
     Then I successfully copied the medium size that I needed and I intend to make this grandson a black fleece jacket because it will look nice with his black hair. He had asked me to make him one before Christmas but I just could not pull it off. Then I decided not to be upset because he will get more use out of it for his birthday next week. He had asked about the possibility of embroidering his name on the front of his sleeves.
     In the picture is the "soil control" that I have spoken of = see how nice it lays while you work on your project. On this piece of fleece it kind of clings to the fleece and makes it so nice and easy to cut the pattern pieces out. I really appreciate that quality .

           After I got all the main pieces cut out that only left the pockets and that is when I use another one of Lynne's tips - instead of using the fleece for the pocket I go through my scrapes of  knits and cut the pockets from them because they are so nice to not be a bulky as the fleece would be.

UTT OOO! After I got the pieces of the jacket together I started thinking of how I wanted to arrange the embroider????The more I thought - the more I "stewed"! So, I did something that I don't normally do - switch projects! I certainly did! 

     I was looking at the fleece and I wondered how that would work to make DH a pair of those gloves???? I thought they would be warmer so I pulled out the pattern and cut them out. They were so nice and soft and I thought for sure that I would have a winner.

     You can hardly tell, but I did put two little pleats on the top instead of the elastic? Then I went out the door and caught DH as he was working on his 4 wheeler and asked him to test them out.

                                              
      While he was testing that pair - I was working on a slightly different shape. So when he came in to take a break I asked how it went and he said they were too little and wanted to keep coming off? I took both of the fleece pair and laid them down on the one knit pair that he likes so much and laid them on top to check the measurements?? They were the same???? Then I laid the knit on top of the fleece as kept pondering what in the world was going on - how could the fleece be smaller than the knits when they were cut out of the same pattern and as I was smoothing the two different fabrics I gave a gentle tug on the knit and it had a LOT of stretch ?? So then I gave a tug on the fleece (which I consider stretchy) and the fleece would not stretch as much as the knit ! I had solved my mystery . I need a heavier knit with Lycra to have enough stretch! So, my efforts were not wasted - I had learned another lesson.

 

      As I was cleaning up my sewing mess I looked out the window and the snow was absolutely flying down .So, I scooted to the kitchen to grab my camera - and wouldn't you know it -it was so fine you can hardly see it! But I can tell from the bird feeder that the little birds have worked hard today. It is so hard for them to find food in weather like this. I have 4 pair of red birds and one pair of blue jays and a boat load of titmice and some sweet little chickadees!