Close to the sewing machine

The Shirts
"January" didn't actually get finished in January due to mechanical problems, but Tom was quite understanding and wore his new Dogs on Hawgs shirt last Thursday. Not wanting to get in the same predicament of (typical of my college study habits...after 30 years, you'd think I'd be better...) trying to get it all done at the last minute, I set out on a pattern cutting marathon. Well, it wasn't really marathon because it spanned three mornings and I didn't run 26.2 miles, but I did get shirts cut out of fifteen dog fabrics and the facings and collars interfaced.

Though it's the same pattern I've been using for years, I'm still learning—like pay closer attention to the length of the pattern repeat and order even more extra fabric is the pattern repeat is 24 inches. It's my own little foible that the pockets MUST match I just couldn't do it with what I had left in Pip and Pals, we headed to Fabric Depot with pocket template in hand. While we were there we found Firehouse Mascot.
  

The next day, as I was laying out some other fabrics, it looked like I wouldn't have enough for the sleeves, so off to Mill End I went to find coordinating fabrics. I didn't (but it's just as well, because I later found out Tom prefers that the sleeves not contrast). But with a 25% discount coupon in my bag, I couldn't leave empty-handed, so came home with Terriers Abound and dog fleece.
  

I found some very cute Robots fabric at J&O Fabrics (and had the quickest fabric order turnaround ever–two hours), but it must have been the end of the bolt because I ordered only two yards. Apparently it's a really old fabric patternd because it took some heavy duty searching to find more but I did—at Wish Upon a Quilt. (At first glance this may not look like a dog fabric, but if you look closely you'll see a little robot dog at the top of the sample.)

And after creative layout, I did manage to get the sleeves and collars cut from the other fabrics.

A future coat
It wasn't my plan to buy patterns at Mill End, but glancing at the New Look rack I found two:
  

And the wool/acetate plaid fabric from a co-op buy will be perfect for the coat. I also bought an embroidered duppioni silk—I'm thinking a vest.
  

Enough of this computer stuff, I have sewing to do.