Finished object!

I finished my stripey cardigan, and I LOVE it.  It is super cosy and warm, and fits PERFECTLY.  In looking at it, I think it would be cute with leather patches on the elbows, so I'm going to keep thinking along those lines, and possibly order in some patches at some point.

I did also get the corduroy trousers sewn front to back - I sewed the inner seam, and decided to baste the outer seams so I could check fit before I top stitched the inner seam.  Good news:  Fit across the backside, crotch, and legs is generally good.

Let's see if you can spot the bad  news:  (Please ignore the quality of the photo, Kiddo the First was being a tweenager and refused to take a photo, so I had to steal Kiddo the Second's mirror.  It has since been cleaned!)

The trousers are about 2 inches too short.  It's okay, a fab friend and I brainstormed up a way to fix them - I'm going to take them in around the calves, and hem them to just above the ankle bone.  She called them "ankle grazers", and they're actually quite trendy at the moment.  

I've been sort of pouting about these being too short, and then it occurred to me - these were only ever meant to be a wearable muslin.  Now I know, the pattern itself fits just fine through the hips, derriere, and thighs, I just shortened it too much based on my inseam.  FORTUNATELY, I didn't cut the pattern when I shortened it, I just folded it.  So, I'm going to move forward on the actual jeans, with my nice denim, and unfold the pattern.  

We have just over a month until our trip, and none of my jeans/trousers fit properly any more, so I really need to get rocking on getting some made. 

Which actually brings me to my next "issue" - I have been paying for the major expenses of the trip a piece at a time, so the rental car, hotels, etc, are all paid for.  I was in the process of pricing out the final major expense, and feeling really good about the whole thing, when a problem came up.  It's not a huge deal, just another trip related expense that we hadn't expected - and it costs exactly the same as the bra pattern and kits I was going to buy for myself.  

I really NEED new bras.  I have always said there are two garments you should never skimp on - bras and shoes.  You get what you pay for, and as a chesty lady, I really need good, supportive bras.  Mine are a few years old, so couple failing elastic with weight loss, and things are starting to look pretty droopy.  If I wait until the next paycheck for the money to buy the pattern/bra kits, I won't have enough time to actually get them sewn before we leave.  I can go to my favorite bra shop, and spend the money on a few ready made bras, BUT that's violating my no buying clothes resolution.  I really can't go to a less expensive shop, because I am a hard-to-find size.  So, that's where I'm at.