Christmas Sewing Officially Begins

When I first learned to drive I didn't want to drive for very long. I would get tired of it quickly, finding it almost mentally exhausting and with sewing I feel much the same. I think it is for this reason that the projects I choose tend to offer that instant gratification of a project that come together quickly and finishes in a single sitting. When I started with diapers I could only sew one or two at a time and then I was done. Not a second more would be spent doing anything sewing related, well except during early labor, I sewed up about 7 diapers that morning.
I also have a tendency to remake all those patterns that I love. I have made near a dozen pairs of yoga pants for Meara. So I am feeling a little nervous right now, as I have chosen a bit of a bigger undertaking and I suspect it may take me a few afternoons in the sewing room to pull it all together, but of course it will be well worth it. The Amaryllis Dress, which was released this week in Pattern Anthology's Winter Wonderland bundle, is that bigger project. It is a gorgeous and reversible dress. Perfect for Christmas, don't you think?
Yesterday I spent about an hour wandering Fabricland and looking for that perfect fabric. Sure, I could order online and get a good deal, but I felt for this it was more important to feel the fabric and see it before I bought it. I needed to know I did have the perfect fabric.
I chose a beautiful cream cotton plaid with grey, pink, metallic gold, and blue in the colors. It has a casual feel that is still dressy. Because I wanted the dress to have a pop of color to it I chose the subtle blue in the fabric to be the main color on the reverse side. I had one of the associates help me pick out the perfect fabric to match, a teal blue crepe (I think, I neglected to read the info on the end of the bolt) with body and a subtle shimmer. This dress is gonna be gorgeous!
Today I am pre-washing the fabrics, and assembling my pattern pieces. I will try to get to cutting into the fabric today too, but since I am trying to finish a pair of Sadie Grace Nightgowns I already cut, I think it just might not be in the cards. Meara would have to let me have that much time for me. Dream on!
So, the nightgowns are actually the first Christmas gift that I have sewn so far. One is done and the other is just waiting for me to sew it up. I decided to use up some of the Crib Bedding fabrics that I had left on this project and to make a generous size 2. Meara is such a big little girl.
In terms of the DIY Christmas Project, I am realizing that I need to scale it back. I can't realistically sew that much in less than 2 months. So, now I am going to call it, minimum one hand made gift per person on the list, and most of that gets covered by the Christmas baking. Maybe I can sew up several Pajama Eaters for the nieces and nephews, maybe.
Well, I have spent enough time online, onto the sewing room and the many projects that await!

Craft-tastic Tuesday - My Stash is Ahhhhh!!!! In Need of Help

This is most but not all of the quilting cotton portion of my stash

In some ways my fabric stash is small, I have been sewing for less than a year, it is young. And it is not. There is no balance to it, no rhyme and no rhythm. My tiny space is often taken over by the mass of fabrics everywhere.
I have bins of apparel knits and wovens, yet I barely sew any clothing. Just a few baby items so far. But I am drowning in fabric that would be perfect for my wardrobe. I really need to get brave and selfish sew.
Most of my stash comes from my Gram, who was great with a sewing machine, and made a lot of her own clothing. Every time I pull one of these fabrics from the bins I think of her and I wonder what her plan was for that fabric. Sometimes I have a good idea what she may have intended and sometimes it is less clear. I feel it is really important to use these fabrics and use them well.
I have the same Autumn skin tone, as my Gran called it, so though not all these fabrics have prints that I would have chosen for myself, they are in colors that suit me well and I will feel comfortable in. My Gram also bought multiple yards at a time so I know I have enough fabric to work with.
It is time now that I try to make use of these. I can drool over fabrics at girlcharlee.com all I want, but I need to make room in my stash and master new skills before I overload myself. So what I am going to do is post one fabric at a time and ask you, my readers, for suggestions of patterns and advice. Please help me find the right project for these wonderful fabrics that do have a lot of meaning for me. These projects can be anything from clothing for myself, siblings, and children to items to dress the home.
I will post a few photos once a month, and a description of the fabric. I will tell you if it is a knit, about its drape, if it is synthetic or not and answer any questions asked and I hope that in the comments you can suggest great projects and help me.

Octobers Fabric Selection

Here is what I know:

Type - Knit

Colour - Bright Red

Stretch - 2 way 30%

Weight - Medium  to Heavy weight

Pattern - Solid red with a diamond pattern woven in

Content - Appears to be mostly cotton

Comment below to help me find the best use for this fabric, I think this would make a great fall sweater, but I don't have a pattern in my size.