Future projects

I'm very close to the end of the shirt that I've been making forever. Side note: it's very depressing to see that you only have 2 steps left in the instructions (woo!), only to realize that one is a ton of hand sewing, and the other is make buttonholes and sew on buttons. Sigh.

Anyway.

I'm very close to the end of the shirt, and not quite as close to the end of the dress that I'm making in class. Side note #2: this is taking me way longer than I expected. It's embarrassing to admit, but I thought I'd be faster than the rest of the class. Not that I'm a super fast sewer (I'm actually incredibly slow), but I have made a few things on my own, so I figured I'd just need a little help with the fitting and then I'd be off. Oh, the irony! I think I'm probably the farthest from finished in the class.

Anyway. Again.

I'm very close to the end of the shirt, and not quite as close to the end of the dress that I'm making in class. And I need to get started on the shirt I'm making for my dad for Christmas. But I can't help thinking of starting new projects. And despite my best intentions, I seem to have developed a stash, both patterns and fabric. So I decided to do a little matching, indulge my interest in starting something new, and plan my next couple of projects.

I'm not convinced that this is the best fabric for the shirt, being just a basic cotton, but I think the pattern would look so cute.

This is from the Colette Sewing Handbook - it's a sewing guide arranged around a series of patterns that increase in difficulty. This is the first one. The fabric is a fairly heavy cotton so that the scallops will hang properly. And it's purple, if you can't tell - purple is so hard to photograph well.

Is that not a ridiculously cute pattern and a ridiculously cute fabric? I bought it to make for a wedding this summer. If I start now, maybe I can finish it in time for next summer.

This is the other pattern I bought for the class. I would really like to learn to make trousers.

This is one of the first patterns I bought. I think it's time to use it. I might buy some other fabric to make the contrasting bottom band.

I've been putting this one off because fitting issues, but I still like it.

So, what do you think? Which one should I start first? And by first, I mean probably not until January.