Don't do it!

I have been terribly busy here, it IS coming up to St. Patrick's Day don't you know, but managed to sneak in some precious sewing time for myself.

If anyone else gets a chance to do this- I heartily reccommend taking a deep breath and going slowly. Just because you get a short time span to work does not mean it is time to rush. Isn't a big part of they joy sewing the ability to enjoy the process?

I had put the outer part of Vogue 1098 together last week, but I was unhappy with the sleeves. I have a bad habit of deserting a project if I run into a snag but I was determined to complete it before I began anthing else.
Yesterday I managed to take the sleeves down a bit to a more acceptable (to me) width. I basted the seam allowances to one side to determine the look.
Today I removed the lower sleeve section and lined it while flat. I even marked the alteration of the upper sleeves on the pattern pieces. I don't always get to this, which is a fault I am trying to overcome. I sewed the lower sleeve back on the uppers and topstitched.
I had a bit more time so I cut the linings out. Just enough fabric in the vintage acetate satin lining fabric for the body and lower sleeve. I accidentally sewed the sleeve seam rather than the hem seam on both pieces and notched it before I noticed, but that was not even the major faux pas. I managed to correct it, turn, press, understitch, press again.
No one was screaming for me yet, so I sewed them and applied the lining, turned it quickly to admire and try on, then realized I had lengthened the jacket by three inches when I cut it initially and had not added that length to the lining pieces!

I have used up all of the lovely and hard to find acetate satin lining that I had, so will need to use another fabric as an extension to the lining. I don't want to recut in Bemburg because it needs the heavier lining. Had I not rushed initially, I would have underlined the silk with something like a cotton batiste as well and not needed the extra body of the lining satin to make up for the difference.

So my experience makes me send out this bit of advice: when you get a bit of time, estimate what you can get done and do it. Don't let adrenaline or unusual quiet force your gleeful, shaking hands into rushing through the process. It is not all about the finished project.