Friday, May 31, 2013

MMM Week 5


THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! I can't believe I've made it through an entire month of me-made-may.

For my final week, the weather started to really turn to summertime temperatures and we even had some summer-style thunder storms.

On Monday, I wore my new Turquoise Taylor dress. This was Memorial day, so no work, just running errands and frolicking.

Tuesday, back to work, I paired a striped top with my trusty ol' gathered skirt. This was a pretty comfortable outfit to wear for work, though sometimes this skirt makes me feel a little like a cupcake.

Wednesday, I wore my favorite new thing, my rayon Laurel top. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE THIS TOP.

Thursday, I wanted to show off my new dress to my coworkers (read: I was lazy) and repeated the Turquiose Taylor dress I'd worn Monday, but with a bit more muted styling. No neon pops of coral in this outfit.

Friday, today, I wore my estate sale dress made last May. This was great for running errands in the 80 to 90 degree weather today.

Phew! I had such a great time this month, challenging myself to only wear me-made pieces from my closet. As you saw, there were some repeated outfits, but I didn't even have to cheat (wear vintage instead of me-made) ONCE! I must say, I am looking forward to wearing some of my vintage dresses, now that May is over, but I do plan to continue to make the effort to wear more me-mades, more often.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Finished Project: Laurel v. 4


So, it's no secret by now that I'm completely in love with the Laurel pattern from Colette Patterns. I've already sewn up two dresses and a collared top from this pattern, and I just don't really see any reason to stop!

My first Laurel top was made from a shirting cotton that was more on the crisp side than drapey. It worked great for the collar, and I love wearing the top, but I also wanted to try the Laurel top in a lighter weight fabric that had some more drape to it. When I found this colorful, pretty, rayon print at JoAnn fabrics, I knew it was meant to be.

The great thing about this pattern is that you can sew a size 6 sleeveless version with just a yard of fabric, and that includes enough to also make your own bias tape for finishing the neckline and armholes!








I sewed this up in a long afternoon and honestly don't have much to even say about this blouse. Things I did differently this time around were to cut out the top about an inch and a half longer than the pattern, and also I used French seams throughout.

As you might have guessed, I LOVE THIS TOP -- the fabric is soft and lovely, the colors are great, making and applying the bias tape facings/finishes was very satisfying, and every time I wear the thing, I can't stop petting and admiring it. With this make, I feel like I'm finally getting closer (or the goal is more within my reach) to cultivating a wardrobe that is full of things I've made (with a good amount of room for vintage finds, too). It was such a fun and stress-free top to whip up, I'm sure there will be more in the future.




 


Monday, May 27, 2013

MMM Week 4


Welcome to my week 4 recap of Me-Made-May!

Monday, I wore my new rayon Laurel top. I am in love with this top. I'll have a dedicated blog post soon, so you'll see more. It's pretty much my new favorite thing in my wardrobe.

Tuesday, I wore my brown gathered skirt, created almost exactly a year ago using Gertie's gathered skirt tutorial. It's so easy to pair this skirt with various tops from my closet - I should really wear it more often!

Wednesday, my wrap dress made an appearance. This is another piece I've made that does not get worn super often. I always end up fiddling with the wrap at the waist and adjusting the ties, so it can be a little annoying to wear for a full day at work.

Thursday, I broke out my polka dotted bow blouse. This is definitely a good go-to piece in my wardrobe and it pairs well with skirts, shorts, or pants - definitely a plus!

Friday, I wore my newly completed Turquoise Taylor Dress. It was actually chilly and windy that day, so I wore a thick navy cardigan and matching navy belt. UPDATE: I've just posted a new photo of me wearing this dress on my project post, too!

Saturday, I dug out my first ever completed top! This baby hasn't seen the light of day in a loooong time, but every time I wear it, I re-realize that it's pretty nice to wear and, though it's not perfect, it's still cute!

Sunday, back to my collared Laurel - an instant favorite in my wardrobe. I love the sixties vibe of this blouse and the cheerful pop of bright pink.

Ok, guys! Let's gear up for the fifth and final week of Me-Made-May. I'm going to try to come up with some fresh new outfits using my me-mades, as a last hurrah. I have a feeling I'll just want to wear my rayon Laurel top every day though. We'll see! :)

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Finished Project: Turquoise Taylor Dress

Turquoise Taylor Dress from FredFlare.com, pictured on the one and only Taylor Swift



I saw this dress for sale on FredFlare.com (before I'd even found ModCloth.com, gasp!), and was instantly drawn to the cute, retro silhouette, that easily translated into a very wearable modern outfit. I eventually pinned it (yes, this was before I'd discovered Pinterest) to my sewing inspiration board, and there the inspiration languished for quite some time. I had a lightweight cotton blend in my fabric stash that was approximately the right color, but I always seemed to be just a little bit more inspired by other projects to make this one happen.

Well, finally, a few weeks ago, I just went for it and cut this dress out, using New Look 6723. It has the similar neckline and princess seamed bodice, as well as a medium-full gathered skirt. I even had a recently-thrifted teal vintage zipper in dress length, so it' really seemed like the time was right! Here's how my version turned out.










I'd sewn this up with the idea that I could wear it to an upcoming wedding, but now that it's completed, I think the fabric is too casual and every-day for that, even though the neckline is a bit more interesting and could be seen as more formal.









Things I'd do next time when making this dress are:

  • Omit the curves from the neckline and go for straight lines, more like the inspiration photo
  • If I do keep the curved neckline, actually try when understitching the lining, so it doesn't look irregular & wobbly
  • Cut a size smaller in the bodice so the princess seam lines actually fall where they should
  • Take a half inch off the shoulders where the front & back pieces meet, and smooth out the transition there, better  -  I'd had to chop some off of the already finished seam there and it looks a little weird.

All in all, this dress is definitely not my best work, but it's very wearable and I'm ok with it! Mainly, just glad it's finished. I have already managed to wear it for Me-Made-May, so you'll see another photo soon. :)



Sunday, May 19, 2013

MMM Week 3



Wow, I can't believe I've already made it through week three of Me-Made-May! This week I found myself starting to repeat some pieces, but that's ok - it wasn't part of my pledge to have no-repeats (too hard!).

On Monday, I pulled out my Blue Ginger skirt, which I'm finding pairs very well with a lot of tops in my closet. I wonder why I don't wear this more often?

Tuesday, I wore my refashioned, polka-dotted, gold silk blouse.  I really only seem to have 1 way I like to wear this piece - with a black cardigan, black beaded necklace, and jeans - but hey! It works.

Wednesday, I threw on another refashioned thrifted piece, that I completed a couple of years ago and have not blogged about. It's a 1980s Hawaiian print dress that was too big, so I added some back darts to the bodice and very sloppily adjusted the shoulder & arm hole seams (hence the cardigan). Even though it's not a pretty job, it's still a go-to piece in my summer/spring wardrobe because it's casual & comfortable (sounds so boring, but those things are important).

Thursday, wow, another refashioned piece from the thrift store. This dress is some cheap, juniors department brand, but I liked the piping (and tiny white polka dots that you can't quite see) and the buttons. It had these horribly uncomfortable scrunchy puff sleeves with elastic cutting into my upper arm, so I chopped off the sleeves and, voila! Unfortunately, after wearing it to work all day, I was literally ready to throw the thing in the trash because it's so uncomfortable, due to the poor construction & cut of the dress. It went straight in the donate pile when I got home. Oh well - you win some, you lose some.

Friday, I repeated my sunny gingham blouse with some shorts from h&m c. 2011. A bit more put-together than my previous running errands etc. outfits this month.

Saturday, we celebrated my dad's 70th birthday! (yes, 70th!!! I have a sister who's 8 years older than me, so it's not so crazy). I wore the same floral laurel I'd worn the weekend prior & loved it. Such a fun dress to wear.

Sunday, I was back to my old tricks with my double-knit collared top. Definitely a rainy day (and any other excuse to feel "cozy") favorite.




All in all, a pretty good week 3 for May. It was great to see my sister (she flew in from San Francisco), and we had an awesome time giggling our heads off while wine tasting at some Virginia wineries to celebrate Dad's big day. How has week 3 shaped up for you all?

Friday, May 17, 2013

On (and around) my sewing table...



For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I've got 3 different sewing projects in progress at once. For the past week-ish it was just 2 simultaneous WIPs, until this morning. I ran to JoAnn fabrics to get some thread and for the first time, definitely ever, I stumbled upon some great apparel fabric! There was a lightweight, soft & buttery, rayon print that I fell in love with and knew needed to be made into a blouse. I'm loving the bright color scheme of coral, pea green, turquoise, orange & red hued-browns, black, and light grey, on a white background.

In addition to the new rayon blouse WIP, I've also got another Colette Laurel dress underway, as well as a NL6723 dress that's just been hanging out in the background for a while. I'd had a burst of inspiration a few weeks ago, that I could just whip this dress up quickly, use up some fabric from my stash, and possibly wear the finished product to Tom's brother's wedding next month, but now I'm not really sure. I'm starting to fall out of love with it before it's even finished -- please tell me I'm not the only person this happens to.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

MMM Week 2

MMM Week 2 - Monday thru Sunday


For week two of Me-Made-May, I managed to put together enough outfits to get me through all seven days - and even had a me-made outfit change on Sunday, for Mothers' Day.

Starting out on Monday, I wore my Blue, polka-dotted New Look 6000 dress. I have to admit I still really like this dress, even though you might notice some overall wrinkling present that wasn't there when I first made it. I'd thought my muslin used as underlining for the lightweight fashion fabric was pre-washed, but apparently it wasn't (who knows how long it had been sitting in my fabric stash). That means when I finally did go to wash the dress (cold water, gentle cycle, hang to dry), the fashion fabric did not shrink, but the underlining did a little bit. Now the polka-dotted shell is slightly larger...but still attached to...the muslin underlining. It has a bit of a baggy effect (though the dress now fits a bit tighter overall), but I feel like it still works, for whatever reason.

Tuesday, I pulled out my peter pan collared Pendrell blouse. This one doesn't get worn so much, but every time I do wear it, I'm like "Oh, YEAH. I like this one!"

Wednesday, I finally got to wear my linen Laurel dress. It's on the mini side, in terms of length, so I paired it with some light pink tights and think it went pretty well...

Thursday (which is like my Friday, since I work on Sundays), I re-wore my new pink, collared Laurel top. I like that I can just throw this on with jeans and not have to think about it, which is definitely nice come the end of the week.

Friday I wore my new, un-blogged denim cut-offs. These started out as some skinny, holey jeans from Gap that were always a little off in the fit (loose in the rear and tight in the calf), and really didn't serve a purpose in my wardrobe. Who needs torn up, holey jeans? Well, I'm sure some of you do, but apparently I don't anymore! Enter my new favorite weekend me-made.

Saturday, I wore my floral Laurel (wow, all 3 makes from this pattern worn in 1 week!). This just might be my favorite thing to wear that I've made...or at least recently. It's cute and comfy and my friend Andrea might have me make one for her after seeing me in this one. We'll see!

Sunday, I wore my sunny gingham Simplicity 2154 blouse two ways. For work, I put a green sweater over it, and then for dinner with my parents for Mothers' Day, I tucked it into my gathered skirt, to dress it up a tiny bit.

All in all, it was a good week me-made wise. I'm surprised I haven't had to cheat at all (I gave myself the out of wearing a vintage piece from my closet if I'm totally stumped for me-mades that day), and am actually finding it rather satisfying to only wear certain things in my closet. I might just have to do a clean-out at the end of the month. It would be nice to weed out stuff that doesn't mix well with the pieces in my closet that I've sewn or refashioned.

Monday, May 6, 2013

MMM Week 1

MMM Week 1 - Wednesday thru Sunday


Hello, there! How was your first week of Me-Made-May 2013?

Mine was pretty good. I was rather pleased with my first two outfits (Wednesday & Thursday), because they were both things I don't usually turn to - my blue ginger skirt, and my green-dyed eyelet dress.

Friday, my day off, was a little bit of a stretch because I really only had 1 thing I wanted to wear around the house for doing errands and chores. It's an un-blogged, XXXL men's t-shirt that I turned into a 1/2 sleeve, fitted t-shirt. It's nothing remarkable, and I just used zig-zag stitch for taking in all of the seams and neckline.

Saturday, my other day off, I wore my freshly completed Laurel top. We went to the antiques fair that comes to town every other month or so, and I ditched the cardigan for that. Funny, because the only thing I managed to buy there was another cardigan.

Sunday, back to work, I wore my collared, raglan sleeve double-knit top. It's a good go-to piece because it's comfortable (and cozy in my frequently cold office).

I have to say, it's easier to take my daily photo in the huge, floor-length mirror in our office bathroom than it is in my teeny, tiny "full length" sewing space mirror (the only one at home that I can get any amount of light near, which was still a bit crappy). Hopefully I'll come up with a better at home, self-portrait spot.

Anyway, on to Me-Made-May week 2!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Finished Project: Laurel v. 3

I told you all I was obsessed with the Laurel pattern from Colette Patterns. But I didn't tell you I was planning to make the top version (after having already made my two dress variations). Well, here you have it, my third iteration of the Laurel pattern, a top!




I promise the collar is even, it just wanted to be a little bit stiffer on that one side in this photo!





I used a bubblegum pink, sateen, shirting cotton I'd had in my stash for a while, but was never quite sure what to do with, since I only had 1 yard. I'd used a tiny bit for the collar on my Milly Wedding Guest Dress, but was a bit stumped on what to do with the rest of it. Finally it hit me - a basic top. Duh!

The fabric is such a pretty color, it makes me happy simply looking at it. I knew I didn't want just a plain shirt - the Laurel can be pretty basic - and I also didn't want to bother with setting in any sleeves. I opted for a sleeveless version with a self-drafted collar (you know I love a good collar), using Gertie's tutorial from her book.









One thing I was pleasantly surprised about was the fit. For my Laurel shift dresses, I'd ended up taking in something like an inch on each side seam, but the loose fit of this top works great and I didn't end up needing to make any adjustments at all.

The only thing I'd do a bit differently next time is cut out the top a little longer. I ended up making a whole pile of bias tape for finishing the armholes and neckline (using this basic tutorial, and loving it!) and used the leftover length as facing/finishing for the hem, to save a tiny bit of length on the finished top.

It's a super comfortable (and cheerful!) top to wear, and I've already begun incorporating it into my wardrobe for Me-Made-May. Yay!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Happy May!



I hope you're all as excited as I am for May! So far, (day two of wearing me-mades), I've worn my blue ginger skirt and my refashioned/me-dyed (thrifted!) eyelet dress. I'll be back soon to share photos, and should really probably join the official MMM flickr group.

Until then, have a great rest of your week! :D