Me Made May: The Final Days

I've been lazy, and in all honesty, lovin' every minute of it. Summer comes, and some days, I don't even fix my hair.  This is the real joy of teaching.

Day 23: The Beginning of the End.  Burda Heidi dress in bright green Swiss dot.  This was my last day of work for the school year, and at this point in the day, I was ready to be out of those shoes.  Looking at this picture, I'm not sure I even like those shoes anymore.  

 Day 24: First day of vacation, can't be bothered with  pictures.  Wore the same Burda 3/4 sleeve shirt (previously pictured twice) with shorts. Maybe I put on shoes, who knows.

Day 25: More vacation laziness.  Again, not pictured, but as I wore the exact same outfit from last Saturday, I'm including it here, and we'll all just pretend.

Day 26: It is amazing how quickly you (I) can lose track of days of the week. Burda gathered raglan sleeve shirt, the short-sleeved version, plus crazy-old Old Navy shorts.  

Day 27: Yay!  I finished a project and can show you something other than my old ratty shorts!  New shorts!   These are the Maritime shorts by Grainline, made out of some cotton twill from my stash.  They look grayish in real life, too, but I swear it was described as 'distressed navy'.  Hmm.  I will blog these separately later; I do like them, although they may be a little on the shorty-short side.  I also may lower the crotch seam a smidge.  I have plans to make more of these in stretch twill.

Day 28, Day 29, Day 30?  I have no idea what happened.

Day 31: Pulling my self back up for a strong finish. Completed this week: another Simplicity 2215 skirt made out of gingham seersucker from stash.  I recently finished reading The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean, and I REALLY REALLY liked it (read: stayed up way too late reading until I finished it), but it did leave me feeling a little slouchy in my ratty shorts.  This fabric had been in my stash for awhile, and I think I really did intend to made a skirt when I purchased it, but just got sidetracked by other new, exciting projects instead.  This is not a very flattering picture, but it is tornado season here in the Midwest, and the humidity is wretched on hair.

What I've learned:

• My summer wardrobe is completely different from my work one.  If I were to do this next month, too, I'd need to get crackin' on shorts and t-shirts.  I do have two pairs of shorts and two new t-shirts planned, fabric pre-washed and ready to go.
• Wearing me-made clothes is not hard, and I've started thinking about how to re-work what I have to prevent orphans.  Pictures were hard, but also totally useful.  I 
• The crazy weather we've had this year helped out; I was able to wear the more winter-y clothes I had made, adding to the choice.  
• We got a lot of jeans days this month at work.  I am not yet ready to make my own jeans, but I am more frustrated by where RTW ones don't fit.  One of my resolutions for the year is to make a pair of pants, and I've got my pattern traced off, but it is on the back burner for summer sewing.  I think shorts count as a warm-up to pants, don't you?

Most of all, though, the whole experience was amazing!  I loved seeing what everyone else made and how they styled it, and I have so many ideas for future projects!  Everyone was so supportive.  My only regret is that I had a hard time keeping up with others' pictures, and I felt like I missed so many in the group.  There were a lot of beautiful pictures posted in the group, and I think next year my goal will include keeping up with group photos as well. 

So that's it, back to regularly scheduled blogging.  Maybe I'll have on shoes.

MMM Week 3: The one in which my Renfrew Obsession is Apparent

Whew!  This past week has felt like 3 whole months!  Thankfully I've got photographic evidence, because I don't think I could remember this on my own!

Wednesday: not pictured.  I wore a plain white bamboo knit short-sleeved Renfrew previously shown.  

Thursday, Day 16.  Repeat orange tencel Renfrew with Boden jeans skirt.  Not my classroom.

Friday, Day 17: Maria Denmark Day to Night drape top.  No joke, I downloaded this pattern earlier this week, but was finished with the shirt from cutting out to wearing way before bedtime on Thursday night.  New. Favorite. Shirt.  After finishing the coat, I NEEDED something quick and easy.

Saturday, Day 18: working in the yard.  Red Renfrew made out of Laguna stretch cotton.  I have a problem in that I don't order swatches, I just order a yard of a fabric.  If it doesn't work for what I'm planning, I figure I'll find another use later.  Which I realize is exactly how stashes are born, but honestly, I can't tell from swatches.  They're like carpet samples, which FYI, look two shades darker when they're covering the floor from wall to wall.  This fabric is amazing stuff, and I've since ordered more in different colors.  It's stretchy, but also thick enough to wear a lacy bra under it without outlining every seam.

Sunday, Day 19: Admitting you have a problem is the first step.  Short sleeve Renfrew, dinner out.  This one is an example of fabric that does not work with the pattern.  It is a light-weight slubby cotton that on its own is great, but not right here.  The waist band weighs it down, so I cut it off, but then the shirt borders on too short.  Also, I can only wear unadorned undergarments underneath.  It sucks, but sometimes this is how I learn best: jump in and make mistakes.  Which is a fine learning strategy for sewing, but not when learning how to drive.

Monday, Day 20: Modified Lisette Market blouse in cotton Swiss-dot.  I used the basic shell, redrafted a lower scooped neckline, and added a Peter Pan collar.  I also left off the sleeve bands, and hemmed the gathered sleeves to cap-length.  I added a small box pleat at the back of the neckline to take in some gaping, and it actually looks intentional.  You can't tell from this picture, but there is a small slit placket in the front joined by a small shell button.  This is a jump-in-and-figure-it-out success, but admittedly, really only gets worn with jeans.  Wearing this made me realize I need to come back to this pattern.

Wednesday, Day 22: Sassy Librarian blouse, made out of cotton lawn with vintage buttons from the stash.  I  added a small snap right at the neckline because the overlap drooped, and it drove me nuts, but I think that is only because I chose such a lightweight fabric.  Please excuse the hot wrinkled mess, I had just woken from a 45 minute couch nap when I remembered I needed a picture.

Week 3 Realizations:

• Still heavy on the tops, but I've actually possibly run out of unworn garments.  I'd considered making some skirts to round out my bottom garment selection, but since I only have one more day of work this school year (!!!!), I'm instead planning shorts. 
• I've deselected a couple of me-made garments from my closet when I wouldn't even consider wearing them.  One I contemplated remaking into something else, and it ended up not working for what I had in mind. I like the fabric though, so I'm still working on that. The other 2 items will be recycled into something else, possibly napkins.
• Wearing my own garments hasn't been hard, but getting photos every day has gotten harder.  I am officially less picky about the quality/photogenic-ness of said pictures.  Sorry.

Goals for the future:

• Recycle unloved garments
• Make shorts.
• Enjoy summer.

Powell Gardens + MMM Week 2

Before I get to all the other stuff, check out this really cool display Powell Gardens has in the atrium!  The entire area is set up with 60's-ish era furnishings, all repurposed as planters.

The display included a living room with console tv, a flower-filled bedframe, and a bathroom with a toilet that made the boys giggle.  I don't know why that made me smile so much, but it did.

Me Made May: Week 2

Day 8

Day 8: Yet another Renfrew tee; however, this one is off-white in a super soft bamboo knit.  I'm beginning to think I sew a lot of basics.

Day 9

Day 9: What can I say?  Am I looking for wasp nests?  Is someone trying to tell me they don't need clean pants yet?  Am I trying to remember what I ate for breakfast?  Beats me.  

This is a shortened version of the Lisette Continental dress, complete with self-belt, made out of Anna Maria Horner voile.  It is great stuff, and probably the reason I compulsively stash voile.  Sweater is from Boden, and I have no idea about the jeans.

Day 11

I FINALLY FINISHED the ROBSON COAT!!  Whew!  I swear, my next three projects are going to be quick and dirty knits.  I even wore it to Costco, just because I could, and refused to take it off, just because I could.  I wore this Sunday, too, but it was 93 degrees today, so it may not get much wear until fall.  In any case, it is a wonderful pattern, and very straightforward to construct.  I used about 4 yards of an organic cotton red twill.  It truly deserves its own post.

I also wore this with a short-sleeve version of the Burda gathered raglan sleeve tee.

Day 13

Day 13: Repeat-City.  Um, wore this earlier in the month, but it was a Monday, and I had to get out the door, and I just grabbed the first thing I could find that wouldn't look terrible with herringbone cropped pants.  Not sure this outfit is a winner, but oh well.  See that lovely Robson coat on my arm?  I was aiming for better pics of it.

Day 14

Day 14:  Lisette (do you sense a trend) Diplomat dress.  I included links to their website, but these can be purchased anywhere Simplicity patterns are sold, especially when they're on sale.  I am somewhat embarrassed to admit I wore teal shoes, (not too bad), but also a darker teal sweater (gah!) this morning to work.  I may have a sickness.

So that's it.  So far only one repeat.  But what have I learned this week?

• Totally, I NEED a cardigan/hoodie.  A red one.  For work.
• Apparently, I only make winter skirts.  Which is odd, because I usually hate wearing skirts to work in the winter.
• Maybe I should work on incorporating more prints to jazz up some of these solids.

What about you?  

Me Made May: Week 1 Roundup!

Whew!  I made it through week one, and it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it might be!  Although truth be told, I  do have quite a collection of Renfrews I haven't nearly run through yet.

Day 1: Lisette Portfolio dress in linen/rayon? blend

I purchased the fabric from Joann's, only because it reminded me of tree rings, and I don't usually find prints I like there.  This is my second Lisette dress, the first made from red cotton sateen, and I loved it, but I wore through the seam at the hip.  Full disclosure: that was a tighter fitting dress because I serged a hole in the side, and had to bring the hips seams in about 1/2" on each piece to cover the hole and make it even. It was shorter, too, and I'm not sure I didn't like it better than this one.

Day 2: The first of many Renfrew tops to come, but one of the few with long sleeves.  

Remind me sometime to tell you about how effective it can be to motivate employees with jeans passes.

Day 3: No me-mades to work, but after chaperoning a middle school dance, I made my way home, crawled in to jammies, and watched tv in bed. Classy. So Zo cami + Rosy Ladyshorts.

Day 4: Saturday

Jeans were all in the wash, so the next favorite is skinny velvet pants from Boden.  The teal shirt is Burda's gathered raglan sleeve pattern that went together really easily and is a rayon/spandex blend from Hart's fabric.  I have decided I really appreciate a little recovery in my t-shirts.  

The coat is made from a vintage Simplicity 5415 I found at an antique store for $2.  The wool green and blue plaid wool was inherited from my grandmother's stash, and is the exact same plaid I wore when I attended Catholic school. I made the shorter version, but drafted my own pockets for the front; it is bag-lined with some toasty poly coat lining I purchased.  This coat is perfect for running errands; I'm not sitting on it and choking myself in the car, there is plenty of arm room for movement, and it isn't too hot that it gets in my way or causes hot flashes as soon as I enter a store.  

Day 5: Sunday

Orange 3/4 length sleeved Renfrew made from super soft tencel fabric I ordered online.  I didn't quite expect that color of orange, but as it is amazingly soft, I went with it.  Normally I would wear a cami under this, as it is a bit see-through, but I couldn't find it, and threw on a Target sweater instead.  

Day 6: Monday.  Nada.  Spirit day at work, cut off sweatpants at night.

Day 7: Simplicity 2215 skirt in cotton lawn; lined with cotton batiste. Didn't realize when I purchased the pattern that the skirt is asymmetrically pleated, and to be honest, I don't think anyone else notices.  It is swishy, though, and it gets top marks, because in my book, all garments should include pockets.

What I've learned so far:

• I make a lot of tops, and not very many bottoms.
• I should stop being afraid of sewing pants.
• I need to follow through with my pajama muslin, and make myself more. 

Plans for the week 

• Finish my Robson coat so I can move on to some easy, quick sewing. 
• Sew some more pajamas

I'm in!

 I'm in!

I Joelle/Joanne, of BlueBirdsSinging, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13.  I endeavor to wear a me-made garment 5 days out of 7, as well as continue working on new garments designed to fill in my me-made wardrobe for the duration of May 2013.