MMM - Days 6-10

So far Me Made May is going well but I am definitely learning my wardrobe shortcomings and where I need to focus going forward.

MMM is also really good for getting me to blog some of the items I haven't previously blogged as I didn't feel they deserved their own posts.

So, onto what I wore and some things I have learnt so far:

Day 6

Skirt - Kelly skirt 

Top - Coppelia Cardi by Papercut, to be blogged soon 

From prolonged wear, I have realised this skirt is still too big around the waist and I really should have used a stiffer interfacing to stop the waistband stretching further. I have already altered this once and am not super keen to pick it apart again...hmmm hot wash perhaps?? BTW - the picture is taken at our gorgeous B&B we stayed at in Kentucky, a historical mansion. 

Day 7

 

My Lorna Suzanne cardi blogged here.
I love this cardi, although the collar means I can't wear it with any of my Banksia tops as collar on collar looks weird. The three quarter sleeve also limits wearability. I still love the pattern though.
Psst...check out the brekky, yum-o, this is what we got served in the morning at the B&B!
Day 8

Top - Colette pattern Sorbetto Skirt - BurdaStyle Denim skirt
I love this skirt and wear it loads, it seems to go with everything and makes a nice change from jeans.
Day 9
 

Skirt - Kelly skirt again from above Top - Hole-y moly Banksia
Day 10
Ok, so this day I kinda cheated! We went to Mammoth Cave on this day and the caves are really cold, so I wore long cargo pants and a thick jumper, not made by me at all, but practical and warm. I didn't pack for super cold weather and so didn't really have any much warm with me, besides what if I got my nice me-made things dirty? So we walked a lot and exhausted when I got to the hotel I changed into my Pjs which I remembered I did make! Not previously blogged as I didn't fancy posing on the internets in my jammies, but you get the idea!

Beige, bland...never!

My latest outfit is a vision of beige! This is not a bad thing I feel as it makes for two super versatile pieces.  I'm not too sure about wearing them together all the time, but for a classic summer look I think it works.

For the top I used the Megan Nielsen Banksia pattern, my TNT top pattern of late.  I really like the fit and it is easily modified.  As usual (for me) the armholes and neck are faced with bias binding.  I also modified the collar to reduce the depth, I ended up taking about 1.5" off the total depth, which with my narrow shoulders I feel works better, it's not so overwhelming on me.



The skirt is the Kelly skirt also by Megan Nielsen but with the button placket omitted. To do this I simply used the buttonhole markings as my centre seam and cut on the fold. I did not cut the back on the fold as instructed, instead I cut it with an extra seam allowance on the "fold" side so I would have room to put in a lapped zipper.  I am pleased with the end result although my fabric is stiffer than I expected and it creases like a mofo!  I will eventually make this in a gabardine or something that doesn't mind being sat on. 

I have noticed the weather starting to change so I have to start thinking about my autumn/winter wardrobe.  What are you working on for the new season? Do share, I am super nosy!!

Top 5 of 2012 - The Hits

Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow had this great idea to post up a bit of a summary of 2012.  What a great idea to review how my sewing has evolved over the past 12 months.

I only started blogging at the end of April this year, the blogging originally started as a way for me to document what I was doing and how I was progressing, but as a result I have met (virtually of course) an amazing bunch of bloggers and readers that are so supportive and friendly - so thank you all!

I have been sewing for many, many years although with many a break too as life got in the way at various times. This time around I seem to be taking it more seriously and making more of an effort with each garment.  Previously I didn't take much time to alter the pattern, I used to cut the pattern larger than needed and then took in various seams as required.  Now, I make the effort to cut smaller shoulders, do an FBA and anything else required to get a better fit. Of course this has resulted in garments I am much happier with and that I wear!

So starting with my favourite garments of the year in no particular order and not including a couple still to be photographed and blogged (these will possibly feature in next year's round up) .

1. My cotton shirt-dress, this is so comfortable and I wear it all the time.  It is great to wear to the office with some nice wedges, or to the mall with ballet flats.

2.  Then we have my vintage pattern blue dress made to wear to a wedding earlier this year.  I got loads of great comments like "Really, you made it? That's amazing. I wish I could sew." Funny isn't it, I am pretty sure most people could sew if they really wanted to learn.

 

 3. Kelly Skirt - I love this skirt, it is so versatile, dressy and casual depending on what I wear it with. Just a great wardrobe basic. Nuff said!

  

4. This photograph does not do this Banksia top or fabric nearly as much justice as it deserves, however this is a great top, it gets so much wear.  Made out of Marc Jacobs fabric from Mood in NYC, it is cool, comfortable and pretty. LOVE!



 

 

5. My Got the Blues jacket.  Of course made to wear with the dress above, however it goes with jeans as well, in fact it goes with lots of things.  I don't probably wear it as much as I would like, but I love the fit, the construction and the cute polka dot lining

 

 

Aside from these made for me items, I recently made these aprons as Christmas presents and the joy I got from giving these was fabulous.  I made these for a friend of mine and her two daughters aged 4 and 2. They love to bake together and they went down a treat.  I made the children's aprons with elastic around the neck and a velcro closure around the waist with the intent that they should be able to dress themselves.  On opening their presents, the kids put them on and started chanting "we match, we match!"  Yay - this is the kind of me-made present I like, one that is really appreciated!!
 

 

In the next couple of day I will post up the misses and my goals for 2013, but in the meantime, Happy Holidays!

Kelly Skirt AKA the Shorts that Weren't...and a Sorbetto

Originally I had planned to make some capris next as per my Spring/Summer Plan however for some crazy reason when I bought the fabric thought I could get long shorts out of one and a quarter yards. What was I thinking? The fabric is only 44" wide....unless I was going to make hotpants.... nah, never going to happen.

No matter which way I tried to manipulate the shorts pattern it just wasn't going to work. So onto plan B - a skirt, the Kelly Skirt to be precise.  It seems I was very slow catching onto the Megan Nielsen patterns, but I am now converted having recently completed two Banksias blogged here and here.

The pattern was a dream to sew up and miraculously I made no adjustments.

Ok, well I didn't cut the waistband in one piece as prescribed, I didn't have enough fabric for that, so I cut in in three pieces, one back piece and two fronts, as the seam allowances all line up it looks like it was supposed to be that way.

The side seams and waistband are all topstitched which I think has given a more professional finish.



To remove bulk and add some fun, I lined the pockets with fabric left over from a previous Banksia. 

 

 

Not being able to find buttons that I was happy with I went with covered buttons.

 

Initially I wasn't sure I would like the pleats and thought they might stick out weirdly, but they don't and I think the silhouette is actually quite flattering - look, I have a waist!

 

 

For the observant Colette fans you may recognise the top pattern, it is the ubiquitous Sorbetto not previously blogged.  This is my only Sorbetto so far as I found it a bit boxy but it works really well tucked into this skirt.

Interestingly I was on Twitter tonight and saw the link to a news article where some researchers have worked out mathematically the perfect skirt length to make your legs look fantastic.  Now I never considered there would be an equation for this, surely it depends on the occasion and one length is not for all styles or events?  However, curiosity got the better of me and coincidentally this skirt turns out to be my perfect length!  (84cm from my shoulders if you are interested)

 

In reality it is actually this length because it is the length of the original pattern piece and I didn't have enough fabric to make it longer!! But I am pretty happy that I didn't make it longer.

 

 

I expect I may be making more of these - when I bought this fabric, I also bought two other pieces in different colouts with the intetion to make several shorts, but of course that fabric is too short too - DUH!  Guess my summer wardrobe will be skirt based, not shorts!

 

Does anyone else make stupid mistakes like me, buying the wrong amount of fabric for a specific project and then having to revert to a plan B??