Outfit Along 2017….Update

Ah, The Outfit Along…. I decided I was going to do this almost on a whim… because I am in fact crazy    But I had the perfect fabric for the Kim Dress and had been itching to try princess seams.  So, I immediately got to work on…. the sweater portion!

I wasn’t sure I really liked the Anaheim sweater that was the official sweater pattern, plus I wanted something the would take my dress firmly into colder months (Winter is coming you know).  So, I chose Andi’s Miette pattern!
Not only is it a free pattern, but I’ve actually made it before!

Which I’m hoping might give me an edge in actually finishing this by the deadline…. I wouldn’t hold your breath though!

I had some issues with the fit last time I made it…. but of course made no notes as to what size I did or anything useful like that
So, I decided I would actually properly swatch this one!

L to R: US size 8, 9, and 10

I ended up going with the middle swatch- US needle size 9 and size large in the pattern.  I used this knitalong from WAY back in 2012 to help me with gauging and picking the proper size (as well as Row 25)…. it is quite helpful and I highly recommend it!

In terms of the Kim Dress….. I’ve, uh…. bought the pattern?  In point of fact, I just bought the pattern, because I wanted to at least be able to say I’d bought the pattern for this post   I actually spent an inordinate amount of time trying to see if I could find an old printed copy to buy, but alas people are hoarding those 😦

However, I refuse to print and tape this shit together!  So, I’m taking this opportunity to price the local Kinkos.    If that fails I’ll certainly be using Cashmerette’s excellent resource guide on how to cheaply print pdf copyshop files 🙂

Violet Shirt in Vintage Fabric

What’s this?! A finished object post???  Yes, at long last I actually finished something I started sewing!

This is the Violet shirt by Colette patterns (shown with my Zinnia).  I bought a couple of years ago when they put a bunch of their old paper patterns on sale… I am not down with PDFs and sensed this would probably be my last chance to get the paper version.  And surprise, only the PDF is available now 😦

Ignore my mysterious leg bruise!

I muslined (yes, it’s a verb now) this in a size 12 figuring that perhaps I had gained enough weight to necessitate it. NOPE! I discovered that while it fit in the bust, it was way too big every where else 😦  So, re-traced everything (le sigh) in the size 10 and did my usual 1 inch FBA. #bigboobproblems

Speaking of….

I had some weird puckering going on with the bust darts that you can see here.  I’m not sure if I sewed them wrong, if the fabric is too stiff, or what…. I did press the ever loving shit out of it [with my fancy new tailors ham! Thanks Aunt Sandy!] which only seemed to help slightly.  Thoughts and suggestions are appreciated in the comments!

I finished the hem of the shirt with some leftover bias tape I had in my stash.  In the beginning I used this method because I had been a bit aggressive adjusting the length back down after the FBA, but I actually really like!

The fabric was given to me by my Mom, I believe she got it years ago at her church rummage sale.   It’s a vintage(-ish) Laura Ashley fabric from 1979…. how you may ask do I know such a precise year…..

The fabric is similar in weight to a quilting cotton weight fabric, maybe even a bit stiffer.  I was treating this as a kind of wearable muslin, so free fabric that I had quite a few yards of seemed a safe bet 🙂

Overall, this was a good and decently quick make AND it’s a good shirt!  I had fears at first it was going to be too twee or look like a school uniform, but I’m actually really digging it.  Future adjustments though I will try are to grade down a size in the shoulder and maybe even try to adjust the arm scythe- it’s a bit low.

I’ve a got a couple of different yards of fancier fabric I’ve bought specifically for this pattern over the years, so hopefully I’ll be able to crank out a few more!

And finally, in conclusion, here are some shots of me and my co-workers messing around during our lunchtime photo shoot!

My co-worker shot these and you should TOTALLY check-out/follow her on Instagram- @maeggycakes23

Behold!  Mary the Elephant!

 

 

Me Made May Musings…. plus Works in Progress

So, my first Me Made May is officially done!  I missed a couple of days taking pictures and had a few Me Made Underwear days, but overall I’m calling this a success!

 

Things I learned!

1. It was actually not as hard as I thought to pull this off!  Yes, I had a shit ton of repeats… but overall I was able to do it!
2.  A surprising gap I have in my wardrobe is casual, weekend wear!  I’ve got work appropriate skirts and tops pretty well covered, but I have ZERO me made causal bottoms to wear on the weekends.
3.  Along the same lines as point 2.  I have NO me made pajamas…. or rather to be more precise-  I have no me made pajamas that don’t have a giant rip in the butt because I’ve gained like 20 lbs since moving 😦
4. I have a small collection of me made items that are just not in regular rotation at all for a variety of reasons.
5.  I look much better in pictures when I stand up straight…. but don’t tell my mother, she’s been harping on me for years to stand up straight

So… moving forward I have a rough plan for some causal makes, some pajama makes, and maybe even finally giving the Ginger jeans a crack!  I did after all shell out $50 for the class!!

Works in Progress

In other news,  I’m hoping to finally finish the Violet I’ve been working on….

All I have left are the buttons and button holes…. this should be a whole hell of a lot easier with my new machine 😀

And in keeping with my whole being more active in the online sewing community I will be participating in the Outfit Along!!

Yes…. I’ve never participated in a Sewalong…. I’ve never participated in a Knitalong…. I’ve never even finished a sweater in less than 8 months, but I’m doing the Outfit Along….. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?!?!

But seriously, I have no illusions that I will be able to finish this in two months.  I’m just hoping to do the dress and get a decent start on the sweater…. I’ll do a more full-ish post on this, including the sweater pattern (hint it’s not the official sweater pattern) and the dress 🙂  So stay tuned!