MMM/Japanese for Crafters, Day 27-29

Two more days of MMM to go, and I’ve got a new dress to wear! Not sure what I’ll wear on the last day though - Seems like a day for something special. But what?

MMM27: 

Tsukurimashitaka? = Did you make that? 

I was hoping to wear my new Cambie dress for a backyard BBQ this day, but of course, it was cool and rainy! Instead, I’m wearing one of the Renfrew t-shirts that I made earlier this month. MMM has been a great motivation to make some comfy clothes! 

MMM28: 

Kantan = Easy / Muzukashi = Difficult

(Oh look! It’s almost the same photo as yesterday! Greaaaaaat.)

I’m wearing two of the most kantan projects ever: an appliqued t-shirt and a me-made pendant! I love easy projects which are all fun and adrenaline. Anything muzukashi usually ends up in the UFO pile (aka. strewn all over the floor) as soon as I get frustrated. I really, really love finishing projects, and I’m not a perfectionist, so my sewing is usually slightly half-assed! I quite frequently challenge myself to make things as fast as possible without making them completely awful. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t! 

MMM29: 

Yatta! = I did it! or We did it! or Finished! or Yahoo!

Back before MMM started, I brainstormed what Japanese words I’d use. I remember filling in the last couple of days with congratulatory celebration words - but I can’t believe I’m here using them already! I really am proud of everyone who participated. It might be a silly internet challenge to some, but it really takes effort and dedication to stick with it! I definitely lost motivation a couple of times, but I’m happy to have completed my first me-made month. Yatta!

(Oh yeah - I’m wearing a Pendrell and  Truffle skirt! And my brother-in-law’s hat, for no reason but to make me laugh!)

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I would definitely participate in another me-made month. How about you? If you didn’t participate this round, would you give it a try someday? If you did participate, how would you change your challenge next time? 

MMM/Japanese for Crafters, Day 23-26

I cant believe it, but I’m actually still finding new garments to wear for MMM! I thought by now I’d be repeating HARD… But here goes: 

MMM23: 

Tanoshi = Fun! 

Do you ever look back to your pre-sewing life and wonder, “What did I do with my free time?” I mean, until I started sewing garment… I did sew, and I did other crafty things… I certainly went to a lot of fabric stores, but I tended to buy fat quarters and just add the to my stash! What did I actually sew? I can’t remember. 

Nowadays, sewing is definitely my tanoshi activity of choice. I put on loud music, and get so into it that I’m dizzy and slightly shakey when I emerge a few hours later! Is the weird? Do you get like that too? Of course, it helps that i don’t have kids, so I have lots of free time! 

I don’t wear this Meringue skirt much, but I do like it. I think if I took the waist in a bit so that it sits higher, I would like it more! (Of course, then it might get a bit short for work!) It’s a soft, thick quilting cotton from Japan. I’m glad I went with giant rik-rak instead of the full Meringue scallops, because this way I never have to iron it! 

MMM24: 

Ganbatte = Good Luck / Do your best!

Ya’ll, Today was interview day. Now, I tend to really enjoy interviews (perverted, I know!), but I hate the lead up, when you wonder if you’ve prepared enough! I wore my new Licorice dress, which looks like this: 

… but as luck would have it, this is the day I’d promised my Grade 3 class that we would dress as pioneers and roleplay life in a one-room school house! So up until 10 minutes before I walked into the interview, I looked like this: 

Can you see my Licorice dress peaking through at the collar? The bell rang, I striped down to my dress underneath, and bolted out the door! The good news is that the kids LOVED it - When my voice and manner changed, so did theirs! They sat up straight, stood to give answers, marched in and out of the classroom to a beat… They all had to write a standardized test for most of the day, but they came wearing their “pioneer” clothes anyway: a vest here, a skirt or poncho there, girls with hair in braids. They were really thrilled, and I was happy that I’d put the extra effort in! Plus, the anecdote in the interview couldn’t have hurt, because I got the job! :) Yay!

MMM25: 

Shinsetsu = Kind (as in “kindness”) 

After all the good wished and “ganbatte!” messages that people left on my pre-interview pic from the day before, I wanted to thank the MMM community for being so shinsetsu. That goes double for you reading my blog… I really appreciate your comments and encouragement! It has been a real treat to get to know some of you a little better and start to join more actively in the amazing sewing community online! 

(And oh yeah - I’m wearing my Truffle/Ginger denim skirt!) 

MMM26:

Daisukina = Favourite

Can you tell how nice the weather has become here? It is so amazing to suddenly be wearing summer clothes! This is a dress I made from a tank top and a metre of fabric a few years ago… The handy thing is that the tank top is high in the back, and low in the front, and I can wear it either way! I wore it on the low-cut side today, but if I wear it to work I just turn it around. 

MMM has really made me think about my wardrobe and my personal style. Sewing has really helped me create a wardrobe that I’m excited to put on… and I almost never think longingly now about what would be fashionable or stylish, because I’m just too excited to wear what I have! It really cuts down on shopping cravings, and helps me feel more confident. (On the other hand, I do lust over fabric and patterns, so maybe it’s not a huge change!)

What’s your relationship like with your Me-Made wardrobe? Love, boredom, or torn in between?

MMM/Japanese for Crafters, Day 19-22

Another week, another blog post starting out with an apology for being late to post MMM pictures… but really? Who cares? I’m sure you don’t, and nor do I. Late, schmate. One with the show! :) 

MMM19: 

Zakka = Zakka! 

Zakka is a Japanese word that I think is fairly familiar to crafters, but is pretty new to people in general. Zakka style embodies a nostalgic, sweet, handmade, rustic aesthetic, with lots of linen, cotton lace, faded gingham and so on. I love zakka things, but I prefer bolder and more fitted clothes. Here’s my best attempt to dress like a Japanese housewife (in my shapeless New Look 6022, striped t, and Nani Iro scarf!), and pose like the models on Japanese dress books! (Too bad I didn’t have a plain grey wall to pose in front of! :P ) 

It was SO HARD to look sweet and reserved! Here’s what I looked like in most shots: 

Or I’d get distracted by uber-cute kawaii posing: 

I can almost hear the squealing noise my Japanese students used to make when they posed! Gah. It’s just not me! 

MMM20:

Tsukuru = Make

That’s more like it! Jamie and I spent the night with my awesome sister and her husband and their cute little house. Anne and I went fabric shopping  - And she bought WAAAAY more than me! :) We’re going to work together on making the Sewaholic Cambie, and we’ve got some great versions lined up!

I changed the word of the day to tsukuru before going to visit, so that Anne could show off some of her own amazing skills. She had just finished the lovely shawl that she’s wearing, which is actually the simplest project I’ve seen her do in a while - but oh so lovely! 

Lucky girl that I am, Anne took me to dye wool with her friend! Johanna runs Lofty FIbres, and very kindly let us puddle in the lovely colours! Anne dyed a fabulous magenta-violet for a friend’s wedding  bolero, and I (surprise, surprise) mixed 3 shades of turquoise+green! 

MMM21: 

Kiruto = Quilt!

Here I am, casually lying on a quilt, relaxing in my front yard… Oh yeah, it really looked more like this: 

Mickey mouse sheet, cars driving past, unfinished quilt… Yeah. It was a really fun day though, because on top of finishing the Sorbetto mod that I’m wearing, I got to do this: 

Photoshoot with my Mom after I made her one too! :) 

MMM22: 

Hoshi = Want

I’m wearing a Peony dress for work… and that’s all I remember about the day! I guess what I hoshi is a better memory! :) 

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Phew! And there we have it. Another couple of days in MMM. I’m starting to realise that I’m really going to miss the active community of MMM, so I’m starting to scheme about a sewalong/challenge plan for July. I hope that some of you will join me! 

MMM/Japanese for Crafters, Day 19-21

Another week, another blog post starting out with an apology for being late to post MMM pictures… but really? Who cares? I’m sure you don’t, and nor do I. Late, schmate. One with the show! :) 

MMM19: 

Zakka = Zakka! 

Zakka is a Japanese word that I think is fairly familiar to crafters, but is pretty new to people in general. Zakka style embodies a nostalgic, sweet, handmade, rustic aesthetic, with lots of linen, cotton lace, faded gingham and so on. I love zakka things, but I prefer bolder and more fitted clothes. Here’s my best attempt to dress like a Japanese housewife (in my shapeless New Look 6022, striped t, and Nani Iro scarf!), and pose like the models on Japanese dress books! (Too bad I didn’t have a plain grey wall to pose in front of! :P ) 

It was SO HARD to look sweet and reserved! Here’s what I looked like in most shots: 

Or I’d get distracted by uber-cute kawaii posing: 

I can almost hear the squealing noise my Japanese students used to make when they posed! Gah. It’s just not me! 

MMM20:

Tsukuru = Make

That’s more like it! Jamie and I spent the night with my awesome sister and her husband and their cute little house. Anne and I went fabric shopping  - And she bought WAAAAY more than me! :) We’re going to work together on making the Sewaholic Cambie, and we’ve got some great versions lined up!

I changed the word of the day to tsukuru before going to visit, so that Anne could show off some of her own amazing skills. She had just finished the lovely shawl that she’s wearing, which is actually the simplest project I’ve seen her do in a while - but oh so lovely! 

Lucky girl that I am, Anne took me to dye wool with her friend! Lindsay runs Lofty FIbres, and very kindly let us puddle in the lovely colours! Anne dyed a fabulous magenta-violet for a friend’s wedding  bolero, and I (surprise, surprise) mixed 3 shades of turquoise+green! 

MMM20: 

Kiruto = Quilt!

Here I am, casually lying on a quilt, relaxing in my front yard… Oh yeah, it really looked more like this: 

Mickey mouse sheet, cars driving past, unfinished quilt… Yeah. It was a really fun day though, because on top of finishing the Sorbetto mod that I’m wearing, I got to do this: 

Photoshoot with my Mom after I made her one too! :) 

MMM21: 

Hoshi = Want

I’m wearing a Peony dress for work… and that’s all I remember about the day! I guess what I hoshi is a better memory! :) 

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Phew! And there we have it. Another couple of days in MMM. I’m starting to realise that I’m really going to miss the active community of MMM, so I’m starting to scheme about a sewalong/challenge plan for July. I hope that some of you will join me! 

So long, Sew Colette Sew-Along! (And Hello Licorice!)

After 5 months and 5 patterns, the Sew Colette Sew Along is wrapping up! I’ve really enjoyed participating. I skipped the Pastille dress and the Taffy blouse, which weren’t up my alley, but I made a Meringue skirt, a Truffle dress, and now … drumroll, please! I’ve finished the Licorice dress! 

As a reminer, here’s what the example looked like in the book: 

I axed the sleeves - I don’t love the shape, and they seem too wintery as we head into summer. I also got rid of the collar, because I thought it would be fuss and also would make it tough to wear a cardigan with the dress! What I was left with was a basic sheath dress with diamond-shaped darts in front and back. 

So far most of the dresses I’ve made have a pretty defined waist and often a contrasting belt, but I challenged myself to make a self-fabric sash/belt for this one. It helps give some waist definition but I almost invisible against the busy print!

Here’s the dress with no belt: 

(Sorry that all of these pictures look so identical - I swear they are different!!!)

I used a lightweight cotton fabric that I got for $3/m in Hamilton a few weeks ago and some lining from my stash… for a grand total cost of $6! Not bad, eh? ;) 

For some reason, Colette patterns always gape horrible at the neck for me. This time, I took the extra fabric and made it into four pleats - Hello, instant design detail! :P

I made a couple other changes to the pattern before cutting. I compared the pattern pieces to New Look 6022, which is the only other all-in-one bodice/skirt pattern that I’ve used. I flared the skirt out to be more a-line, and took out some width in the bodice. (Not enough, obviously!) I have to say, that for a pattern which is supposed to have a looser fit, I really didn’t have any extra fabric! I sewed up the lining first, as a muslin, and then cut blue fabric when I was sure it would fit! 

Thanks to Sarah from Erin from Rhinestones & Telephones and Erin from Miss Crayola Creepy for being our sew-along hosts! It’s been great! 

Now that MMM is wrapping up, and the Colette sew-along is finished, I’m looking for more group challenges to join! Have you heard of anything good coming up? 

Two-Tone Sorbetto (AKA. Two Peas in a Pod!)

I did it! I made a sorbetto that I LIKE! In fact, I made two!

I bet you can guess who that lovely lady is! 

I’ve been wanting to try sewing for other people (How many clothes does a girl need?!), so when my Mom complimented the coral Sorbetto I’d just finished, I was happy to make her one too! After digging around in my stash, we chose this combo of nubbly olive silk and graphic Japanese lawn. 

But back to the beginning. Spurred on by The Pretty Pickle’s Sorbetto Sewalong and the need for casual summer clothes for Me-Made May, I decided to give the Sorbetto another shot. It was the first pattern that I made back In January when I decided to give garment making a try. It was the perfect pattern for getting me over my intimidation about patterns! Problem was, I didn’t love the fit of the one I made. Here I am wearing it for MMM yesterday with my sister. 

I’m holding it in place here with my shoulders back and hand on hip, but all day long it kept slipping around and gaping in odd places. I can home determined to try the pattern again and make it fit me better! 

The first thing I did was freehand draw a curve up and over the bust and down lower in the back. I chopped the pattern in pieces, and was ready to begin! I took out width from the centre front and centre back, and adding a total of about 15cm to the original length. 

This was my first time piecing a concave and convex curve together, so I’m quite please with how it turned out! I like how it kind of tricks the eye into thinking this isn’t as tent-like as it really is! (As an added bonus, I’m can make two of these tops out of two 1m cuts of fabric. Because of my wide hips, I can’t cut a regular Sorbetto from just one metre, so thins allows me to use less fabric!) 

Next up: My Mom!

Isn’t she just the best poser? She started hitting all these classic poses right away. She knows what she’s doing! :) The fit on her is a bit different, but the shirts themselves are exactly the same size. With the loose-weave silk, hers is more a loose tunic. 

It was lots of fun to sew for her - there will be more on the way since we went to a quilting fabric sale today! I’m also planning to try a version of tis top with a woven yoke and jersey body. I think it would be comfy!

Have you tried the Sorbetto pattern? I’m so curious to see what this summer’s big pattern will be! 

MMM/Japanese for Crafters, Day 14-18

IT”S A LONG WEEKEND!!!! Hip hip, hurray! I’m really looking forward to some fabric shopping, time with friends and family, and sittin gon the back deck in the sun. Whoe are you up to this weekend? 

I’m falling behind in MMM updates, so here’s some pics form the last week: 

MMM 14: 

Mishin = Sewing Machine

Hot off the mishin, this is the first time I wore this new Truffle skirt and Pendrell top! The skirt is made of a remnant in my mom’s stash, and the top is Japanese lawn. It was a really comfortable outfit - I love how tops tucked into high-waisted skirts stay in place all day long!

MMM15: 

Rokku Mishin = Serger

MY FIRST T-SHIRT! No surprise, it’s a Sewaholic Renfrew, and I love the pattern just like everyone else! Using my rokku mishin, it took just an hour to cut and sew. How amazing is that? However, I do wish jersey was cheaper, because right now I could buy a finished t-shirt for cheaper than I can make one!

MMM 16: 

Amimono = Knitting

Can you tell I was starting to loose MMMMotivation? For a couple of days this week, I just wanted to wear basic comfy clothes… and I’ll admit, I didn’t really wear anything me-made this day. I was feeling blue but had to go drop off a job application after work, so I let myself wear a comfy-but-classy RTW jersey dress. When I got home, I pulled on this me-made scarf for a picture, which is my only item made of amimono! Forgive me. :P 

(Incidentally, I do love amimono… so much that I ended up with wrist pain for 5 years. Now I leave the knitting to my sister, who is a truly amazing knitter and blogs at http://anniebeeknits.wordpress.com/

MMM 17: 

Nuno = Cloth

My MMM mojo is still lacking here, but it’s coming back thanks to my second Renfrew! It’s a cheap thin knit from Fabric.com, which I reversed for most of the shirt so that the polkadots are more subtle. Just the collar and cuffs are the “right” side of the fabric. It was a really comfy outfit… Plus I came home to news that a quilting store is opening in town! Yay for more nuno!

MMM18:

Wata = Cotton

Alright, today. My sewing mojo is back, and I was happy in my me-made Pendrell… but eating ice cream and relaxing with Jamie seemed a lot more important than taking a cute picture. I’m already excited for my outfit tomorrow though (which includes much more wata than this one does!), so I think my MMM is back on track. 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Twitter Time!

I’m on Twitter! I’ve always been curious about how bloggers are interacting on twitter, so I’ve decided to see what I’m missing. I’m on at @GillianCrafts, so if you are on twitter too, I’d love it if you follow me and I’ll follow you! :) Right now I feel a little awkward just following people who have no idea who I am!

I’ve used Twitter for a year or two to keep in touch with my family and a few close friends. I never wanted to clutter my feed with people I don’t know well, so I haven’t used it for sewing stuff. Having two accounts seems like the perfect way to keep things tidy!

What’s your own experience with Twitter? Like it? Hate it? Confused by it? 

MMM/Japanese for Crafters, Day 9-12

I can’t believe it’s May 15th! I feel that that thought must be chorusing through all the MMMay’ers heads right now - Seriously, how is this month half finished! For the first few days it seemed like such a big deal to plan and outfit and take a picture, but now it’s an old habit. Get dressed, eat breakfast, pick up the camera, and my husband hops out of bed to be my photographer! (He makes the breakfast, too, btw! He is awesome.) 

There are a lot of days to catch up on, so let me get started: 

Day 9:  Sukato = Skirt!

 Sukato = Skirt! Here I’m wearing a denim sukato based on the Truffle dress pattern, a heavily modified Pendrell, and a cardigan I modified from a pullover sweater. Head to toe me-made, on the outside at least! I’m also being attacked by a hand monster! 

Here’s what happened next! 

Thank you, high-speed burst!

Day 10: 

Shatsu = Shirt

I’m wearing my first Pendrell, which was also my first garment made with a serger. Somehow this Pendrell fits better than any of the ones I made since! How does that happen? I bought this fabric 5 years ago, along with some white lining, imagining I was going to make a lined dress… which I had no idea how to do! I had a lot of (foolhardy) confidence back then. :) 

Also wearing my red/green/yellow Onitsuka Tigers for Maider, who also owns a pair: 

Sorry they are so out of focus! ;)

Day 11: 

Zubon = Trousers

I’m wearing yet another Pendrell, with a me-made belt. (I love wearing this belt so much that I bought another length of elastic and a different sew-on clasp to make a second one!) Jamie got called in to teach this day, so I’m all on my own for photography!

Day 12: 

Wan Piisu = Dress (aka. a “One Peice!”)

Saturday lounging clothes: Walmart dress with appliqued flowers that I added a year or two ago! After teaching gym the day before outside, J had heatstroke and didn’t feel well. Hence this “selfie” picture, a la teenagers on Facebook! (I’m happy to say he is better now!) 

Day 12: 

Se-ta = Sweater

At this point, I’m running out of way to take my own picture! I was determined to wear a sweater for my word-of-the-day, but wouldn’t ya know, it was the warmest day this spring!

This is a wool-blend sweater that I needle-felting roving onto a couple of years ago. (Can you tell from this outfit and the day before that I like to decorate one shoulder of tops?) I love the colours on this sweater, and it kept me happy through a rough weekend of enforced socialization with coworkers back in Japan. (Did you know that it’s common for employers to tae their employees out for a drinking-binge weekend? Our school always went to onsen hotels, where you not only share a bedroom with your coworkers, you also meet up to go naked-bathing in springwater together! Not. Awkward. At. All. Also: The all-you-can-drink and karaoke starts on the bus ride there, and doesn’t stop til everyone is sick! Lots of fun if you like your coworkers, less fun if you don’t!)

Since it was so warm, I changed out of this sweater pretty quickly… and into my first Renfrew, finished that day!

Wow. You made it through? You are amazing. And dedicated. And patient! Thanks for sticking with me! I’m really pleased with MMM so far - I still have unworn clothes, and the only thing that has felt constricting is trying to match my clothes with the Japanese Word of the Day! I’m really enjoying it all though, and hope you are having fun in your own Me-Made clothes!