Jungle January!

Rawr!

It’s Jungle january, baby… and even though I finished this dress weeks ago, I’m posting it barely in time to jump on the safari bandwagon! 

As you can tell from the giant pockets, this is a Victory Lola dress. I’ve been eyeing this pattern since it came out… and friends, I should have made it earlier! it’s fun to sew: interesting but not complicated. 

The fabric is a light, stretchy double knit. I made my sister a pencil skirt from this fabric at Christmas, and then went back for more for myself! When I made Anne’s skirt I used black fold-over-elastic as piping, which worked really well. I didn’t have any more black, so I had to get creative! 

Amazingly, I had just the right permanent marker to colour in some zebra FOE. Double animal print! 

I really like the end result. It’s cute and comfy… and I’d say that I”ll make another right away, except I already did! This is actually my second Lola - now here is my first!

This version is made of a very stable sweatshirt knit.It’s borderline too stable for the pattern - I had to recut the bodice with more ease in the raglan sleeves because the first round was way too tight. I also raised the back waist seam about 2” so that it hit right in the small of my back. 

The sweatshirt barely stretches, so there was no way it would work for the bands. Instead, I used a lightweight rayon rib for the pockets and bands. One hazard of the pockets is that they are so huge that things migrate to hide under my tush, and get lost! If you look closely, you can see that I didn’t realise my iPhone was still in my pocket during photos! 

Did you sew anything for Jungle January? I think it’s such a brilliantly simple sewalong concept - I’m so glad Anne hosted again this year! I think she’s converted a lot of people to animal prints over the last two year! 

Married life: Colours, shapes, and personal style.

After writing about my quilt plans, I’ve been thinking more about my husband and I both manifest our personal tastes in our home. Don’t get me wrong: We live in a cheap apartment filled with second-hand furniture. Nothing matches, nothing is perfect, but we still put our stamp on it! 

My stamp, of course, being everything rainbow: 

(Did you see that pompom garland? That’s my newest addition… and props to Jamie for suggesting it go up in the living room! He knows me well…)

Whereas my husband has one only colour he likes: 

Look at that closet! He wears head-to-toe black every day, except for his tie… and for the past few years all the tapes, record, and posters he has collected have a very harsh and disturbing black and white visual style. (Seriously, harsh noise wall music has some weeeeeeeeird imagery!)

So imagine both of our surprise when suddenly his newest piles of tapes has neon and bright colour! Whaaaa? The stuff he’s liking these days is less harsh, and apparently the visual style is brighter too!

 After I took a pic of his piles of tapes, he took a picture of his bookshelf, and suddenly I started thinking of our quilt! I want the quilt to have that same contrast of dark and light with bits of bright colour thrown in at random. 

My current plan is to improv quilt 12”ish squares with varying widths of strips, and only one or two (or no) coloured strips in each square. Then somehow I plan to straight-line quilt the top in two halves (to make it more manageable) and join the backing to finish! I got lots of bamboo batting the other day, so I’m ready to go!

It’s not just colour though.We’ve realised that we gravitate towards different shapes, too. I love circles (like my pom poms or rolls of stash fabric) and squares (like cube shelves or origami paper). All the things he collects are rectangles (comics, record, tapes, books). I’m hoping to make us both happy by combining rectangular strips and square blocks. No sashing, of course - that would make the whole thing too neat and precise for either of us! ;)

That’s all for tonight: a rather random collection of thoughts on colour, shape, changing personal style, and how to put all of that into sewing! 

How (or how much) does your personal style bleed into your home decor? If you showed us a picture of a room, would be we able to guess the seamstress who lives there? 

The Luckiest Girl Around!

There have been a flood of parcels through my door recently - and all of them gifts and giveaway prizes from other sewists! I’m so humbled and happy that I just had to share my goodies! 

First up: Fabric from SewBusyLizzy! 

…and a calendar, and some beautiful fine hand-sewing needles! When I mentioned on twitter that I was thinking of sewing the Grainline Archer, Lizzy pipped up and said she’d seen some rayon fabric that would be perfect… and would I like it? Ummmm…. YES!!!! (My parents trained me never to say no to a generous offer! ;) She went back to the store to pick it up just after she’d thrown out her back - all I can picture is the ELH (Ever-Loving Husband, as Lizzy calls her husband) sitting in the car and wondering how on earth he’d ever found such a determined and generous wife, so bent on fabric for a friend she’s never met! 

Needless to say, the fabric is gorgeous, the calendar is up on my fridge, and the needles are being tucked away safe from Kitty’s advances! 

Thank you, Lizzy! 

Next Up: Fabric from Crafty Alibobs! 

This one started on Instagram (Seriously, social media is the best!) Ali IG’d a cute picture of her current outfit, and I commented on how cute her skirt was… and she offered me fabric to make my own Hummingbird! We’re going to be OUTFIT TWINS! Squee! I’m seriously considering polkadot stamping some grey tights to be more like her. Thank you Ali! Ali and I had a digital rummage through my stash, and picked out something for me to send her in return. Now to get myself to the post office! 

But wait, there’s more! 

I won buttons from Crab and Bee!

Morgan offered up some vintage buttons from her grandmother’s collection, and I won these little pretties! Family sewing heirlooms are really precious to us both, so I feel very lucky to have a piece of her family’s sewing tradition added to my stash. She sent them along with a hand-stamped card on handmade (?) paper, and some rainbow stickers… which my husband must have tucked somewhere safe while he was cleaning off the kitchen counter… somewhere so safe I can’t find them right now! I’m sure they’ll turn up soon. Thanks, Morgan!

At this point I’m almost embarrassed to say that there’s still more! I woke up this morning to an email from Dani at One Small Stitch Today saying that I’d won 2m of large-check cotton gingham in her giveaway! She’s someone I met through this years Top 5 lists, and if you don’t follow her already, you should! :) Thanks Danielle!

On top of all that, Jodi from SewFearless offered to pick up some Simplicity patterns for a friend and I at the Joann’s sale this weekend! She’s mailing them north for me - the start of a pregnancy wardrobe for my friend! Thanks, Jodi!

Phew! That’s an awful lot of good luck coming my way… and I”m truly grateful for it. I’m going through one of those periods of WANTING everything - fabric, patterns, makeup, shoes, you name it! Do you go through those phases? For me it’s usually when I’m tired or sick or worn out, and I get stupidly convinced that some purchase will make me feel better… but of course, it’s ye olde post-Christmas penny-pinching season, so I can’t! (It doesn’t help that Jamie and I don’t get paid for days we don’t teach, so the 2 week holidays were without pay.) 

What I’m saying is, thanks. Thanks for reminding me that I’m lucky to have wonderful, supportive friends. I’m lucky to be part of such a great community, and lucky to have a hobby that is more satisfying than shopping! Thanks, everyone!

Do you ever get a bad case of the I WANT IT ALLs? How do you handle it? 

Quilting Plans!

Making a bed-sized quilt is one of my goals for 2014 (OMG, typing that date seems very wrong! Let me go check my calendar… yikes. It really is 2014!) 

I like to move fast on my New Years goals so that they get done before I lose the inspiration, so I’ve been gathering materials and making plans! 

First off, the fabric that started it all…

I bought these three rolls of vintage cotton (aka. old and slightly yellowed at the edges) before leaving Japan with the intention of one day making us a quilt. Each roll is about 30cm wide and 12m long, designed to be the perfect amount of yardage to make a cotton kimono called a yukata. I wish I’d bought more - They were only $10/each!

My next step was to start a pinterest board of other quilts made with indigo fabrics…

…and to order a flannel sheet to use as backing! (Bonus: I paid for it with a gift card we got for our wedding 2.5 years ago!) 

And right about then, my rainbow-loving brain started to get bored of all blue! Thankfully my husband approved adding in some little bits of colour… and BOOM! A rainbow quilt was born! 

That looks more like me, doesn’t it? My friend Katherine helped me pick out some fat quarters at our local quilting shop, and I mixed in a piece of blue chambray from my stash. Now I’m just looking for a few fat quarters of dark indigo prints to tone down the white… and wouldn’t you know, turns out there is someone who sells Japanese fabric out of her home locally. Jackpot! I’m hoping to make an appointment with her soon, and possibly drag some of my local sewcialists along too!  Oh dear. My fingers seem to have acted without my brain, and somehow I just clicked “buy” on some yukata fabrics from KimoYES.com! Can I still go check out that local lady’s stash?

Now that I’ve got all this fabric, I guess it’s time to think about how to sew it together! I pinned some improv quilts that I liked…

…and asked Jamie which designs he liked most. He picked the green-and-cream one in the top row, and the rainbowy one below it. In his words, he likes the geometric and linear, but with human imperfections and a sense of chaos.

Based on that, I think I’m going to do improv pieced squares with similar colours pooling together. (Oooh! Maybe rainbow on the top of my side of the bed, and diagonally fading to dark navy at his feet? So symbolic! ;) And also very similar to Morgan’s quilt which was one of my inspirations! 

How do you plan big projects? Do you have any Pinterest boards on the go for upcoming sewing, decorating, or wardrobe-building plans?  I’d be so curious to see them if you leave a link in the comments! 

Polkadot Dress!

This dress is hardly even worth a post… but i’s been so long since I posted a finish project that I thought I should jump in somewhere!

I used the bodice and sleeves from the Lady Skater pattern, but raised the waistline to an empire. I “drafted” my own skirt, but let’s be honest - It’s basically a slight a-line rectangle!

I stabilized the waist by serging picot elastic into the waist seam, which I find works better than clear elastic. It is nice and resilliant, easy to sew with, and is soft against the skin. 

The fabric is an ITY from fabric.com that Leila kindly brought north for me when she visited. I left the sleeves unhemmed so they wouldn’t have bulky seams under cardigans, and left the skirt unhemmed too. The nice thing about ITY is that I don’t need to wear a slip with it - it’s got enough drape and weight that it hangs nicely!

Speaking of underneath the dress… I also made the navy Espresso leggings! For this pair I used a drapy rayon knit that I would usually save for a kimono tee or something similar.. but they make great leggings too! No baggy knees at the end of the day, and with some snug elastic they don’t fall down, either. 

(Forgive the grainy photos - the sun was setting after work!) 

How do you feel about ITY knits? Sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them… but they are very consistent in quality, which makes them easy to order online, and they are comfier to wear than I’d expect pure polyester to be! On the other hand, I don’t know if they can ever feel luxe! (If you aren’t sure what ITY is, it’s a polyester knit that feels like a light-weight bathing suit material.) What do you think?

Reflecting on Top 5s - and Planning for the Top 5 of 2014!

Wow - I really can’t believe how many people joined in the Top 5 lists this year! (Over 100!!!!) Thank you, thank you, thank you! I enjoyed reading every single post (and had grand plans to comment on all of them, until holidays, feel sick, and traveling without my laptop got the better of me!) 

The most exciting part for me was reading over and over that you learned abut yourself and your sewing in the process of writing and reflecting. (I know I did!) I was also really thrilled to see a lot of first-year bloggers joining in. I hope you all came away from it with some new blogs to read, some new followers, and a sense of achievement and pride in your sewing accomplishments!

Before we all move on to thoughts of our latest projects, the teacher part of my brain insists that I reflect on the reflection process. Is there anything I should change about the Top 5 lists for next year? 

After last year’s lists, we decided to change the “inspirations” list from specific people to more general inspirations, trends, resources etc. I think that worked well this year… but I”m wondering about changing it again!

There sometimes seemed to be a bit of redundancy between the inspirations, reflections, and goals posts. I wonder instead about changing either inspirations or reflections to a list of Top 5 Highlights! Could be sewing or non-sewing…for example, here are mine for the year: I got a full time job and new apartment, adopted a  kitten, met a lot of bloggers IRL, and fully committed to my love of sewing with knits!

I’d like to reflect somehow that we all balance sewing with other parts of our lives, and avoid people feeling that they have to make excuses for how much or little they have sewn. We’ve all got other interests and other accomplishments, ammiright? (Shh, sewing, it’s ok, I’m not cheating on you, baby! I’ll always love you most!) I think it would also be a nice way to get to know a little more about each other, especially as we’re all discovering new-to-us blogs.

So what do you think? Next year, should we:

a) leave the list topics the same?

b) change Inspirations to Highlights?

c) change Reflections to Highlights?

d) tweak something else? 

Please let me know what you think in the comments! Thanks!

Top 5 Goals for 2014

Setting goals is a funny thing. Some people love it, other hate it! I’m a planner at heart, so I quite like making resolutions for the coming year… but I always pic things that are very achievable!

To wit, my goals from last year: 

• Make a dress sloper: Done in January! I’ve used it several times. 


• Learn about fibre content in knits: Done! I’ve read labels more carefully and got a better sense of how different knits work.


• Make leggings: Done last winter, and many times since!


• Unselfish sewing: Definitely done! I’ve sewn 10 or so things for my sister, and given her a bunch more that weren’t as successful on me. I also sewed a mini-wardrobe of 5 pants and 7 tops for my neice!


• Seamless Pledge - No RTW: Done! I pledged for 6 months and ended up at 12 and counting. Easier than I thought!

Basically, I was done my goals by spring. I try to set goals that inspire me, and if I’m inspired, I’ll make time for it! (On the other hand, goals like loosing weight, eating better, or sewing from the stash leave me cold, so I stay away from those!) 

So without further ado, here are my (achievable) goals for 2014!

1. Make a king-sized bedquilt

Look, I’m scared and bored by the idea of quilting, but I really want this! Before leaving Japan I bought a few narrow rolls of vintage cotton yukata fabric with the idea of making an indigo-and-white quilt for Jamie and I. I’m thinking of a simple modern design without a lot of piecing, but I’m not quite sure what! Here’s my pinterest board of inspiration. 

My excuse so far has been that it’s  so cold in Canadian winter that quilts are worse than useless - a heavy quilt would knock all the air out of my thick feather duvet! However, our new apartment is quite warm, and I think  quilt would finally get used!

In preparation, I’ve ordered a leaf-green flannel sheet set to use as backing, and started checking out quilting resources on the net! I’m hoping I can straight-line quilt it myself, possibly with this Craftsy course for advice!

2. Sew some Archers! 

Everyone loves this pattern, right? I’ve been scared off it so far by the thought of having to be careful for once… but Jen from Grainline has promised to help me on Twitter, and since so many of you have made it, I know you’ll help me too! (Pleeeeeease?) 

I bought 4m of black mystery fabric for $3/m after Christmas, so I’m all ready to muslin… I figure that if I have heaps of fabric and nothing to lose, I won’t be too nervous! And because I never sew a pattern just once, I’ve got plans for a black+white buffalo check version next. By that point I’m hoping I’ve gained confidence, because Ms SewBusyLizzy herself is mailing me some beautiful turquoise painted chevrony rayon! Squeeeee!!! Have I mentioned recently that Sewcialists are the best? Thank you for thinking of me when you saw it, Lizzy!

3. Sew Wool

I’ve never ever sewn with wool, but people keep telling me how wonderful it is! i think it’s time for me to dip my toe into outerwear by making a woolen cape (this one, likely), as well as maybe a pair of merino leggings and a wool knit cardigan! I’m hoping my local sewing friends can help me track down some good fabric in Toronto. 

4. Experiment!

Now, I know I just blogged about my essential patterns for building a wardrobe… but lets face it, I’ve made them all a million times and I don’t need any more! My goal this coming year is to be more creative with my TNTs by adding seaming, colour blocking etc, and to experiment with some new patterns. I’m aiming to make a Victory Lola dress for Jungle January, a Viking overdress for Sheildmaiden March, and try out the knit dress that comes with my fave McCalls 5890 cardigan pattern. Baby steps!

5. Keep developing the Sewcialist blog

I started the Sewcialist blog in the fall to help us keep track of all the sewalong themes that we’re doing. It ties into the Flickr group and the Sewcialist.org website with the Firehose. 

My goal with the blog is to make is a shared space with lots of blogger voices, something like We Sew Retro. It’s been really fun getting different bloggers to write round-ups, set out challenges, and share inspiration. I’m always looking for more people who are interested in writing a post or two, so if you are interested, let me know! (Hint, hint: Anyone want to write one of the round-ups for Green December?)

Over the next year, I’m hoping to expand the scope of the blog beyond just the sewalong themes. I’d love to try having people post about topics like how they started sewing or a treasured piece of textile passed down from other generations. I think there are a lot of interesting topics that don’t tend to come up in our day to day blogging!

Phew! That’s it: my top 5 goals for 2014! I think it’s a good sign that after thinking of these goals since Christmas, I’ve immediately jumped into starting most of them. 

I could use advice on quilting, Archers, and sewing with wool though, so if you can think of any useful links, maybe you could leave them in your comment? Thank you! And of course, if you are interested in writing for the Sewcialist blog or just want to say hi, I’d be happy to hear from you too!

Happy 2014, everyone! I hope your year is off to a good start!

Building a wearable wardrobe - What are my pattern essentials?

I’m sure you’ve all read Rochelle’s recent post on her plans to build a wardrobe with a different pattern each month in 2014. She got me thinking: What patterns have been essential to building my own wardrobe? 

It seems like sewing a wearable wardrobe is a popular goal this year, along with the eternal quest to destash and gain skills. Making an everyday wardrobe is definitely my passion - starting right back from the first Me-Made May that I joined just 3 months after I started sewing! Since then, I’ve worn me-mades (and increasingly head-to-toe outfits) almost every day. I haven’t bought any new RTW clothes in a year - everything comes via my sewing machine!

My approach to quickly developing a cohesive me-made wardrobe is to use the same patterns over and over again. Once I know it fits, I play with colour, detail, modifying, and using different types of fabric. It works for me because I like sewing things I know will be a success - for other people it might seem deadly dull! 

So, what patterns is my wardrobe made from? 

• Style Arc Elle Pants 


• Cake Espresso leggings


• Maria of Denmark Laura Lounge Pants (as pyjamas)


• Cake Tiramisu dress


• Cake Hummingbird skirt


• Mission Maxi (as a dress or tank)


• Maria of Denmark Kimono Tee (often made as a dress)


• Grainline Scout tee


• Sewaholic Renfrew (as a tank, top or dress)


• McCalls M5890 draped cardigan (in sweater knit or jersey)


• and a recent addition, the Jalie Raglan tee

That makes 11! 

The beauty of these eleven patterns is that I can use them to make pretty much anything I want. Together, hacks and versions of these patterns probably make up 90% of what I wear day-to-day. I’ve made them all anywhere from 3-15+ times (and luckily none of my coworkers have noticed just how much my clothing repeats!) 

Now, everyone’s ideal wardrobe is different - maybe you’d prefer tailored suits, frilly dresses, or retro authenticity. The patterns vary, but I think the idea of a reliable, cohesive, easily-buildable wardrobe remains that same for us all!

How do you build your me-made wardrobe? What patterns could you not live without? Or if you always try new patterns, how do you make sure the silhouette will work with your other clothes?

ps. I’ll be back tomorrow with my Top 5 Goals for 2014… 

pps. Remember I talked about the Sheildmaiden Sewalong idea in my last post? Well, it’s official, and I hope you join!

Top 5 Inspirations for 2014

I’m cheating a bit here with my Inspirations post… instead of posting about what inspired me over the last year, I’m going to write about what is inspiring my plans for 2014! 

(BTW, I’m thinking of changing the topic from Inspirations to something else next year… but more on that in another post!) 

Here’s what is getting me excited about sewing right now: 

1. Canadian Indie Designers

I spent some time poking around indie fashion stores in Ottawa this week, and was so inspired by what people my age, in my country, are making with materials that I have access to! What stuck out at me was the use on ponte to create fitted but comfortable dresses (I haven’t loved ponte in the past, but I’m going to try it again!). There were also a lot of basic silhouettes made special with curved colour-block seaming. I can’t wait to give it a try! 

Here are some examples I’ve pinned for inspiration! Click on the link to see my pin and follow it back to the designers’ website. I’m interested in coping the concepts, but I’d never outright copy the designer’s work! 

• curving-seamed colour blocked sweater dress


• pleated ponte dress


• ponte dress with seamed details


• knit dress with arched waistband


• knit colour blocked yoke


• ponte colour-blocked a-line dresses (My mom bought the one with the curving pockets, and it is awesome!)

2. Wardrobe Twins

Do you have any wardrobe twins? Bloggers who make just exactly what you’d like to wear yourself, or choose all the same colours and fabrics as you? I’ve got several!

First up is Alessa from Farbenfreude, who has the most amazing wardrobe of turquoise, red, and emerald green knit dresses. I want everything she makes - and in fact, we’ve planned to make outfits inspired by each other! The only thing holding me back is that currently everything I plan looks like what Alessa would make - how can I choose just one outfit? 

Next is Alison from Another Little Crafty Creation - we’ve got the same colour palette and we are both teachers, and I love seeing what she makes! Another inspiring teacher is Sally from the Quirky Peach, who makes modern comfy clothes that still look fun. (Though when I copy her looks, I have to remember she is 10” taller than me!) Locally, there is Sara from Hamilton Chicklets, who has a similar figure to me and likes similar colours and styles. We’re already sharing patterns back and forth! 

Finally, my last wardrobe twin is Jen from Huff Makes Stuff. Have you seen her monthly planned outfits? They are quirky, colourful, practical and fashionable. We don’t necessarily make the same kind of garments, but I’d love for my wardrobe to encapsulate my spirit as well has hers does her own!

3. People stepping outside their box

Reading through the Top 5 lists, I’m so inspired by bloggers who are trying new things and experimenting. There’s Heather at Handmade by Heather B, who constantly tries new and challenging patterns… Clare from Sew Dixie Lou who is a total chameleon project to project, from 60’s to modern, but always looks fabulous… Morgan from Crab and Bee who took a break from sewing clothes to make the most amazing quilt… plus all of the newbie bloggers who joined in the Top 5 lists who are in that exciting phase of airing their sewing out in public for the first time!

I can be a bit unadventurous as a sewist, but these people are inspiring me to be adventurous!

4. People who are taking pride in defining their sweet spot

On the other hand, I’m equally inspired by people who are learning what they like to sew and wear, and are defining that look for themselves. Leila from Three Dresses tried prints, but she’s going back to solids… Rochelle from Lucky Lucille is determined to sew what she wants to wear, not what she loves looking at on a hanger… Roisin from Dolly Clackett who knows exactly what she likes and isn’t afraid to make a LOT of it! This is all good stuff, people. I think sometimes as bloggers we push ourselves to always chase the newest pattern, the latest trend, the unknown technique… but if, like me, you sew for a wearable wardrobe, then there is a lot to be said for learning what you like and making it!

5. Enablers of the best kind

I think I’d better explain this one with an example… In the time it took me to draft this post, the crazy Sewcialists on Twitter and I have come up with a brand new sewalong for the Spring: Sheildmaiden March! Ya know, Viking fashion, Tolkein costuming… plans for sewing deer hide and 14thc tunics… Another morning on Twitter! It started when proud Viking Lady K suggested Katie try a VIking hairdo, and suddenly, BLAM! A sewalong was born! 

This is the stuff I love about twitter. It’s like a big Improv game, where no one ever says no or negates your imaginings! Anything is possible when you talk to the Sewcialists. Want to learn a new skill? 5 people offer to help. Scared of a new pattern? The designer is tweeting you help. Thinking of buying that fabric? Everyone chimes in to tell you why you need it! Think your new dress is looking wrong? Someone will tactfully tell you what’s wrong and how to fix it. 

Sewcialists, I love you for always saying “Yes, and…” and never “No!”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Wow! I can’t believe I almost didn’t write this inspiration post, when i clearly had a lot to say! I’ll be back soon with my goals for the new year… and in the mean time, tell me: Do you have any Wardrobe Twins in the blogosphere? Who uses exactly the colours, patterns, and silhouettes you dream of?