June thoughts

June is always a busy month - the last month of school and my birthday! The math course I’ve been taking also ended - with the final project due the same week as report cards had to be handed in to the office! (If you aren’t a teacher, you may not know how many hours (days and weeks) go into writing report cards - it takes over evenings an weekends and becomes all-consuming!) All of my classes are getting rowdier, as if the kids can smell their impending freedom coming… well, so can I! Only 5 more days of school, then I’m going to sew, sew sew! 

In less complain-y news, I turned 32 last week! It’s a milestone number for me, since my mom had me when she was 32, and my granny had my mother when she was 32! Which means I’m now 1/2 my mom’s age, and 1/3 my Granny’s. Needless to say, I’m not planning on popping out a kid this year, but it feels like an important age nonetheless. 

The night before my birthday, I asked Twitter if I should make a new dress… and of course, Twitter said YES! 

Voila! It is, of course, a Tiramisu/Mission Maxi mashup, like this dress that I wore in Me-Made May. The only issue I have with it is that the contrast band really shows up how my bewbs squish down the band under the bust. I think that happens on all my Tiras, but it’s more obvious here with the contrast! If the crossover is any longer, it looks baggy… so I guess this is just the way it’s going to be, unless I start interfacing the midriff or something. 

This is my first polyester ITY maxi, and I’m pleased to report is was nice to wear even on a hot day! ITY is a bit like light-weight bathing suit fabric, which as a beginning sewist I was very wary to use… but I like it now! It’s not clingy, it has great stretch recovery, washes perfectly, and while it’s a bit warmer than a cotton, it’s not sweaty to wear. I bought this fabric locally, but its also a very easy fabric to order online. ITY seems to be a very standard weight and quality, so it’s easy to predict when you’ll get! 

Another recent project was this tie-up t-shirt!

It’s a total knockoff of this pin. I saw it, I wanted to try it, and an hour later it was done! I used Deer and Doe’s Plantain tee as the base, but any tee would work. I raised and widened the neckline, and eyeballed the length in back and front. I folded and stitched the bottom hem, but the slash up the front centre isn’t hemmed because I couldn’t figure out an easy way to finish it! I’ve seen lots of cute cropped and knotted tees lately, and this was a fun way to try out the trend. I’m planning on wearing it over maxis mostly, as a cleavage coverup or instead of a cardigan!

One thing I’ve been experimenting with is how best to tie the know so that it lays flat. In the 2nd pic from the left, I’ve tied it once… in the centre pic I’ve tied twice (right over left, right over left)… and my fav knot, second from the right, is also tied twice (right over left, left over right). Thinking back to being a Girl Guide, I think the most successful knot is called a square knot? Any of you have tips for how best to tie a neat, flat knot in clothing?

Next, because I’m a crazy cat lady, here’s what my cat was doing while I was taking pics on the balcony!

I grew up with outdoor cats, but she’s an indoor cat since we live a) in a 2nd floor apt, and b) near a major road. She’s never been ouside, but boy is she interested! 

Finally, thank you all so much for your awesome suggestions of halter patterns! I can’t believe how many great options you found for me - now I have to whittle them down to just one! I really appreciate the help though - I tried looking myself and just wasn’t finding anything. I knew the sewcialists would have all the best intell! 

Oh, and just a sneaky teaser… I’m hosting an Oonapalooza in July over on the Sewcialists website, so if you love Oona’s flamboyent style as much as I do, start looking for some bright and crazy fabric to work with! Rules are going to be wide open - anything goes, as long as it’s bright, joyous, and just a bit crazy! 

Can you help me find a pattern?

Hi everyone - I need your help! I’ve got a couple of weddings to go to this summer, and of course, I’d like to make a dress to wear! I’ve got a style in mind, but I can’t find a pattern. Help!

I’d like it to look like a halter from the front, like these, but have a back just like the front (i.e. coming up in a trapezoidal shape to attach to a strong or collar at the neck.) I find actual halters a PITA to wear, but I love this look. (In fact, I put a downpayment on a wedding dress in this style before finding the “right” dress!) 

Other criteria/thoughts: 

• I’ll sew mine in an ITY knit, but seeing the pattern shapes for either a woven or knit would help me figure it out


• it’s probably more flattering on my body to have a waistband component, like the blue dress above… but I can alter any pattern to include that


• I quite like the look of a slit in the back or front bodice (like the orange, blue or white versions above)


• I also like the look of a wider collar around the neck (like the white or black one) instead of just a string… but I wonder what kind of closure the collar part uses?


• Mine will be a maxi (or maxi with an Anna-esque slit?) but again, I can draft for that if it’s not in the pattern!

Can anyone suggest a pattern that would be a good start? And also, what on earth is this neckline called? I found the pics on pinterest by searching for “halter” dresses, but to my mind, it’s really not a halter at all if the back connects to the collar too! What do you think?

Thank you!

Stripes and Solids for Winter and Summer!

I finished two projects today… and as I photographed them, I realised that they had more than a little in common! 

First up, some secret pyjamas…

This is a total fluke of a project. It started life as a Maria of Denmark Kimono tee that had sat unfinished for weeks… frankly, too boring to finish! Solid colour? Blah! 

This morning I had a stroke of inspiration. I chopped the shirt way down, and made a Nettie-inspired low scoop neck. I dug out some stripes and made a half circle skirt. (BTW, why is it that I can never picture whether a skirt is 1/4, 1/2, or a full circle until I see the pattern piece? Thank goodness for the BHL app.) 

Now, let’s be honest - this is some seriously shoddy sewing. The stripes on the waistband are wonky, the skirt is a bit too short, and I have to yank the back down to make the hem sit straight over my tush. The neckband is BAD - gapes open and I see right down to my bra. For all of those reasons, this will never leave the house! 

On the other hand though, it feels just right for lounging around the house on a hot summers day…

What’s the I’m doing on the porch? Reading your blogs, of course! (Also, lesson learned: Popsicles are not a good photo prop if you want to remain ladylike! No eating pictures made the cut. :P) 

Next up, my third (1, 2) Jalie 3355 hoodie!

(I think this collage makes me look like a one-person boy band, striking a pose!) 

This is some of the french terry that I ordered from Fabric.com recently, and at first the bright colour threw me off… but once I mixed it with stripes, I love it! I lined the hood, trimmed the pocket, and added Plaintain elbow patches. The stripes make the whole thing so much more fun to wear!

See?

What I like most about this hoodie pattern is that it’s a solid basic hoodie, not a tight “fashion” hoodie. It’s boxy, and it’ll never make me look thin… but dang, I wear one every night when I come home from work!It’s adaptable, too. My first version shrank shorter in the wash, so it’s quite boxy… my second one is a stretchy sweater knit fleece which I cut to be long enough to cover my tush when I wear it with leggings. This version has a slight high-low hem, and a bit more waist shaping at the side seam. I’ve got plans for more versions of this hoodie, to be sure! 

There you have it! Two different garments with solids and stripes… one for summer, and one for cooler weather. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about fabric mixing, and how to use contrast fabrics to liven up basic makes… more on that in a post sometime! 

MMM14 Wrapup! (And what's YOUR blogging niche?)

Do you ever wonder what your “niche” is in the sewing blogosphere? That signature thing that sets you apart from other people, that means you are contributing something useful to the community? 

I have fun thinking about what defines each of us, and why everyone is awesome. For example:

• Oona = powerhouse of crazy colour and print


• Heather = best dressed stay-home mama with speed sewing skills


• Leila = clothes with a playful sense of theatre


• Clare = hella stylish chameleon


• Morgan = eco chic that is never boring

… and so on! 

So what’s my niche? Colourful comfy basics made again and again! 

Which is why I choose to play to my strengths this Me-Made May…

Repeats! All the time, and on purpose! I would have worn these patterns again and again anyway during the month, so I figured that if I chose one pattern to highlight each week it would seem more purposeful and less dull… and maybe (hopefully!) inspire some other sewists to get the most from their TNT patterns!

Week 1: 8 pairs of Sewing Cake Espresso leggings. (How tired was I when I made the collage that I typed “7”?)

Top Tip: 4-way stretch is the best for leggings, no matter what the pattern says. For me, 2-way stretch just cannot accommodate sitting and bending without sagging through the day. 

Week 2: 7 versions of the Jalie Raglan Tee 

I hadn’t sewn a single raglan top before I got this pattern… then they became so addictive that I’ve made all of these versions in just a few months!

Top Tip: Buy Jalie! I can’t say enough good things about Jalie - well drafted, a huge size range, Canadian, and very ready-to-wear! They remind me a lot of Style ARc in how reliably drafted they are… but with kids-to-plus-size-adult in each pattern and good instructions! 

Week 3: 6 pairs of Style Arc Elle Pants (Although I did wear a few more the next week!)

Getting my wisdom teeth out meant that I wore (unphotographed) me-made pjs for a few days. C’est la vie! 

Top Tip: For pull-on stretch pants like these, the right fabric is really important. I like 30% stretch, which lets the pants be snug but still comfy. 

Week 4: 7 days of Jamie Christina Mission Maxis (and one day of breaking my own rules!) 

Top Tip: There are lots of similar tank-style knit dress patterns - and I bet they are all great! What I like about the Mission Maxi is that even with my 46” hips, I can cut a dress from 1.5m. There’s also a very dramatic curve from the bust to the hips, which means it fits snuggly over the bust but has ease over the hips, without being tent-like. For all of my versions I’ve added quite a bit of width to the racerback and shoulder straps, and used bands to finish the edges instead of the turn-and-sew recommended by the pattern. I like my alterations because it means my bra strap is always covered (and therefore I can wear them to work) and the bands give more resiliency to the straps so the weight of the skirt doesn’t pull everything down. 

Looking back at the month, here’s what I notice: 

• I still really stick to my wardrobe colour palette! The kimono fabric that I used as a backdrop this year was part of the original inspiration for my palette, and I’m happy with how it coordinated with almost all of my outfits. Those colours are the ones that make me feel happy and pretty, so I’m glad they are the backbone of my wardrobe! (If you haven’t figured out your own palette, or want to reconsider it, here’s my tutorial on how I made mine.)


• I could have included other patterns I’ve made many times, like Maria Denmark Kirsten Kimono tees, Cake Tiramisu dress, or Sewaholic Renfrew… but I’m happy with the four patterns I picked. I felt stylish, modern and myself each week. 


• Maybe it’s time to try another pants pattern. Maybe. 


• I’m really happy that most of my pictures are completely unedited, thanks to what i learned in the Craftsy photography course! In past years it took a lot longer to process photos every night but this year was quick and easy because I was taking better pics to start with. 

Oh, and in case you are curious, here is my photo set-up for the month - complete with all the mess that comes from #sewdontclean!

I left the tripod out all month, left the backdrop hanging (to cover the ugly radiator), and hid my camera in a nearby cupboard every day so that they cat wouldn’t play with it or knock it over! (Ask me why I fear that… ;) I used my dress form as a stand-in for myself so that I could pre-focus the camera on where I would be before moving her and jumping into frame. I have a camera remote, which meant I could take the pics myself during the morning rush to get out the door. In our apartment I find the best spot to take pics is between the two windows in the living room - it gives a better, more balanced light than facing the window or being lit from one side only. 

And that’s a wrap! I’m really glad I joined in again this year (I very nearly didn’t - the end of the school year is so stressful, and on the last night of April I almost bailed!) 

Now come on, be brave - What do you think your sewing niche is? Your signature thing that makes you awesome? (‘Cause you are!)