May Wrap Up

A much quieter May than April, that's for sure! :)

This month I sewed up 11 2/3 yards:

• McCall's 7094 top in animal print rayon challis - 1.5

• McCall's 7167 romper in ponte/shirting - 1.5 (for my daughter)

• Burda 03/2014 #101 jacket in blue/gray suiting - 1.75

• Butterick 5760 skirt in blue/gray suiting - 1

• Vogue 9032 pants in blue/gray suiting - 2.25

• McCall's 6559 robe in floral linen/rayon woven - 3 2/3

1 top
1 skirt
1 pants
1 jacket
1 robe
1 gift

Favorite: I did a great job this month of adding super lovable garments to my closet - yay me!  However, as we type, I am staring (with the side-eye) at my M7094 top. I swear I pretreated the fabric -- I've gotten to where everything is washed when it comes out of it's FabricMart box and/or SR Harris/Hancock Fabrics bag! :) And it's a crinkled hot mess.

Accomplishments: I won 2nd place in the wardrobe contest! Yay!!!! Also, I did something that I've wanted to do since I first started sewing; a 3 piece suiting collection. I totally have enough fabric left to make a sheath dress or another skirt; we will see.

For June I really want to catch up on my Burda challenge garments. I cannot find anything in March to love and am thinking if I just give myself "permission" to skip it, I can move forward.

I also have a couple "unselfish sewing" projects in the works for the kids.


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Last of MMM'15!

Day 22: M7094 top and V1411 pants

Day 23: M6839 top and S2061 pants

Day 24: M6841 top

Day 25: Happy Memorial Day! S2255 shirt

Day 26: Interview day! Burda 3/2014 jacket and V9032 pants

Day 27: M6927 top and S1696 pants

Day 27: M6559 (My S1696 pants grew and grew (why I despise lycra in my pants!!!)

Day 28: NL6108 top and M6654 skirt

Day 29: Tee refashioned from a mens XL and Style Arc jeans

Day 30: B6169 jacket and SA jeans

Day 31: S2351 jacket, NL6110 top and V1411 pants

I didn't repat any whole outfits, which honestly I knew wouldn't be that hard. Well...I totally want to wear my McCall's 5890 dress all.the.time!

I wore both V1411 and M6996 3 times each. I had to force myself not to wear M6996 more throughout the month. I wore M6839 and NL6108 twice each (AND my distressed RTW jeans 3 times - I totally put them on after the interview suit came off. I love those jeans!!).

I wore my Style Arc jeans 4 times! Definitely find myself reaching for them :)

Hope you enjoyed MMM too!

Burda 3/2014 #101 WIP .and Round 2 of MMM'15

ETA: DanvilleGirl is hosting a pattern giveaway on her blog, check it out!

I've found another cute option for a suit. I knew I wanted a more 'feminine' style jacket but wanted it to have a collar. I decided on this unlined jacket from the March 2014 issue and while I'm afraid of that pleated skirt on my non-flat-tummy body, I really like skirt #104 from the same issue.

Or I can use my TNT B5760

I'm not sure which way I should go!!!   I'm going to make the suit with the straight skirt. I really like that flouncy skirt and will make it soon, just not for the interview suit.

I found SEVERAL finished photos of the jacket on the Russian Burda site and decided I needed it NOW. And then....THEN...

I made a muslin.

Oh yes. Yes I did! :)

I had this (weird) cotton in my stash from a FabricMart bundle and it was perfect for this. A little more stiff than my fashion fabric but otherwise about the same weight. I cut a straight size 42 and the only change I made off the bat was adding 5/8" to the sleeve width

Too much fabric in a few places...

I removed width from the princess seam from the waist up, slightly narrowing the shoulders along with it. I made a 3/4" swayback adjustment and took an armhole dart. I saw these lines in FFRP and it suggests adding a little to the back of the sleeve. I won't re-muslin; but will add a little bit to try to eliminate those wrinkles.

Ahhhh. YES! :)

Sure, I thought about it after that I made the changes on the side without the sleeve. So I have the seam allowance folded over. There's still a little bit of excess but  1)the lapels are large and will cover that area and 2) my RPL has a bit more drape and should lie more smoothly over the front than the stiff cotton.

I started sewing the jacket today and should be able to finish it tomorrow and get the skirt muslined. I have two interviews next week so it needs to be ready to go! :)

MMM Days 10-21

Day 10: New Look 6130 with Vogue 1411

Day 11: Style Arc Sandra jeans with Simplicity 2153 jacket

Day 12: InHouse kimono tee

Day 13: Burda 2/2014 top

Day 14: Vogue 1395 dress and McCall's 6996 cardigan

Day 15: Simplicity 2443 jacket and Style Arc Sandra jeans

Day 15 continued: New Look 6130 top

Day 16: New Look 6373 jumpsuit

Day 17: New Look 6104 top and McCall's 6996 cardigan

Day 17 continued: Simplicity 1803 dress

Day 18: McCall's 6389 top and Burda 6907

Day 19: S2255 top and V1411 pants

Day 20: Burda 7136 shirt and V9032 pants

Day 21: McCall's 6996 cardigan and Simplicity 1696 pants

McCall's 7094 (And the Start of MMM'15)

When this pattern came out, I bought it, got home and cut the pattern pieces out. But the fabric I wanted to use wasn't going to work for the view with sleeves! So I used it for M7093 instead :)

I searched and searched and searched my pattern and magazine collection for a pattern "with a yoke and gathers and a band that I could contrast". This is the one flaw with having my entire collection on the Pattern Review site; all of the views of the pattern aren't on the photo. On the line drawing, sure, but I didn't even THINK about this pattern until someone posted a review a few days ago (Aleah at No Time to Sew). YAY!

I wanted to use this crazy vibrant challis I bought at FabricMart last year sometime with black as a contrast. I cut the pattern in a medium (I almost always take a medium for my 39.5" bust). The finished bust was 48" which sounds really excessive but I knew that the small (44.5" finished bust) would not leave enough room for my full bust. There are gathers in the back and that "excess" is more in back than in front. I also knew that the size small shoulders would be too small.

I removed 1" from the back pattern piece; for a total of 2" removed. This took me down to a 46" bust but gave me the much needed space for my full bust.

Just a tad bit of riding up in front still!

It really sits nicely over the butt. I think it was getting caught on my leggings...

The instructions, unfortunately, don't give the 'burrito method' for the yoke; I don't know why the Big4 won't update that already. It's SO easy and takes no extra time!!!!

I used solid black for the interior yoke as I didn't want the spots to show through.

overexposed!

 I was going to use french seams but this fabric has some body to it and probably would've added bulk so I just serged my side seams after sewing. I made bias tape from the black challis for the armholes as you can see...

That challis was a NIGHTMARE on the band. I had to keep the pattern piece with it while interfacing and sewing the collar/facing because it kept getting distorted. As a result it is not super-neat. But it's black and doesn't look bad on...just up close with over exposure.

I also feel like the explanation of how to handle the front/neck bands wasn't perfectly clear. Lots of pinning, double checking, stitching, double checking...

OMG same with the placket/front band. I love that detail but can't seem to execute it well. I spent a LONG time on this unpicking and resewing and unpicking and ended up having to remove my pleat basting and just adjust that front pleat to fit because I was going mad.

Speaking of the front pleat, I don't love it...it just kind of billows out. I stitched it down the first inch and a quarter or so and that seems to help. Another good pressing may work wonders too. :)

1) A not so neat junction

2) PLEATS!! :)

3) I tried like 8 times to get the right to fully overlap the left and gave up. 

4) reduced gathers

After all the drama, it was time for the easy, peasy part, side seams! LOL!

The yellow chalk line is the 5/8" seam.

The first line of stitching was my basting

The second line is where I ended up sewing my seams, using my french curve to blend

Because it was mostly trial and error, I lined the sides up as best I could and used tracing paper to transfer the new stitching line

Can you see the faint blue marks??

I am absolutely IN LOVE with this top!!! And have plans to make another - soon! As soon as this contest is wrapped up! :)

Definitely recommend this pattern, even with the fussy bands!

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If Me Made May makes you stabby (stabby: The feeling that you could grab any nearby sharp implement and stab the nearest thing which may or may not include yourself...) you can click away now!!! LOL!

Day 1: S1980 top and Sandra jeans

Day 2: S1676 dress (with a jean jacket)

Day 3: Burda 6911 with RTW skirt (LOVE this outfit!)

Day 4: In-House Kimono tee with RTW jeans

Day 5: NL6108 top, B5760 skirt and RTW cardigan

Day 6: Burda 7866 top and KS3115 pants

Day 7: M5890 dress

Day 8: Head-to-toe!! B5926 jacket, M6927 top, V9032 pants

Day 9: S2054 tunic

The (SUPER MEGA) April Wrap Up and MMM'15

You guys know I sewed a crap-ton this month...wardrobe contest plus stress relief! I have a temp jo I can start on May 18 which is great. No option of it being permanent though as it would be a step backwards career-wise. But it'll be good for the resume (it's totally easier to get a job WHILE you're employed somewhere!)

To the good stuff...

This month I sewed a whopping 26 3/8 yards! I thought I might hit 30 but no :)

• Burda 6911 in grey jersey - 1.5
• McCall's 7121 dress in print ITY - 1.75 (sitting in the UFO box - no reason really!)
• Burda 08/2014 #108 top in white knit - 1.5
• New Look 6110 top in blue/white/black striped poly - 1.5
• McCall's 6839 top in black/white striped jersey - 1
• McCall's 5523 skirt in taupe suiting - 1.125
• McCall's 6711 jacket in taupe suiting - 1.625
• Butterick 5760 skirt in black/white striped suiting - 1
• McCall's 6969 jumpsuit in chambray - 2.125
• Vogue 1411 pants in cobalt ponte- 1.75
• Butterick 5760 skirt in black suiting - 1
• Style Arc Sandra jeans in dark denim - 1.5
• Simplicity 1980 top in coral polkadot rayon - 1.5
• Simplicity 2369 dress in navy/white ITY - 2
• Butterick 6169 jacket in floral cotton pique - 2 (WIP)
• Burda 6938 pants in black/white print challis - 1.5 (for my daughter)
• New look 6373 jumpsuit in print ITY - 2

That last one? Went to Hancock on Thursday to see if the new McCall's was in (the jumpsuit - I know!) Bought it. Cut it. Sewed it. Will probably write it up when I finish the jacket.

3 tops (only 3?! surprising!)

3 skirts

1 dress

2 jumpsuits (LOL!)

2 jackets

2 pants

1 gift

Favorite: This is America so I don't have to choose!!!  I absolutely ADORE the following:

S2369 dress

V1411 pants

B5760 black skirt (it's so perfect. SO!)

NL6110 top

I've worn both V1411 and NL6110 SEVERAL times and wore the black skirt to my interview for the temp job. And the dress is just awesome so...Totally a winning month!

FAILS: The M6711 jacket. I have tried it on a few more times and think it's about 45% that it's too snug and 55% the fabric. I think it could be really cute and -gasp- may try it again. 

Accomplishments: I triumphed against a silky poly fabric! Woohoo!!!

There are two weeks left in the PR Wardrobe Contest. I need to put together a finalized plan from all of the things I've sewn! I really want to add a jacket but am also thinking I could use the dress and jumpsuit as my "sewer's choice" items...but then I lose that effect of layering to create different looks.

Decisions, decisions!

MMM'15!!!!

I have TONS of handmade garments. I wear them, all the time. usually exclusive to my RTW clothes. But I still love Me made May!

It is YOUR personal challenge so you can do whatever YOU want! It doesn't matter if you only have 5 handmade items or 50! And you are NOT required to post photos! 

So if you're thinking about it, please join!!!

This year I will be wearing at least 1 handmade item daily with no repeats on the weekend. Pajamas/Lounge clothes will not count.

Like last year, I will be documenting daily on Instagram (sewcraftychemist) and will add composite photos to my newly created page here on the blog, Making My Wardrobe Work.

May Wrap-Up and the end of MMM'14!

Last 3 days of Me Made May 2014! Eeeeeek!

Day 29: Simplicity 2700 pants (the too high at the waist pair)

Day 30: Simplicity 2594 top (again)

Day 31: McCall's 6744 dress

I am very glad that I participated this year. Not only was it incredibly fun to see everyone's handmade goodies on display, it was very useful too!

This month, I aimed for zero weekend repeats and I achieved that. I did have repeats during the week, which I knew I didn't have enough stuff to really, truly go 30 days.

What I did observe was:

1. I need more pants. I have made 5 pair of S2700 pants and one pair of B5908. I ruined one pair but slicing them open. A 2nd pair was made with sad fabric that grows by the minute. A 3rd pair  (which was technically the 1st pair) was made before I knew just how much needed to be removed from CF. A 4th pair is STILL awaiting new hems. So I really only have the plaid pair of S2700s and the B5908 pants. I have to change that!
2. I wore ALL 3 of my M6844 cardigans. I reached for the white one multiple times, mostly because it's much lighter than the ponte versions. I need another in a lightweight knit.
3. I wore both of my: S2255 tops, Sew Simple A1523 tops, S2061 pants and KS3115 yoga pants.
4. I have well over 300 patterns now and 100 of them are McCall's (to be fair, some are craft, mens, kids...) and 80 are Simplicity. But I noticed a lot of Simplicity TNT patterns here!
5. I want additional versions of several of these garments (not just the pants!)
6. I have some things that need handling. If it looks decent and is finished, I will donate or give away (my mom LOVED the M6886 and M6844 dress and cardi I sent her!). If they are in UFO jail; they need to be finished or tossed. If they need to be tossed...save the notions! I have three(!) zippers cut out of failed pants. I need to just unpick the stitches and boom, zippers!

 

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

I didn't mind the daily pics but knew I'd never post daily to the blog; and Instagram was the perfect medium for that. Also, next time I'll do calendar weeks like normal humans. :) 

Until next year!!

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My May wrap up:

• Lady Skater - 2 yards. (eggplant knit--I made this for DD. Plus the yard I ruined by mis-cutting)
• S1699 dress - 2 yards (mint cotton/poly woven--also for DD)
• BSM 06/2014 #121 tunic - 2 yards (windowpane cotton/poly shirting--also for DD)
• M6844 cardi - 2 yards (white knit)
• S1430 shorts - 1 yard (denim)
• S2153 jacket - 2.75 yards (black waterproof fabric--still in progress, but cut in May)
• M6519 top - 1 yard (teal challis--still in progress, but cut in May)

then...I had wadder after wadder after wadder this month

• NL 6110 top - 1.5 yards (white cotton w/circles--not fully a wadder but won't make it into the wardrobe)
• Lekala top - 1 .25 yards (white knit)
• M6744 dress - 1.5 yards (multi colored print ITY--I think the skirt can be salvaged and used for something else!)
• M6866 top - 1.25 yards (bright yellow knit :sadface: )

And in limbo:

• M6961 top - 1.5 yards (floral chiffon--not sure yet if my FBA worked. I need to find a lining fabric to finish sewing it up)

20.75 yards out this month, 6.5 yards as wadders and 6.5 yards for DD; plus 5.25 yards as in progress. Sooooo 3 yards worth of wearable items for me!?!? LOL!!!!

Fabric purchases were also quite rough.

26.75 yards purchased but 6.25 was NOT quite what I was expecting. So I'm pretty much at parity again. Yay! Of the 6.25; 1 will become pj shorts (too thin for 'real' shorts which is what I bought it for), 3 will become 'muslin' for knits (if I decide to muslin a knit. If it sits too long, I will give it away). We'll see if the others become more worthy as they age in the stash :)

Let's show off the good stuff...

Wovens

Coating

Knits

I'm going to go out on a limb and say my favorite May make will be my black jacket when it's finished. It is coming along REALLY nicely and I am super proud of my work.

Me Made May 2014: Week 4 roundup

Week 4. It's getting rough. I am running out of me mades! I am realizing the things that I need to donate, give away or just toss. AND the holes that I need to fill in my wardrobe. This is super helpful for me. SUPER!!

3 more days!!!

Day 22: Burda 7886 top
Day 23: Simplicity 2255 top
Day 24: Butterick 3314 pj's (I did not go outside on Saturday)
Day 25: Simplicity 1430 shorts
Day 26: I actually put the S1430 shorts back on...got TOO hot and showered and changed into M6927 top and leggings
Day 27: Simplicity 2700 pants and Butterick 5493 top
Day 28: New Look 6108 top and McCall's 6844 cardigan

Week THREE of MMM'14

Eek! 10 more days to go! It looks like I  will make my goal of zero weekend repeats. I still have loads of casual non-work garments that I can wear on the weekends!

Day 15: KS 3115 yoga pants (my only repeat so far)

Day 16: NL 6108 top and B5927 jacket

Day 17: S2054 tunic/mini dress

Day 18: PR Winter Street Dress

Day 19: Burda 6910 top

Day 20: M6519 top

Day 21: Sew Simple A1523 top

Hopefully I'll get my hair done soon :-D

Me Made May 2014 - 2nd week ...And More

I would like to extend a huge, sincere THANK YOU to all of the wonderful messages left on my post about Kitten.

We had her cremated on Sunday and we are slowly coming to terms with her not being around. I need to put away her bed, toys and food dishes because I keep seeing them and getting sad! :-(

So no, I haven't sewn anything new for me. However, I have been working on the S1699 dress for my daughter. It's almost done. I realized I need to line the skirt and beyond that just finishing the neckline and hemming.

I decided to take in the bodice a bit (7/8" side seams) and it fits beautifully now - review next week!

Then, this sweet girl got me a great Mother's Day gift:

The mascara is an inside joke :)

Hancock had a 15% off purchase coupon soooo I had to go. I HAD to.

1 yd poly (silky) geometric print
1.5 yd striped black knit
1.5 yd bright(!) yellow knit
2 yds grey lightweight sweatshirt fleece
2.5 yes light/mid weight denim

Tomorrow is day 14 of MMM and I decided what I'm wearing tomorrow...but I won't have a chance to blog again until the weekend most likely. Work is crazy and my energy is low :/ I'll probably finish her dress this week and I really hope to trace a jacket from the April Burda mag.

Day 8: S2192 sweatshirt, KS 3115 yoga pants and my hand knit socks

Day 9: B5908 pants, S2255 top, M6844 cardigan

Day 10: M6844 cardigan and S2061 pants

Day 11: Burda 11/2012 top

Day 12: S2700 pants

Day 13: Maria Denmark kimono tee and KS 3115 yoga pants

Day 14: S2594 top

Me Made May 2014: 1 week peek

Sooooo I guess other folks who were doing weekly recaps did it like by calendar week. Ah well. I'm a rebel.

Also, I know that some (ok, LOTS) of people glaze over during the month because of Me Made May. Hence my decision to participate daily on IG and only post what will be 4 updates here on the blog (7/7/7/10 days). Bear with me! :)

I am secretly enjoying Instagram! I have avoided it as I didn't 'get it'. I still am unlikely to use it for regular, every day photo uploads but I love it for sewing. I have found many new sewing 'friends' to follow and ooh and ahh over what they make - Score!!

Day 1: McCall's 6844 cardigan
Day 2: McCall's 5890 [ I was so excited for my work conference on Friday because I could wear  a dress!!! :) ]
Day 3: Simplicity 2061 pants
Day 4: Burda 02/2014 - #135 top and #109 skirt
Day 5: Sew Simple 1523 top and Burda 10/2012 #113 jacket (Although I wear the jacket daily)
Day 6: Plantain tee
Day 7: Simplicity 1916 top

This week I wore 3 items that I had not yet worn!! And I had NO repeats! Yay!!

In other sewing news...

And I made another McCall's 6844 cardigan. Really I can't write anything else about it that I didn't write the other FOUR times I made this pattern :)

WAIT! I can!!! On the very first one, the black one, I followed the directions exactly and interfaced the band. Then the next 3 I did not interface the band/collar. But I've come to realize I like the weight/stiffness(?) that the band has when interfaced so I interfaced this one.

This is made from the same knit as the plantain tee above. I wear the others at work over sleeveless tops/shells and the ponte is getting kind of warm at times (if you overheat like I do). 

BUT anyone that works in an office knows that in the summer months you need something lest you turn into an air conditioned ice cube...so this lightweight knit version should be perfect as the mercury continues to rise.

Lily is lopsided and I can't seem to fix her :-/

Oooh. This month I am also managing the vintage pattern contest on Pattern Review. It is an interesting process to say the least :-)

PANTS contest coming up mid May! Woot! Even though I can't win, I am making red pants. Cause everyone needs red pants!