MMMay Days 24-28: Still in the game!

As May comes to a close, I have lost my drive to blog each day's outfit. While I have continued to wear a MeMade item every day I have also missed photographing a few of those days. Here's the run down since Saturday:

Day 24: Indigo Dyed Wiksten hack

I made this tank dress from the Wiksten pattern. I used my standard mods and added a channel for a drawstring. I used about $2 worth of muslin, then took it to the Possible show at the Berkeley Art Museum for an open Indigo dip. The result looks like a very faded denim. It is shorter than I would normally wear a dress, but I was in Sacramento this day and it was very hot.

Day 25: Rooibos skirt, day 2

This was my first repeat day, but affirmed my love of this skirt. I need to decide if I am going to take the panels apart to make a master pattern or if I am going to try to draft from the finished object. No photo.

Day 26: Art History Wiksten

Another repeat day and also photo-less, as the weather warms up I realized that I could use a number of tank tops. Perhaps it is finally time for a Sorbetto.

Day 27: Taproot One

Penumbra Tee

Yet another repeat without photo documentation--this one is really a favorite. When I made the second version of the Taproot Tunic I extended the length, but ultimately I like this version better. I have made a date with some friends to get them started sewing and this is the pattern I am going to start them on. Even if the style doesn't appeal to everyone (which I actually think it will given the crowd I run with), it is a great way to build confidence because it comes together so quickly.

Day 28: Penumbra Tee

Finally! A unique MeMade! I made this knit top back in 2011-2012. It's a cute pattern from Knitscene, but my execution has some issues. Part of the problem is that the yarn is too stiff for this pattern so the bottom flares out oddly. I also think the neckline is too low. This is one of several sweater project that I am considering ripping out and re-purposing the yarn. I recently saw this sweet tank that I think would get more use than this top.

Tomorrow holds a new MeMade, perhaps the last one of the month. Who knows? I might eek one last project out!

MMMay Days 22/23: Art History Wiksten & a sunny sweater

Two years ago when I started all this sewing business the one of the first things that I made was the famous Wiksten tank. After making the muslin and adjustments I made one out of Jay McCarroll's Drop Cloth fabric to wear to judge the Art History games at the school where I work. It's now become an annual tradition for me to wear it on judging day, which was yesterday. I did not have time to snap a photo, but I will probably wear it again (like tomorrow) so here's the original FO photo for reference:

The fog has rolled back into the Bay so I managed another unique Me Made today by wearing my Aislinn sweater. I am mixed about this sweater. It is definitely more of a statement piece so I can't just throw it on with anything that I am wearing, so when I wear it I have to plan the outfit around the sweater. Don't get me wrong, it is a cute sweater and works with a few items in my wardrobe. It's just that it is limited. Here it was today:

MMMay Day 21: Red Denim Skirt

This is probably the oldest Me Made that I still wear and it is definitely the one that I have worn the most over the years--so much so that I can't believe I haven't made a whole fleet of these skirts. I used Simplicity 5460, but over the years this skirt has been altered a few times. I have shortened it twice from just covering my knee to just at the knee to where it resides now above the knee. Then yesterday in order to be able to wear it today I took it in at the waist. Given the age of this skirt I did a quick job and drew in a quarter inch pinch at each side seam. I curved the line to nothing at the hip and widened it a smidge so the waist facing would fit inside. I still love it. Time to make another!

MMMay Day 20: Vogue 8815

After a muslin, pattern redrafting, and changes to this version I was able to wear my Vogue 8815 today. I like it, but I am not in love with it. I made so many changes to the pattern in the two versions that I am starting to thinking I should have made a different size. Instead of a 12 with a graded waistline, perhaps I should have made a 10 with a graded waistline. After getting to a waistline that didn't feel too tight I still had a lot of fabric to remove from the torso. Even in this version you can see some buckling at the sides (though that wrinkle above my bust line is more a fabric issue than a fit issue). The second round of changes looked like this:

1. Redraw side seams
2. Make armhole 1" deeper
3. Move dart apex down 1"
4. Take neckline & back neck down 1/2-1"

What I didn't realized was that by taking the shoulders up as I did meant I should have made the bodice another 5/8th of an inch longer! So if I make this pattern again I will need to:

1. Make the bodice longer
2. Make the skirt shorter (this photo makes it look too long, which it might be)
3. Move the dart apex up a 1/2"
4. Fix gaping at the neckline (though that might be poor tape application)

That said, I might just make the size 10, but change the waistline size and location, the armholes, and shoulders before the muslin. Alternately, I have a couple of other peplum tops to try. There's the loose-fitting Simplicity 1362, which could make a nice, easy sundress, and then there's the princess seamed Simplicity 1425, which might be easier to alter.

In the meantime I need to go dig out an old skirt to wear for tomorrow's Me Made!

MMMay Day 19: Pink Paisley PJs

Today I was a luxurious day. My sister-in-law was here, which means my kiddo is otherwise occupied with one of his favorite people in the world. I took advantage of the opportunity by spending the first half of the day in some me-made PJ pants. I made these out of a cotton lawn scarf I got as a hand-me-down from my grandma. I used the the PJ shorts pattern from the first One Yard Wonders book, drew the leg down to full length and added in-seam pockets. The result is on the dramatic side for PJs, but good:

I love that bird painting, even when it's crooked!

I spent a lot of time at the sewing machine and ironing board today. I cut out the fabric for the cropped pants and finally finished a wearable version of Vogue 8815, which will debut tomorrow!

MMMay Day 18: Pink!

Back when I made my Rooibos skirt I also made a top to go with it. I wanted to make a loose fitting cotton jersey top and had the perfect top to base it off of. Unfortunately, my knock-off version made it look like I was a wall of pink:

 

It's just so much unrelenting pink and it kind of looks like a man's t-shirt. Recently I went to either wear it or toss and decided to take a pair of scissors to it to see if I could improve it. I opened up the neckline (I should have restrained myself there since I am now forever yanking up the neck), shortened the sleeves, and curved the front hem. I like it much better now, even though it requires me to always wear a camisole.

 

I missed blogging yesterday and, truthfully, I rested in terms of what I was wearing--wearing only a handknit scarf (I'm giving myself a pass though it is not in the spirit of the challenge). However, I did lots of sewing and altering and prepping. I'm hoping that I am only an hour or so away from finishing Vogue 8815. Then last night I traced and cut out the crop pant pattern from Simple Modern Sewing and the top of the boat-neck jumper from the same to make into a dress. I would love to get at least the pants done tomorrow.

MMMay Dia 16: Rooibos skirt

After making my original Rooibos dress, I thought that a skirt from the bottom of the pattern would be adorable, allow for crazy fabric mixing, and have the best pockets ever. Shortly before Day of the Dead 2012 I set to work making a skirt using the bottom half of the dress pattern. In my mind it was going to be as easy as cutting it down at the waist and putting in a zipper. You will not be surprised when I say it wasn't that easy. In order to get the pockets in a spot where they'd both look good and be useful I cut the skirt at a place that was wider than my waist. I suppose at that point I could have made it an elastic waist skirt, but I think it would have ruined the lines of the skirt. Instead I set to work shaving off circumference at each of the seams. Eventually, it got to a workable waistline. I have since changed the hemline twice and I really like it. I actually think I could use another skirt like this, although this time I will redraft the pieces and maybe make a muslin. Here it is, photo courtesy of my 4 year-old: