Me Made May: Week 4

This day marks the last time you will see any NEW items in my me-made roundup. Starting today, I'm wearing my first repeat outfit. I thought about staying up all night last night and making enough t-shirts to get me to the end of the month...but there's always next year to try for no repeats! Remember, my goal this year, for my first Me Made May, was simply to participate and not wear the same pair of shorts over and over. Without further ado, here's what I wore this week:

1. Nautical blouse 2. Simplicity 2209 3. New Look 6108 (unblogged) 4. T-shirt refashion (unblogged)

5. Upcycled underwear 6. McCall's 6359 (unblogged) 7. Kimono t-shirt

Do you like my cheat day with the underwear? I've been brainstorming ideas for knit dresses and wanted to wear one to get in the spirit, so I wore a RTW dress that day. There are a bunch of unblogged projects here because...frankly...I don't like these items! They fall into the "barely wearable" category for me. But I guess the point of MMM is to push you into wearing all the things you've made, good or bad (sewing karma?). It has definitely worked for me!

I hope everyone has a fantastic three day weekend! 

Photo 1: capris from somewhere I don't remember

Photo 3: Shorts from Old Navy

Photo 4: capris from Old Navy

Photo 5: not pictured: knit dress from Old Navy

Photo 6: jeans from The Gap

Photo 7: jeans from The Limited

Sewing Project: CKC Ruffled Dress

Ugh. I think that bad dream I had about failing on Project Runway has cursed my Thurlows. I was making good strides and I thought it was all downhill, but yesterday I realized that somehow I'd cut my waistband pieces backwards. Ugh. Thank goodness I have enough extra fabric to recut. I almost chucked the whole thing into a corner and started something else. Y'know, a revenge project. That makes sense, right?

ANYWAY! If you subscribe to the Sew Can She daily newsletter, then you might have seen the free pattern from Create Kids Couture to make this ruffled dress:

In anticipation of summer, I had been looking for a quick, painless pattern to make a bunch of summer dresses for AB. Preferably with raglan sleeves or sleeveless, and no closures (did I mention I wanted something FAST??). And of course, something I could make with knits. I'm pretty sure CKC intends for this pattern to be made with wovens, but I made it in a knit and it worked.

Future heartbreaker.

Everything I love about a girl's dress is in this pattern. Easy to sew, easy on and off (there's an elastic neckline) and it's the same front to back (no figuring out which side is which, a problem my husband frequently has with the clothes I make for AB). What makes this pattern even more amazing is that there's only ONE pattern piece (for the sleeve). All the other pieces are rectangles, the dimensions of which are provided in the pattern. The instructions were easy to follow, and you can whip a bunch of these up in no time.

I also liked that the length for the elastic was provided in the instructions. A lot of patterns tell you to put the half-finished garment on your child and measure elastic to fit. YEAH RIGHT! Not possible on a 15-month old. AB had a routine check-up yesterday, and her pediatrician said that between 15 months and 2 years, toddlers get this weird "don't come into my bubble" attitude with their personal space. Kinda made me laugh, since AB has no concept of MY personal space and treats me like a jungle gym.

These are her outside shoes...please ignore!

I made this dress before I got my serger, so I finished the seams with a zig-zag on my regular machine. I've been lazy with seam finishing, but it's one of my goals for this year to do higher quality work. I used a video from Jalie (mentioned here at Made by Trisha) for instructions on how to finish seams with knits. It worked great, is much more durable, and didn't add too much extra time to the project.

This dress is a size 18 months, which is the smallest size for the pattern. As you can see, it's still big on AB, AND I used a larger seam allowance than what is noted in the instructions. The instructions say to use a 3/8" seam allowance, but I used 5/8" because I figured it would be too big, and I just like 5/8" better! I did make one other change, which was to hem the sleeves without making an elastic casing. Sometimes I think little girls' dresses go overboard with ruffles, so I decided to keep it simple.

The fabric is a fantastic lightweight cotton jersey, perfect for summer. You may recognize it from the Madison Dress I made previously. It's so pretty!

I hope you give this pattern a try and let me know how you like it. There's also a matching purse! Oddly enough, AB already has a few purses, so I'm not in a hurry to make her another. What summertime sewing is on your agenda?

Pssst...It's Thrifty Thursday time again at Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop! Today you can snag the Susie Sun Dress for only $4! Be sure to check out the complete summer line of patterns, there are some adorable new designs.

What I'm Reading: Fashion: Concept to Catwalk

Fair warning, this post gets a wee bit philosophical. For the last few weeks, I've been reading/browsing/skimming the book Fashion: Concept to Catwalk by Olivier Gerval. 

Amazon

It was originally written in French and translated to English (but it retains some of its sweet French pictures). The topics covered include researching a fashion concept, development of ideas for a clothing line, execution within a design studio, and running a fashion show. Basically everything you see on the last episode of a season of Project Runway, only expanded into real life!

The book is a bit dry, and reads oddly, probably due to the translation. Some fashion books lean more towards "textbook" and this seems to be one of those. Technical information isn't all bad; there were some great sidebars about printing techniques, flat drawing, and a cool fabric glossary. I love reading the names that other countries have for fabrics, don't you? Given the textbook nature, this book made me start thinking about design school. Since I live in a university town, learning and higher education are at the forefront of our city culture. Like anyone who holds a degree in English, I used to wish I would have studied something more practical. Now, I wish I would have studied fashion design!

I value the self-taught seamstress, no doubt, but I have to wonder what skills one could pick up in design school that you just can't get anywhere else. But are those skills even necessary? Do I ever want to work in fashion? When you're a stay-at-home mom who isn't working, you have the time to wonder about what you'll do when you go back to work (I do eventually have to go back to work, right?). I doubt that another degree is in my future, but since discovering such a passion for sewing, I would love to work in this field in some capacity. It's almost as if nothing else could measure up, now that I know this is what I love!

What about you? Have you ever had a desire to turn your home sewing into a career of some kind? Are you dreaming of your looks walking a catwalk like this book describes? What's your dream?

Sewing Project: Butterick 5606

I had a dream last night that I was on Project Runway. And I was the first one eliminated. Right before I woke up, my last impression is that I was sitting in the workroom, alone, sewing the Thurlows that I'm working on right now. I didn't make it down to the runway and had no garment to show, for the first time in Project Runway history. Duuuuuuude. Somebody has issues!! And my Thurlows aren't even going that badly!

I hope I can put that out of my mind later today when I work on those shorts some more, but for now, how about an EASY, fun tunic?

This is Butterick 5606. I bought it during a 5/$5 sale at Jo-Ann's, so give me a break on how unimpressive it looks. It's a tank dress with ties on the sides to give you a multi-wear dress. If you want to know the truth, I bought it only for the tank dress pattern pieces. I already have an infinity dress (unblogged but seen here in my week 1 Me Made May roundup) and that's not the type of thing that you need multiples of in your wardrobe. Also, the ties on my infinity dress drive me nuts. So, with my two pattern pieces in hand, I whipped out a mini-tank dress in about two days, which is pretty good time for me. Uninterrupted, you could finish this in 2 hours.

It's a little short.

The pattern called for about 3-4 more inches than the 36 that I had, so that's why I'm calling it a mini-dress. I can wear it with tights or capris and it works great.

Day 1 of Me Made May.

I LOVE this fabric. It's got feathers and neon and it's just wonderful. As usual, I only had a yard and wanted to make a top from it (and I certainly could have done so by cutting it off and hemming it shorter) but I decided to go all-out with it. It's such a fun print, I figured I might as well own it.

It's kind of an A-line shape from top to bottom, so it benefits from a belt to give more definition. It can be worn forwards or backwards, giving me two options for the neckline (one is more of a V, and the other a scoop neck).

The neckline(s) and armholes are finished with a narrow hem. I tried to use some chartreuse binding (leftover fabric from my Kimono Dress) on the neckline, instead of the narrow hem, and it was a total disaster. I ended up making it more like a facing. It's only one one side (the "back") so it's helpful, because now at a glance I can tell which way is "front".

I've been looking for a reliable knit tank top pattern and this one is exactly what I wanted. No frills, nothing fancy, just great for those wardrobe staples. And if I ever decide to make a multi-wear dress with it, you know I'll share!

Photobomb!

Mend It Monday: Sewing on a Button

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! It's starting to be hot around here these days. I can't wait for some kiddie pool time with AB. There's also a free splash pad at a park nearby, I think we'll be spending lots of time there this summer. I guess I need to get on that swimsuit project I have planned for myself! Maybe I should practice by sewing one for AB, like the Coney Island Tankini from Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop. I kinda like that design for me!

Today I have another quick mending project. A few weeks ago (okay...it was probably months ago) I lost a button on one of my favorite shirts.

It's a poly/spandex knit blouse from Target, and it's sooooo comfortable. I used to wear this to work when I felt like being a bum, but wanted to look like a cute young professional. The top button was the one that fell off:

I might have worn it without the button, but it's already a low-cut top, so I didn't want to push the issue. I was surprised that the button was even loose. The fabric is so stretchy that I usually pull it over my head, I never use the buttons! Anyhow, this is a quick fix and I feel silly for leaving it in the mending pile for so long.

The button is a shank button, not a regular flat button. These types are actually easier to sew back on than a "regular" button. I found some matching cotton thread in my stash and went to work.

For some reason I always end up using cotton thread for mending. Cotton thread isn't as strong as polyester thread (which is what I use in my sewing machine) but it's much softer. I like the softness when I sew by hand.

Finding the right spot to sew this back on was easy, because the old thread hole was still visible. The buttonholes are vertical, so I laid the button on the fabric with the shank vertical as well. A few quick stitches through the shank, into the fabric, and back, and it was done!

Quick and easy, and this shirt is saved!

As I'm writing this post, AB and I are watching Sesame Street, and they spent 10 minutes trying to get Oscar the Grouch to say "buttons". I felt like I was doing something wrong by typing it over and over again with that in the background!

Craftsy free class day!

Just a quick Saturday note to let everyone know about a fantastic chance for a free class, today only, on Craftsy!

For all new users, you can choose a free class, that's a savings of up to a $39.99! The best part is, if Craftsy hits their goal of giving away 10,000 classes, they will donate $5,000 to the organization DonorsChoose, to benefit art education in public schools. How cool is that? I've taken a few Craftsy classes and I love it. Sign up today and receive your free class! Then come back here and tell me what you picked, I'd love to hear about the other courses.

This post contains affiliate links, however the excitement I feel for Craftsy is my own!

Me Made May: Week 3

Coffee. Must drink all the coffee. It's a good thing I didn't have TOO much fun last night during The Office finale. Bright and early this morning tree trimmers started working across the street. Any hopes of a peaceful morning of recovery flew into the woodchipper. And The Office? Perfect. Completely perfect and better than I hoped it would be. My husband even got me an Office finale present, which was even more perfect and wonderful than the episode. I heart him.

This week I'm hitting the end of my me-mades and will definitely start repeating next week. I made it more than halfway without repeats and that's better than I thought! Or maybe I've made more clothes than I realized...

1. Kimono t-shirt 2. Simplicity 1716 3. Maxi skirt 

4. New Look 6097 5. Unblogged men's shirt refashion 6. Ombre dress 7. Yoga skirt

This week was challenging, as I was running out of things to wear. The weather was all over the place, from the 50's to the 80's, and I had a funeral to attend as well. Time to do a load of all me-made laundry (how cool!) and get ready to restyle it all for the rest of the month!

Photo 1 with jeans from Old Navy.
Photo 2 with leggings from TJ Maxx.
Photo 3 with shirt from Target.
Photo 5 with shorts from Old Navy.
Photo 7 with tank top from Old Navy (it says "time for a hug-o-war" haha!).