May in Review...

This month was Me-Made-May and even though I did drag my feet as to whether or not I would participate, I'm glad I did, sort of. I dragged my feet mid-way and gave up with photographs. How many photos of pj's can one take? That said, I continued to wear at least one me-made item everyday. And I do believe I only had two pajama days this month.  

MMM2020 was a good distraction for the first part of the month. The pandemic certainly influenced how I dressed. First Me-Made-May that included face masks. I challenged myself to fill the one void in my wardrobe, a well fitting brassiere made out of natural fibre fabric. I can now check that one off the list. 

Sewing wise, I'm trying to use what I have on hand and am happy to report this is another month that there was not new fabric added to the stash.  With what I had on hand, I made 18 face masks, 4 scrub caps, 1 slip, 1 brasseire and 3 dresses. This is what has been de-stashed and used this month:  

• 17.2 metres fabric
• 0.7 metres fusible interfacing
  
• 0.4 metres Knit 'n Stable tape
• 20.45 metres of seam binding
• 0.80 metres of elastic
• 2.6 metres of cord (recycled)
• 2 metres twill tape
• 14 buttons
  
• 2 previously used patterns
• 2 vintage patterns
• 2 PDF free downloadable pattern

It was a slow sewing month compared to April.  An increase of face mask sewing requests presented itself this month just when I had less free time on my hands. I did what I could with the supplies I had remaining, since going out to a fabric store was the last thing I wanted to do. Boy, those are words I never thought I would type! With everything under the sun costing ridiculously more every time you blink, fabric and sewing supplies are a luxury item that I can't justify right now. Thank goodness for a sewing stash.     

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!  

Me Made May Challenge: Brassiere

Sewing a brassiere, void of any underwire and in a natural fibre fabric, has been on my wish-list for quite some time. Simplicity 8510 (Simplicity R10160 on my copy), a 1930s vintage style (2019 release) made my dreams come true.  

This is a well drafted pattern and it fits well too. You'll have to take my word for it.  

There is just a very odd thing about this pattern. It's found in the instruction sheet within step one regarding the construction of the darts.  

TIP:  To prevent a "bubble" at the point, make the last few stitches right on the fold and leave the thread end long enough to tie a knot.  DO NOT back-stitch at the point.

Okay, who back-stitches at the end of a dart? I'm blown away that that would even have to be included in a pattern. 

Nothing else stands out other than how incredibly comfortable this is to wear. There may be more to be made once I find some more hooks and eyes.  

The fabric is a light-weight linen that has been in my stash for many moons. It was prewashed in the washer and followed a tumble in the dryer. It's nice and soft now. It will become a hand wash item in the future. 

The Stats

Fabric:  0.60 metres 

Interfacing:  scrap piece of fusible

Elastic:  0.05 metres 

Hooks and Eyes:  3

Pattern:  Simplicity R10160 / Simplicity 8510

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, tailor's chalk, pins, pin cushion, tracing paper, pencil, ruler, measuring gauge, scissors, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, sewing machine, walking foot, screwdriver, hand sewing needle, and thread.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

Me-Made-May 2020

This year's me-made challenge will be interesting. I wonder how many days I'll make it out of my me-made pajamas?  

Maybe that can be this year's challenge?  

Trying to wear at least one me-made item each day is not a challenge at this point in my sewing. Yes, there are still RTW items still lingering in my wardrobe, many if they still fit are decades old. The majority of my wardrobe is me-made. I would like to get around to trying to make a brassiere, the one missing me-made item from my wardrobe.  

Simplicity 8510 calls for batiste, cotton lawn, crepe back satin, crepe de chine, light-weight linen or silky type fabrics. I would really like to make this in a natural fabric and do have some light-weight linen.   

So that's my Me-Made-May 2020 challenge, get out of my pajamas and sew a brassiere before month's end.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

Merrily Mending Away: Unhooked

Calvin Klein Soft Cup Contour Bra
Also available at Nordstrom

My days have been spent doing the physio therapy exercises, eating, napping, reading The Best Laid Plans, and icing my knee while working on that enormous mending pile.

Today's item wasn't even in the mending pile because it has been part of my wardrobe rotation. Yes, my bras were in need of some alterations. Well, since my recent days have been lounging around in my pajamas it was the perfect time to mend these bras.

One of the most comfortable bras that I have found are Calvin Klein soft cup wireless bras. I have five of them in my wardrobe, that is how comfortable I find them.

They are almost perfect. The only thing that drives me absolutely bananas about these bras is the little hook in the back that allows you to change it to a criss-cross racerback style bra.

I never use this feature. My shoulders which hold my chicken wing arms are not exactly my most appealing feature. But I digress...

It drives me crazy because it hooks onto some of my favourite knits and I fear that one day I'm going to damage a favourite sweater beyond repair. My thought was to purchase bra hoops to replace these hooks but I found a even more economic solution.

The hook was slipped into the upper elastic strap. It was a snug fit and took some maneuvering but it fit.

And then I stitched! It is not the most perfect job that I could have achieved. There is that little bumpy thing (the hook) hiding under that strap. Ideally, I should have dug out the seam ripper removed the hook from the strap and replaced it with a ring without the hook feature and then re-stitch the strap.

But I didn't and this is a perfect example as to why I don't do mending and alterations for others. Too much trouble when you can easily take a passable short-cut. Today, I'm all about passable short-cuts and just getting my own mending and alterations done.  

Happy Sewing Mending!