Me Made May 2023: From the Me-Made Collection (Part II)

 

The sunshine came out and it's starting to warm up again but it was all about managing back pain and finding easy to wear items.  

The thunderstorm held off until the evening allowing for some flower bed clean up and errands to be done.  

After a haircut appointment and afternoon bath, a second Eva dress made an appearance.  

This week is ending like it began, not feeling my best.  Back pain.  Wrist is still not as flexible as pre-cast and just fatigued.  

I was hoping to get the grass cut today but it didn't happen.  

Sometimes I forget how much pink is sitting in the closet.  

The cotton shirt was worn with jeans and rubber boots as I tried to get the grass cut before the heat settled in for the day.  I only made it half way through before I had to give up.  I'm not a fan of the heat.  And it's tick season so long sleeves and jeans are a must.  The skirt was worn with a RTW t-shirt that I altered years ago.  

It's all about wearing comfortable cottons today.  Another hot day.  

Rainy afternoon was in the forecast so the wool pieces came out of the closet.  

What did I learn this week about my me-made wardrobe?  Well, it is true that loved clothes last and that it does not end once an item leaves the sewing machine.  Many of these pieces have required some tender loving mending over the years to remain in rotation.  And all those Eva dresses are so comfortable and have passed the test of time.  It's one of my favourite warm weather picks.  But I really need to get to work on adding flannel sleepwear into the rotation.

In Sewing News Today...

This silk top was recently added back into the wardrobe rotation after it was altered with a hem band.

And then it accidently found its way into a regular cycle load of laundry.  [Insert great disappointment.]  And now it is no longer part of the wardrobe as it shrunk and no longer fits.  Too bad there isn't a method to unshrink silk noir.  

~sigh~

It's on the scraps cutting pile to see if I upcycle that beautiful fabric into something else.  

This past weekend at the mall, there was art displays by the neighbourhood elementary to high school students' work.  This t-shirt message caught my attention and produced a chuckle and nod.  

It had a retro feel from the distance with the oversized t-shirt style.  A sort of Katherine Hamnent vibe was going on.  And then at a closer look the red rhinestones killed that vibe.  Ah, the wisdom and dreams of youth.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if people didn't judge and gossip about others based on what they wear?  

I dropped off some items at the second hand store and received a 20% off coupon for the donation.  So, I made my way inside to check out the second hand finds.  

I came across this uncut, out-of-print (OOP) and factory-folded (FF) Simplicity 7018 robe pattern.  It's a thirty-nine cent find before the discount.  Sweet deal!  I quite like the raglan sleeves on this one.  And there is a Katia sweatshirt weight knit with a penguin print sitting in the fabric stash.  They will make a fun robe for the winter.  Hmmm, I think I found my next sewing project.  I just need to pretreat my fabric, check the zipper stash and get started on this one.  

Happy Sewing!

A Long Time in the Making: Men's Henley Shirt / McCall's 6973

This project was started early on while I was wearing a cast.  That's a couple of months ago.  It stalled when it came to doing some hand stitching which would have been impossible in a cast.  I finally got around to it recently, okay somewhat recently, and finished it off.  

McCall's 6973 has been in the pattern stash for over a year.  I've been meaning to sew some Henley style t-shirts since it's challenging to find ones with a pocket in the RTW landscape.  Of course, I can buy a Henley t-shirt at Costco for a fraction of the cost of a home-made t-shirt but then I'm sacrificing fit and a pocket.  Fit and pockets are important features in clothing even though it doesn't appear to resonate in the fast-fashion landscape.  In the end, it's worth the time to sew one instead.  Throw in having the choice of fabric.  

The fabric is a recent-ish find, picked up specifically for this project.  This mini waffle knit was found in the discounted section at the local Fabricland store at 50% off.  It is 80% cotton and 20% polyester and I picked up an additional 0.10 metre to allow for potential shrinkage.  It was pretreated with a tumble in a normal wash cycle followed by time in the dryer.  No need to press after it came out of the dryer.  And I needed every centimeter of fabric.  I'm so glad for the extra buffer of fabric.  

Techniques and Tips

Cutting this fabric was a challenge with my fabric shears and wearing a cast.  For this project I used spring hinge scissors and even though it still took a bit of time to get it pinned and cut, I was able to get it cut.  

Sewing wise, one of my favourite tips for sewing knits is to use Knit 'N Stable tape at the hem edges before sewing the hem in place.  I also used Knit 'N Stable tape to stabilize the shoulder seam.  I serged the seam edges together to save time and thread.  I usually serge each edge individually and press them open but now-a-days things add up. 

Walking foot!  Seriously, it is a life saver when it comes to sewing knits.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2 metres

Interfacing:  0.3 metres

Buttons:  4

Pattern:  McCall's 6973

Additional Tool & Supplies:  Cutting table, spring hinge fabric scissors, pins, pin cushions, tailor's chalk, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, Brother vintage sewing machine (it's built-like-a-tank and sews amazing buttonholes), tailor's wax, hand sewing needle, Janome serger, threads (silk thread for hand stitching), iron, ironing board, bandages, make-up sponges (used for padding along the cast edges) and many breaks along the way.  

Happy Sewing!

Stash busting: Men's Sweatpants / OOP Kwik Sew 3663 and McCall's 6973

 

This project is a revisit of out-of-print (OOP) Kwik Sew 3663 and the cargo pocket pattern piece from McCall's 6973.  The front facing cargo pocket without the pocket flap was a big hit so this is the now go-to design for Men's pull-on pants around here.  Sadly, Kwik Sew pattern company is no longer.  They made trusted and well drafted patterns and are sorely missed.  A back-up copy might be in order since this pattern has become a go-to in recent times.  

The fabric is a cotton blend sweatshirt fleece.  It was a somewhat recent purchase for a sweatshirt project but became gifted for this one instead.  The fabric was pre-treated with a tumble in the washing and drying cycles before hitting the cutting table.  

The casing hold a 1 1/4 inch elastic and there is a 1 1/2" topstitched hem.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch and knit stitch at the crotch seam

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2.10 metres

Patterns:  OOP Kwik Sew 3663 and McCall's 6973

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, spring hinged fabric shears, tailor's chalk, pins, pin cushion, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, Jean-a-ma-Jig, threads, Janome serger, screwdriver, iron, ironing board, thread clippers, wrist brace and a few breaks here and there.  

Happy Sewing!

Me Made May 2023: From the Me-Made Collection (Part I)

The weather is all over the place and so are my clothing choices.  The only consistency in the first part of the Me-Made-May has been a selection natural fibre fabrics and a lot of pull-on clothing items.   

The wrap dress was chosen because of its easy access (no zips or buttons) and short sleeves since I woke up with the cast.  Thankfully, it came off today!  The sweater was worn under a RTW denim jacket because it was cool this morning and only a high of plus ten (Celsius) today.  Once I realized that it was windy, I regretted the decision to wear the wrap dress.  Thank goodness Diane Von Furstenberg designed a dress with ample skirt coverage even for a windy day.  And flannel pajamas because they are just too cozy.  

Wow!  I didn't expect my hand to feel as sore as it did today which surprised me while getting dressed.  Although, it was great not having choice limited to what would fit over the cast. It was all about choosing items without zippers and buttons and dressing in layers that could be peeled off as the weather warmed up throughout the day.  

First time it felt like summer this year!  And that sunshine, woohoo!  No jacket or coat needed today.  Although, I did wear a sweater this morning.  Today's clothing choices were all about avoiding zippers and buttons.  Easy comfortable pull-over or pull-on pieces ruled as me-made picks.   

Spring cleaning and going through the closet to assess what needs fixing or needs to become something new.  Not these me-made pieces, they were perfect to throw on and get to work.  

Today's me-mades were all about being comfortable for a pretty low key day at home and running errands.  

This is not the whole picture.  This morning was dedicated to yardwork and for that I wore RTW clothing (jeans and a sweatshirt).    

It was another low key day close to home and running errands.  I wore a RTW jean jacket when out-and-about but it did not feel warm enough for the cloudy day.  Rain is in the forecast for the next few days and the warmth of the sun is already missed.  The Tulip Dress is the only item worn this week that has a back zipper.  Thankfully, it is not needed.  I can wear it as a pull-on dress.  

Rainy and cold day calls for flannel, tweed and a sweater.  

What I've discovered so far?  I want another pair of flannel pajamas in the mix.  And I really would like to have another pair of Vogue 9246 pants maybe in a wool suiting fabric.  I'm not sure when I will find the time to get on those wish list items though.  Right now there are a couple of projects for others on the worktable.  But only time will tell.  

Until then, Happy Sewing!  

  

Stash busting: Another Pair of Pull-on Pants / OOP Butterick 6717

Out-of-print (OOP) Butterick 6717 is my go-to pattern for pull-on pants and when I came across this wool fabric in the fabric stash, I couldn't resist for some reason.  I know, I have, in the past, professed that pink is not my favourite colour but here I am sewing up a pair of pink pants.  And these are not a muted pastel shade of pink.  Go figure.  

We'll have to wait and see how often these will be pulled from the closet to be worn.  

As mentioned, OOP Butterick 6717 is my current fav pants pattern.  They are really comfortable.  I left off the side pockets and that is the only change I made to the pattern.  The fabric is a 100% wool suiting fabric that I found at Northwest / Marshall Fabrics ten years ago.  Yes, it has been in the stash for that long!  I actually picked this fabric up to sew a Teal Traina vintage Vogue dress pattern (OOP Vogue 1186).  I never got around to sewing that dress pattern and the pattern has since found another owner.  Sometimes, it feels like a fabric rarely becomes a project that I first envision it will become.  There is enough to sew a vest or perhaps a matching blazer.  Maybe?  

Techniques and Tips

I used the dryer method for pre-shrinking the wool fabric.  I threw a damp / wet towel into the dryer with the wool fabric.  It works for wools that won't be seeing the inside of a washing machine.  These pants will be hand washed in the future.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.6 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged 

Fabric:  2.10 metres

Pattern:  OOP Butterick 6717

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, spring release fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, spring release thread cutters, iron, ironing board, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, blind hem foot, Janome Air Thread serger, screwdriver, threads, large towel, wrist brace, heating pad and a few breaks here and there.  

Happy Sewing!  

Me Made May vs Me Made Everyday

The one thing about celebrating the creative process during Me-Made-May is that it's only one month out of twelve.  And I wear my me-made clothes year round.  That means by the time May rolls around, most of my winter clothes are being packed away, sight unseen.  And May is too cool (sometimes it snows) for hot-summer type clothing.  So this Me-Made-May (MMM) I'm looking at things a bit differently with some items that you wouldn't necessarily see me wear during the month of May in hopes to reflect upon and adjust where needed for all seasons

My Winter Me-Made Go-to Pieces

Top L to R:  Green wool coat, OOP Vogue 8934 (circa 2018); black wool scarf, no pattern used (circa 2022); flannel pajama set, Butterick 6296 and OOP Vogue 9217 (circa 2022); black Rachel Comey skirt (worn before the cast [WBC]), OOP Vogue 1247 (circa 2020); cotton shirt (WBC), Vogue 1678 (circa 2020); wool pull-on pants, OOP Butterick 6717 (circa 2022); pull-over knit top, OOP and vintage Vogue 2925 (circa 2022); flannel pajama set, Butterick 6296 and OOP Vogue 9217 (circa 2018); plaid wool pull-on pants, OOP Butterick 6717 (circa 2022); plaid wool scarf, no pattern used (circa 2022); merino wool cardigan sweater, OOP Kwik Sew 4192 (circa 2022); merino wool turtleneck dress, OOP Vogue 8939 (circa 2021); long cardigan, Butterick 6495 (circa 2019); cotton shirtdress (WBC), OOP McCall's 7546, Vogue 1503 and 8934 (circa 2019); cotton bathrobe, OOP Simplicity 7417 (circa 2019); a whole collection of cotton panties, Simplicity 8229 (circa 2017--2020); pink and brown horse print knit pull-over top (WBC), Simplicity 8529 (circa 2022); cotton knit elastic waisted skirt, OOP and vintage Butterick 5790 (circa 2022).  

Top L to Right:  Blue hoodie (WBC), OOP Butterick 6253 (circa 2015), wool pants, OOP Vogue 1325 (circa 2021); white cotton shirt (WBC), McCall's 7904 (circa 2019); black elastic waist knit skirt (WBC), OOP Vogue 1730 (circa 2020); green cotton tulip dress, The Assembly Line (circa 2020); black and white cotton top, OOP Butterick 5891 (circa 2020); black linen pull-on pants, OOP Vogue 1642 (circa 2020); white cotton piqué pajama set, Butterick 6296 and OOP Vogue 9217 (circa 2020); reversible apron, OOP Butterick 5263 (circa 2011); striped cotton wrap/shirt dress, OOP Simplicity 8687 (circa 2018); boiled wool waterfall coat, OOP Butterick 6244 (circa 2020); knit pull-over Ebony dress (WBC), Closet Core (circa 2020), wool hat, The Littlest Studio (circa 2020); cotton knit turtleneck dress (WBC), OOP and vintage Burda 8848 (circa 2021); gray, black and white printed cotton tulip dress, The Assembly Line (circa 2021); reversible jacket, OOP and vintage McCall's 2495 (circa 2021); white pullover sweatshirt (WBC), OOP New Look 6107 (circa 2015); cotton pajama set, Butterick 6296 and OOP Vogue 9217 (circa 2021); wool shirtdress (WBC), OOP McCall's 7546, Vogue 1503 and 8934 (circa 2018).

It's been a few years of reflection during MMM and with that there has been a lot of changes.  First, this year, I had to find me-made clothes that could fit over a cast.  That knocked out some of my favourite winter weather pieces from the list because the sleeves were too narrow to be worn.  And I'm not as flexible as I once was in my youth.  Zippers and buttons are often passed over in favour of pull-on or pull-over styles.  Even my fabric preferences have changed partly due to lifestyle and the search for comfort, I've developed a fondness for knits.  Now, if I can just find that perfect t-shirt pattern with enough ease around the mid-section and get rid of this cast, I will be all set to get back to making those sewing dreams come true.  

So, the MMM challenge will be to re-think my me-made items into something more suited to this stage in my life.  Perhaps, more refashioning than actual start-to-finish new sewing projects.  

Happy Sewing!