Outfit Along : Finished dress!

For the Outfit Along 2015, I chose to make a mashup between Colette Pattern's Lily (it's currently Colette's Pattern of the month, so head over to their website if you want to grab a copy for 15% off!) and Tilly and the Buttons' Picnic Blanket skirt.
As I didn't have to underline my fabric, this dress was much quicker to make than my first version!
I used the pattern I had tweaked after my first version, but it was too big...so I had to take the bodice in at the side seams by 3cm (1.5 on each side). I still think it could stand to be a little tighter, but it looks OK this way and at least my dress is not uncomfortably tight!
I used a black stretch cotton sateen for the bodice and pockets, and a watermelon print cotton for the skirt and flaps at the neckline and pockets.

I added a notch at the neckline flap and made halter straps instead of regular straps.

My zipper would be more invisible if I had bothered to give it a press...but one part of it is black on black, and the other is hidden in the skirt's gathers. Soooo can we say it's *almost* invisible?

This pic gives a better view of the pockets. I used the original pattern piece but made my pockets 5 cm shorter so they're not so deep. Even though, they're still roomy enough to contain my phone and keys! 

Here's my faux waist stay. I even made a facing of sorts to hide the zipper edge and center back seams.

And here's the hem!

I've just finished knitting my OAL cardi, but it's still waiting for its buttons and reinforced button bands. I hope I get them soon enough, and I hope the temperatures are going to drop ...it's currently far too hot to wear a cardigan, even just to take a picture of it!

Finished : Red Miette

You've probably already seen this one in some of my Me-Made May pics, where I was actually wearing it without the buttons...But I've actually finished it now! It's been a little bit too hot in June for me to post pictures in which I wear it, but I still have some to show you : 

The pattern is the well-known Miette by Andi Satterlund, which I decided to make again because I had spilt some red wine on my first version.
I've made a few modifications :
-I moved the darts because I didn't like their placement on my first version ;
-I did simple 2x2 ribbing ;
-I moved the top button hole to get it aligned with the others;
-I added one repeat of the lace pattern to make it a bit longer (did the same on my first version)
I used some black glass buttons which I ordered on A Little Mercerie, and stabilized my button bands with gros grain ribbon as explained here by Lauren.
The yarn I used is Drops Loves You 5. Although I like the fact that it's eco-friendly (it is made from recycled cotton) I'm not a huge fan because I find it rather coarse, and my finished cardi feels a bit stiff...I hope a few washes will make it softer!

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Finished : Red Striped Dolores

After sewing for my sister, and before moving to something bigger for the Outfit Along, I decided it would be great if I made a top, as I don't have that many handmade tops in my wardrobe. So I made a Dolores.

 A few years ago, I had tried to make a 50s style 2-seams wrap top after seeing Casey's version. As I was still a pretty inexperiences seamstress, I ended up with something rather awful and hardly wearable, and my top (which was basically no more than a rectangle of fabric - actually already folded as recommended in Dolores's cutting layout, how convenient! - with one seam connecting the selvedges and another perpendicular one) was soon put into the refashion pile...until this last week, when I decided to see if I had enough fabric to fit the Dolores pattern pieces onto it. Yay for refashioning and stashbusting!

Seriously, this pattern is so easy to make and takes so little time, making a Dolores almost feels like cheating or something. My fabric was not quite wide enough to fit the whole pattern, and the sleeves are shorter than they are supposed to be, but it still turns out pretty wearable in my opinion! And these short and wide sleeves are really perfect for the hot summer weather!

Also, as I recently picked up two pieces of striped jersey from Toto for a steal, you can expect other Doloresses in the future...at least one dress, and probably a top!

Charlotte's Airelle

I haven't been sewing for myself a lot these past few months, mostly because I was actually busy with...my first order (Well, sewing it actually didn't take THAT long, but as I couldn't see my "customer" very often, the fitting process seemd to take ages!)!

This Deer and Doe Airelle blouse was made for my sister's birthday. She supplied the fabric, a beautiful green/black linen, we chose the pattern together...and there I went!
As she is rather busty, I was afraid I'd have to do a FBA but that actually didn't happen.
Here are the modifications I made to get something that fits :

• I cut a size 38 (which corresponded to her high bust measurements) at the top, then graded to a 40 at the waist, and made the whole top 5 cm longer ;
• I added an invisible side zip and a little slit at the back of the neck to make the garment easier to put on;
• Surprisingly enough, I had to remove some fabric in the bust area, both in width and length, otherwise it would have been baggy ;
• I also moved the front dart so they pointed in the right direction, and made them deeper;
• And finally, I added a bit of  black piping on the shoulder yoke, both at the front and back. I also made little pleats instead of gather when I attached the yoke to the front part, because my gathers really looked like crap.

Unfortunately, due to some mobile phone problems, I can't show any pictures of my sister wearing it...but the fit was spot on and she was really happy with it!

Outfit Along is back!

Well...I'm in!

I'm going to knit Hetty in black Drops Paris, and sew a Lily in watermelon print (for the skirt and neckline flaps) with a solid black bodice. I also plan to modify the skirt and make it gathered, with patch pockets, instead of the pattern's slim skirt.

Fabrics, sewing pattern... and my Hetty, already started! I've knit the back, right and left front, and I'm about to tackle the body.

Head over to Andi or Lauren's blog if you want to know more about what's going on!

MMM 2015 - Wrap-up and musings

Well folks, Me Made May is over! I got a bit lazy on my photo-taking last week, so you'll have to take my word for it : I wore at least one memade item everyday. However, there have been some outfit repeats and it did'nt seem interesting to me to document these.

Here's the list of all the me-mades I've been wearing : B5895 (unfortunately not wearable anymore now, since I fell and tore it at the knee), Aiken Sweater, Hawthorn dress, Dolores dress, Myrna cardigan, Wearing History pants, refashioned top, Hortencia Cardigan, Day of the Dead skirt (mentioned in this post), refashioned skirt with embroidered waistband, tattoo skirt, Sorbetto top, Moneta dress, Lonsdale dress, Jazzy Ginger skirt, Lobster Picnic Blanket skirt, refashioned yellow top, Nix shawl (not blogged - yet - but can be spotted in a few pictures), and a red Miette cardigan (not blogged yet and almost finished - it's still waiting for its buttons and reinforced button bands!)

And...here are my thoughts on the experiment :

• I need more casual dresses because it's an easy way to look put together without much fuss;
• I need more tops;
• I need more bottoms;
• I need to go back to sewing spring/summer garments;
• I need more "neutral" garments, a big part of what I currently have in my closet has been sewn when I was just beginning and was attracted by every bright and weird print I could set eyes on...  It's OK for weekends and holidays, but I don't think it fits in an everyday wardrobe;
• I'm starting to have a nice range of cardigans to choose from, which is always nice to take an outfit from one look to another!

Although it's been interesting to read why some people did NOT take part in mmm2015, I'm not in their case...and I have to admit I found it interesting and helpful to be a part of it!

Apart from that, I'm going through a bit of a burnout right now. I thought being unemployed would mean I'd have more time and energy to sew, but it's actually quite the opposite. I'm training quite hard because I have a test to enter a training course in a few weeks, and I don't want to miss it. This, plus looking for a job to fill in before my training starts, is very time-consuming, and I have no motivation left for sewing. On top of this, I do have a garment to sew, which is actually an order ; although I've made quite a few muslins, I'm still afraid it's not going to fit, and I'm dragging my feet...

Well, all I have to do is motivate myself to get it done quickly so I can start sewing something I really want to make!