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Annoucements! (+ Me-Made-May ’14: Week 3 Round-up)

Happy Friday, everyone! Before I jump into another Me Made May weekly round-up, I have a couple announcements that may be relevant to your interests 🙂

** This summer, I’m excited to announce that I’m teaming up with Andi Satterlund to combine a sew along with a knit along. The idea is to knit a garment and sew a garment to make a coordinated handmade outfit. It’s a great opportunity to stretch your crafting skills, and we’ll have two official patterns that we’ll help you with along the way. Our sewing pattern will be Simplicity 1803, and our knitting pattern will be Andi’s new Myrna cardigan pattern. Andi will be writing all about the knitting on her blog, and I’ll tackle the sewing posts right here. This is a perfect time to try knitting your first sweater or sewing your first dress. If you don’t like either or both of the patterns – no worries! You can sew and knit whatever you like 🙂 The idea is to have garments that you will actually love and wear, so obviously don’t feel obligated to make something that’s not your style.

You can get all the details over at Untangling Knots, but in a nutshell:
– We will be kicking off 6/1/14, which gives you enough time to find your perfect fabric and yarn
– If you make both a sweater and a dress (and it doesn’t have to be the patterns we are pimping; these are just the ones that will get the specific step-by-step blog instructions), you are eligible to win prizes! Woohoo!
– Myrna is a seamless, top-down cardigan knit in worsted weight yarn, perfect for beginners (and dresses!). It’s also 20% off thru 6/1 with the code OAL2014.
– Simplicity 1803 is a fun, beginner-friendly pattern featuring princess seams, a gathered skirt (although I’m gonna show you how to do soft pleats as well because, well, I hate gathers haha), and pockets, as well as neckline and sleeve variations. I’ve made this dress twice before, which you cans see here in black lace and here in super awesome rad rayon. It’s a great pattern, and I’m excited to make moreeee!
– Andi has set up a Ravelry Group for all OAL discussions and photos (you have to register to participate, but Ravelry is free and it’s awesome). We also have an official hashtag – #OAL2014 ! Grab a button and let’s go!!

** To my UK sewists: My girl Jennifer is currently in London RIGHT THIS SECOND and offering a pocket workshop at the Village Haberdashery on Wednesday 5/21. If you have not have the pleasure of meeting Jennifer, I seriously urge you to go take this class – she is SO MUCH FUN (and a great instructor to boot!). This class will teach you how to add pockets to any pattern – from drafting to professional ways to insert them. You can see all the details and sign up here. I WISH I could take this shit, so someone should go for me haha 🙂

** Have you see the new Papercut Patterns collection, TRI?? Katie has released a couple of patterns for activewear, swimsuits (!!!), and also re-vamped some older patterns to be activewear appropriate (such as shortening the Ooh La Leggings so they can be yoga capris). She has also added another size (up to XL now!) AND these can be bought as downloadable PDFs woohoo! I’ve already made the swimsuit pattern, twice (I was a pattern tester, I’m not THAT fast haha), and I can’t wait to show them to y’all!

Ok, now let’s get into this round-up part!

5/10, Saturday
Top: Colette Sorbetto
Skirt: Cake Hummingbird
Necklace: Chatterblossom
Belt: Thrifted
Shoes: Keds

This photo is actually a little deceiving – my Sorbetto top looks much better here than it does in real life 🙂 It’s actually a bit too big, and the neckline is stretched out, and the bias tape application is pretty dodgy. But I looove it (that fabric!) and I can’t bear to get rid of it. So there’s that.

5/11, Sunday
Dress: Deer & Doe Bleuet
Shoes: xoxo

Another EH for me. I love this dress, but I do not love my fabric choice – it doesn’t hang right and the stretchiness makes it feel like it’s almost too big. Definitely need to remake this at some point this year, because the pattern itself is actually really cute! Also, lol that I’m making the exact same face as in the picture before 😛

5/12, Monday
Top: Closet Case Files Nettie (tshirt version)
Skirt: Colette Ginger
Necklace: Flea market
Belt: Thrifted
Shoes: Nine West

I agonized over this outfit way more than I should have in the AM. I’d already worn my Nettie during the first week of MMM, and for whatever reason I was a bit hesitant to pull it out again. I ultimately decided that MMM is about creating outfits that I love to wear and feel good in (and, duh, made myself! :D) and not about wearing an omgtotallydifferent thing every day. So, say hi to Nettie again. I’m sure she’ll make another appearance at some point this month 🙂 Also, say hi to the cat butt in the corner, ha.

5/13, Tuesday
Top: Closet Case Nettie tshirt (unblogged)
Skirt: Sewaholic Hollyburn (unblogged… for now)
Belt: Thrifted
Necklace: Fire Finch
Shoes: Fergalicious (lol yeah… I know…)

LOVE this outfit! I think I might even like it better than Monday’s – which I also loved 🙂 This is Hollyburn #2, as well as Nettie #2. They’re both unblogged, but I’ll try to get a post up in the next week or so. Also: those shoes! I’m so happy that it’s finally warm enough to wear them 🙂

5/14, Wednesday
Dress: Vintage Vogue 1610
Shoes: Born
Necklace: Chatterblossom

My first faux DVF 🙂 It’s fun to wear, but I fear it may have a short lifespan – the fabric I used is a bit too lightweight for this pattern, so the skirt sags over the course of the day. Oh well!

5/15, Thursday
Top: Papercut Coppélia wrap
Pants: McCall 6440
Shoes: Sam Edelman

Sooo it randomly got cold yesterday. WTF? May, you cray.

5/16, Friday (that’s today!)
Jacket: Sewaholic Robson (unblogged – post coming soon!)
Pants: Sewaholic Thurlow
Tshirt (not shown): Sewaholic Renfrew
Shoes: Keds

Today is Bike to Work Day, so here I am with my bike (and crazy hair, wow haha)! I actually work about 20 miles from home (which for me is tooo far to bike!), but I was able to finagle working remotely today, so I could participate in the festivities 🙂 It’s still a little chilly and drizzly today, so I’ve got my red pants and new Robson. Speaking of which – I’m so happy to finish that damn jacket in time to at least wear it before it gets too hot! It’ll be on the Mood Sewing Network next week, but I wanted to show a little sneaky peek first because I just love it so much 🙂

I guess that’s it! How’s your MMM coming along this week? Have you had a wrench thrown in your outfit plans due to crazy May weather?

Tags: Andi Satterlund, bikey, Bleuet, cake patterns, colette patterns, coppélia, Deer & Doe, DVF, ginger, ginger skirt, hollyburn, hummingbird, mccalls, Me Made May '14, MMM14, Nettie, OAL2014, outfitalong, papercut patterns, patterns, renfrew, Robson, sewaholic, simplicity, Simplicity 1803, sorbetto, Thurlow, Untangling Knots, vogue, vogue 1610, workroom social

Comments 78 Comments
Categories Me Made May

Completed: Coppélia in Merino

18 Sep

Just a head’s up – this is another kind of boring, repeat pattern post. Sometimes I feel like I’m a bit of a snooze for making the same things over and over, but honestly – I enjoy tweaking my patterns with each make, until I have something that is as close to perfect as humanly possible. It’s a process, to be sure. It’s also the only way I can bring myself to cut into precious fabrics. Don’t wanna goof it up!

So, with that being said – I made another Coppélia cardy! (for previous versions – see one two three). This one in another piece of my prized Merino stash, hence why I needed to perfect this fit.

I also wore my hair up for you guysss! Look at me, branchin’ out and shit 🙂

This Merino wool is different than the first piece I sewed up (see Coppélia three; the leggings are the Merino!). It is MUCH stretchier, a bit more sheer, and much much softer. Due to the stretch, I did have to take down the pattern size a little to accomodate, but it all came out fine in the end! I was also initially concerned that the color would look bad on me… and maybe it does, but ehhh I don’t care. I love it, it’s so bright and happy!

Let’s see, pattern changes. I started out with my base Coppélia, this time sized down to XXS with 1″ taken out of the center back. I took an extra chunk out of the side seams (maybe 1/2″? I dunno, I just serged it off haha) and about 5/8″ off the under arm and sleeve seam, for a much closer fit. The biggest change I made was to lengthen the top, so it would be wearable with my jeans. I slashed through the pattern about 1″ from the bottom and then added 2″, making sure to true up the lines and everything when I was done. This pulls the cardi down long enough to cover my waistband, which hits right below my navel. Perfect!

Another change I made was to tighten the neck band for a closer fit. I just kind of wing’d (wung?) it up as I went – tacked it down at the center back, then starting at the CB on one side, I pulled the band while I serged it to the neckline. Once I reached the end, I went back to the CB and attached the band from the opposite side. I think I ended up pulling about 2″-3″ off the neckband at each end. The result looks a little gathered when it’s laying flat, but once on it gives a nice snug fit – which is important with a low wrap top like this.

I like the ties wrapped in the front, but after taking these pictures I ended up tying them in the back like the pattern envelope.

And this top looks great with my jeans! Win! 🙂

So, speaking of Papercut Patterns – I know a lot of people have voiced concerns in the past about the prices of the patterns. So, with that in mind, two things: 1. Make sure you change the currency (it’s at the top right-hand corner) to USD, or whatever works for your country. NZD is the default, and their shit’s a little more expensive! 2. Consider that the price also includes free shipping, if that helps sway ya 🙂 This top is $20.48 USD, which includes the shipping – a top from other indie companies usually runs, what, $14-$18, plus the shipping, which can easily be $5 extra. Just something to keep in mind! 🙂

Now that I’ve perfected the fit on this, I can’t wait to make a million more and then post them and force y’all to look at multiples of the same shirt.

Ha! Just kidding, I wouldn’t do that to you.

Probably not, anyway.

Tags: completed, coppélia, delicious cake, knit fabric, merino wool, papercut patterns, top

Comments 92 Comments
Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Ooh La Leggings

23 Aug

Leggings are one of those types of clothing that have always mystified me. What is their appeal? Why do people insist on treating them as pants? Don’t they have enough decency to cover their asses, for fuck’s sake?

And yet, here I am, posing in leggings-as-pants, with a nice dose of cameltoe to boot. The things I do for you guys.

Haha in all seriousness, though, I don’t actually plan on wearing them out in public without my ass being covered – the fabric is too thin, it’s practically transparent as far as I’m concerned. I wasn’t sure how to treat these pictures – since, if I did cover the top of them, it would kind of cover everything and defeat the purpose of even taking the pictures, yeah? – so in the end, I took one for the team and here I am baring my ass on the internet. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, back to what I was saying. Leggings! I never got their appeal. Why not just wear… tights? I mean, if you’re gonna wear socks anyway (my feet are always cold, I like the multiple layers). But I gotta say, these Ooh La Leggings from Papercut Patterns were REALLY intriguing to me. They look so cozy and comfortable – and the model just looks super glamorous. Or maybe it’s because she’s gorgeous, I don’t know, either way, it got my attention.

The pattern is one of those deceptively simple patterns that offers a bit of a kick with the finished piece with all the interesting seaming – front and back yokes and seams down the front and backs of the legs. It’s very easy to put together – I can get these done in a couple of hours, from cutting to hemming – and it doesn’t require a lot of knit finesse or even fitting to get everything looking good. Only 5 pieces, a self-encased elastic waistband, and a quick pintuck of the front leg seams (or leave it off, see if I care) and you’ve got a pair of leggings that has a little somethin’ somethin’.

This is actually my second pair of Ooh La Leggings… I made another pair a couple of months ago, in red rayon knit. I never bothered to take photos (again, I wasn’t sure how to go about modeling them), but I can assure you that they get worn frequently. They are SUPER comfortable and they’re red!

I cut the smallest size – the XXS – and took about 4″ off the hem. I should point out that the waistband hits very high on these – above the belly button.

The grey fabric is a lovely merino wool, straight from New Zealand. Katie sent me a big, gorgeous stack of this shit earlier this summer, and I’ve been hesitant to cut into any of it because I didn’t know what to make with something so special! Leggings, I think, are a good choice – I can layer them in the winter when I’m biking, or wear them as loungewear.

If you’ve never used merino wool, let me be the first to tell you that this stuff is AWESOME. It’s soo soft and warm, and you can wash and dry it like normal in the machine! It doesn’t slip around while you’re cutting it, nor do the edges roll up when you’re sewing it. There is a good elasticity and stretch recovery as well. The fabric of the gods, basically!

The only drawback (which I don’t consider a drawback, since I don’t wear these as pants!) is that this stuff is a little thin. Thin enough where you can see everything under my leggings – including my panty lines (hey, at least you know I’m wearing undies amirite) and all the muscles in my legs. I was a little hesitant to post these pictures because I don’t think they’re terribly flattering – are my thighs really that big?! – but, you know, whatever. Them’s my legs and that’s just what they look like.

I also made my top, do you like it? The pattern is the Coppelia, and if you’re keeping track here you’ll know that it’s my third one (others are here and here). For this one, I sized down to the XXS and lengthened the bottom by 2″. I also shortened the neckband because it was gaping a bit, but I think that’s my fabric choice. Speaking of which, this is some type of rayon knit from Mood Fabrics, and it’s really weird. It feels like a cheap polyester, but it’s definitely rayon (I burned it and everything). Also, it’s kind of see through, despite being a bit thick. So weird!

Anyway, whatever, white wrap top/good layering basic.

I just realized you can totally see a mosquito on my chest in this picture. HAHA. Omg I hate mosquitoes.

Consider me a leggings convert! I still don’t know if I would willingly leave the house without something covering my ass (I say this as I have posted pictures of myself ON THE INTERNET with my ass out, and everyone knows the internet never forgets), but maybe with a thicker fabric, I could see it happening. I think these would be really wonderful in a ponte knit. You know I’m gonna try it!

Did I show you how good my ass looks in these? Because… look at how good my ass looks in these things.

Tags: completed, coppélia, knit fabric, leggings, merino wool, ooh la leggings, papercut patterns, top

Comments 65 Comments
Categories completed projects - new

Completed: The Film Noir Coppélia

8 Jan

Okkkk, I wouldn’t normally post the exact same fucking thing almost twice in a row (only broken up by the La Sylphide On A Dude Ranch), but I feel like I owe it to this pattern to show y’all that it also totally rocks in a neutral/solid fabric. Like a gorgeous little backdrop in wooly wrapped goodness.

Again, this is the Coppélia pattern – this time sewn up in a dreamy, drapey wool knit. I’m not sure exactly what this fabric is; I bought it at the giant fabric sale last week and the bolt said it was a wool blend. My burn test seemed to indicate that it was pure wool – or at least blended with something natural, as the ash was not that sticky hard horrid bead of death that you usually get when you burn polyester. At any rate, it’s warm and snuggly and soft, and the texture almost looks like gauze when you hold it up to the light. Pretty!

Also, let the record show that my wool version was birthed because Katie said she was making a bunch of these in merino knits and I got jealous and decided to copy her. SORRY NOT SORRY.

Can someone explain to me why it is so difficult to find wool knits in the first place, though? Especially in not-neutral colors. What I reeeeally wanted was the emerald green wool jersey I found at Textile a couple of months ago (and not because emerald is the new ~color of the year~, but more so because I look bomb ass in emerald, trufax), but it was $30 a yard and I was holding out for the 40% sale, except it sold out at some point between those dates and now I am a sad person and SOMEONE FIND ME JEWEL COLORS OF WOOL JERSEY PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

Black is good, though. I feel like such a lady.

At least black goes with everything… including my Giant Plaid Circle Skirt. You dig?

I tried to take motion pictures to show the no-gape in all it’s glory, but my hair was in the way for most of them. Here is… something.

This one fits a little different than the Disco Queen version… mostly because the fabric is much stretchier. I really like it; it’s very comfortable and slouchy without actually being sloppy. Look at how much longer the ties are when they stretch!

In other COMPLETELY RANDUMB news, Andrew WK hollered at me via Twitter last night:

UMMMM WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK THIS IS SO AWESOME HOLY SHIT.

In celebration, I give you this gif of me being excited out of thin air:

OMG SO EXCITE

Tags: completed, coppélia, papercut patterns, top, wool knit

Comments 46 Comments
Categories completed projects - new

Completed: the Coppélia Cardy

2 Jan

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope the holidays left y’all with plenty of relaxation, time with friends, wonderful gifts, and of course… alcohol. Can’t forget the alcohol 😉 So sad, January 2nd is now upon us so I guess it’s time to revisit the Real World, take down my Christmas tree, and dive back into my nine to five job. Wah!

I’m going to kick this year off with the very first thing I made in 2013- the Coppélia from Papercut Patterns

YUM. That’s my short-list review of this cardy, if you must know.

Santa (or maybe Jesus?) must have been following my wishlist something fierce, because Katie generously sent me this pattern (along with the La Sylphide and DON’T YOU WORRY, because I have words for that one too!!). My experience with Papercut Patterns is brand-spankin’ new – I’ve long admired the sweet styles that are offered, and the delightful packaging that the patterns are wrapped up in. And you know what? I was NOT disappointed with the actual pattern – or the finished garment. I could wax poetic about this wrap all day, but I’m going to stop because I don’t want to make anyone sick. Just know that when it comes to Papercut Patterns, the answer should always be yes.

I know my fabric choice here is a little… different. Haha! Honestly, I’ve actually had a hard time lately pulling myself away from the looks that I see outlined on the pattern envelopes. For some reason, this isn’t too much of an issue with Colette Patterns, but something about the photography with these particular patterns just makes me want to wrap myself in pastel chiffons and roll around in a field of wildflowers. Except it’s winter here (ooh 40* brr! DON’T JUDGE ME) and I look like shit in pastels. Anyway, every time I thought about my future lover Coppélia, I envisioned her in white. Realizing that I need to make a wearable muslin for this top (since I’m unfamiliar with how these patterns are drafted), and then realizing that I had a very large yardage of this god-awful zigzaggy sheer polyester monstrosity that’s been sitting my stash for at least 3 years… Coppélia The Disco Queen was born. And OMFG I KIND OF LIKE HER.

The fabric is kind of uncomfortable, though. What can I say? It’s a very heavy, very cheap polyester that I bought from $1/yard table at Walmart. And it’s totally sheer. But it works, somehow.

The size XS fit me *almost* perfectly straight out of the envelope. I had to pull a good 1″ chunk out of the center back – which, I’d already cut my pieces, so the back now has a seam – but I have a fairly small back/ribcage, so this does not surprise me. I also tapered the sleeves down to an XXS as they were a bit baggier than I prefer. In the future, I will shorten the sleeves as well – they’re a bit long (I folded the cuffs back so it’s not noticeable on this top). All in all, the fit is pretty nice, though!
Also, I have no idea what I’m doing in the above picture. Sniffing my armpit, I guess?

I love how cozy and snuggly this top turned out! I can only imagine how much I’ll love it in a nicer fabric – especially something with a bit more drape. This is an actual wrap top – which means when I untie the ties, the whole thing opens up in the front like a cardigan (i.e., not a mock wrap!). Surprisingly, the gape factor here is pretty much nonexistent. I spent all day in this shirt and never once worried about exposing more than I intended. Yay!

If you’re wondering how I already made a top this year and we’re only 2 days in – it was a SUPER fast make! I used my serger to sew most everything (except a small bit of topstitching along the bottom hem for the band), and I think my total sewing time came in around 45 minutes. I didn’t stay out late on NYE – I’m an old lady when it comes to my bedtime, I was out by 10:30PM! – so I was up by 10AM, had a leisurely breakfast and quickie sewing sesh, then made it to Gallatin to eat black-eyed peas and collard greens with my parents by 1PM 🙂 Yay for New Years!

The pattern instructions are great – they are brief and to the point, without a lot of unnecessary hand-holding (although they are not so brief that a knit n00b would have no idea what is going on). Same with the pattern markings – there are notches to match the pieces, but not a metric shit-ton. This is perfectly fine and dandy with me. I don’t need a bunch of notches to match up a sleeve seam, you know? Just tell me how to get it on the bodice, I think I can figure it out from there!

I also really love the construction method for this top – it was very straightforward and intuitive, very very similar to how to like to sew my knits. So maybe I’m just a little biased haha 😉

Here’s a good look at the sheerness of the fabric – the zigzags are solid on top of a knit mesh (that’s my hand behind it). It’s not so noticeable on this top, especially since I am wearing a nude bra, but it would definitely show in something like a dress. Hence why I had so much yardage and never did anything with it – the fabric is heavy enough on it’s own, and adding an underlining just makes it even worse. So I’m glad I figured out a use for it 🙂

I definitely plan on making more of these – I actually skipped my lunch break today to take advantage of the semi-annual sale at Textile Fabrics (which, if you live in Nashville: GO. 40% off everything, yo!). I only let myself buy knits, but I got some awesome stuff – stripes, silky drapey rayon, and a lovely woolish sweater knit that is turning into Film Noir Coppélia STAT. Which I’m hoping will be easier to match with bottoms 🙂 Haha!

Hopefully a first successful sewing project means all of 2013 will be successful sewing projects too! HAHA ok, maybe that’s a little optimistic – but optimism is good, yeah?

Happy 2013, y’all!

Tags: completed, coppélia, knit fabric, muslin, papercut patterns, top