Me Made May Week Four

Monday I walked downtown with the dog and did a few errands, so it was a pair of Burdastyle straight pants and a Kirsten Kimono Tee.

Tuesday was a work day, and chilly to boot, so I wore a pair of 40's Retro Trousers (Simplicity 3688) and my spotty Santa Monica Tee. I just bought some fabric to make another pair of these trousers. The two I have are getting pretty beat up, and I really like this pattern!

Wednesday was another work day.  Word on the street was that it was going to get sunny in the afternoon, so I wore an Alabama Chanin skirt and a top I knitted years ago, using Madeline Tosh yarn and a pattern from Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard.

Thursday my Great Pyrenees, Zoe, and I did a Stress Relief visit with Furry Friends, our pet assisted therapy group. We went out to Scotts Valley High with about 6 other dogs to meet the students at their lunch hour. The kids were adorable, and they threw themselves on the dogs like they were starved for love. It was a cold, drizzly day, so I spent the afternoon drying out in front of the fire in my old friends, my Burdastyle straight pants, and my Furry Friends uniform shirt.

Friday I went to a gourd decorating class with my friend, Jessica. What a great way to spend the day! Our teacher, Carmen, was wonderful. There were three other students and we chatted away about all sorts of things while dying, carving and decorating our gourds. I wish I had pictures of the other gourds - it was so fun to see how different they all turned out! It was still grey and chilly most of the day, so I wore a Renfrew cowl neck tee with my Barb pants.

Me and my gourd

Saturday Zoe and I visited a nursing home with Furry Friends and then went for a dog walk with her pals, Hitchcock and Griffith (and my friends Therese and Maurice). We hiked up into a park behind our house and lucked into some of the prettiest weather we've had all week. I wore my Burdastyle straight pants again, along with yet another Renfrew. This particular pair of pants is one of my favorites, partly because they're comfortable and partly because the fabric seems to repel dog hair more successfully than most of my other clothes. When you have a Great Pyrenees, a lot of your wardrobe decisions are driven by dog hair.

Sunday we had a lazy morning, then cleaned house and went to they gym in the afternoon. I wore my Bagua pants and yet another Renfrew. Have I gotten my money's worth out of this pattern, or what? And I plan to make more. I love the neckline variations and those 3/4 length sleeves are so darn practical.

Me Made May, Week Three

On Monday I mucked around in the yard wearing an ancient woven tee and my Burdastyle 10/2013-127a (Straight Pants). I think it's almost end time for this tee. The fabric is fraying around the neckline and hems. I'll be sad to see it go. It's made from the leftovers from a set of place mats I made for The Man probably more than 10 years ago.

Tuesday was a work day. I wore an Alabama Chanin tee along with a pleated skirt made from a Kaffe Fasset fabric I got at Jimmy Bean's in Reno. I made up the pleating myself in an attempt to use all of the fabric I could. Sadly, my math skills failed me. I have a couple of odd tucks on either side where I had to get rid of some excess to squeeze on the waistband. Luckily, you can't really tell, given how busy the print is.

Wednesday was another work day. I was planning on a lunchtime walk with some friends so I had to dress outdoor-friendly. I went for my brown ponte Barb pants and a cotton sweater I knitted years ago.

Thursday we went to bagua in the morning and then I grocery shopped and knitted in the afternoon. I wore a Burdastyle gathered sleeve tee with my denim Burdastyle Pajama Style Pants.

On Friday I cleaned house, so I went for comfort and easy mobility. I wore my bagua pants and an old Kirsten Kimono Tee.

On Saturday we went up to San Francisco for the Bay to Breakers. It was chilly and grey most of the day - the weather we call "June Gloom" on the Central Coast. I wore my Burdastyle Straight Pants again, along with a Christine Johnson V-neck Tee. I topped it off with my Minoru and felt cozy. We did some quality carbo loading and I found the time to squeeze in a visit to Britex. I found a piece of scuba knit to make another Gertie pencil skirt.

On Sunday I ran the race at 8:00 and spent the rest of the day collapsed on the couch, wearing yet another pair of Burdastyle Straight Pants and my Bay to Breakers tee.

What I learned this week: on a day to day basis I tend to wear the same things over and over. That's even during Me Made May, when I make an effort to attain a higher standard.

I also see that I haven't yet produced anything in the categories of clothing that I wanted to focus on for Me Made May; undies and active wear. Time to get on the stick!

Me Made May, Week Two

Monday is so long ago that I can't seem to remember what the heck I did, but it looks like I did it wearing one of my Kirsten Kimono Tees and a pair of Burdastyle 10/2013-127a (Straight Pants). I've made this pants pattern four times now. It's my go-to basic trouser pattern.

Tuesday was a work day and also a party day. I met some friends at a local brew pub to celebrate launching the second phase of our project. Beer and calamari all around! I wore my new Gertie Knit Pencil Skirt with a Burdastyle Dolman Sleeve top.

Wednesday was another work day. I wore an Alabama Chanin tee with my 80's pants. My photo editing software is pretty good, but apparently it can't iron.

Thursday The Man left early for a quick out-of-town trip, so I was on my own for photos. This is my attempt at a cell phone selfie. Oh wow, it's so dark that I can't really tell what I had on. I think it was a pair of Burdastyle Straight Pants and my black Christine Johnson V-Neck Tee. It was a bit chilly and rainy that day and the high neck felt nice and cozy. I putzed around the house and had my friend, Martha over for dinner. She's been sucked into sewing (mwah ha ha) so we had a delightful crafty chat.

Cell phone selfie

Friday I picked up The Boy, who very sweetly flew up to see me for Mother's Day. We walked around downtown Santa Cruz so I could check to see if the May Burdastyle was in the bookstore. It wasn't, darn it. I'm wearing the same Burdastyle Straight Pants as yesterday with my spotty Renfrew cowl neck and my Minoru.

Photo credit to The Boy and my iPhone

Saturday started out foggy and grey and then turned sunny and beautiful in the afternoon. The Boy and I went out for a huge breakfast at Zachery's and then wandered about enjoying the day. I wore my brown Barb pants with a red Renfrew cowl neck.

The Boy took this one too.

Today we made waffles for breakfast and then I dropped The Boy off at the airport.  I also bought myself a new pair of running shoes for the Bay to Breakers next weekend. I'm wearing my Burdastyle Pajama Style Pants and, yes, another Renfrew.

Me Made May is teaching me that I wear a lot of Renfrews. And I haven't even tried the V-neck version yet!

Easiest Skirt Ever

This skirt has one pattern piece - you can't get any easier than that. The skirt front and back are identical and the waist band is cut on. Two seams and you're done.

I'm wearing it with another version of The Easiest Tee Yet, top #108 from the September, 2011 issue of Burdstyle. It also has only a front and a back, though they're cut from two slightly different pattern pieces. By the way, this tee is my project for the April Stashbusting Challenge theme - Vibrant Color. Honest, it was cut out in April, even though I didn't actually sew those four seams until May 2.

From the front, belted and shirt tucked in

The skirt is the Knit Pencil Skirt from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual, made up in a dark brown ponte. A yard was plenty for me, making this a pretty economical garment.

Back view

I really like the way the pattern has you put in the elastic at the waist. You make your loop of elastic and then sew it to the top of the skirt on the inside, then flip the top edge down and stitch in the ditch at the side seams to keep things in place. The elastic is covered, but you don't have any seam showing on the outside. I've made a pants pattern by Loes Hines that does the same thing. It gives a pretty smooth line for an elastic waist.

This is the 4th garment I've made from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual; 2 dresses (here and here), this skirt and a tee which is yet to be blogged. For me, that's a pretty good track record for a sewing book.

Un-belted view

I've gone from someone with no pencil skirts to someone with two pencil skirts in just a few months. They're easier to wear than I would have imagined. This knit one is really comfortable and versatile. I took it along on a recent weekend getaway and it worked well in the evening with heels and a silky top and also during the day with sandals and a loose tee.

So, two more hunks of knit carved out of the stash closet. Go, me!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Me Made May, Week One

Week One of Me Made May is in the bag.

Friday was a gardening day, so I wore my second oldest pair of Burda trousers and what's probably my oldest Maria Denmark Kirsten Kimono Tee. Both great patterns that I've made in multiples. Gee, I love sewing something that I know is going to fit from the get go.

Happy wine taster

Saturday I wore my Alabama Chanin tee and my Burda 70's Wide Leg Trousers. We did a few errands and then went out for a little wine tasting at Hallcrest Vineyards in Felton. If you're in the area and feel like a glass of wine on a lovely country patio, I highly recommend a visit.

Sunday I test drove a new top, the Sweetheart Tee from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual. I think the neckline is cute, but overall the tee does me no favors. I made a size 6, which is my usual for Gertie's patterns, but the arm scythes are just tight enough to be uncomfortable. Worn here with my 70's pants again. Clearly I need to do laundry. Though the more I wear these 70's pants, the better I like them. I have some grey twill that I might just earmark for a second pair.

I'm sad to say that I haven't gotten myself together to sew my own undergarments, so my inner layer is store bought. Pretty old store bought too, because I refuse to buy any more undies when I know I can make something just as nice from my huge pile of knit scraps.

Good thing that the May theme for the Stashbusting Sewalong is lingerie - that should give me an extra kick in the butt!

April Burdastyle Challenge Completed! And Me Made May

Usually I'm digging into my back issues of Burdastyle for my monthly challenge garment. This month, I'm pleased to say that my top is from the April, 2015 issue! Through diligent stalking, I spied the magazine on the shelves on April 7 and pounced.

I like this issue. There are a couple of dresses I'd like to make someday, as well as a couple of tops and a pair of high waisted cigarette pants that look intriguing. Of course, by now I probably have great examples of all these patterns buried in previous issues. Must think of a way to make my Burda's easier to mine.

Ta dah pose to illustrate the boxiness

I finally settled on pattern #123, the Boxy Top. I had my doubts, because boxy and me are not usually friends. I'm basically a box myself, so I'm usually trying to create the illusion of curves. Still, this top looked simple and cool, and I was tempted by the unusual pattern pieces, so I forged ahead. The Burdastyle Challenge is all about trying new looks, after all.

Line drawing from Burdastyle web site

Here's the line drawing; the top only has two pattern pieces (well, plus a neck facing). The back and front are both cut on the fold. The sleeves are cut on with the back and you fold them over into a raglan seamed front. Cute neckline too, right?

Burda recommends using a fabric with some body, like a jacquard. I was afraid that a boxy cut with a beefy fabric would make me look like a toaster, so I grabbed a very light cotton from the bottom shelf of the fabric closet.

Back view

You might notice in this back view that I have a seam running up the middle of the piece that was supposedly cut on the fold. When I tried on the top with the shoulder seams sewn and the side seams basted it was clear the neckline was going to be a no-go for me. It was low, but not indecently so. Width was the issue. My bra straps were going to be showing for a good six inches on both sides.

Side view

After some experimental pinching, I just sewed a seam up the center back, taking out about 1.5 inches. That brought the neckline up to a pretty reasonable level. The bra straps were still clearly on view though, so I took about 1/4 inch out of the raglan seams at the neck on both sides and now those straps are just covered.

If you are a bit taller than me and you have a lovely bosom, I bet this top would look fabulous on you right out of the box.

I'll probably tend to wear the top tucked in to a high-waist, just to mitigate the squareness a bit. I don't think it's too bad un-tucked though, which was a surprise. I'll probably end up wearing it un-tucked on occasion, maybe over that ponte pencil skirt I have on my cutting floor. One of these days I'll get a cutting table, I'm getting too old for the crawling-on-the-floor technique.

Tucked in view

This weekend I'll take the time to mark my seat-of-the-pants alterations on my pattern pieces. I'd like to make this top again in a knit. I think it would make a cute tunic-y tee shirt. Burda does it in a striped fabric, which would also be fun to play with. The stripes on theirs are horizontal on the body but turn to be vertical on the sleeves. Well, I guess they'd be horizontal on the sleeves too if you held your arms out to the sides.

In other news, I'll be hanging in for Me Made May again this year. If you haven't ever participated, it's a lot of fun and it encourages you to try your me-mades in new combinations. Some folks get tired of doing daily photo sessions. Lucky for me, The Man is very accommodating about taking a picture or two every morning, so that part is a breeze.

I'll be aiming to wear only me-made for the month of May.  I probably won't be able to achieve that goal, but I want the spur to work on some bras and undies, as well as some more exercise gear.

My pattern review for the Boxy Top is on PatternReview.com here.

A Minimalist Cardigan

A rare event: a knitting FO! And it only took me 2 months. The burst of speed is due to the fact that this is the project I took along for my train trip to the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Pullayup. There's nothing like 44 hours of train time to kick your knitting productivity up a notch.

I took the sweater for a test drive today and it worked well. Comfortable and warm. The 3/4 sleeves are long enough to keep my arms cozy but short enough not to get wet while I'm doing dishes.

This is Ruthie Nussbaum's Minimalist Cardigan from the August 2007 issue of Interweave Knits - with a few changes. The pattern has you do the body of the cardigan in moss stitch and the collar in stockinette. Ruthie Nussbaum used a merino/alpaca blend that is probably very smooth and drapey.

The photo that sold me on this sweater, snatched from Ravelry

I made this cardigan once before, from a variegated 100% wool yarn that I was in love with. The moss stitch body turned out to be great for a variegated yarn, because the texture of the stitch kept the colors from pooling. Sadly, the springy-ness of the wool meant that the stockinette collar rolled up like a garden hose. I did everything I could think of to relax that collar, with no success. Otherwise, I really liked the shape and fit of the cardigan.

This yarn is also 100% wool from stash, so I switched things out and did the body of the cardigan in stockinette and the collar in moss stitch. Success! The collar lays flat and hugs the back of my neck just right.

Back view - under my hair the collar is doing just what a collar should do

The pattern is designed so that you knit the sweater in pieces and seam them up at the end. Out of laziness I knit the body in one piece from the bottom up and divided for the sleeves. I didn't want to have to mess with making sure all my pieces were the same length when knitting while traveling.

I also added a little shaping by reducing 4 stitches every inch or so three times above the waist and adding those stitches back in at the hips.

Once everything was finished and blocked, I remembered the downside of knitting sweaters in pieces. Someone has to seam them together at the end. Theoretically, I know how to do this, but for the past 10 years I've only knitted top down, one piece sweaters. My seaming skills have degraded. A lot.

I asked The Man if he would think I was a big baby if I asked my friend Jessica, the Knitting Sensei, to seam up the sweater for me. He said No, he would not. So I did.

Now I owe Jessica my first born child.