Me Made May

Yep, I'm taking part in Me Made May in 2016. This will be my 3rd year. If you haven't ever tried it, then why not come on out and play!

Me Made May is the brain child of Zoe, of So, Zo, What Do You Know?  The idea is to encourage people to wear and love the things that they make. You can read more about Me Made May here.

Here's my pledge, from So Zo's blog: 

'I, NancyD (sewinginsurfcity.blogspot.com), sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '16. I shall endeavor to wear only me made clothes each day for the duration of May 2016. That includes getting off my butt and finally churning our some me made undies.'

I know I say that thing about the undies every year, but this time may be the winner.

After my recent Kondo-ing of my wardrobe, I know I have plenty of self-sewn clothes to see me through to the apocalypse. In my every-day life, though, I can get pretty lazy about how I use my Me Mades. Especially since I retired, it's all too easy to wear jeans and a tee shirt every day of the week. 

Me Made May starts me thinking a bit more about my options. Why not wear a skirt and blouse, even if I'm not on my way to a meeting? Why not wear a dress just to go grocery shopping and then lounge around knitting for the afternoon? As long as my clothes fit me and are comfortable (my basic requirements), then I should go ahead and rotate through everything way more often than I do.

I usually throw up a post once a week that documents my efforts.

It can feel a little overwhelming to snap an outfit-a-day photo for a month. My rules are:

• The Man kindly takes pictures for me every morning. We do it in the same darn place because that's where the light allows.
• He takes three shots, so one of them has to be good enough.
• I don't spend time trying to make myself look especially good. What you see is what you get.

If we stay within those parameters, it doesn't feel like big deal.

I always enjoy Me Made May. I like seeing how other people put together their self-crafted wardrobes. I also appreciate that little spur to be a bit more creative with my wardrobe.

Looks like there are more than 500 pledges on Zoe's blog, so the internets should be hummin' with inspiration. Game on!

Rice Heating Pad

I've been slowing down on the sewing front lately, feeling creatively blocked. I blame it on my speed-reading of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Under its influence I went through my dresser drawers and closet to prune and organize my wardrobe. I must admit that I have plenty of clothes. Plenty. Still, sewing is my hobby, dash it all! I may slow down, but I'll never stop.

So here's my one FO of the last month:

Rice heating pad

It's a heating pad filled with rice. And yes, that's bandaid fabric.

Flexible little minx

I made this for The Boy. He has done Brazilian Ju-Jitsu (a.k.a. BJJ, here's his school) pretty seriously since he was in junior high school. It's a good workout, but it can be kind of hard on your body. I remember one of his first instructors saying that ju jitsu is like weight lifting, but the weight that you're lifting is another guy. The Boy has entered his third decade, so there are times when the muscles can use a little soothing.

This is a quick little project, perfect for the odd piece of stash, and it makes a nice gift. You just sew up a rectangular bag of your preferred size, sew a few channels to corral the stuffing, fill each channel  about two-thirds of the way with rice and then sew across the top to keep the filling from escaping. Here's a visual, in case that helps.

My first tutorial!

I use rice for the filling because it has a nice weight but stays pretty flexible. My Aunt, Sister Ronan, has a version filled with corn. That also works well, but you really want popcorn* when you smell it heating up. Basmati rice has a nice, nutty scent. Sometimes I throw in a handful of lavender flowers for a little aromatherapy punch.

When you want a little warm-up, just pop the bag in the microwave (I do 90 seconds on high, then rotate and do another 90 seconds) and then apply to the muscles that need it. Or just cuddle with it in bed on a chilly night.

The Boy demonstrating proper application

If you want a cold compress, you can stash the bag (inside a plastic bag) in the freezer for 20 minutes. 

Also good for tired necks. A recliner is also helpful.

We have one of these rice bags that we've been using for at least 10 years and it's still going strong. I think every home can use one!

* Actual pop corn is not recommended for filling, unless you plan to eat after one use.

Ascot Jacket

This is the Ascot Jacket by Loes Hinse. It's an oldie but a goodie, dated 2009 on the envelope.

Loes Hinse is a dutch designer. She used to have a shop in Carmel where she sold ready-made versions of her designs. She also sold her patterns and some remnants of the fabrics she used. It was always a super fun stop on a trip to Carmel. You could try on the styles before you decided on a pattern and she gave you personalized sizing advice.

I hadn't been down that way for several years though, until I spent a wonderful Girl's Night Out at the Cypress Inn with my friend Carol this week. Carol sweetly trekked up and down with me, searching for Loes's shop.  No luck. Even with two smart phones and Yelp, we could't find it. But you can still find her patterns, along with some lovely fabrics, on the Casual Elegance website.

Shoulder collapsing in the back. Probably need to add those shoulder pads.

I like Loes Hinse patterns for their streamlined look and construction. They're great for showing off a nice, drapey fabric. Her lines are simple and she doesn't use linings, interfacing or even much in the way of closures. She intends you to whiz the garments up in moments, using a serger. Which I don't have, but I did just fine with a straight stitch and my overcast foot.

Rear view with sad shoulders

This pattern does call for shoulder pads, which I omitted. As I look at this rear view, it appears that was a mistake. My shoulders could use a little extra oomph. I haven't worn a shoulder pad since 1987, but I think I'll go ahead and add a pair to this jacket. Just some small ones to shore up the line.

I made this jacket at Sewing Camp and I would call it a quick and easy sew. There are only five pattern pieces, including a separate piece for the under collar, which is always a nice touch. Everything fit together very easily. The instructions were clear and even informative, since they told you why you were working certain steps.

The jacket closes with a thread loop and one button, making a nice opportunity to use something special. I chose this button that I got years ago at Findings in Carmel (oh, Findings, why are you no longer there for me?). My thread loop is huge and dorky because I hadn't yet found this tutorial on the Grainline site. Besides adding shoulder pads, I'll be re-doing my thread loop.

My one button closure

The fabric is a light wool gabardine that I got as a remnant at Stone Mountain & Daughter. I had 1.5 yards, which was plenty to cut the jacket in my size.

Anyway, this is a nice, light jacket to toss on over a sleeveless top to go out for drinks. Or maybe to wear over said top during the day if you work in an air-conditioned office.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here. And Zoe says, "Hoppy Easter!"

Zoe, all dressed to go read with little kids at the public library

Seeking a Woven Tee

I've been auditioning patterns for the role of "favorite woven tee." Every wardrobe needs one, don't you think? My candidates so far have been the Grainline Scout and Gertie's portrait blouse, which can be made without the zipper and waist tucks if you're after some simple, slip-over action.

So just what is a woven tee anyway? Here are a couple snippets from Wikipedia that make sense to me:

"A T-shirt (or tee shirt, or tee) is a style of fabric shirt, named after the T shape of the body and sleeves. It is normally associated with short sleeves, a round neck line known as a crew neck, with no collar." Tee shirts are "slip-on garments without buttons" and are "easily fitted, easily cleaned, and inexpensive." 

Huh. I thought they were named after golf tees because golfers wear them while out on the links. You learn something new every day!

Anywhoo, here is McCall's 8050, an oldie but a goodie. I made this bad boy on the last day of sewing camp.

Sorry for the yellow tinge - due to afternoon light through mustard colored shades

It looks like this pattern is out of print. The date on the envelope is 1996, which is probably about when I first picked it up at the flea market. A kimono sleeve version of this pattern (the middle row on the pattern envelope) is one of my oldest me-mades still in existence. 

This time I made view A, the one in the upper right corner. How have I never noticed this view before? It's just what I've been looking for. I like the squared off neckline and I've been wanting something with set-in sleeves. The older I get, the more I think about sun protection. 

side view

I cut a size 8 after checking the finished garment measurements. According to the size chart, the 8 should fit a 31.5 inch bust. Except the size 8 has a finished bust measurement of 39.5 inches. Eight inches of ease. Honestly, I wonder how many people believe the size charts on the back of the pattern envelope and then just give up garment sewing in disgust?

The size 8 fits my 35ish inch bust just fine, and the shoulders feel like they sit about right. I was worried the neckline might gape, but it stays in pace pretty nicely. 

back view

I used a Kaffe Fassett shot cotton, which should feel cool and breezy on a hot summer day. This fabric is kind of like linen, in that it always looks a little rumpled. I'm thinking of that as a design feature. I haven't washed the finished top yet, so I'm not sure if I'll feel like I have to press before wearing. My standards are pretty low though, so probably not.

The top is super simple to put together. Well, except for trying to ease in the sleeve cap. I had this issue with the Scout woven tee too. I wonder if you need extra ease at the shoulder to help these tops slip on and off? I'll be experimenting with reducing that sleeve cap in version #2. I'll let you know how that works out.

Parting shot with background dog

If you happen to come across this pattern, I can recommend it. Especially if reducing the sleeve cap ease works out OK. Looks like you can find it pretty easily on Ebay for 5 bucks or less. I really like my old kimono sleeve version too. I might need to make another one of those sometime soon. 

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Sewing Camp

I spent last weekend at Happy Valley Conference Center, sewing up a storm in the company of about 50 other ladies. Speaking of storms, an El Nino fueled event lumbered through the area while we were there, keeping us inside and productive. That's why I'm not posting endless pictures of the glorious redwoods and the spring flowers

The event was organized by a nifty lady named Jen Namba. A long weekend in the redwoods with good food, good company and lots of space to let your creativity flow. What could be better?

The event was a happy mix of crafters. Most folks were scrap bookers; a new world to me. Holy cow, do they ever have a plethora of fascinating materials and tools!

I was in the Quilting Room. My friend Jessica and I were the only garment makers in attendance that weekend. The rest of the crew were quilters, busily making amazing things.

Besides a well-stocked snack table and a constant supply of coffee, tea and hot cocoa, the Quilt Room offered a communal cutting table, a bunch of large cutting mats, rulers and rotary cutters and three irons with large pressing boards. I'm used to doing my cutting out while crawling around the floor in the spare bedroom, so this felt like quite a luxury. Each person also got their own 6-foot table to set out your sewing machine, serger or what-have-you.

Large cutting table! Snack table in the background.

I began the weekend by producing a wadder of a Watson bra (a.k.a. the Wadson or the Bra-dder). I had sized up, which looks like it was a bad idea. Plus, I was a bit too laissez faire in my cutting out. Little inaccuracies add up to big trouble in the world of bra making. The Man gave me a pep talk afterwards, though, so I'm not giving up on lingerie yet.

Incidentally, I had been feeling pretty good about my improving accuracy in prepping my sewing projects. Let me tell you, there's nothing like spending a weekend with some top-notch quilters to teach you what accuracy really means. Those guys are phenomenal. Look at this beautifully pieced quilt top:

Oh, and by the way, it's smaller than a piece of letter-sized paper:

All done on the cutest little Featherweight you could imagine:

And look at this baby quilt:

I told the maker she should finish it with the back side showing so the public could admire all her perfectly matched and pressed little seams.

I recouped from my Wadson by finishing a wool jacket and a woven tee, both to be reviewed soon. Here's the jacket collar getting rolled. See the quilt on the board in the background?

Jacket collar being rolled

Here's another shot at the end of the weekend. Jacket finished and quilt top zooming right along.

Jessica finished three tee shirts, a Marcy Tilton jacket and a pair of knit pants. Not to mention piecing her first ever quilt top!

Yes, Jessica got sucked into the quilting vortex. Well, me too. We saw some gorgeous stuff this weekend. We're planning on attending the next meeting of the South Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild.

And! We sucked our Quilt Room Leader into garment sewing! Here's Karen (a.k.a. Capitola Quilter) in her brand new Renfrew, which she made from start to finish on our last day.

This is THE most accurately cut and constructed tee shirt of all time. The quality work shows in the fit, right?

If you're in the Santa Cruz area, do yourself a favor and check these events out. It's a totally good time!

Eleonore Pants

When I was visiting The Boy in southern California I mentioned that my next sewing project would be something that would best be described as "jeggings." He allowed as how I was too old to wear jeggings. The young can be cruel. Truthful, but cruel.

These are the Eleonore Pull-On Jeans by Jalie (a.k.a. Jalie 3461). Jalie describes them as "stretch pull-on jeans with a wide waistband with yoke, faux fly in the front and patch pockets in the back. Fitted through the waist and hips, straight from the knee down." In other words, they're pull-on pants with jeans styling, designed for fabric with at least 20% widthwise stretch.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, just me trying not to look awkward. 

The most challenging part of this enterprise was finding a woven fabric with at least 20% widthwise stretch. Holy cow, I must have stretch-tested 60 bolts of fabric before settling on this stretch twill suiting. I found it at Hart's for about $11 bucks a yard. Let me just say how very lucky I am to live in the same town as this great fabric store. I can't imagine trying to find something like this on-line. It was so great to be able to yank on the fabrics to test the recovery and feel the hand, not to mention get a real-life read on the color.

Back view with pocket demonstration

The pattern uses faux pockets and fly on the front, but real pockets on the back There's an inconspicuous inch-wide strip of elastic zig-zagged to the top of the waistband and, sure enough, they pull on and off with no zippers, buttons or other closures.

These photos with top tucked in are for science only. In real life, I'll be wearing them with a longer tee or an untucked top. So no reason to tweak myself too much about the wrinkling at the rear.

Real life rear view

I've sewn Jalie's Women's Stretch Jean (Jalie 2908) as well, so I chose my size based on that experience.  I traced an S at the waist, grading to an R for the hips on down. I'd say the sizing is consistent from pattern to pattern and matches the numbers on Jalie's sizing chart very well indeed.

I have a cut of stretch denim upstairs that will end up as either another pair of 2908's or another pair of Eleonors, so let me do a little comparison of the two.

I haven't been a leggings kind of a gal since the 1980's, and The Boy is right; there comes a time when we must all put away childish things. But I must say they are insanely comfortable. I've given these a one-day test drive and they are as great for moving around in as they are for lounging. I almost asked The Man to get a snapshot of me with the legs rolled up as I scrubbed out the shower and washed the bathroom floor.

I noticed while writing this post that Jalie 2908 also calls for fabric with at least 20% widthwise stretch. Whoops - I bet my pair was made with a firmer denim. No wonder they feel somewhat more restrictive than these new Eleonores.

When I make the Eleonores again, I'll be tempted to leave off the faux fly and front yokes, especially since they'll be decently covered by a longer top while being worn. I did not enjoy sewing the tight curves on the fake front pockets, though the false fly was easy peasy to do. Boy, if you left off those fiddly bits you could churn out a pair of Eleonores in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

I do like the real front pockets in the 2908s, and I actually use front pockets on jeans. I like the flare leg of the 2908, but I also like the straight let on the Eleonore. But it would be easy to swap the leg back and forth between the two.

Oh, heck, I think both patterns fill a useful niche in my pattern stash. I'll use the Eleonore as a super-comfortable legging and omit some of the jeans styling. And I'll use the 2908 as a jean and go to town with belt loops and top stitching and pockets galore.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Stash Enhancement

My friend Molly's parents are downsizing and her mother very kindly offered to pass along her fabric stash. And Molly very kindly thought of me.

This was just the kind of stash a sewist loves to inherit; only a few pieces, but each is very choice.

One cut was about two yards of batik. Very nice quality; looks like it actually came from Southeast Asia, rather than an American quilting emporium.

New Look 6598 in batik

The colors are soft, but not quite as soft as they look in the photo above. Here's an indoor photo, which I think is closer to the real colors.

Colors are truer in this photo

The Hart's ladies liked this fabric as much as I do. They got all involved in helping me pick the perfect buttons.

Perfect button

I didn't have a lot of fabric to work with, because the yardage was narrow. After faffing about in the pattern drawer, I selected New Look 6598, which just fit.

I've made this top a few times before - looks like I got it way back in 2002. Heck, practically vintage! I'm not wild about the fit of the sleeve on this pattern, but I do enjoy my sleeveless makes. This time I finished the arm scythe with bias tape instead of the facings included with the pattern. I like this finish much better; those pesky facings keep popping out on my earlier versions. I like the clean look of the collar-less neckline and it's a nice canvas for cute cotton prints. I have one iteration that's covered in coffee cups.

Side view

I couldn't do too much about pattern matching, given my limited yardage, but I think things worked out pretty well. At least I don't have any totally awkward flower placement going on.

Not really watching a bird, just trying not to  smile like a serial murderer

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Oh, and my new stash includes two dress lengths of what I'm pretty sure is Liberty.