Me Made May Week 2

Here come my second week's worth of Me Made May photos. It was still cold and gray most of this week; I think there was only one day that was sunny from the get go. Sorry, but you'll be seeing a repeat of most of my pants. Sadly, the forecast looks like more of the same for the rest of the month. Curse you, El Nino! If you're going to hang around, at least bring some rain along with the gloom!

I'm a bit late posting because Blogger and I had some issues around uploading photos. Today we're friends again though.

Monday, May 9

Monday was my Jalie drop pocket cardi, along with a Kirsten Kimono Tee and a pair of Burdastyle 05-2012-#122, the Pajama Style Pants. I wear these items often. They're all neutral enough to go with a bunch of other garments. Have you tried the Kirsten Kimono Tee? It's a free pattern from Maria Denmark. It's a great, basic kimono sleeve tee. I have thousands, and I still make more.

Tuesday, May 10

On Tuesday I met my friend Molly to get my first drawing lesson. I read recently that, as one ages, it's good for the brain to learn to do something new and difficult. Considering I only ever drew one picture in my life, and that was 47 years ago, sketching sounds like it meets those criteria. I'm one sketch down and, so far, so good. Later that afternoon I rode my bike up to campus to meet my friend, Anne, for a walk in the redwoods. I wore my stretch denim BS 10-2103-#127, the narrow leg trousers. The stretch denim and narrow ankle make them a good bet for biking. I also wore one of my Christine Johnson V-neck Tees. I have a few of these and really like them for a chilly day. The neck comes up high in the back to give you that cozy, turtleneck feeling but the front can go as low a you want to sew it. It's an ingenious neckline construction. Too bad my knit is so lightweight it wrinkles when I move.

Wednesday, May 11

Wednesday I dropped my bike off for a tune-up and got a pedicure. I wore one of my Sewaholic Alma blouses and a pair of Style Arc Barb pants (another great free pattern). The Barb's are in ponte, which makes them both warm and bike-friendly. I like the Alma pattern too. It's just fitted enough to flatter but still easy to move around in.

Thursday, May 12 (looks like I'm levitating, not sure why)

Thursday I had lunch at a friend's house with a group of women I used to work with. We realized recently that we've known each other for at least 20 years. What a smart, kind, fun group they are! I'm lucky to know them. And especially lucky to have them make lunch for me - my friend, Kim, is an excellent cook. I wore my oldest pair of BS 10-2013-#127 pants and a cozy cowl-neck Renfrew. This is another great, basic tee. It comes with some nice neck and sleeve variations and the bands that finish the sleeves and bottom make it a good first knit pattern to try.

Friday, May 13

Friday I biked over to a local elementary school where I've been doing some reading tutoring. I work with 3 kids, two second-graders and a fifth grader. They are all totally adorable; a treat to spend time with. And, bonus, my fifth grader reached his reading goal on Friday! It was high fives all around. I wore my crazy pants (BS 05-2013) and another Kirsten Kimono Tee. Looks like I never reviewed these pants. I kind of like them! They have pockets and they're loose and breezy to wear. I ended up deep-sixing the drawstring and replacing it with elastic. It was a good reminder of why I don't like drawstring waistlines, even though they always sound like such a good idea. Too much fluff around the middle.

Saturday, May 14

Saturday I went with Zoe (my Great Pyrenees) to visit a local nursing home with our pet-assisted therapy group, Furry Friends (our motto is "We're Licking Loneliness"). I have a working shirt and Zoe has a working leash; we're supposed to wear them while making our visits. I ended up wearing my working shirt for the rest of the day while planting some succulent cuttings that my neighbor, Mary, very kindly gave me.  I did wear Me Made trousers, though! Another pair of BS 10-2013-#127. This color doesn't show the dog hair quite as much as some of my other pairs.

Sunday, May 15

Sunday was the day that got sunny first thing - woo hoo! I cracked out one of my Gertie Pencil Skirts and, yes, another Kirsten Kimono Tee. This skirt is another great first knit sewing project. One pattern piece. I'm not kidding. It has an elastic waist, which I think works up very nicely. Gertie has you sew the elastic around the skirt top on the outside, then flip to the inside and tack it down at the side seams. It comes out very smoothly, doesn't look like an elastic waist at all!

I'm getting together with my friend, Jessica, to do some sewing on Thursday. If all goes well, I'll have a new item to show soon!

Me Made May Week 1

One week down, three-and-a-half to go. I planned on giving my dresses and skirts an outing this month, but it's been chilly and gray these last few days. I guess it's the lingering effects of El Nino. Cold needn't preclude skirts, only I am not a tights or stockings lover. They make me feel as I imagine men feel when wearing a necktie; like I'm slowly strangling to death.

Sunday, May 1

Here's Sunday, May the first. The top and trousers are both from Burdastyle. The tee is BS 02-2013-#126 and the pants are BS 06-2012-#109, the 70's pants. Sunday was a lazy day, and pretty to boot. I did a little bit of preparatory yard work and went on a run.

Monday, May 2

Monday I did some real yard work, including turning the compost pile. And guess what? I had compost! My past attempts to produce compost have all been failures, but this time I got an actual bushel basket of compost! I was so excited, I divvied it up into little bits and top dressed every plant I could reach. I wore an ancient Renfrew and an old pair of Burdastyle Straight Pants (10-2013-#127).

Tuesday, May 3

This is another Renfrew and another pair of BS 10-2013-#127. This pair is made from the pattern I altered at our sewing weekend in Sonora. I love them. Must make another pair soon! The top is made from a mystery knit that I got as part of a bundle from the Tilton booth at Puyallup last year. The fabric is pretty light weight and wrinkles more than it seems a knit should. I should probably pass it along to the Goodwill. But I think I like the color, even though the green is so acid it kind of puts my teeth on edge.

Wednesday, May 4 (a.k.a. Star Wars Day)

I tried to get a little more creative here. The top is the Zigzag pullover from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits 2, only without the zig-zags. I used some Madeline Tosh, and I think it was sock yarn. The pants are Simplicity 3688, a 1940s repro pattern. I like the way these pants fit and the high waist is great for tucking in tops. Wish they had pockets though. I might try to add some in my next version.

Thursday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo)

Thursday it actually rained, something we always celebrate on the Central Coast. It was also chilly and gray most of the day, so I wore a cowl-neck Renfrew and my Bagua pants. I keep wanting to make another pair of these pants in a slightly heavier knit. They're nice and cozy, and I tell myself they look a bit sleeker than your standard sweatpants.

Friday, May 6

Another chilly, rainy day. I wore my original pair of BS 06-2012-#109 and an Ingenue sweater from Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard. This is a great, simple, top-down raglan pattern that knits up quick.

Saturday, May 7

Still overcast all day, so I went for my flannel Archer and a pair of Eleonore jeans. Nothing like a flannel shirt to keep you warm on a chilly day. The Man likes this shirt enough that he's mentioned he  could use a flannel of his own. I just need to find the right fabric. It's surprisingly hard to find flannel that doesn't have yellow duckies or rainbows all over it.

Sunday, May 8 (Mother's Day)

Back around to Sunday! It was damp and cloudy again this morning, so I went for my denim Burdastyle Straight Pants (10-2013-#127) and another Wendy Bernard sweater. This is the Backward Cabled Pullover from Custom Knits, only with the cable in the front.

It's been a very nice Mother's Day. I had a call and a package from The Boy. He sent me a cheese making kit and a basil garden in a can, so we'll be having pizza one of these days. I'll be seeing my nephews this afternoon, and The Man is taking me out to dinner, even though I am not his mother. 

Here's hoping for a little warm weather next week!

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!