Descent from M-M-M'12

I must confess, the Me-Made-May'12 challenge proved to be just that - a challenge!  Several days each week I did wear something I made.  The other days?  I either completely forgot, or was just in the mood to wear something else.  And some of the days when I did wear something I made, I forgot to photograph my ensemble.  So there you have it.  We are at the end of May, I did not make the challenge, but I did learn something from it:  I have some items that I tend to wear over and over, while some of my other items sit idle in the closet either forgotten or ignored.  I have beutiful garments that I put a lot of time into constructing and I need to make a conscious effort to ensure they get their due time on the runway.  I guess it is no different from my RTW clothing.  I have some items I wear over and over while others sit idle.  Perhaps I need to clean out my closet. 

I leave you with a couple photos from this week:

Simplicity 1806

Simplicity 2154

Right now I am piecing together a few quilt squares for a bed runner, I have a Vogue top on my cutting table, and I have a baby gift in queue.  Hopefully the remainder of this week I will be productive.

Jalie 2908 Morphed

Jalie 2908 Capri Style

I took the Jalie jeans pattern and morphed it into a pair of capri pants.  Actually, in looking at the photo, they're more of a pedal pusher.  Just like the jeans, they are very comfortable and have a great fit.  I used a black stretch denim from Hancock Fabrics and I topstitched with white topstitching thread.

Something I did not add on my first pair of jeans was a coin pocket.  I did add it to this pair and I really like how it turned out.  Here's a close-up of the itty bitty pocket:

Front coin pocket and rivet

You can also see the rivets that I added to this pair.  I did not include them on my first pair because my jeans had gold topstitching and I wanted to add gold rivets, but they were nowhere to be found locally.  Does anybody have a source for jeans hardware?  I love the more RTW look of jeans with rivets.

For the back pocket design, I decided to go with an embroidered applique.  I chose a subtle white tone-on-tone print fabric for the butterfly and used teal embroidery thread. 

Back pocket design

The white fabric seemed like a good idea until I looked at my rear end from a distance and it just looked like two huge white splotches on my rear - like I sat in paint or something!!  So I pulled out my scrapbooking supplies (yes, I said scrapbooking, not sewing) and I used walnut distress ink to tone down that white butterfly a bit.  The idea of the unfinished edges on this applique is that it will fray more with each washing and the outline of the butterfly will become more noticeable.  I have washed these several times since making them, and sure enough, that applique becomes more defined with each washing.  One of these days, I will take a photo and post it so you can see I'm not making this up as I go.  :)

If you are in the U.S., have a terrific and safe Memorial Day weekend.

ME-MADE-MAY'12, Week 1

One important thing this challenge has taught me, is that I have not made near enough everyday pieces of clothing.  Most of what I have in my handmade wardrobe are dresses, jackets, and skirts.  Here is the first installment of my pledge to participate in this challenge:



Photo 1:  Simplicity 1806   Photo 2:  Jalie 2908   Photo 3:  Vogue 1275  Photo 4:  Simplicity 3790  Photo 5:  Simplicity 3867

I have a pair of black denim capri pants almost complete.  I simply need to hem them and add a button at the waistband.  Pictures should follow soon.  Also, look for more of the aforementioned everyday pieces of clothing in the near future as that is my focus for summer sewing.

Simplicity 1806 - Silk

Happy May Day to all.  What a gorgeous way to begin May.  The weather is mild and beautiful and I have so many sewing projects in queue.  Today I have a repeat of Simplicity 1806 to share with you.  You might remember, I used the turquoise bridal fabric for this first one, but this go around I chose a coral 100% silk.  I also mixed it up a little with the pattern pieces by adding sleeves to this version.

I have to say, the silk flounce does lay down much nicer than the heavier bridal fabric, and I do love the feel of the silk against my skin, but I'm truly liking both versions.  Perhaps it is the color that's drawing me in, I'm just not sure.  A bright spot to note is that I did get my serger back from the dealer and I used a rolled hem along the edge of that flounce.  So much nicer than a narrow folded hem.

I have a pair of black denim capris cut and waiting to be sewn.  Hopefully I'll get a good start on those before we go camping for the weekend.  Have a most enjoyable first week of May.