Week 4 || Me-Made June 2011

Heading Into the Home Stretch!

 

Monday, June 20: Third Time's A Charm

This chic little number is fantastic! I love that it's reversible, that it packs down to practically nothing, and that it's easy to dress up or down. This is the third time I've made this dress, so I really like it! This time, I used Sandra Betzina's method and lined only the skirt so I wouldn't have to hem it. I'll do just about ANYTHING to get out of hemming!

• LB(rown)D travel dress: M6069
• Necklace: Made by me (I bled for this little piece of stained glass!)
• Jean Jacket: Calvin Klein

Tuesday, June 21: Going In Circles

It was 83º here today, so I thought I wear a summer dress. I made this knit dress when I started sewing a few years ago. It gets a TON of wear in the warmer months and the circles hide a multitude of sins. What's not to love?

• Dress: S3503
• Necklace & Bracelet: Made by me
• Cardi: Refashioned

Wednesday, June 22: Solid Gold

The weather turned warm-ish (hence the wrap), so it's time to rock my gold top! I bought the sky-high wedges and white pants last weekend, and couldn't resist wearing them ASAP. I can't believe I made it through an entire day without getting something on these pants! Last time I wore white pants, they made it two hours before I spilled coffee on them. I thought I was cursed.

• Top: NL6356
• Necklace/pants/shoes: NY&Co.
• Cuff: Made by Me
• Pashmina: Ebay

Thursday, June 23: Channeling Chanel

Cold and rainy again today, so it was a great opportunity to wear my Chanel jacket. It was my greatest sewing achievement this year. I feel like I'm a grown-up when I wear this, since it so fancy!

• Chanel jacket: V7975
• Necklace, Pants and Tank Top: NY&Co.
• Shoes: Thrifted (Patent Crocodile! Yay!)

Friday, June 24: Red Hot

This swing cardi is getting a lot of wear these days. The weather is still...variable here in June, so I needed something to keep me warm. I rarely wear this tank, so it was fun to break it out. I really like the red and brown combination!

• Swing Cardi: M5241
• Tank: Max Studio (thrifted)
• Necklace: NY&Co.

I'm still knitting that sweater I told you about last week. Lots of frogging happening, so it's slower going than I thought it would be. I've also completed a dress or three and a skirt that I'm looking forward to showing you...as soon as the weather gets warm enough to actually wear them! Around these parts, it's often been said that "Summer doesn't start until July 5." I hope that's true. This non-summery weather is starting to get to me. :(

Week 3 || Me-Made June 2011

In the Swing Now!

Monday, June 13: The Clean Getaway (har!)

Still totally digging on this dress! It's comfortable, gives me shape, and is a classic piece I'll wear for years. I begrudgingly dug out the black boots because it rained allllll day. June is the new September, apparently. Oy vey. :( The cute bench I'm sitting on was my piano bench growing up.

• Wrap Dress: KS3408
• Necklace: Made by me

Tuesday, June 14: Colourblocked in Black and Grey

This isn't the most inspired outfit, but it was another rainy day, and I was grumpy about it. For colour, I popped on the big 'ol millefiori ring I picked up in Venice. I bought it when my fingers were all puffy from the flight over, so it only fits on my pointer finger now. It's a knucklebuster, but it makes me smile. The boatneck is made from wicking fabric, so it's nice and breathable -- perfect for (future) travel!

• Boatneck top: V1049 
• Crops: Old Navy
• Ring: From trip to Italy, Fall 2010
• Belt: Thrifted

Wednesday, June 15: In the Jungle...

This sweet little top was originally the skirt of a maxi dress I made a few years ago. I'm digging the peplum effect to hide my hips! I had to pair it with a cardi, as (sigh) it's still cold here.

• Top: S2599
• Skirt: NY&Co.
• Cardi: Refashion from charity shop
• Necklace: From Italy trip, Fall 2010

Thursday, June 16: Casual Comfort

It was warmer today, but my office is freezing, so thought this sweater would be cute and comfy. Turns out, I was right! The crops are my travel cargos with both outer cargo pockets and inner hidden pockets (take THAT pickpockets!) They've got a toggle waist (for when you eat tooo much!) and are made from a dri-fit fabric that dries in less than 3 hours. They're totally indestructible. Love that!

• Sweater: B5386
• Necklace: Made by me 
• Cargos: Linda McPhee "Drawstring Pants"
• Tank: NY&Co.

Friday, June 17: I'm a Superhero!

Or at least I'm wearing superhero colours! The knot top is made from the skirt of a dress I wadded last fall (yay for a refashion!) I'm not used to wearing such close-fitting tops, but my bff assures me that it looks good, so I'm going to choose to believe her. At least with the Ssssssnake top, I had some camouflage! LOL

• Knot top: S4076
• Crops: Old Navy
• Cardi: M6084
• Necklace: From Spain trip, Fall 2009
• Shoes: Thrifted

I'm currently knitting a cute little summer sweater, and am hoping to complete it by the end of the month! You can find the pattern here if you'd like to knit one, too! I've never knit a top-down sweater before, but it's coming together really fast! I'm making it from this yarn, in a lovely persimmon! I think I might have to make some white crops to go with it (in July when my self-imposed fabric fast has concluded). See ya next week!

Week 2 || Me-Made June 2011

Woo hoo for Week 2! 

(It's still cold and rainy here in the PNW) 

 

Monday, June 6: Tunics for All Seasons!
Hey, how 'bout another tunic? This one is from the same NL6515 pattern I wore on Friday, just with a different neckline finish. I usually wear this more in the fall, due to the palette, but it's still fall-ish weather here, so I broke it out.

• Tunic: NL6515
• Necklace, Tank: NY&Co
• Trousers: CAbi

Tuesday, June 7: Well, Hello There, Sailor!
It's Fleet Week here in Portland, and what better way to make new friends than to dress like their counterparts in the French Navy? (I'm all for international relations!) This shirt was self-drafted from another LL Bean boatneck that I fell in love with this season. The fabric is from my recent trip to Britex in San Francisco.

Until I took these pics, I didn't know I'd need to do a swayback adjustment. Interesting!

• Top: Self-drafted
• Pants, Bracelet: NY&Co.

Wednesday, June 8: Swing Style
The top I'm sporting today used to be this dress. After shooting it as a dress this week, I decided I'd wear it more if I chopped it off. I think it works much better as a top. Paired with my swingin' red cardigan, it's a pretty stellar outfit! (Comfy, too.)

• Top: S2550
• Swing Cardi: M5241
• Necklace: Made by me
• Trousers: NY&Co.

Thursday, June 9: Ssssssecond Ssssskin

Twist tanks have been around for awhile, but I just jumped on the bandwagon recently. Thissss little top is pretty comfy and was a stashbustin' project. I liked it ssssso much, I made another one from red jersey. Lotssss of complimentsssss at work on this one! 

• Tank: S4076 (OOP, but HIGHLY recommended)
• Jacket: Thrifted
• Necklace: Gift from my BFF
• Trousers: Ann Taylor Loft (Another too-big pair of pants headed to the consignment store. Ugh!)

Friday, June 10: Tanks for the Memories

This top is another self-drafted endeavour. It was based on a Banana Republic tank that I fell in mad love with when Sarah Michelle Gellar wore it on an episode of  "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I wore it until it turned from back to grey (appalling!) and then muslined it four times to get to the final version you see here. It was my second self-drafting project, and I'm pretty thrilled by how it turned out. Now if I could just get SMG's arms... LOL

• Buffy tank: Self-drafted
• Necklace and bracelent: Made by me
• Jeans: Lands End

That's it for this week! I've heard we're getting SUN next week, so BOLO for dresses and skirts. I'm getting weary of wearing pants!

Week 1 || Me-Made June 2011

Here we go again!

Wednesday, June 1: Go With the Flow
I love me a good tunic. I should, as I have about eleventy-hundred of them (well, it's really SIX, but who's counting?) I made this as a knockoff of the CAbi Erte Tunic (which I ended up buying on a screaming sale ANYWAY). The leggings are from Sandra Betzina's pattern collection for Vogue. I made them out of a dri-fit fabric and I love the feel of them (They're lined with tricot! So luxurious!). I'm a little self-conscious about showing me bum, tho, so thought it was a perfect pairing with my small assortment of bum-covering tunics.

• Tunic: V8580
• Leggings: V1197
• Tank & Necklace: NY&Co.

Thursday, June 2: Wrap It Up, I'll Take It
Hello, favourite dress! Can I tell you how much I love this wrap-like dress? Not only does it look great with boots or heels, and gives me great shape. Adding to it's superpowers, it also spans the seasons, which in the PNW can be a little iffy. We like to say, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." That applies here in June, as well. I need the 3/4 sleeves to hide the goosebumps! Brrrrr!

• Dress: M5974

Friday, June 3: Autumn Cross Top Tunic
More and more, I'm finding myself drawn to the colours of fall. I've made this tunic five different times, and just love the fit!

• Tunic: NL6515 (OOP): This tunic looks remarkably similar!
• Necklace: Made by me
• Jeans: Gap

KS3408 || Painterly Wrap Dress

Ready for my clean getaway! LOL

I've got a thing for wrap dresses. They're quick, they're easy to throw on when you're making a clean getaway (Diane!! Shocking!), and they always make me look so put-together and stylish. Love that! They also look fantastic with boots, flats AND sandals. A trifecta of footwear!

That being said, I've made three wrap (and faux-wrap) dresses in the past, and until now, was never successful. Either the fabric was wrong, the flippy facings bugged me, the armholes were too low, it gaped in the front skirt area when I sat or I just couldn't keep the darn thing closed in the bodice. Argh. The KS3408 is the first wrap dress pattern I would consider a total, unmitigated success.

Pattern Description: Misses' fitted wrap dresses have a waist seam, a slightly flared skirt, a V-neckline, bust darts, and self-fabric ties. View A has long sleeves and is over-knee length; View B has 3/4 length sleeves and above-knee length. I made View B with even shorter sleeves.


Pattern Sizing: XS - XL. Mine is a Medium, even tho most of my measurements were in the "Large" column. The pattern has enough ease in it to go down a size (with additional alterations). I wanted it to be relatively close fitting.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it did!

Were the instructions easy to follow? Terrifically easy. Kwik Sew does a great job with instructions and diagrams.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love that it has enough walking ease in the skirt to stay closed, the neckline is drafted so it won't gape, even if you don't use clear elastic there. Construction was fast and easy, and, as I have a long torso, I didn't have to add my usual inch to the length of the bodice. (the weight of the skirt pulls it down.) That's a lot of good things in one little pattern.

Fabric Used: ITY Knit from JoAnn

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I have narrow shoulders, so I removed 1/4" from there (didn't alter the sleeve). I did a 1/2" FBA, added 1/2" high round back adjustment and removed 1-1/2" from bodice length so that the seam would fall at my high waist (the skinniest part!). I also doubled the width of the ties and added 10" to the tie length. I might add 10-15" more length next time, as it might be fun to wrap it around another time. Instead of hemming, I used my serger's roll hem feature on the neckline and hem. I'll probably go back and shorten the sleeves even more and roll hem them as well. We'll see...

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? This is, hands down, the best drafted wrap dress pattern I've used. I highly recommend it, and will definitely make it again. (And again, and again.)

Conclusion: I love this dress. If you can get your hands on the OOP pattern, it's a timeless, easy classic piece to add to your wardrobe.

V1049 (OOP) | The Hunt for the Perfect Boatneck is Over!

I am OBSESSED with boatneck tops! It's such a classic style, and I've been seeing many boatnecks coming up for fall, especially in Oscar de la Renta's collection. So of course, I had to make my own.

Hello, new wardrobe staple!

Pattern Description: Boatneck top with asymetrical hem option.

Pattern Sizing: All

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? It did!

Were the instructions easy to follow? Ridiculously easy. This would be a great beginner sewing project with knits.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It came together very quickly. I also like that Sandra's pattern has a cut-on facing. (more on this below) I also REALLY like that the top covers my bra straps. Other boatnecks I've tried had necklines that were SO wide, those darn straps always showed. (argh.) I think in future iterations, I'll take off .5" from the CB to avoid the neck gape.

Fabric Used: Polyester knit with spandex from JoAnn.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I didn't like how there are bust darts on both the facing and the top itself. Lining them up was a pain, and if you don't do it exactly right, it shows. I ran a basting stitch where the dart in the lining would go and gathered the material instead. It made for a better finish and doesn't look weird on the outside.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I've already sewed it up twice since shooting this and think it'll be a wardrobe staple come fall. It's so versatile for my wardrobe!

Conclusion: I love this top. This pattern is OOP, but I highly recommend it! Get your paws on it if you love a fabulously drafted boatneck top!

Top Left: Leopard print cardi (thrifted) and trousers.  

Top Right: Cute summer skirt (me-made) and jean jacket.

Bottom Left: With houndstooth skirt (me-made) and jacket.  

Bottom Right: Safari jacket, jeans and new kicky red vinyl shoes (thrifted).

Count Me IN for Me-Made-June!

'I, Darcidoodle of http://darcidoodle-do.blogspot.com/, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-June '11. I endeavour to wear at least one me-made garment each work day this month. I will also challenge myself to remix if there are repeats for the duration of June 2011.'

S2256 | That Sure Is a Yellow Jacket!

They'll see me coming AND going!

I saw this cute little jacket at Simplicity Fashion Show at the Sewing Expo in Puyallup this last March. This cornea-searing yellow fabric has been in my stash for awhile, originally destined to be an outerwear jacket. Unfortunately for me, the fabric was too thin for outerwear, but not too thin for a cute, springy jacket!

Pattern Description: Misses' unlined jacket in two lengths with neckline and sleeve variations.

Pattern Sizing: 4-22. Mine was a 12 in the bodice, adjusted to a 14 in the hips and waist. Even with flat pattern measuring AND trying on the pattern, this jacket ran LARGE. Like, so large I can't wear it open. :(

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? It did!

Were the instructions easy to follow? They were incredibly easy to navigate.

Front

Back

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the peplum in the back a lot. The front is a little boring without any sort of flounce or collar. I dig it, but not everyone will.

Fabric Used:  Cotton/lycra blend from Fabric.com. The pearl buttons on the front and back are vintage, gifted to me by a good friend.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I really wanted this jacket to be lined. Yellow is a lot like white, in that it's practically see-through if you don't line it. I lined it in lime green bemberg rayon. It shows through a little, so I don't think I'd do that again. I also (wrongly) attempted to bag the lining, but the peplum made the jacket hang wonky in the back. I frogged that, hemmed the lining separately from the  and fashion fabric, and got really well acquainted with swing tacks, which are fun to make! 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would make this again, certainly, although I'd make it a size smaller in the bust.

More versatile than you'd think!

Conclusion: The weather here in the Pacific Northwest can be a little unpredictable, so I'm sure I'll wear this jacket a lot! I'm really digging the bright yellow and chocolate brown combination, and having fun with some colourblocking. (Aqua, anyone? How 'bout PINK?)

Another CAbi-Inspired Garment: The Paley Vest

CAbi FW 2010 Paley Vest

How cute is that little vest!? I just fell in love with its' graphic nature and the exposed zipper...it's a fun piece to add some spark to the wardrobe. Since it's still fairly cold here in the Pacific Northwest, I'll still be able to get some wear out of it before Spring FINALLY shows up and stays for awhile. We've been getting periodic sunshiny days, but most are still cold! Like 40s to mid 50s. Brrr!

Anywho... on to the vest! I got a screamin' deal on the fabric at Fabric Depot's Outdoor Sale two years ago. I think this wool/poly blend was something like $5 a yard. I made a winter coat out of it, too, and had about 2 yards left to play with. I made my own pattern, based on my Chanel jacket, which had princess seams. Not wanting to match up the houndstooth on princess seams because it's impossible, I joined the front and side front pieces at the seam allowance with pins and traced the joined pieces. I did the same thing for the back piece. When trying this on Betty (my dressform), I realized that I needed .5" bust darts added to the front. They're barely noticeable and make the front hang so much better. I also drafted the front and neck facings based on the pattern I created. I'm pretty pleased with the results. The fringe was fun and MUCH faster to make than on the Chanel jacket.

In the spirit of what I learned from MeMadeMarch '11, most garments I create from now on will go with at least three things I already own. So here goes! I skipped my favourite black pencil skirt/boot combination, because, well... it's boring. Also, it's supposed to be SPRING! Boots are for WINTER. Hear that Spring? I'm calling you OUT.

Houndstooth and pink paisley were made for each other, don'tcha think?

The back looks like I need a swayback adjustment, but IRL, it hangs fine. I must have been standing funny. In related news, after taking this pic, I realized that I have a flat butt. Must learn how to make flat butt adjustments for future trousers. These ones are doing my pert, cute butt NO favours. There may be colourful pants in my future. Wouldn't this look fantastic with RED pants?

I just love black and white houndstooth. I'm now the proud owner of black and white houndstooth Wellies, a purse, a skirt and now a vest. I'm flirting with the idea of wearing the larger format vest with the smaller format skirt. Is that too much? :)

With my red tunic top. Cute!

The long-sleeved white shirt I've been told is a wardrobe essential, but I have never worn. It looks good here!

With a dark denim shirt and jaunty scarf.

Casual with jeans and my pink swirl top. 

Week 5| MMMar '11

Looks like we made it!

Monday, March 28: That's a Wrap 
More alpaca from Italy! Also another wrap cardi. It's so cozy, I wear it around the house a lot. Here, I paired it with a self-drafted skirt and a ponyskin belt. Yee haw!

• Cardigan: M5241
• Skirt: Self-drafted from this awesome book
• Belt: Thrifted
• Necklace: Made by me!

Tuesday, March 29: Darcidoodle, Girl Reporter
Don't I look like a modern Lois Lane? Just need my steno pad and my Press Pass!
After hanging out in the UFO pile (for too long), I finished this houndstooth pencil skirt over the weekend. The wool is from the Pendleton outlet store. I'm going to wear this skirt a LOT next fall. Also, it's got a fun orange lining!

• Coat: Travelsmith
• Skirt: M6038
• Belt: Thrifted
• Scarf: Brought back as silk panel from Italy, made into scarf. (Well, TWO scarves. My mom received its twin for her birthday. :)

Wednesday, March 30 : It's Easy Being Green
I really liked Erica B's version of this top and thought it would be a nice addition to my wardrobe. I was right! Next time, I'll make it out of a better fabric, tho!

• Green Top: M6078
• Black jacket + Cuff: NY&Co.
• Grey, Striped Pants: CAbi
• Necklace: Made by Me

Thursday, March 31: Stylish Sophistication 
Today is my birthday! A perfect day to debut my Chanel jacket! Can I tell you how much I love this jacket? It's like wearing a cozy sweatshirt, but far more refined. I'm going to own this forever.

• Tank: CAbi
• Chanel Jacket: V7975
• Trousers: CAbi
• Necklace: NY&Co.

Friday, April 1: Woo hoo! We're Through!
It's Casual Friday, so why not relax AND be quirky? This little top fits the bill.

• Top: Twinkle Sews "Take Manhattan" (which should be made from a knit, not a woven...unless you LIKE looking like a modern flower, which apparently I do...)
• Jeans: Land's End 
•  Long-sleeved top: Cirque du Soleil (aren't the sleeves just awesome?)

YAY for MMMar '11!