Me-Made-May ’15: The Last Three Days

Well, I can’t believe it.  May is over and it’s time to wrap up Me-Made-May ’15 with pictures from the last three days.

The first of these is a Friday, which had the theme “Your Town”.  I picked something that represented this area rather than something specific to my town:  clamming and shellfish!  Shellfish are a big industry here and for the last few summers, I’ve taken out a recreational clamming license (see here and here), so I tried to take a few shots with some shellfish-related props.  My me-made clothing piece is this shirt (which you may remember from Day 16) made from a bedsheet and pajama pattern (M6848 by McCall’s).

Day 29: Pajama shirt as everyday shirt from a sheet and McCall’s 6848 #mmmay15

 

Day 29: Pajama shirt as everyday shirt from a sheet and McCall’s 6848 #mmmay15

Day 30 was two layered Alabama Chanin pieces.  The top layer was the Alabama Chanin corset from Alabama Stitch Book you saw on Day 25.  The layer beneath is the short fitted dress pattern from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design.  It’s a variation of the dress I wore on Day 28.  The dress alone wasn’t inspiring me that day, so I thought I would make it more interesting with some layering.  I love how they layer pieces in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design, so I decided to go for it, and I loved it!  I will say that this type of layered outfit is not your friend in the hottest, most humid weather, though.  With the camisole as the base piece, I was wearing three layers on top which got a little bit warm.

While I love these patterns, they are a bit low-cut for me, so I usually wear a camisole or tank top underneath with a higher neckline.  Luckily, if you sew up these patterns and feel as I do, you can now check out Alabama Chanin book number four, Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns, which takes you through how to alter patterns, including raising necklines.  (Each of the books I’ve just mentioned is written by Natalie Chanin.)

Day 30: Corset tank top from Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin, made from an oversized t-shirt and short fitted dress from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from a knit sheet #mmmay15

 

Day 30: Short fitted dress from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from a knit sheet #mmmay15

 

Day 30: Short fitted dress from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from a knit sheet (close-up) #mmmay15

And the final outfit for May?  This dress which I copied from a vintage dress.  I think the fabric is silk.  My husband’s parents were kind enough to give me my pick of his grandmother’s sewing supplies after she passed away, and this is one of the fabrics that she had in her stash.  It’s very light and comfortable.

Day 31: Silk dress copied from a vintage dress #mmmay15

 

Day 31: Silk dress copied from a vintage dress #mmmay15

 

Day 31: Silk dress copied from a vintage dress (close-up) #mmmay15

Final thoughts?  This was a great challenge both from a sewing and a fashion standpoint.  I had to really think about what I had made and how to wear it creatively.  I had more makes than I realized, and now I’m inspired to sew even more of my clothing.  It was extra mental work to figure out new outfits (I tend to repeat a lot more in my normal daily life), but I think that was good for this set time period.  It helped me to think of new ways to wear what I had, and seeing my outfits through the eyes and comments of others helped me to take a new look at them.

This challenge also made me practice thinking through how to take pictures.  Thanks go to my photographers,  my daughter and my husband.  They did a great job!

And thanks to YOU for tuning in throughout the month.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

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Me-Made-May ’15: Week Four

Welcome to Week Four of Me-Made-May ’15!  This was another good week with fewer repeats than I had expected.  Let’s get straight to the pictures!

Friday’s theme was “animals”.  I dug out this t-shirt that I self-drafted (with the help of Design-It-Yourself Clothes by Cal Patch).  I had planned to make some changes to it, but after putting it on, I decided it still worked.  Another point for immediate gratification!

Day 22: Self-drafted t-shirt #mmmay15

 

Day 22: Self-drafted t-shirt (close-up) #mmmay15

 

Day 22: Self-drafted t-shirt (detail) #mmmay15

You’ve seen this one before!  This was another wear of my pink Summer Blouse (but this time with new boots–major thrifting score!!).

Day 23: Summer Blouse from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross, made from a vintage sheet #mmmay15

Note the lovely clip-on earrings scored at Brimfield.

Day 23: Summer Blouse from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross, made from a vintage sheet (close-up) #mmmay15

Now for one that long-time readers will recognize.  This dress was in my first post for this blog.  It was a pairing of Alabama Chanin reverse applique and beading with a pattern from The Party Dress Book by Mary Adams.  It was beyond my skill level at the time, but it was so worth it, imperfections and all.

Day 24: Dress pattern from The Party Dress Book by Mary Adams with Alabama Chanin style reverse applique and beading, made from knit sheets #mmmay15

 

Day 24: Dress pattern from The Party Dress Book by Mary Adams with Alabama Chanin style reverse applique and beading, made from knit sheets #mmmay15

The bodice actually has three layers of fabric for the reverse applique.  I was hoping the extra layers would also provide stability to the top, which they do.  (Yea!)

Day 24: Dress pattern from The Party Dress Book by Mary Adams with Alabama Chanin style reverse applique and beading, made from knit sheets (detail) #mmmay15

My photographer (my daughter) told me we absolutely HAD to have a twirling shot.  This circle skirt is pretty awesome.

Day 24: Dress pattern from The Party Dress Book by Mary Adams with Alabama Chanin style reverse applique and beading, made from knit sheets #mmmay15

Next is this Alabama Chanin corset from Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin.  This is such a great tank.  It has fit me at various sizes and has such interesting lines.

Day 25: Corset tank top from Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin, made from an oversized t-shirt #mmmay15

Day 25: Corset tank top from Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin, made from an oversized t-shirt (close-up) #mmmay15

It’s also reversible!  I usually wear it like you see it above because I like to see the seam allowances, but you can also wear it as below for a more subtle effect.

Check out the starfish we found!  (Don’t worry, we put it back.)

Day 25: Corset tank top from Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin, made from an oversized t-shirt; reversible #mmmay15

These shorts are a free pattern from Anna Maria Horner.  I really needed some shorts a few summers ago, so I made these from some Amy Butler Nigella fabric that was a home décor cotton.  At that point, I just used pinking shears on all my seam allowances after sewing, so I always have little frays and strings hanging down inside, but the fact that I am starting to think about finishing my seams on a regular basis shows me how far I’ve come.  Maybe someday I’ll be a patient sewer…or maybe I’ll be so fast and AWESOME, I won’t have to be patient!  Even better.  😉

Day 26: Pleasant Pathways Shorts by Anna Maria Horner for Janome (free pattern) using Amy Butler Nigella home décor weight fabric #mmmay15

 

Day 26: Pleasant Pathways Shorts by Anna Maria Horner for Janome (free pattern) using Amy Butler Nigella home décor weight fabric (close-up) #mmmay15

You will probably not be surprised to see yet another Alabama Chanin make.  These are a summer staple for me.  This is the Fitted Top from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin.

Day 27: Fitted Top from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from an oversized t-shirt #mmmay15

 

Day 27: Fitted Top from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from an oversized t-shirt (close-up) #mmmay15

It’s also reversible.

Day 27: Fitted Top from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from an oversized t-shirt; reversible #mmmay15

Try not to be shocked.  This one’s from Alabama Chanin, too.  This is the Long Fitted Dress from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design.  Maybe you can tell that the top in the above picture is really just the top part of this dress.  You might also recognize the fabric from Day 21.  I got a lot of mileage out of this sheet and the t-shirt I cut up for neck and armhole binding.

Day 28: Long Fitted Dress from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from a knit sheet and a t-shirt (trim) #mmmay15

The dress has a small train, which I love.  Yes, it means you have to hold your dress up a like a lady of the olden days, but that’s kind of fun.  I could have cut it off, but I kept it.  It makes me feel fancy.  😉

Day 28: Long Fitted Dress from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from a knit sheet and a t-shirt (trim) #mmmay15

I like to wear this one with the seam allowances showing, too, but you could easily turn them to the inside.

Day 28: Long Fitted Dress from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, made from a knit sheet and a t-shirt (trim) (details) #mmmay15

Most of these makes are from pre-blogging days, so it’s fun to get them out.

Next week’s Me-Made-May post will cover the last three days of May.  Three more to go!  I can’t believe it.  See you then, if not before!

Me-Made-May ’15: Week Three

Here we are at the end of week three of Me-Made-May.  I’m excited to show you some more pictures.  I was expecting a lot more repeats by this time, but I’ve been digging deep in my closet and storage to try to keep things changed up.  It’s encouraging that I’ve made more garments than I thought I had.  It also makes me want to sew even more!

Since May started on a Friday, the weeks are running Friday to Thursday (at least as far as my blog posts are concerned).  Fridays come with a little extra challenge for anyone who wants to take it on, and week three’s challenge was “Something Old”.

Day 15: Summer Blouse from the book Weekend Sewing, made from a vintage sheet #mmmay15

The shirt I’m wearing is “old” in that I made it before I really got traction with sewing and before beginning the blog.  It’s also made from a vintage sheet.  If you read the last post, you’ll recognize this shot.  I found a vintage sheet that almost matched my shirt at Brimfield!

Day 16: Pajama shirt as everyday shirt from McCall’s 6848 #mmmay15

This shirt is made from McCall’s 6848, which is a pajama pattern.  You may recognize the fabric from the Mother’s Day skirt in last week’s Me-Made-May post.  It’s a sheet that someone gave me.  I love the fabric and I wanted to see if this shirt would translate into an everyday shirt.  I’d also thought of making it from a knit for exercising and/or day-to-day wear, but I’m not sure.  I like it in these pictures, but when I was wearing it, I kept seeing an old pair of scrubs I used to wear as pajamas.

Day 16: Pajama shirt as everyday shirt from McCall’s 6848 (close-up) #mmmay15

 

Day 16: Pajama shirt as everyday shirt from McCall’s 6848 (close-up) #mmmay15

The back yoke is actually the hem of the sheet.

 

Day 17: Ankara peplum from Simplicity 1699 #mmmay15

 

Day 17: Ankara peplum from Simplicity 1699 (close-up) #mmmay15

This shirt is made from Ankara fabric and Simplicity 1699.  I think, in my imagination, where I actually tweak and fit patterns to be just right, I would add an inch to the bodice of the shirt just above the waistline since this sits about an inch high, but in real life, I still love to get a project done and move on.  Maybe someday…

 

Day 18: Alabama Chanin style reverse applique scarf/wrap #mmmay15

Day 18 turned into a bit of a photo shoot, so even after narrowing down my choices, I have a lot of pictures to show you.

Day 18: Alabama Chanin style reverse applique scarf/wrap #mmmay15

This scarf/wrap is really versatile.  I designed it from some of my husband’s old t-shirts in reverse applique a la Alabama Chanin.  It was a lot of fun to work on and while I don’t wear it as often as I would like, I think it’s still one of the pieces I’m most proud of.

Day 18: Alabama Chanin style reverse applique scarf/wrap (close-up) #mmmay15

 

Day 18: Alabama Chanin style reverse applique scarf/wrap (close-up) #mmmay15

 

 

Day 19: Alabama Chanin style reverse applique shirt #mmmay15

You’ve seen this one before!  The challenge with a repeat garment, especially since I’m taking pictures every day, is to find a new way to style it.  I do that in normal life, too, but when I find a good outfit, I also repeat it.  I’m trying not repeat whole outfits this month so I can give you something a little more interesting than seven of the same outfits repeated each week.  It’s a good creative exercise.

Day 19: Alabama Chanin style reverse applique shirt (close-up) #mmmay15

This picture makes me feel like I’m in an Alabama Chanin book.  Not sure why they haven’t called me to model yet…

 

Day 19: Alabama Chanin style reverse applique shirt (detail) #mmmay15

 

Day 20: Exercise shirt, McCall’s 6848 #mmmay15

I used to be so good at exercising regularly, but my main motivation to exercise this spring has been because I made a new piece of exercise clothing.  I made this shirt and it looked so awesome with the chevron fold over elastic as an edging, but when I wear it, it gapes more than I would like.  I think I may go back and fiddle with the neck and armholes to see if I can get a fit I’m happier with.

Day 20: Exercise shirt, McCall’s 6848 (close-up) #mmmay15

This shirt is also from McCall’s 6848.  You can see my first gym-ready version of it here.

Last, but not least for this week is an Alabama Chanin sleeveless shirt.

Day 21: Alabama Chanin sleeveless shirt #mmmay15

I love this shirt, but I think if I make it again, I’ll make it one size larger.  I’d love something with a slightly looser fit.

Day 21: Alabama Chanin sleeveless shirt (close-up) #mmmay15

I made this shirt from a knit sheet (the main part) and an old t-shirt (the binding).

Day 21: Alabama Chanin sleeveless shirt (detail) #mmmay15

 

Day 21: Alabama Chanin sleeveless shirt (detail) #mmmay15

I love the Alabama Chanin patterns year-round, but especially for the summer.  I have a feeling I’ll be making more in the warmer months.

That wraps up another week of Me-Made-May.  Thanks for following along.  I’ll report back with more soon!

Me-Made-May ’15: Week Two

Time for another Me-Made-May ’15 update.  Unbelievably, I made it through week two of May without a repeat clothing item!  And, I’m still sticking with my one-a-day me-made goal.  So far, so good.  I have not yet resorted to panic sewing, although I did stay up late making a skirt the Saturday before Mother’s Day, but that was just because I wanted a new skirt.  No panic involved.  🙂  OK.  Enough babble.  On to the clothes!

 

Day 8: Summer Blouse from the book Weekend Sewing, made from a vintage sheet #mmmay15

 

Day 8: Summer Blouse from the book Weekend Sewing, made from a vintage sheet #mmmay15

Day 8: Summer Blouse from the book Weekend Sewing, made from a vintage sheet (close-up) #mmmay15

Friday (Day 8) also came with a challenge to take a picture with your sewing machine or in your sewing area or something along those lines.

Day 8: Summer Blouse from a vintage sheet and my sewing area #mmmay15

Yes, I feel THAT excited about sewing.  😉  You can see Day 10’s skirt cut out and ready to sew on the table behind me.

Day 9: Raglan t-shirt from New Look dress pattern S0595, made from a knit sheet and two upcycled skirts #mmmay15

Day 9: Raglan t-shirt from New Look dress pattern S0595, made from a knit sheet and two upcycled skirts (close-up) #mmmay15

Here’s the Mother’s Day skirt.  I had these plans to try making a lining with some free fabric someone gave me, and then I decided the lining material might be hot and I wanted the skirt right away, so I sacrificed the lining and maybe a little bit of quality to get it done.  This is one of those times when it feels like I should feel guilty, but I don’t.  Quick sewing projects rock.  They’re a good way to learn, right?  😉

Day 10: Skirt from New Look 6843, made from a sheet #mmmay15

Day 10: Skirt from New Look 6843, made from a sheet (close-up) #mmmay15

I’m laughing because I never know how to pose and that’s a fake cup of coffee.

Day 11: Self-drafted leggings, used as pajama pants #mmmay15

Day 11: Self-drafted leggings, used as pajama pants (close-up) #mmmay15

 

Day 12: Alabama Chanin long-sleeved t-shirt turned into a V-neck #mmmay15

Day 12: Alabama Chanin long-sleeved t-shirt turned into a V-neck (close-up) #mmmay15

I’ve been meaning to show you these leggings, but they haven’t made the blog until now.  I’m declaring this stretch the “workout pose” for the blog.

Day 13: PB Jam Leggings by Fehr Trade #mmmay15

My friend tried to take an “action photo” at the gym, but it turned out blurry.  😦  You can imagine it was because I was moving so fast that my speed could not be shown rather than the fact that even though I froze, the indoor lighting made the picture blurry.

Day 13: PB Jam Leggings by Fehr Trade #mmmay15

Day 14: Alabama Chanin Long Skirt made from a knit sheet #mmmay15

 

Day 14: Alabama Chanin Long Skirt made from a knit sheet (close-up) #mmmay15

The weather in this part of New England is pretty crazy.  We sometimes have temperature swings of 20 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit from one day to another (or even within a single day), but it’s really great for this challenge because it means I’m able to wear clothes from different seasons.

Are any of you doing the challenge?  If you are, how’s it going?  Hopefully it’s energizing and inspiring you to sew more.

 

 

 

 

Me-Made-May ’15: Week One

I can’t believe Me-Made-May ’15 has only been going on for eight days!  It seems like a lot longer.  It’s hard to come up with something me-made to wear every day!  It’s also a fun challenge.  So, while I do have other things to show you, we’ll be doing a fair bit of week-in-review stuff this month, so you can see if I’m keeping up with the challenge.  So far I haven’t had to resort to counting the me-made leggings I’m wearing as pj’s as a day’s outfit, but I think that is probably coming.  That’s my fallback.  😉  Here’s week one:

Day 1: Alabama Chanin style shirt #mmmay15

Day 1: Alabama Chanin style shirt close-up #mmmay15

Day 2: raglan t-shirt #mmmay15

Day 2: raglan shirt close-up #mmmay15

Day 3: kimono sleeve dress #mmmay15

Day 3: kimono sleeve dress close-up #mmmay15

Day 4: pink t-shirt and altered jean shorts #mmmay15

Day 4: altered jean shorts close-up #mmmay15

 

Day 5: Summer Blouse #mmmay15

Day 5: Summer Blouse Close-Up #mmmay15

 

Day 6: exercise shirt #mmmay15

 

Day 7: Ankara/wax print shorts #mmmay15

Day 7: Ankara/wax print shorts Close-Up #mmmay15

Wow!  I feel like I’m writing a post that says, “HEY, EVERYBODY!  LOOK AT ME!!!!”  I guess I kind of am…  So, after you LOOK AT ME!!! and my outfits, look around me!  We have flowers!  We have leaves!  We have grass!  Spring is finally here and we even had some warmer weather which is awesome because it’s warmer weather and because it means I got to add a little more variety to the clothing I could wear that I had made.  There’s no way I’m making it through this month without repeats, but it’s a great exercise in creativity and it makes me want to sew even more, and that’s a good thing.

Me-Made-May ’15

Have you heard about Me-Made-May?  I’ve been reading sewing blogs for awhile now, and I see the idea resurface every year about this time.  Here’s a definition for you from the website that started it all (‘So, Zo…What Do You Know?’):

Me-Made-May’15 (#mmmay15 for social media interaction) is a challenge designed to encourage people who sew/knit/crochet/refashion/upcycle garments for themselves to actually wear and love them. The me-made and self-stitched challenges have been taking place for five years now and they work on both a personal and community level. The participants decide the specifics of their own challenge pledge, so that the month is appropriate and challenging for them (more on this below). For example, a very common pledge is for a participant to aim to wear one self-stitched or refashioned garment each day for the duration of May 2015. The participants can also choose to document their challenge with daily photos (though this is in no way compulsory for taking part) and share them with other participants…

You can read more specifics about what the challenge is and isn’t over at the original site.  I’ve never had the guts to try this before, but this year, I’m going to make the pledge!  I’m doing it for fun and as an experiment, to see what I discover, so there are not going to be any rigid rules, just an attempt to wear the things I’ve made.  I’m sure I’ll discover holes in my wardrobe (I already know there is a huge hole in the brightly colored t-shirt area.)

So, with some trepidation and a lot of excitement, here it is:

‘I, Lisa Poblenz of patternandbranch.wordpress.com, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’15.  I endeavour to wear at least one me-made garment each week, with a goal of trying to wear one me-made garment each day for the duration of May 2015.’

What should I wear?  Here are some possibilities from past projects:

Leggings currently used as pajamas–easy!

Alabama Chanin inspired wrap–works as a wrap or a scarf

A copy of my vintage hummingbird dress…if it warms up a little

Another copy of the hummingbird dress. This is a favorite. I’m sure I’ll wear this as a tunic or a dress.

Simplicity 1699.

While this scarf is a bit voluminous, I still love it. This will be a good chance to figure out how best to style it.

This raglan-sleeve shirt is already getting a lot of wear.

This wearable muslin is getting a lot of wear, too, since it’s a springy color and I’m so sick of winter! Bright colors are like a spring tonic (whatever that is)!

Sewing now gives me a reason to go to the gym when I don’t feel like it. I love wearing this top. It makes me feel so cool (literally and figuratively)!

Just this quick review gives me a sense of the fact that I need to make some real New England spring clothes.  That means bright colors and long sleeves!  I have a few finished (or almost finished) projects to share with you soon, and more fun things lined up for future sewing!

Will you participate in Me-Made-May in some way?  If you are a maker, give it some thought, even if you only pledge to wear one thing you made this month.  You can do it!