My me made may outfits for the last few days

and my yoga pants were worn too.

I'm furiously working on a Colette Beignet skirt but man, that's a high maintenance pattern.  15 pieces.   It took me an entire day to trace, cut and sew the skirt.  At 10pm I'm like, ok still 12 buttonholes, handsew 12 buttons on, do 6 belt loops and hem the outer skirt.  Ah, well you know maybe this won't get done tonight.  A person's gotta sleep.

But this is what it looked like before I started:

Purple corduroy, hot pink lining.  Purple buttons with a high sheen.  It's gonna be a killer !


But the most exciting news of all is that my purchases from McCalls pattern sale in the US arrived today.   Purchased in the evening of 28 April they arrived (Sydney)  today 7th May.   That's not bad at all!!

Look at this pattern love :

Now if only I could get this lot happening before the end of May ...

lore
x

Me Made May - I am gorgeous, And I've only myself to thank for it!!

My first day at work in Me Made May.

I finished my blouse on the weekend. Its Asian inspired but a friend suggested politely that I looked like I was wearing a uniform.   You know,  as if I'm at the Air China check in counter saying 'may I see your e-ticket please' ?   She's harsh but fair, so I turned the collar down and it just looks like a cute blouse now.   Phew!

Will edit to add pattern numbers later, where are my freaking patterns when you need them?

As an aside, the shoes were bought from Myer on the weekend at a 30% off sale.  So, from $90 down to $63.   They are satin peep toe court shoes.  I plan to leave them at the office full time so that they will only ever be walked on carpet.  This should extend their working life.  I am seriously in love with them.  They're kind of 'normal' high heels, not those ridiculously mega high heels that seem to be making the rounds at the moment.

But back to Me Made May...   Today I have yoga at lunch, but hey, that's no problem, I have my hand made yoga pants.  I'm thinking two outfits in one day may give me a credit for another day when I have trouble making a handmade day on my meagre wardrobe!

I am so freaking proud of myself.


lore
x

Three skirts, a dress and a pair of yoga pants for the whole of May?

Better get cracking !

Thanks to this post on sew retro I now have 15 (yes that's right fifteen!) patterns to add to my wardrobe.

Plus because I got excited with all the money I saved, I bought the Colette Beignet skirt from modernretrotextiles.com.au.   Which I'm very excited about because everyone who's ever used a Colette pattern raves and raves about it.   And all the photos of the finished items on peoples blogs etc. always look great.

But funny really, because I need tops not bottoms. 

And if you havent joined Me Made May you should.   Talk about motivated.   Can't stop... must sew...

lore
x

I've joined Me Made May

Thanks to Zoe for kicking off a challenge on her blog here.

Its basically a push to create garments and try as best as you can to go hand made in May.   I'm riding on a high after my red dress, so getting all those patterns and fabrics out of my stash that have languished after the initial burst of enthusiasm.

This one isn't exciting at all.  Just a pencil skirt with a nice if corporate-dull fabric, but if successful is destined to become a work staple.  And for my personal indulgence a hot pink lining !   I can see it happening with boots / heels / flats.   I'm doing knee length as my mini skirt wearing days are over.   But I did have a successful version of the above knee version of this skirt many years ago.  The pattern is dated 1996 so it must have been then, I would have been 31, how long ago that seems. 

Simplicity 6171 shift dress circa 1965

Thank you so much to the generosity of Kaye who has been giving away patterns on the Sew Retro blog.

I picked up this great simple shift dress from her giveaway

 I decided to go with the sleeveless dress on the right.

The pattern offered fitting challenges.  It appeared originally that I was the right fit for this patten but I ended up bringing the sides in by another 3cms, extending the darts in the back to higher up on my shoulders and increasing and lowering them to to account for my swayback.  apart from that it was a good fit!
The fabric I used was one recently added to my stash from Spotlight.  A 1.5 metres of a 1.5 metre wide stretch polished cottonny looking thing.  Not sure of the composition.  Whole lot cost me about $12.

This is my side seam altered after many backwards and forwards to my mirror -  in 1.5 centimetre increments.  And the back dart increase by about double at this stage.  Further changes were made to this dart.

And the final look

Thanks so much Kaye for the pattern.

I hope to attack the others I got  from you next!

lore
x

New Look 6933 - Girls cape

My daughter has been invited to a ghost party at Quarantine Station.   What to wear?

hmm

After a bit of brainstorming we decided that any great costume may end up being covered up as its late at night and they have to wear something warm.  So how about a huge cape?  Black ?  With red lining ??

 

I posted this to pattern review:  

Pattern Description: Girls dress and cape. I made the cape.

Pattern Sizing: Multi size from 3 to 8. My daughter is 10 1/2 though, so I upsized and altered a little.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Its such a great cape - I couldnt have bought anything like it anywhere.

Fabric Used:Panne velvet. Lining is polyester.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I lengthened it as we were going for a floor length cape. I simply used 1/4 inch seams rather than the 1.5cm seams on the pattern. This upsized it big enough for my daughter. I stinged on the fabric and only bought 2.5 metres of velvet. I knew I was making it far longer than the pattern and even though I made a toile and measured it I got it a bit wrong. The inside facing is supposed to be the same fabric as the cape, but I just used black cotton from my stash.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?I'm sure I'll get a request to make it again from my happy customer (daughter)

Conclusion: Even though this pattern is out of print, I did find it still available on the internet. Its a great pattern for a fancy dress party.

We're loving twirling in it !

Isn't it a great cape?

Now I just have to hem it and finish off the armhole slits.   And make something nice for underneath!

l
x

PS This is the pattern:

Peanut butter chocolate pillows -Vegan cookies invade your cookie jar

I seriously love this book.  This is my best yet recipe.   And I thought my peanut/oatmeal ones were the best.

These have totally superceded them.

 

 Seriously the most yummy biscuit out there.   Straight from the oven.  Hot and delicious.

They have been kind enough to reproduce the recipe on the web here, but get yourself the book because you will become the best damned biscuit baker that ever lived.

These were a only a tiny bit fiddly - but the result!

roll the fondant into a ball and flatten out some cookie dough,  wrap the dough around the ball.

put on tray and bake

When they turn out PERFECT, scream with joy and share them with everyone saying, have one these are divine.