Its nearly March!

Which means as of Monday I actually have to follow through with this whole every single day thing, soooo... I am adding an addendum to my pledge -- refashioned is okay too! (I realized I have quite a few of those, and in my head I've always more or less counted them into the tally for the coming month, but I decided to make it official...)


and with that, back to putting the waistband on the jeans...

Edit : turns out March starts Tuesday! Huzzah!

(jeans update: hemming and belt loops to go. sadly, I loathe belt loops)

The Red Dress

Behold the Birthday Dress! (yes, yes, I was going to do the purple one, but I just finished this, and I love it)

This is my 3rd time making up New Look 6557 -- but at time, originally, it just didn't thrill me. I "finished it" for the first time, months ago, would take it out of the closet every so often, and decide that no, it wasn't quite right. THEN, browsing about on Modcloth for ideas, as I often do, I saw the blue yo-y o dress and BAM I knew what I was going to do. (Which means I also get to count this in stash busting, as I used up almost all the red I had left over(!!!!))

Anyhow -- I pinned a lot of extra bits to the top of the dress, to simulate the effect, loved it, and started making up yo-yos -- and was bored. I liked the mush ... and then, on a whim, started mixing the two and loved it all the more.

Its a bit hard to see, but random 'pinnings' are interspersed with yo-yos in a sort of flowery, but not, kind of way.(This is in my version, the blue one seems to be solid yo-yos) (trust me, its easier to see in real life, with proper lighting, rather than my half dead camera. The nice full body shots came from Amanda's visit...)

Anyhow, with this, my tentative stash busting is at 7 (I still need to finish the jeans and line the crinoline... but we're getting there.) I'm also thinking of doing a shirt with this same sort of neckline embellishment, so perhaps that will bring me to 8. (Then with the dress I need for the dance show, and the red knit I need to do something with, I will be at 10 and win my very own game :P) (horray for me!)

Ten yards of turquoise tulle

because really, what is more awesome? nothing.

The lovely amanda (center) came to visit, and of course we started playing with the crinoline. (really, how could we not?) It still needs to be lined, as the tulle is rather itchy, but its as full as can be a LOTS of fun to wear.

I ended up making it out of two 5" x 10yard strips, that i attached to ribbon with the gathering foot on my serger. I would then take the ribbon side (gathered) and start pinning it to the raw side (ungathered) of the opposite end, until I met and had two rows. (this is all with a single strip) I repeated this a second time, and had all four tiers. I decided it wasn't full enough, so I did the whole thing a second time, and attached then along one side. (as you can see in the center picture, it looks like Amanda is holding just one "piece". When i decide on a lining, I will also figure out a proper closure.. but until then, its fun with a safety pin.

plus, I STILL have ten yards of turquoise tulle :)

Tuxedo Jeans

which is what they have become in my head. Still sick, so nothing much construction-wise, but I fit a new waistband and have it cut out. I have a huge drop from hips to waist, and the last time I made these up (as in the pair I bought) I ended up with more fabric than I like being scrunched in by my belt, or wearing them low and loose around my hips. Either way, not optimal.

anyhow, as mentioned previously, I cut them out out a half inch too small, and added a panel on the sides to fix it up, and lined it with piping to make it look intentional. For whatever reason, in the store black looked like it blended in better than the other options --- in real life it stands out quite a bit, so I'm putting it on the pockets and waistband as well, to continue the whole "I totally meant to do this" theme. yeah.... anyhow, it really reminds me of the ribbon down the side of a tuxedo leg, so, these are know my tuxedo jeans. (whenever I get around to finishing them)

They are also a total frankenpattern -- the legs are from a pair of gap jeans, the pockets from a pair from ann taylor, the waistband is self drafted, and frankly, the legs are on their way there too, with all the modifications I've been making to the width...

All this with the knits and fighting with the jeans is about to send me scurrying back to the arms of my true love -- nonstretch wovens, specifically light weight cottons and the glory that is sun dresses. do I need more? nah. but I have this lovely purple fabric that calls out to me, and who knows, maybe I can get it done it time for my birthday.

Nothing Exciting

Mom seems to be using this to make sure I haven't fallen into a crack in the earth....

Hi! Still here! but sick, so nothing new. (chunky post nasal drip is not conducive to much of anything)

But -- today on stash busting, I stopped in at the fabric store for the piping I need to finish my pants -- and ONLY GOT PIPING. despite sales. despite lovely fabric, calling to me to be a loose spring jacket. so yeah, I win.

anyhow, the jeans will bring my stash busting total to 6 (two skirts, one crinoline, two shirts, and eventually -- these jeans) - four more and I can start replenishing... >; )

Knits are my nemesis....

 I have yet to have a knit project turn out quite the way I envision it.... They are getting closer, but still not quite right. Specifically, there is always one seam that manages to become irrevocably stretched out, and its always something that shows. In this shirt, it was the front under-bust seam -- the lining layer was fine. (why not reverse it? I was running out of fabric and made the front bust lining out of two sections I sewed together, so it works, but its not as pretty.)

<-- Original My rather screwy version ----------->



This is a self drafted pattern, based off the Ann Taylor top to the left. As you probably cannot see, since I used a cell phone camera, the bust line is too short and cuts off about an inch or two before I do. The gray version hits me in the correct place (I know, it doesn't look like in in the picture, but trust me, it does) but the color of the material and the slight " "offness" about the cut mean that without the ties and the trim it looked like something I ought to wear to the gym rather than to work. The under-bust trim is black elastic I braided, and stops at the side seams. The ties on the shoulders are just extra bits of fabric, and the more I look at this image, the more I think I should let them out and just wear it with a nice cardigan.

Ah well. This was something of a wearable muslin anyhow -- I have a lovely red knit I keep not using because I am terrified I will destroy it. so.... we shall see what becomes of it.

EDIT: I kept looking at the picture and just couldn't get over how unflattering it was, so I took off the ties and popped on a cardigan, and I'm actually still on the fence about it.

I'll just have to keep playing with it -- as I imagine it will be showing up in me-made-march photos, the final results will wait until then.

Me-Made-March Prep

Going through my wardrobe I found I actually have a few more shirts than I thought, but fewer pants. It comes from having made quite a few pairs of jeans (and notably a pair of gray cordoroys) that fit.... but not quite well enough - so I wore them once or twice, out of sheer perversity, but now all they do is hang in my closet taking up space. They have now been moved to storage as I reassess my wardrobe as a whole.

This week has been busier than usual, so I'm hoping Saturday will see the jeans finished and at least one of the shirts done. (The jeans are nearly done as is, I made them up from my sucessful pattern, but seem to have but the back about a half an inch too narrow -- it seems to have been overzelous serging and knife work -- so I am adding in a panel on the sides of the legs set off by piping so its looks intentional. I will also put piping between the waistband and the main portion of the pants, to continue the "I totally meant to do this" theme (There wasn't enough to totally redo it and the store was out of that particular wash)

As I still need to find my camera charger, I offer older pictures of a pair of jeans I was making from the same pattern. (Gap ones I loved, wore until they disintegrated, and then copied -- with modifications -- as they are no longer made) As Penny features prominently (they do like to help me sew) I felt Goshu needed equal representation.

Everybody needs a montage!

Going through my pictures, I realized very few of them are of garments I've made -- with the exception of costumes. Now, this makes quite a bit of sense as generally people photograph wacky hijinks, rather than clothing unless I am in fact in costume at the time. However, looking through all the blogs I follow, which eventually I ought to list on the side, my favorites are the ones chock full of pictures. So, I offer a montage.

top left: RenFest outfit, self drafted. (I also made the white shirt the man on the right is wearing, also self drafted)

top left: green dress I wore all through the summer of 2006 -- long since lost the pattern.

center: Halloween '09 - self drafted dinosaur

bottom left: Come as the Deity of Your Choice Party, self drafted

bottom center: one of my favorite patterns, new look 6557 I've made it in red, green and blue

bottom right: Halloween -10 - self drafted, going for steam punk, ran out of time. plus a lot of the details are on the back.

Stash Bustin' 2011

So yes, for all two of my (mildly coerced) followers -- this is the second site in two days. But the name of the first was starting to bug even me, so, here we go again. Think happy thoughts of this one working for me...

anyhow. The purpose of this blog is to document my participation in Me-Made-March 2011, my own personal Great Stash Bust of 2011 and then if I feel like it, whatever other projects I end up making. (And lets be honest, I like to show off my work.)

'I, Allison, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-March '11. I will endeavour to wear
at least one handmade garment each day for the duration of March 2011'

and for the Stash Bustin'

With the exception of linings, notions or other elements required to complete projects, I will not purchase any fabric until I have completed at least 10 items from the contents of my stash

now, the above is as of Jan 1, 2011, and as of writing this I have 3 done, 2 in progress and three more planned out. which means there is probably some sort of tasty treat in my future. (current non-stash fixtion: this hoodie) will it be weather appopriate by mid-march? I dearly hope not. Will I make it anyway? Nary a clue, as with me-made-march I may be getting bored and require more daily wear options which will shunt this further down the line.

No matter what happens -- I expect to have fun :)