Made by Me Files/OOTD: Burda Style Magazine 02/2013 Pleated Shorts #129.

I will go ahead and write about the ootd first and then follow-up with more on the "made by me" second.

Day: Wednesday, July 18, 2013.

Where:  Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Steak & Shake (mmm, Steak & Shake).

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love love love this outfit.  I was not sure how the shorts would end up fitting or feeling since there was no real way of knowing until the shorts were completely sewn, but once I had completed them, I knew I had something pretty special.  They are a touch too big (esp. in the waist), but the slouchy look lends itself to both the fabric and the style.  More on that in the "made by me" portion.

The tee is from Zara and a very soft cotton/modal mix, which draped well and felt nice against my skin on the ridiculously hot and humid day that it was.  The wedge sandals have served me well these past years, and all the pairs I own never feel too tight or too high, and not once have I regretted either buying them or wearing them out and about.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Yep, I gave this outfit a high score.  I think the combo of unicorn foil-printed slouchy tee, retro yet modern handmade denim-look shorts, arrow-shaped necklace, metallic clutch, and wedge sandals look cool, no matter what circle I run in...even if it is just the "take my girl to Wal-Mart to get some sandals" kind of circle.  ;-)

Anecdote from the day:  We went to Wal-Mart to buy CW's some shoes (she has outgrown her other pairs), Kroger for groceries (made my family in GA some cheesy grits with sausage and shrimp), and Steak and Shake for a shake (yummy peanut butter banana flavor). 

Really, I could go anywhere and do anything, but if the day were topped off by a trip to Steak and Shake, it would be a fine day.  Love love love Steak and Shake.

The shorts are based on a pattern found in the February 2013 Burda Style Magazine.  This magazine has a lot of patterns stuffed inside the center and based on what I have made from them before, they are drafted well, and look great once sewn up.  The only rub is that you have to trace them from a sheet of paper that looks like this.  Once you find the pieces you need to trace, it gets better, but it is definitely a time consuming process and definitely not for the faint of heart.

I traced off a size 42, which is what I have done in the past with them to some success.  Barring some extra length in the front crotch curve, the first pattern I made was spot on for fit.  This pair of shorts fits decently, but is very much too big at the waist, which is obvious in the above photo.  The size 42 on the measurement chart says that it is meant for a waist of about 31", so my 28.5" waist is more suited for a size 40.

The pattern is also meant to fit a touch closer on the bottom portion of the shorts, based on the photo in the magazine, but that bit I like, even if it doesn't resemble the original "look."  I think the swingy almost skirt-like a-line shaping is pretty and suits my frame.  I will be cutting this pair of shorts again, with a smaller waist, in a flowy fabric so I can replicate this interesting silhouette.

I do have plans to cut the 40 in the future, just to at least give it a try and see if the smaller size will fit my body more like it fits on the model in the magazine.  I will probably try it with a stretch twill fabric I own, that way if there are any fit issues, some of them can be erased with the ease built into the stretch fabric.  (And if there aren't any issues, and I was meant to cut the smaller size in the first place, I will have learned something new about pattern sizing in general!)

Oh, the pocket details are such fun, and beautifully drafted.  They are not only useful, but look very pretty.  I could see trimming them in a contrast material if the right fabric/embellishment/thread found its way into my fabric stash.

This view shoes that the hips are a touch too big.  My hips and bottom, while large, are not quite this large, and by the end of the day, especially with the way linen/rayon fabric wears, there was a bit of sag overall in the shorts.

That isn't to say the shape from behind didn't look okay, I just know that the extra fabric may have added a bit of fullness where there is none.  ;-)  But again, and I keep repeating it because it is true, I definitely want to replicate this, but in a different fabric, one that is a bit more flowy, so the skirt effect of these shorts can look more intentional and less, "oh, she cut those too big."

The side zip and button are on display above, and I am sure some of you very advanced sewers will just look at it and gasp at the clumsy application I did, but I am sure proud of myself for getting them in there.  I want to believe that one day that all my zips and button closures will look super tidy and neat, but I am not quite there yet.  I can only get there by continuing to attempt them, the best that I can, again, and again, and again.  LOL.  And again.

Since I knew that I would need some help in creating these shorts because Burda instructions are iffy at best, I went to a few fellow blogs and/or pattern review sites to help me understand how to create these.  These ladies may have no idea who I am, but I definitely grateful to them for putting their work out there for me to inspect.

1. Loved how "whatkatiedoes" styled the shorts.  Had to borrow some of her cute ideas.

2. Kathryn made these shorts in two different colors.  Love her styling of them, as well.

3. Love these winter/fall version, and I appreciate knowing they will look good lengthened a bit in the inseam.

4. Grays08 wrote a fantastic review on the pattern over at sewingpatternreview.com.  I referred to her review constantly during the process of making the shorts.

Okay, that's it for today.  :-)  Have any of you out there attempted a Burda magazine pattern?  I love the challenge, and the results seem to be worth the effort.

OOTDs: Dragging Shorts Out of Their Slumber.

Day: Thursday, May 30, 2013.

Where:  Preschool Run/Little Gym.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Except for the linen button-up coming untucked pretty much constantly, since I didn't belt the shorts (ugh, I hate belting shorts and pants), this was a very comfortable, movement friendly combo.  Kept me cool, too, since May 30th was one of the last truly hot days we have had here.  (Our summer has been very cool and rainy, relatively speaking...highs in the 80s and rain nearly every day.)

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I matched my infant son, on purpose.  Something tells me that's not cool, regardless of darling French designed necklace, gingham linen shirt, or cute flat sandals.

On its own, the outfit is probably closer to a 3 out of 5.  ;-)

Anecdote from the day:  Not much to report, but I definitely got a lot of "you match your son, was that planned" comments.  Yeah, I don't know that these people asking that question know me very well.  Ha.

Day: Thursday, June 20, 2013.

Where:  Little Gym/Play Date.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Making your own shorts to fit your body means comfort won't even be an issue.  Yay for shorts with enough inches everywhere I need them, and no excess where I don't.  I may just need to sell all my ready to wear shorts and make a whole wardrobe of comfortable shorts made just for my body.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The look is very hipstery, but I like that look, as we all know.  I think this outfit would have been a slam dunk in 2010, but only with a fedora and ironic glasses, of course.  :-)

Anecdote from the day:  Well, yeah, another typical Little Gym run, but I had both my older kids with me, so they had to chill in the lobby area while I did my thang with Angus at his Birds class.  Fortunately there is glass between the gym and the lobby, so I could keep my eyes on them.  Rex just played on the kindle the whole time and CW found a friend to play with (one of the older siblings of one of Angus's classmates).

Day: Wednesday, June 26, 2013.

Where:  Massage/Winesday.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  These ancient J. Crew shorts are amongst the only pairs that I own that I really truly feel great in, and the two pairs I have are in regular rotation in my wardrobe, well at least when it is warm enough to justify dragging them out, of course.

The outfit received a 3 because the very nice wedge sandals hurt my tootsies after walking from the Mint Condition store to the massage and then the Winesday at Whole Foods (a total walk of about a mile).  I shouldn't have walked so fast, but I didn't want to be late to the massage, which was a treat for my birthday.  (It was my bday gift to me, btw.  It felt great!)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I think it looks cool, especially with the sunglasses and bag.  The tee is one of my most favorites, I really love the unusual hem, which dips in the back a bit. 

Anecdote from the day:  Well I walked too fast and ended up with blisters, but the rest of the day was amazing.  I mean you really can't go wrong receiving a check for your consigned items, having a stone massage, and enjoying lovely wines with your brother at the local grocery store.

Day: Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

Where:  Preschool Run/Fabric Store with my friend.

Ease of Wear: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was hot that day, and muggy.  I chose poorly, since the shorts felt too tight, and the Short Sleeve Ponte Top from Boden felt too clingy, even though I could potentially see it being okay for summer (the top is currently 60%, so $21.60, for you Boden fans).  I think I can pull this outfit out again, but will have to wait for a drier, less hot day, which around here means fall.  Hmm.

Cool Factor: (1.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Nah, not cool.  I think it looks decent, but you know, in a very simple SAHM style.

Anecdote from the day:  I love hanging out with my buddy (she is the mother of one of CW's former classmates).  She sews, too, and is the reason I have any clue about quilting and/or appliqueing.  Without her help, I suspect these pillows (bottom of the post in link) would have looked terrible.

Since I do a lot of garment sewing, she is asking me for advice (she wants to do more sewing for her), but I still think she might be wrong in asking me since I am definitely still a beginner!

Day: Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

Where:  The Os/Nats Game.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The shorts rode up a bit since I was wearing silky undergarments (cotton ones mean that the shorts stay in place better).  It wasn't terrible, I just felt that I kept needing to pull them down since I felt like at my age, it is probably better if all of my legs aren't on display.  Next time, cotton underpants, for sure.

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  For an Os fan, I look pretty styling, I suppose, but it's still full-on "let's go Os," so not really very sartorial.  CW looks really cool, and I appreciate her being our middle ground, wearing pink instead of orange or red/navy.

Anecdote from the day:  Did we get to see the game?  No.  Torrential rain came down from the heavens for approximately two hours and by the time they could start the game it was almost 8:30 pm (game was supposed to start at 7), and my kids were D.O.N.E. at that point--especially Angus, who was p*ssed that we were tormenting him with the buggy.

Look at my face and CW's face.  I guess we are related, after all.  ;-)

Okay, that's it for now.  More to come, but I will be traveling a bit over the next few days, so my posting may be reduced because of that.

OOTD: Striped Silly. In Hats.

Day: Friday, May 17, 2013.

Where:  Sushi Lunch.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   The stripe jersey maxi skirt from J. Crew is so so so comfortable, super soft and exactly the right weight and "flowiness" for summer weather.  I thought this skirt was a new arrival at my local store since I didn't remember seeing it on jcrew.com.  Well, it was there, but it sold out super fast.  There were a handful at the Pentagon City store, at full price, but since I know I wear maxi skirts/dresses constantly, and don't quite know how to sew stretch jersey fabric yet (it is supposedly kind of difficult for a newbie), I figured I could bite on this one and not feel too bad about it.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I am wearing a fedora, a striped maxi skirt, and a clutch.  I suspect the cool hipsters have moved on, but I will happily stay in 2010 when this look was cool. 

Anecdote from the day: I have the best brother (no girlfriend, people!).  He took me to sushi buffet for Mother's Day.  And he bought sake.  And he drove.  :) 

Angus is smiling in the third photo because I gave in and gave him that fig newton he was waving at me in the second photo.

Day: Saturday, May 18, 2013.

Where:  Church/Dinner Out/Shopping at Burlington Coat Factory.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   Can't go wrong with the LouLou Dress (review here) for pure pretty combined with ease of wear.

The Penny Loafers (I will do a review in the next BWRR) have been comfortable from day one, with no break in period needed at all.

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I am wearing the loafers out of necessity, since they are patent leather and repel rain well.  I don't think this combo is especially cool.  In fact with all the grey and tan in this outfit, I look a little muted.  For me, that is definitely unusual, but it suited my mood and desire to be unfussy (for once).

But clearly I can't stay away from the color completely, look at those hats I tried on at Burlington.  LOL. 

Anecdote from the day: It has been a long time since I have gone to church without the kids, but when Peter (that's my single brother in the photos from the last outfit) wanted me to join him on his hunt for a professional interview suit, with a stint at church and dinner beforehand, I gladly said yes.

I must say that I picked the wrong mass for Mr. Dina to miss since the priest started off his sermon talking about how God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were like characters from "The Lord of the Rings."  I have only ever seen the movies, but Mr. Dina is a HUGE LOTR freak and would have no doubt sat there riveted by how well the priest connected Pentecost with one of his favorite book series.

The hat trying on session was fun, I told Pete to find me the most ridiculously over-the-top hats and make me try them on...I ended up really liking that light blue straw cloche with silly feathers, though.  :)

Okay that's it for today, hope everyone is doing well!

BTW, I have been positively bad about giving you all information on Lands' End and Pure Collection these past few months.  Nothing really important is going on with Pure right now, but Lands' End is having a sale that is exclusive to us who carry their coupons on our blogs.  I have updated the sidebar, but it is also below if you would like to save an additional 20% off anything in Lands' End Sale/Clearance Sections.

OOTD: Putting a Bird on It, Sequin Style.

Hi, all!

We're home today, even though I was *supposed* to be running around doing about a billion errands and getting the kids to school and back.  Last night was Rex's pageant at the school (Nativity pageant) and while it was theoretically enjoyable, I found I was a bit less than enthused.  Between the crowds of crowing and over-enthusiastic parents waving animatedly to their children many many rows away on the altar (was at the church) and the supremely loud conversation right next to my ears between woman a and woman b, I found I was getting aggravated.  Which I knew RIGHT AWAY meant I was coming down with something...my hubby makes fun of my ability to be patient with all irritations (he gets annoyed by everything, everyday), but I couldn't handle it all last night.  I felt crotchety because of the cacophony.

Anyhow, I am home trying to get over my achy, sore throaty, blegh something or another so I can go to the next "helicopter parent party" with a bit less "put upon dinagideon" attitude.  (There are at least fifteen more in the next two weeks--these schools these days, heartily celebrating over-involvement!)

Before I got all Surly Sue last night, I went out with CW to a playdate at one of my bowling friend's house.  She is like me...definitely the spring chickens of the bowling league.  She, like me, is far from the best of the bowlers, so we have a lot in common and a whole lot to talk about.  Her daughter is only 2 years older than CW, so they were able to draw, dance, and do princess play stuff while her mom and I talked about "mom" stuff. :)

I felt good in my outfit.  The bits together were comfy and the overall aesthetic is something I hope to replicate more often.

The bag and the pants are no longer available from Boden, but the Embellished cardigan is (I did a review here).

The Lands' End Blakely Riding boots are AMAZING and had I been told that I would ever think a pair of light caramel colored riding boots would work in my wardrobe, I would have given the side eye.  I figured I would limit my boots to black, brown, and grey.  However, since becoming a SAHM, I really get why so many of us have so many darn boots, they look great and feel great too.

The sequin bird tee by J. Crew is more lovely than I expected it to be.  I sometimes find that their sequined tees are lacking in some way, either the knit fabric is too thin (hole-prone) or the embellishments are not nearly well-secured enough.  This time, the tee is exactly right, a good thick cotton with sequins that will stay on the garment.

One thing, though, and you can definitely see it here, the top runs short.  I have a short torso, so it barely bothered me, but if you have a longer torso, this one may be too short, even if you size up.  (I think the one the model is wearing is longer, but isn't that just like a clothing company, making an item exactly the right length for the model?)

I purchased this tee in an extra-small and it fits fine, with no gaping, bagging, or pulling.  I also like where the sleeves end, but if that is one of your problem areas, take note.

From the side.  The Blakeley Riding Boots are fairly plain overall, but have a bit of detailing at the ankle.  I love how high they are, hitting right under my kneecap.  It is rare for a boot to hit that high on me.  In fact, the only reason I purchased these is because one of the reviews on the Lands' End site mentioned that these boots were perfect for the reviewer, one of the few boots she has ever purchased that was tall enough for her height.  (I had been mulling a purchase of boots at Long Tall Sally, but their prices were prohibitive, these boots were bought when Lands' End last had a 40% off sale.)

Makeup looked okay, and I like how the earrings "go" with the top.  My hair was a bit scraggly.  I find my hair looks worst the first day I wash it, but by the third day post-wash it looks awesome.  Any quick (emphasis on that word, please) ideas on how to get the bangs to look less fly away and stringy the day I wash my hair?

Pretty, non-twee "bird on it."

Detailing of the boots.

Speaking of Lands' End, this seems to be the month of promos (well, I gather that's true everywhere).  Today and tomorrow, they are offering $40 off $100 (with free ship). 


Any of you out there own this pretty sequin bird tee?  Thoughts?

Talk with you all soon!

OOTDs: Hipster Me.

Preppy me is often at battle with hipster me.  Because I am old and actually lived during a time period when preppy was the "in" style (but has it ever really gone out of style?), sometimes preppy me feels a bit stale.  So I give the hipster a go...but only so much.  If I were 23 and single and had a blog, I think this twee persona would be me, but since I am not (oh, sadness), I will limit my hipster outings to just a few a month.

Fedora--check.  Sperry's--Check.  (Although I guess with Sperry's I could call this a hipster/preppy hybrid.)  Weird hammered metal necklace--Check.  Heavy on the Madewell and Anthro?  Check. 

Detail of top portion of outfit.

No fedora, plus the dress has pockets!  :)

Hipster occasion?  Winesday at the local Whole Foods with my friend J., and little CW, of course.  Mmm, winesday!

More Madewell and Anthro!  And add a dash of desert boots and the hipster equation is complete.  Of course I could have added an "ironic" winter hat (one with kitten ears, preferably), but again, I am old.  I can't play that anymore.

Brighter shot of the outfit.

Detail of hair, makeup, and necklace.

Wore this outfit to go out with Rex to the city a few weeks ago.  He was having a blast, as evidenced by his jump for joy outside the Museum of Natural History.  I was a bit less thrilled, but I blame the Macalister high-heeled booties since this was the first day I had worn them, and even with the addition of socks, they were very uncomfortable after a few hours of walking.  (This, btw, did not happen the second time I wore them, so at least they wear in fast.)

Okay, that's all for tonight. 

I am in Florida right now (yay, Amelia Island--so pretty) but will be home tomorrow night.  It's just my hubby, my baby, and me, so it has been very relaxing.  We took a nice long walk today all over the resort, so even though it was 60 and windy and overcast, it felt special because the nature here is spectacular.

Have a great night, everyone.  And if you are in Williamsburg or Silver Lake, I tip my fedora to you.  ;)

OOTDs: Bring on the Jacket. And the Eiffel Tower Earrings. And Rush.

Hi, Ladies!  (And Gents, if you all are out there!)

How has your weekend been?  It s really pretty here in VA, so we have been soaking up all the glorious weather by moving non-stop from one activity to another.  Pluses?  The activities are tremendous amount of fun, and hopefully the memories of these fab activities will linger in our kids' minds.  Minuses?  Well, our kids are young and weekend full of activities equals less sleep for the little ones, which means there is just a *tiny* bit of crabbiness from them.  ;)

Today I decided to get two outfits from the recent weeks done, and tie them together because both outfits feature a jacket as a major part of the outfit.

First up is the outfit from yesterday, one that features the J. Crew Lexington Jacket in ivory and citron from the Fall of 2007.  (Featured in this catalog image from September 2007.)

Started off the day in this whole ensemble, but by about 1 pm it was too hot, and sadly the Lexington had to be put away.  At least I was able to have a few hours with this beauty completing my look.

If you open the image, you can see the information on the individual pieces.  The shoes are the wonderful Lena wedges which I have worn many times already this summer, but just couldn't make it look 100% right with the outfits, since the wedges were too "statement-y" for the more delicate looks I wore them with...(outfit 1 here, outfit 2 here, and outfit 3 here).  I finally feel like I have hit the right note by wearing them with the capris. 

Since I had an Eiffel Tower on my tee, I knew the Eiffel Tower earrings had to be pulled out.  Not every fashion moment has to be subtle, right?  ;)

No jacket and posing with my "ooh, it's the Eiffel Tower, Momma" baby girl.

I have now worn these Pure Collection pants twice.  They are so freaking comfortable but still look like proper trousers.  I saw them in the summer sale for something like $30 and thought, "eh, why not?"  Glad I gave them a shot.

For those of you who want more info on Pure Collection, I plan on doing my reviews in the next day or two.  Tomorrow starts a big ten-day sale for them (they are approaching their tenth anniversary on October 10), so I figured it would be very appropriate to schedule my first Pure Collection reviews around then. Until then, if you want to take a look around, here is a link: Pure Collection - 25% Off.

Yesterday's activities included a Rex tee-ball game, a lunch out, a visit to a movie theater to see "Hotel Transylvania," and church (the Bishop was there and blessed Rex and Angus!).  I knew I had to have something that could go to all events, be nursing friendly, and layered for either heat or cold.

The above picture was taken right after I threw in the towel on the jacket (temps had gone up to near 80 with full sun).

The Jacket. The Eiffel Tower. by dinagideon featuring forever 21

Above is the polyvore of the outfit.

So I was going to just publish the outfit photos from yesterday but then I remembered it has been a full three weeks since I went to the Rush concert (yes, that Rush, not Big Time or Limbaugh, bite your tongue, people).  And since this outfit featured both a jacket and the Eiffel Tower Earrings, I figured I would just go with it.

I liked my makeup and hair that day, but was very disappointed in my eye bags.  SLEEP.  I need more SLEEP.  (Thanks, Angus.)  ;)

The jacket is from Target.  I had briefly considered getting one of these jackets from either J. Crew or Boden when they had them in their lines, but I am so glad I waited.  I think this one is $25?  And it is super comfy and soft, too, so I think I chose the best one for me.

Look at the size of that beer.  I have never had a 24 ounce beer in a can.  I felt classy.  Yeah.  Classy is the right word.  Ha.

There's my concert tee from the last time I went to a Rush concert.  I was willing to buy another concert tee, but this time the women's tees were all very unfortunate looking.  I know Rush is not a girl's kind of band, but come on, there is at least a handful of us that enjoy their music AND enjoy dressing up.

Look at Geddy, up there on stage.  I think he totally appreciated my tee and my beer. 

After the concert, parking lot.  Mr. Dina and I were walking to the car and I got catcalled at...lol.  I haven't been catcalled in YEARS, and the first time it happens to me is in front of my husband.

Okay, all, have a great night.  Are any of you able to wear and enjoy your blazers and jackets yet?