OOTDs: California. 2015.

I realize I actually have a California, the Outfits, post or two, here at the blog.  I guess since I travel there so much I now have to start just naming them by years.  Of course I didn't think I would have a 2015 version, but as many of you know, my great aunt passed away on July 5, so I ended up traveling back to my birth state to say my last goodbyes.  It was a great visit, and her funeral service and interment were very beautiful, just like she was.  It was also nice to see friends and relatives, of course, and even though there was a loss bringing us together, it still brought us together, which is something my great aunt loved.  :-)

I will post the California: Photos post later, but those are still all stuck in the phone and camera for now. 

I am going from most recent to furthest in dates for these outfits, starting with the outfit I wore to fly home. 

Day: Tuesday, July 14, 2015.

Where: Flight home from CA, with three airports in between.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Any outfit is going to be uncomfortable after twelve plus hours of wearing it (barring pjs, let's be real), but considering I had this on for that long and with a very unexpected change of flight plans, with a long shuttle ride to another airport, this outfit was as easy to wear as can be without looking too sloppy.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Pants, J. Crew here; Tee, J. Crew (but I found it at Marshall's for $16--who knew they had current J. Crew stuff); Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, Costco; Necklace, Gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  I discovered my phone can take selfie shots on timer when propped up just so on a tall bottle of San Pelligrino (those are the shots with the white background).

Our flight plans were originally Long Beach--Phoenix--DC (National) but then the little plane set to get us to Phoenix was unable to shut its door (not good, obviously), so that flight was canceled and we ended up going to LAX (SHUDDER) to fly nonstop to Dulles (double SHUDDER).  But, meh, once on the way it was fine.  I should complain less.

INSTAGRAM of LGB here.
INSTAGRAM of LAX here. 

This is my lovely cousin, K. Isn't she super cute?

Day: Monday, July 13, 2015.

Where: Knott's Berry Farm's Soak City.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  A swimsuit, a lightweight a-line teeshirt dress coverup, and a pair of flip-flops?  Definition of ease.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Soprano (found at Marshall's); Flip-Flops, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Costco; Swimsuit (not pictured--but it's the yellow one), J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  Soak City was so much fun.  I usually am so absorbed with going to Disneyland every time I visit CA that I always neglect Knott's, even though as a kid, we went there quite a bit too.  Soak City is the water park for Knott's and not the amusement park, but that was more than fine by me.  I should have worn more sunscreen, though, my very pale skin burned.  Eek.

INSTAGRAM of the other outfit I wore that day here, definitely more dressy than the outfit above.

Day: Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, 2015.

Where: The funeral on Saturday and mass on Sunday.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Garnet Hill's tiered maxi dress is one of my favorite summer staples (I have this version and this version, too).  So unique, very presentable, exceedingly packable (doesn't wrinkle), and comfortable to the max (groan, bad pun there).  Add a pair of sparkly, fun, casual flats, and it's a winner outfit.  Can you blame me for two days of wear?  (Well that and the fact that I packed very little.)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill here; Sandals, Target here (they are true to size); Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Costco; Necklace, tru.che.

Anecdote of the Day:  My aunt is buried next to my uncle, and whenever I go to the cemetery, I am overjoyed that their final resting place is on such gorgeous grounds.  Nestled in the hills in between Los Angeles and Orange County, it is verdant, full of light, and in a position to see the mountains to the east. 

We stayed in Downey for the visit, and my dad, though raised in Downey, had never really taken me there as a girl.  Walking around the downtown area after mass I fell in love.  It is an absolute mecca for fun mid-century architecture.  I especially adored the Masonic Lodge.

INSTAGRAM of the outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of my cousin and I here after mass.

Day: Friday, July 10, 2015.

Where: Marshall's (where I got the tee and dress above from), In and Out, and one of my many visits to the hotel's Happy Hour.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The day after traveling I always feel ugh, so I wasn't surprised to wake up and feel a bit bloated and under, so no matter what I wore, it wasn't go to be awesome, but I figured a brisk walk (our mode of transport to get to Marshall's) would help.  I wanted to show some pride in the gorgeous palm trees of CA, so I decided to wear this Madewell linen tank with one of my favorite pairs of shorts.  The outfit was comfy enough, and got comfier as the day wore on.

Outfit Details:  Tank, Madewell; Shorts, Bandolino Blu (THEY ARE SO OLD); Sandals, Target here; Sanibel Reversible Pendant Necklace, Stella and Dot here.

Anecdote of the Day: I cannot believe how much my family enjoyed happy hour.  Embassy Suites has free drinks from 5:30-7:30 nightly, and the drinks kept coming.  The first day I was jetlagged (you'll see evidence of my fun while jetlagged in the next ootd), but by the second I was more clear, so I enjoyed it more.  By that point, all the relatives had come to town, including my once super bratty boy cousin, D.  He's not bratty anymore, more like an enabler.  I have to massively detox this week to make up for my CA sins at the bar.  :-/

INSTAGRAM of the outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of the shenanigans with boy cousin here.

Day: Thursday, July 9, 2015.

Where: Flight to CA from VA, El Torito for lunch, Happy Hour, and thankfully bed thereafter.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made that tee you see the day before and dang, it's super comfy.  Granted it is two rectangles sewn together and made out of stretchy rayon knit, but it was so comfy, I made it work as pjs later that weekend.  And leggings, I mean, really.  It barely counts as an outfit.  ;-)

Outfit Details:  Tee, handmade; Leggings, J. Crew here; Sandals, Target here; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Costco.

Anecdote of the Day: This day was fine, but remind me never to start the weekend of drinks before my family gets to me.  If I had known what they were capable of, I would have waited (I had a glass of wine on the plane and a beverage of choice at El Torito).  I fell asleep easier than I have ever fallen asleep before.  AND--I slept better than I have in a long time, so there's that.  :-)

INSTAGRAM of the no makeup Dina here.
INSTAGRAM of the shenanigans with girl cousin here.

Okay, that's all for now.  Armchair travelers, some more atmospheric photos to come.  (And for those of you interested in more shenanigans, those are coming, too.)

OOTDs: Blues and a Boucle.

Day: Friday, May 1, 2015.

Where:  School Mass and the school run.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This was very comfortable.  I haven't been wearing pencil skirts much these past few years (barring this one, which I made for myself), so I decided I would start off May with skirt that I love but haven't worn much.  (I last showed it off here at the blog and before that here.)  Considering how "dressy" I look, the overall outfit didn't feel stuffy or make me wish I had worn something less fitted. 

Outfit Details:  Sweater, handmade (it is May, and a bunch of people are devoted to wearing their handmade items daily in May, I don't have enough made for full ensembles, but I have at least a piece per day); Feather Paisley skirt and necklace, J. Crew; shoes, Bandolino.

Anecdote of the Day:  CW was picked to bring up the gifts at mass.  Rex read last year for his time in first grade, but CW gets a tiny bit nervous, so a non-speaking role is a bit more bearable for her.  I braided her hair special (we usually don't have time in the morning for braids).  Of course by the time I saw her at mass, her braids were undone.  ;-) 

Instagram here.

Day: Saturday, March 28, 2015.

Where:  Angus's Birthday party at the Little Gym.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I wanted to look nice, but I also knew that I would be running around after a half a billion children, so I knew I had to be very relaxed in my outfit, too.  The combo was fine, and the shoes didn't matter as the Little Gym has you go barefoot in the gym.

Outfit Details:  Sweater, Boden; pants, Loft; shoes, J. Crew Factory; scarf, J. Crew; glasses, Bebe.

Anecdote of the Day:  Usually kids parties have a fail rate of every third kid can't make it.  (Maybe even every one of two can't make it.)  We fully anticipated no shows and budgeted for that.  Yep, you know the punchline...everyone who was invited made it.  We paid a bit extra for the extra kids, but were thrilled that so many kids could make it.  Angus had a blast, of course.

Instagram here.

Day: Thursday, April 2, 2015.

Where:  Lunch with a good friend and packing for trip to IN/IL.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I was unsure if I made the right choice with these jeans, I was really concerned they would pinch and hurt, but I chose correctly, and they fit very well, nice and long (but not too long) and just enough wiggle room up top to feel right not like a vice.  The top I have had forever, and the shoes I wear constantly, so I knew those would be great.

Outfit Details:  Top and jeans, J. Crew; shoes, J. Crew Factory.

Anecdote of the Day:  You know, you would think I was capable of clarifying plans with people since I have been on this planet for a while, right?  Well I showed up to my friend's house on that day at the agreed upon time only to realize she wasn't there but instead was at the restaurant waiting for me.  Duh.  Sigh.  Next time--will clarify for everyone's sake.

Okay, all, you have a great day!  Talk with you soon!

OOTD: A Squirrely Birthday.

Before I start this very quick blog post, I want to remind everyone that if you want to enter the NOVICA $50 giveaway, you have just over a day to enter.  There have been some great comments already over at that post, and thank you for opening my eyes to some beautiful items over at NOVICA.  :-)

Day: Wednesday, March 25, 2015.

Where:  Celebrating Angus's 3rd birthday at our favorite Mexican restaurant (and where we have had many birthdays before...here, here, here, and here, just for some quick examples).

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Not really the fault of the Hartland Dress, but I was feeling a bit bloated that day.  And I think the babycord fabric shrunk a bit in the wash (not really shrunk, but went back to its original shape after being stretched out from being worn).  By the end of the meal I felt fine, but it was annoying at the start of the meal.

The margarita I had helped too, lol.

Outfit Details:  Hartland Dress is the only one available, here on sale at Boden.

Anecdote of the Day:  Angus usually LOVES the birthday song and anything with candles on it to blow out.  Well, at least until this night.  He hid his face away while the nice folks were serenading him.  He got over it the moment he saw that it was fried ice cream, though.  Fatty sugary foods...mmm.

Okay, you all have a great night!  We'll talk more later!  

OOTDs: Transitional.

Before I get this ootd post started, two quick reminders...

1. If you grab a chance, and you are interested, check out my latest "made by me" file which is a copy of one of my favorite Garnet Hill sundresses from a few years back.  I am in a sewing competition and you can vote for my dress if you think it's good enough to get your vote.  The link to the place where the voting link is located is at that "made by me" file.

2. I think most of you have entered, but just in case you haven't, Boden has asked that I host a giveaway of $125 to spend at Boden!  To enter, please visit this post.

Day: Wednesday, September 24, 2014.

Where:  School Run. That is it. NO sewing, either, but I started prepping for future projects.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Darn this stupid fall weather.  WHY!  WHY?  I am not one of those bloggers who is all, "ooh fall, leaves, pumpkin spice latte, boots, yay, squee!"  I am all "why cold wind rain bleak grey why???"  Anyhow, mini vent aside, the Pattern Sweater (here) is very warm and kept me feeling good yesterday.  I didn't want to wear pants, so I faced the cool weather with my favorite pair of denim bermuda shorts (I've had these for years). 

For those of you who would like more info on the Pattern Sweater, I wrote up a review on it here at this blog post.  FWIW, the sweater barely pilled yesterday, which I take as a good sign.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It's a cute look.  My husband really liked the British guards.  He wasn't sure what they were at first, but smiled when he realized what they were. 

Anecdote from the day:  My kids fought in the back seat of the van (we usually have them separated but their grandparents were in town and they can't sit in the way back) on the way home from school.  I put them both in their rooms for an hour each.  They didn't seem too upset that I punished them, so I think there may be more of this in the future.  (Cue laughing at my prospects of getting some quiet time in the future.) 

CW and I watched last week's Project Runway where the designers had to create little girls outfits inspired by the American Girls, and being the absolute worst critic possible, CW declared that every look was a 10 out of 10 and said she would wear them all, including Sandhya's pink onesie.  It didn't surprise me she liked the Floral Liberty Jumpsuit, since she has some clothing like that in her closet, but that onesie, hmmm...

She also recognized Tim Gunn's voice from Princess Sophia.  She was all, "it's Baileywick, Momma!" 

Day: Thursday, September 25, 2014.

Where: Target to get all the kids shoes (ugh--feet always grow so fast) and then to get them from school.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It's just awful outside.  I am only wearing sunglasses 'cause I didn't have any eye makeup on and I kind of look like an alien with no mascara on (my eyelashes are blonde and disappear on film). 

The chance of me wearing anything other than a sweater and pair of pants today was essentially nil, and even though I run "hot," I felt like I needed the scarf, too.  But I can't give up the sandals yet.  Darn it, I am not ready for summer to be done.  Especially here, where summer should still be going on...

Cool Factor: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Looks good to me.  Love the bright neon of the Tilly Sweater/Jumper (here but looking sold out), even if some of the reviewers didn't love it.  But since I knew what was coming because of them, I knew what to expect.  (I purchased a 15-16, exactly the right size on my frame.)  The sweater on its own is a lot of look, but I will say that paired with a scarf or a necklace and it is less in your face.

Anecdote from the day:  Angus is 2.5 today!  How exciting.  Not gonna do anything, but pretty exciting, nonetheless.  I really wish he would stop growing, though, widdle tiny babies are so cute!  In other news, the Target near us on the way to school FINALLY got the better buggies/carts and I couldn't be happier!  No more jangly wheels skidding along in the aisles.  No, now these buggies have shock absorbers, it seems...they almost glide on air like they are unicorns upon rainbows!  Yes!

Okay, that's it for now.  Hope your day is going great!

OOTDs: Shorting Out.

Phew.  What a week.  :-)  And what a week upcoming.  (CW turns five on Wednesday, and in addition to setting up for her princess party next Saturday, I roped myself into making her a Rapunzel costume from scratch to wear at the party, baking cupcakes for her classmates, and getting the house ready for her grandparents.  I'll be fine, right?)

Okay, so the paragraph above explains the meaning of the post's title, but I figured I would be all "puntastic" and at least show off a bunch of outfits worn recently that include shorts.  Oh, yeah, puntastic.

Day: Sunday, September 8, 2013.

Where: Dinner out.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  These handmade linen/rayon shorts are getting a bit big since I made the waistband too large for my frame.  Downside is that I will have to alter the shorts to wear them again next summer, but on the bonus side, they are SO FREAKING comfortable.

The sequin tee is fairly comfortable, but I am always a teeny bit stressed out that I will snag them on something.  So far, so good, but I know my clumsy ways all too well.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Even with the large shorts, the overall look is pretty cool, especially with the neon clutch.  The look seemed and felt effortless.

Anecdote from the Day:  I don't really remember much from that day, isn't that sad?  I know that it was a relaxed day, but other than that, nothing really to report.  I will probably remember twenty minutes after I publish this.  If so, I will just come on back and write what happened then. 

Day: Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

Where: Winesday/Rex's teeball practice.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Well it was really muggy and hot that night, so although the outfit felt great at Winesday, the outfit was a lot of look to wear while trying to keep my three kids in order at the teeball practice (my hubby was at the Muse concert--originally I was supposed to go with him--sad face).  I ended up wearing the light cardigan with lace back because the bra I was wearing showed through the fabric of this Target top, but by the end of the practice, I sort of wondered if I could have just done without.  Would anyone have noticed?

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The look is decently cool, my brother loved the shirt especially.  He said he wanted a photo of me standing next to him wearing that top with the "Fun Times" arrow pointing to him.  Alas, we didn't grab that photo, but maybe the next time I wear it?

Anecdote from the Day:  I didn't post on September 11, because as much as I like posting, and had time to do so during the day, I didn't want to publish a fluffy post on that day.  I felt like silence was more appropriate. 

The day is getting easier to memorialize, though.  The first few years after the attacks, I would well up in tears multiple times during the day, but now that it has been twelve years, I find that I can pray and reflect on the day and all the lives lost without as much sadness.  Of course I am still distressed that the attacks ever happened, but like all hurt, the pain dulls over time.  (For more on my experience on the day of the attacks, read this post.)

Day: Thursday,  September 5, 2013.

Where: Little Gym/School pickup.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Very easy.  I love these shorts so much.  I have had them for years and years, and as long as I keep washing them carefully, I should be able to wear them for many years to come.  The top is also very comfortable, a gorgeously flowy top from Anthro that I got for a screaming good price last summer (on sale, natch).

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The top is definitely out of my comfort zone since I normally try to wear tops that highlight my smaller upper body, but I wanted to wear this top and was struggling with how to style it.  Finally, after trying on a few other bottoms, I found the sartorial sweet spot paired with these shorts.

Anecdote from the Day:  It took me a day or two to recover from the plane trip home with Angus, since he was a wriggly little monster for most of the flight.  By Thursday I felt good enough to get out the house with him where he could wriggle all he wanted at his "jump around the room" class.

He blows you all a kiss.

Day: Tuesday,  September 10, 2013.

Where: Bowling.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  These shorts are a weird fit--a bit big in the hips, a bit too tight in the waist, and a little too snug on the thighs.  By the second game of bowling, though, they had stretched out a bit and fit better, so they weren't awful to wear or anything.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I love sherbert colors with white, it always looks so fresh and pretty.  This isn't a super cool look, but considering the way the ladies at the bowling reacted to the outfit, you would think I was wearing an outfit like this to play instead of a pretty basic SAHM summer outfit. Ha.

Anecdote from the Day:  I wasn't the only person wearing shorts to the bowling league.  However, the ladies who weren't wearing shorts, though, were all kitted out in long pants, long-sleeved tees, and cardigans.  I mean, yes, the lanes are air conditioned, but it was also 90 degrees outside that day, so hmm.  ;-)

I am now in a different league than last year, so no Dottie (my awesome 93 year old friend and competition), but I would like to report that I started off this year with some pretty decent games, and with an average score for all three games that leaves my last year's average in the D.U.S.T.  Yay!

Day: Saturday,  September 14, 2013.

Where: Fashion Sewing Club at G Street Fabrics.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  These lined wool shorts from J. Crew are comfortable enough, but I still felt like they were too short for sitting properly.  I don't like too much of my legs showing while I sit, so I felt a tiny bit on display.  It's my hangup, and likely no one even cared about my legs being on display, but I still felt weird.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Meerkats will always be cool.  End of story.

Anecdote from the Day:  That Rapunzel costume I mentioned above?  Yeah, it is torturing me because I want to make sure I match the pieces of the costume together nicely.  Originally I had a plan to use white velvet for the skirt and bodice front, with a poly taffeta in purple for the bodice and sleeves, and three layers of tulle (two of purple and one of sparkly white) as the overskirt, but then I cut the tulle and realized three layers of tulle stick together something awful and knowing how testy and persnickity I get when sewing, I knew I didn't have the patience to work with three layers of tulle.

So I had to go and buy some fabric at G Street that would work better, and OMG, the 2.97 remnant tables were stocked with all sorts of goodies, including a few yards of purple sparkly tulle, the exact right shade of color and sparkle that I had achieved with three layers of tulle together.  Only issue?  The color was just enough off from the purple poly taffeta that I had been planning to use for the bodice so I had to go and find another fabric to use for the bodice.  (I ended up buying a lavender wool gabardine instead.)

I also grabbed a few yards of some yummy poly jersey (like you see in J. Crew/Garnet Hill/Boden jersey dresses and tops), some swimwear fabric in turquoise, and some amazingly soft silver poly charmeuse.  I normally can't stand polyester, but most of the pieces of fabric I felt on that table felt a whole lot like silk or cotton sateen.  Apparently G Street receives shipments of fabric that are leftovers from New York fabric houses, and they regularly receive designer remnants which may explain why the poly I bought was so much different than the poly fabric I see at places like Target and Wal-Mart.  That doesn't mean that I have fallen in love with polyester, it just means I see the light that not all poly is created equal.  And at 2.97 a yard, I can't complain, either, especially if it means I can finish a darn costume by next Saturday.

Okay, all, have a great rest of your Sunday. 

BTW, I think Boden will be introducing its winter line this week.  It is timed poorly for me, though, since I don't get paid until later this week, so I suspect I will have to cancel most of my order, but I definitely am excited to see all the pretty items on my blog friends in their reviews!

OOTD/Made by Me Files: Liberty Tana Lawn Floral Eve (Coral) Tank. (McCall's 6711.)

Day: Sunday, May 19, 2013.

Where:  Maybe Dinner Out?  I know I had gone to church the night before, so I know it wasn't there (especially in shorts).

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The shorts and Greta suede sandals are part of my "go-to" summer wardrobe, so those pieces are super comfortable.  I have actually owned the shorts for about seven years now, and they look and feel as good as when I bought them.


The top, obviously, is made for me by me, and without a doubt, it is soft and pleasantly breathable because of the materials I chose, but I did struggle a bit with both the neckline and the armholes.  Since I had to change up the front of the top to use the entire remnant of Liberty fabric I had, the neckline's placement was off, so I had to do some major sewing MacGyvering to get the neckline to look right, but in the end, it looks decent and feels great, so score.  The armholes were a different battle, and even though I followed the instructions to a tee, they feel off and even a bit high.  This is probably because I cut the top so it would fit closer to my body (very loose top in its original shape--my "size" would have swallowed me up).  Once I cut for the smaller size, I neglected to cut the armholes for my normal size, which would have probably felt better.  Whatever, it wasn't horrible, I am being very picky here.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The silhouette is lovely, rarely do I look this slim in shorts.  I need to sew a pair of shorts this shape and length in a few different colors, so I can have a full range of "go-to" shorts for summer.

The "Floral Eve" fabric is from the Spring 2013 Seasonal line, and from what I can see, most stores that sold it have all sold out, with the exception of Purl Soho who has a few yards of both the coral (same as mine) and the blue.  Based on this, and the fact that J. Crew keeps selling out of their floral eve items, I would say having created an item from this year's floral makes it a bit cooler, even if I added a bias tape bow neckline and a contrast fabric back (more on why I did that later).

As a reminder, this is another version of this fabric that I am planning on turning into a button up blouse sometime this fall (bottom of post).

Anecdote from the day:  I had spent WAY TOO MUCH time making this top.  I don't know if it is just me or what, but I suspect it shouldn't take nearly ten hours to sew a simple tank top.  I fuss over every detail when sewing, from cutting the pattern paper (or tracing depending on the pattern), to cutting the fabric, to positioning the pins, to ironing the seams.  Ugh.  So persnickity.

I was so thrilled that it was done that I immediately changed into the outfit.  This was the big exciting anecdote from my day (so much so that I can't even really recall what I did that day).

McCall's 6711.  The is a "coordinates" pattern, which comes with a jacket, top, dress, skirt, and pants.  I may make the dress of this pattern, and I really like the pants, but probably won't be doing the jacket or skirt.  I may make the top again, but I definitely need some time off from it right now.  Chuckle.

I cut the size 10, even though I measure closer to a 14.  This was definitely the right call since the top is still pretty loose even in the smaller size.  As mentioned above, the armholes are the only part of the top that feels a bit tight.

I underlined the Liberty fabric so that the beautiful details of the florals would show up nicely, I would have some extra modest coverage underneath (the floral eve fabric is a touch sheer), and also to have a barrier between my skin and the gorgeous fabric.  I used a plain old muslin piece to underline, since the off-white color was a perfect match for the ivory of the liberty tana lawn.

Underlining is not necessary in this top (I don't even know if there is a facing in the pattern), but now that I have underlined once, I definitely will be doing it a lot in the future, since it is a) easy, and b) gives the garment a touch of tailoring not found in most ready to wear garments.

The back side view is a bit wonky, let's blame that darling sway back that I have.  ;-)  You can definitely tell how wide this tank is.  I also significantly shortened the length to make sure that I could use this piece of fabric (it was from a Purl Soho "remnant" bag--they are awesome, btw, if you ever get to their Soho store). I would have probably wanted to shorten it regardless of fabric choice, though, since the pattern's original length would have almost been a tunic on me.

The back is made from a remnant fabric that was found in the same bag as the Coral floral Eve.  It is some lightweight cotton that looks a bit like a linen.

I really like the gathering detail at the back, right below the yoke.  This was definitely a success on my part, whereas the gathering detail at the front (on the tank straps) was a p.i.t.a. and really was not very successful.  Again, not that any of you probably noticed, but I can't stop fussing about it.  (Fwiw, my friend who sews says she likes the gathering, both in front and back, so I guess that means it was fine, but grrr.)

Offending gathering at the tank strap...right there above.  You see how the one gather is deeper and more pronounced than the others?  It sort of poofs out when I wear it, and that is what bugs me. 

I suspect that this may be why it takes me so long to sew everything.  LOL.  I definitely can't see the forest for the trees.

(I would SUCK at Project Runway, OMG, my model would definitely end up on the runway half-naked.)

Isn't the fabric amazing?  I feel so fortunate that I was able to grab that remnant bag that day.  I also heart Purl Soho for having remnant bags with Liberty fabric in them!

 

So speaking of fabric remnants, I made these two appliqued pillows completely from fabrics from remnant bags.  I received some of the fabric from a friend, the other bits I bought for $3 a bag at G Street Fabrics, and then the rest was from another Purl Soho remnant bag (the owl's blue eye background, tummy--another Liberty print fabric, btw, wings, and red leaves).  Even the button eyes were from a button remnant bag.  So yes, these pillows were very inexpensive to make, *however* they took me nearly twenty hours total to cut, piece together, sew, iron, fuse, decorate, place, and stuff with filling.  They were for Rex's teacher (she just got married), so it was a labor of love.  :-)

Oh, and lest you think I suddenly stopped noticing all the details, I am very bothered by the fact that the decorative blanket stitching on the owl is off in some places.

BTW, this is another McCall's pattern, #6482.

Okay, that's it for now!!!

If you are a Boden fan, today is the last day to save 30% on shoes, skirts, and tops!  The sale ends at 11:59 pm.

Don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple giveaway!