Made by Me File: The Burda Magazine and the Anthropologie Jacquard.

I know most of you who read this blog read it because you just love clothing, and more than likely most of you are fans of the same brands I am, Boden, J. Crew, J. Crew Factory, Zara, Madewell, and Anthropologie.

(I do know some of you are here for the sewing, too, but that bit of my audience is much wee-er, so I try to keep the "style" element in these sewing posts as much as I can.)

Anyhow, I know some of you eagle-eyed fans of Anthropologie will IMMEDIATELY be able to recognize that this crop top and full skirt combo is made from a jacquard fabric that Anthropologie used in its Iremel skirt, which is from November 2013.  I cannot believe my luck.  With the actual Lilly Pulitzer fabric for this make a few months ago to this one, I feel like I have scored fabric gold, and both times by total accident.  :-)

Before I knew I had stumbled upon that fabric from that skirt by Anthropologie*, I had it in my mind to make up a crop top/full skirt combo after the success of the crop top/full skirt combo I made for my birthday.  So I told Fabric Mart they could send me this fabric if they wanted and I would make it work.

*You all are gonna laugh, but I discovered the skirt from Anthro by randomness, I was sitting around waiting for something, and I decided to paw through my old catalogs sitting nearby.  I opened up the November 2013 catalog and was all, "what the wha, is that the fabric?" I couldn't believe it!

I figured that because Burda magazine does the best job in staying on trend while also having the best drafting, I would do well to choose two patterns from their magazines I have been holding onto, but not tracing.  (Tracing their patterns are a bit of a pain, to be honest, but worth it in the end.)

The crop top from their February 2015 (02 2015 #127) seemed to be a very good version of a crop top, and with some work, I could make it work on my more "mature" self.  (I lived as a teenager in the early 90s, and yes, I wore crop tops back then, lol, so I figure I should only repeat it in small and more modest doses.)  The full skirt from their October 2010 (10 2010 #117) seemed a good fit for my full skirt requirement, but even though I thought I would be able to just sew it up as the pattern is, I realized fairly quickly that this fabric and that pattern wouldn't work as is, so I had to make some changes there, too.  Oh, well, I am not one to step back from small defeats, so I figured all of it out, with only a tiny bit of cursing.

When I showed my husband the nearly finished project, but before I had ironed the fabric in the skirt into submission, he was all, "why in the world would you want a skirt that big?"  He didn't have a word to say about the top, so apparently a bit of tummy skin is okay in his book.  Ha.

The top is a bit longer than the pattern called for in the initial draft.  I chose to lengthen it, not because it was a petite pattern and it was too short, but because I needed the extra bit of length if I had any hope in wearing it out more than for this set of photos.  In my life, too much skin is too much, and I can't get away with it.  I am petite from shoulder to my upper hip (I measure the same as someone who is around 5'3.5" there, even though I am 5'8" tall), so technically the proportions of the pattern are perfect on me.  I didn't make my adjustment on the pattern from anywhere but the hem since I love having a top where the shoulder seam to the bustline is the right length.  That normally never happens, and I usually get a weird bit of bunching there because it is too long.  I also love that the bust dart was pointing at my bust instead of somewhere else.  So the only way I could lengthen this pattern was to add at the hem so I could keep the integrity of the petite sizing as original as possible.  It did the trick and I was happy to see that it gave me a crop that was showing a bit of the belly without being too risky for my lifestyle.

I also chose to close up the back with a button closure instead of just having it hang open with a single closure at the top of the back.  Again, I want to wear this more than just once!  I drafted a facing that was incorporated into the pattern, so I just had to fold it over at the drafted fold line, press and sew in my buttonholes and buttons.  Because this fabric is so thick and tightly woven, I didn't even need any interfacing at the buttonholes, they sewed in very nicely and look quite well done (I am not usually so successful with buttonholes). 

I would say I spent the most of my time focused on the pattern layout on the fabric in order to get the lines/medallions to line up properly.  You can't take a bold striped jacquard like this and half finish the job...it would be very obvious that the lines are off and all the time and effort to sew up this pretty fabric would be somewhat in vain, since even non-seamstress eyes can see when tailoring is done shoddily.  So I would say 25% of my sewing time on this project was even before any of the sewing actually got started!  

The skirt, as drafted, had so much fabric used that I would have had to use four full yards of fabric to get this skirt made.  Come on!  That's Civil War era skirt sized.  The jacquard would have been too stiff and heavy to do that, and since I am not looking to create a look for a runway, I knew I would have to take those proportions down a notch (although in a lightweight cotton voile that much fabric and drape would look super pretty).  I took out something like fourteen full inches from this skirt's pattern (I just folded over my traced pattern paper) to still end up with a very large, very full, deeply pleated and gathered skirt.  I definitely made the right call to do that!

Amazingly enough, even with all that fabric, it isn't that heavy.  It was a bit of a bear to sew up, especially when hemming (more awkward, but still).  I am pleased, though, that it is as flowy as it looks in the photo.

The pockets are fab.  They sit precisely at the right place and fit a cellphone, no problem.  And because the skirt is so full, you wouldn't know the pocket holds a cellphone!

As much as I dig the crop top and full skirt look, especially since it is a bit different from my usual "look," I have to say the pieces separately work nicely with other pieces in my closet, like above with my J. Crew tee, Nine West wedges, and Target necklace.  This is actually a look I could wear to go to church or teach in, so that's a bit thrilling.  I don't think I can get away with the top at either place I just mentioned, but with a cami and a high-waisted pair of trousers, it would look pretty darling at a playdate or dinner out with friends.

Okay, that's it for now. 

I wrote a ton about the sewing and the history of crop tops/full skirts in fashion here at this Fabric Mart blog post.

I also wrote up a review of the construction of the crop top here at Pattern Review.

Thanks for coming by and looking at my latest make!

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/Made by Me File: The Two Hour Dress: McCall's 6886 in a Colorful Tribal Print ITY Knit.

Day: Saturday, February 28, 2015.

Where:  Mass and Dinner at Chick-fil-A (living the life, you all).

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  If the ITY knit had NOT stuck to my tights, I would have given this a 5 out of 5.  But, nooooooooo, stupid Virginia is going through a stupid cold/dry/winter is NEVER EVER going to end phase, and the static electricity is at an insane high.  My hair, even with all of its thickness, is falling prey to this, too, and will stand on end whenever it wants, usually in front of a crowd of people.  (You should see my kids, it is way worse on them, especially Angus with his baby hair.)


That said, in the house, where the humidifier is properly working to pump moisture back in the air, the dress doesn't cling to the tights, and feels so comfortable.  And crazily enough, for the thinness of the ITY knit, it keeps me warm, too.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I really love it, and I think the bodycon style works for my frame (which surprised me, especially with my pear shape), but I think tribal prints and bodycon went out a few years ago, so probably not "cool" anymore.

Anecdote of the Day:  Rex hasn't been to mass since the accident since he has either been in pain (first week), or uncomfortable and unwilling to move (second and third) week.  But he had to get out on the 28th since he was set to receive his First Penance that morning, and after we saw he could manage an hour in the handicapped pew (in his wheelchair), we knew he would be fine at the the mass later that night.  The handicapped pew combined with Rex looking older than he is meant that the extraordinary minister wanted to give him Communion, which he has not received yet (his First Holy Communion is in May).  I had no idea they would try to give him Communion, and he stared at the man and was all, "no, I can't get it yet!" 

McCall's 6886.  I made this dress on the fly because I was so sick and tired of working on my son's First Penance blazer project (Burda 9452), which you can see in the last photo at the end of this post.  That blazer is a very classic blazer, which means a two part sleeve, full lining, proper set-in sleeves, darts, roll line, collar, and so on and so on.  I needed the break from all the navy blue wool!

I figured I would like to make up a knit dress in something colorful, since nothing cures the winter "blah" as much as bright cheery colors.  So I looked through my pattern shelves, and into my fabric closet and spied two that would work very well together (at least in my head they looked good together).

It seriously only took me two hours from cutting to sewing/serging to finishing to get this dress done.  Admittedly I decided to leave the sleeve and skirt hems raw (but even and tidy), but even if I had decided to hem them properly, it would have only added on a half hour, tops.  This knit doesn't ravel and it doesn't curl, so it is the perfect fabric if you ever decide to try a raw hem yourself.

A big chunk of the two hours was spent making sure I properly laid out the fabric so I would have the right horizontal lines at the right places.  I knew I wanted the brighter colors at my shoulders, waist, and higher hip, and the darker, more muted colors at my low hip, so that my hips wouldn't be over-highlighted.

I also had to make sure the would match up at the side seams, which you can see in the next photo.

I did make a neckband as opposed to turning the neckline and stitching (that's what the directions wanted me to do).  It looks like it sticks up a touch here and in the next photo, but that is only because I have my hand on my hip...it stays flats 90% of the time, and you can see that in the second to last photo.  I decided to make the neckband two inches tall by nineteen inches long, which when seamed into a circle and pinned into quarters, makes for a non-saggy, flat-lying neckband.  I felt like a champ when I successfully made this neckband, since neckbands are usually my big problem in making knit clothing.  (I really like using the 7/8ths rule for the neckband, seems to be the best solution for making them.)

I sewed up the size 10 at the bodice and then made sure to carefully grade out the pattern from waist to hips from the size 10 to 14 so that my curves would be skimmed by the fabric and not stretched to the full capacity because I chose to let the ITY stretch do its job in the 10 versus cutting my proper size.  I think I made the right choice since the color and stretch stays the same throughout the garment, rather than being brighter and less stretched at the bodice and duller and more stretched at the skirt.  (I hope what I am describing makes sense.)

Here is a close-up of the fabric (bought for $3 a yard at Fabric Mart last year--here is a selection of tribal prints they have right now).  You can also see the neckband laying flat here, too.

I wrote more technical details, etc., here at this Pattern Review if you want to read more about the dress construction.

And before I go, here is a photo of Rex after he successfully gave his First Penance.  :-)  The blazer I made has on its lapel the pin he received for partaking in this sacrament.

You all have a great day!!! Be back later!

OOTDs: Dressing Up, Wind Whipping Style.

Hi!  Happy Thursday.  :-)  I have been nose to the grindstone, and with great concentration, furiously sewing up my son's suit for his First Confession on Saturday.  I started the project last week, and whenever I could find the time, I worked on the blazer.  I am *still* working on the blazer, but at least the shell is done, I just need to finish the lining.  I am actually insanely proud of the work so far, but I won't exhale until the finished product is being worn by him on Saturday.  Anyhow, wish me luck, and I hope that explains a bit of why I have been away so much lately.

Also, NADA is going on with Boden, sale wise, so there's that, too.  I had plans to do the Boden Weekly (haha) Review Roundup this week, but with the details I need to follow to the tee with the blazer pattern, I realized something had to be given up.

Okay, I do have a few brief moments to show off a few recent dressier outfits I wore in the past two months.  I have definitely been more focused on casual wear, especially since Rex is housebound and I am going nowhere, but there have been a few occasions that required me to give a little more effort than a pair of Turner pants and an embellished sweatshirt.

Day: Friday, January 16, 2015.

Where:  Fairly certain I went grocery shopping with the Angus that day.  This was before Rex got injured (that happened 1/25), and I saw I took photos of him fooling around the house that day, so because I got dressed up and I have photos of him at the house, I have to assume that Harris Teeter was the reason for my "dress up."  LOL. 

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I never know what size to get at J. Crew or J. Crew Factory when it comes to these straight shift style dresses (this one is the Factory Printed Shift Dress).  I always know that the bust and shoulders will be too big unless I get a size 4, but my hips don't lie and are a size 10, so that's what I chose to purchase.  That was a wise choice, but I still could use a half-inch more if I am being honest, I would prefer just that little bit of extra ease.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Love this look.  I need to wear this again before it gets too warm (ha, no threat of that here in Southern Canada aka Virginia).

Anecdote of the Day:  Angus made some cute faces when I was taking photos of him that day.  Other than that, nada.

Day: Thursday, January 22, 2015.

Where:  A friend's father's interment at Arlington National Cemetery.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It wasn't about ease that day, since the occasion called for very formal.  I am glad I had proper funeral clothing, but with the very chilly day and windy weather, I have to admit that I was close to frostbite (especially on my feet) by the end of the ceremony.  But again, more than okay by me, we were honoring a man's service to his country on this day, my cold feet are nothing to complain about.

Cool Factor: (N/A of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Again, unimportant.  Not a concern of mine that day.  The look is very proper, very put together, and in sedate coloring.

Anecdote of the Day:  I cried at one point, even though I had never met my friend's dad.  The ceremony was so moving.  I felt honored to be there for her and was in awe of how reverent the military is in honoring their deceased veterans.  And the day, though bitterly cold, was incredibly beautiful, and from what my friend said, she knows that her dad would have been so pleased with both the weather and the ceremony.  :-)

Day: Monday, January 12, 2015.

Where: Subbing.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Super comfortable, and the outfit kept me warm.  Let me give a shout out to the J. Crew Factory Harper Double Bow ballet flats.  These shoes fit well on first wearing and have been worn at least fifteen times since I purchased them in early January.  I bought the 9.5, which is my normal size.  They are great for folks who want something pretty but are also flat enough for those of us on our feet all day.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Exactly the right look for substitute teaching.

Anecdote of the Day:  Everyone loves that collar necklace from Accessorize that I bought when I went to Ireland two years ago.  I have a pattern for collars from Simplicity, so I bet I could figure out how to make the base from a firm fabric (like canvas) and bedazzle it with beads.  Hmm...

Okay, thanks for stopping by!  Hope my next post is sooner than later, as that means the suit sewing didn't do me in...

OOTDs: Dressy Casual Teacher.

Last week, the day after I arrived in Mississippi, I wrote up a post on what I wear when I substitute the younger grades at my school.  (Overall pretty casual looks and very easy to wear shoes!)

Today, as I leave Mississippi (it's been ten days!), I figured I should finish off this round of subbing ootds with what I wear when I am teaching the older grades.  Although I like to dress up, the colder weather of late has necessitated the wearing of pants, so the only real dressy look you will see here is the day I needed to best represent the school, the last look, which is also the one look that is not technically from me subbing.  (I was there as a guide for the school, so I wanted to look really put together for the prospective parents.)

Next week and the week after, I will be subbing in my son's second grade classroom.  Hee!  I am looking forward to it for many reasons, of course.  Although I do tend to go more casual with the younger grades, because it is Christmas week festivity time then, I guarantee there will be at least a few dressier outfits to celebrate the occasion.

Okay, onto the outfits.

Day: Friday, November 14, 2014.

Where:  Subbing Fifth Grade.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I bought these pants when Angus was young, maybe six months old, and while they fit okay then, they fit exactly as they should now, so the little bit of extra pounds off has made a huge difference in comfort.  The handmade sweater is always warm and never fails me, so I am glad I made that one last year.  I need to make that pattern again, I think another sweater should be on my sewing table.

Though the coat didn't exactly match, I needed its' warmth that day, so not really worried about color matching.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Decent look, though with a better choice in outerwear, this look would have fared better on the "cool" chart.

Day: Thursday, November 6, 2014.

Where:  I was in for the older grades' Spanish teacher (there are two Spanish teachers--one for the youngins and one for the older kids)..

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  No complaints, at all.  Very comfortable, easy to wear outfit. 

Cool Factor: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Poor Talbots.  Though a purveyor of some fine looking items, it will never be cool.  ;-)  Therefore, though darling and pretty, the top dings the overall coolness.  Though if it read Zara, would you all be fooled into believing it was cooler?  Hmm...

Day: Wednesday, November 19, 2014.

Where:  Leading the prospective parents on a tour of the school, going to a moms' group, and attending my daughter's Thanksgiving Feast activity in the afternoon.  So not busy at all there that day.  ;-)

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  A very very slight ding for the tights not fully staying up.  I had to tug them up a few times throughout the day.  I wish these were control top, that would help keep them up on my frame a bit better. 

The Amy Dress (here on sale) was a champ, though, very easy to wear, and it surprised me at how well it wore in winter temperatures.  I did a second, more in-depth review of it at this Boden Weekly Review roundup.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I love it, but it is pretty darn prissy, lol.  The shoes make it a bit cooler since the shape is a bit unusual, but really, this is very traditional and conservative, which was what I needed that day.

Okay, that's all for today.  I hope everyone has a great Thursday, and we'll talk soon!

Made by Me File: Burda 7137. Again. Focused on Fit.

So last week after receiving the news that I had made it through to challenge #2 in the Fabric Mart Fashion Challenge sewing competition, I was all at once excited and a little nervous.  As you saw from yesterday's post I was in Cleveland from Saturday to Monday, which also coincided with most of the time I had to sew up the item for challenge #2.  Yikes. 

Well to combat some of that, I decided to do a WHOLE lot of sewing on Friday to get ready for the weekend, bring a lot of supplies, extra fabric, and my sewing machine to Cleveland so I could sew more on Sunday, and then on Monday I hand-sewed quite a bit of the project on our way home.  It is surprising how quickly a drive can go when hand-sewing, by the way.  I highly recommend it to stave off some of the boredom of long drives.  On Tuesday (so yesterday), I finished off the minor details and the hemming.  And then I took a gazillion photos of the project. 

I chose Burda 7137 because I knew that even though it had been a winner the last time I made it up, I wanted to challenge myself to make it look as good in a non-printed fabric that was also non-stretch.  One of the parts of this challenge is to make a garment in a solid since solid fabrics more easily show fit issues (in the form of drag lines, wrinkles, etc.).  So even though the version I made back in March looks like it fits very well, I had to see for myself in a proper solid fabric.  And guess what?  It did need some extra finagling with the pattern to make it fit well, even though I had made a lot of changes to the pattern in March!  Guess I know now that printed stretch fabrics can hide things better than I originally thought.

And here it is...my entry this week for the "fit" challenge.

I may be smiling in that first photo, but oh man, there were a few times this weekend where I was like, "why in the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks am I doing this to myself?"  :-)  It is mainly because of the fabric I chose, which is a very pretty wool gabardine in a pine green shade with a lovely hand.  Although the end result is awesome, pressing* and working with this fabric on the sewing machine was a bit of a bear.  Turns out that wool gabardine is notorious for being difficult to work with, and it takes a lot of patience to get good results.  Good thing I had all that time this weekend. Ha. 

*The smell of wool after being pressed reminded me of my grandmother's clothing, they must have used a lot of wool in clothing back then.  Although wool is used a lot nowadays, it is not as common, and is usually a blend.  Hmm.  All that said, I loved the smell!!!

But I perservered, set in those danged sleeves as carefully as I could (that is the #1 complaint about wool gabardine, just how hard setting sleeves in with it is) and now have a dress that is just perfection for a multitude of occasions. 

Wool gabardine also shows wrinkles and drag lines easier than other fabrics, too.  Although I do have a few minor fit wrinkles and lines (also in the next photo), those are very easy tweaks that I can implement on my third Burda 7137 (let's give a few months, though, lol).

On the bodice, I need to make a small bust adjustment since the fit is a bit big through there on me. 

Having said that, the rest of the bodice fits perfectly, especially through the neckline and the waist.  To make sure the neckline fit well, though, I deepened the back neckline darts since on my first version it was fairly apparent it was too big back there for me.  It made a huge difference on how the neckline fit, and I am glad I did that to this one.

On the back, I do need to make a *slight* and I mean tiny sway back adjustment. 

Above you see one thing I did to give this dress a bit of "bling."  I added some vintage-looking buttons to the top of the sleeve vent.  I think it was just the right amount of *something something* that this very classic sheath dress design needs.  I found them at G Street fabrics on Friday, it took nearly twenty minutes to decide which ones I wanted, but these eventually came home with me.  And for $3, too!

To make sure that my non-woven fabric and my very curvy hips got along, I adjusted (my already adjusted) pattern to include an additional 1/2 inch at the side seams, making sure to properly grade out from the waist to keep the proper curve of the dress skirt. 

I now have two versions of this pattern--the one that can be used with stretchier wovens, and this new one that can be used with non-stretch fabrics.  Woo! 

Here are my favorite "hidden" details of this dress. 

I didn't have my Bernina feet with me on my trip (way too heavy of a machine to travel with), but I did have my older Brother, and while it has no specific feet for edgestitching, I was still able to get very nice top-stitching at the neckline.  I just had to go slowly and carefully. 

The button is a similar color, but it is hard to tell in that photo since the light was a bit bad there.  The button is very pretty, though, and the cool design is sparkly, which you can see a bit off from far away.  The button detail definitely gives this already retro-looking dress even more of that vintage feel. 

The lined interior was machine-stitched to the fabric, but the lining was hand-stitched to the zip by me in the car on the ride home.  I think it took an hour!  Phew.

For the people who read this blog for the "personal style" stuff, you will appreciate how good this dress is for all those accessories that need a more plain foil as a base. The plain fabric and slender silhouette really let the necklace and belt and shoes shine.

I didn't set out to make an office appropriate outfit, but this dress is very "conservative" office-friendly.  Heck, with nylons (yeah, I know!) I could have worn this very dress all those years ago when I worked on Capitol Hill. 

It is also perfection for subbing at the Catholic school I sub at (and my kids go to) since their dress code is very modest. 

But my original intent in making this dress?  Something I could wear to Christmas festivities, since the pine green is a classic Christmas color! 

Okay, that's all for now.  Of course I know that all of you REALLY want to vote for me, so here is the place you can do that.  ;-) 

I do want to give a big old shout-out to the ladies in the competition!  You all really brought it this week.  I love seeing what everyone did--from the casual basics to the dressy and formal to the solidly classic (I think my dress falls in that category). 

Made by Me Files: Orange Rib Knit Tee (Burda 6910) and Ikat Shorts (Butterick 5044).

Before I start, I want to extend a very big thank you to everyone who left me a kind message, prayed for us, or reached out to me either by email or facebook or text.  All of your words and thoughts are very special to me, and are helping to "bind my heart," as one of the commenters wrote yesterday.  It is a slow process, healing, but one that I know will happen.  I wish I didn't have experience with heartbreak, but dealing with the awful certainly prepares you for whatever you are handed in life.  I sent the oldest two off to school this morning and part of healing will come from routine, and there certainly is nothing more routine-driven than school.  :-)  Anyhow, don't want to dwell too long on it all, but I didn't want to not show my appreciation for all of the love I have been shown over the past day and a half. 

A little while back I sewed up two summer pieces in very quick succession.  For me, this was a huge success, considering how slowly I typically sew things up.  Granted these two patterns are not especially hard to get cut out and sewn up, but considering it took me a month to sew up this skirt, I wasn't betting on actually getting these two pieces done in any timely manner.  But I got a little bee in my bonnet and managed.  ;-)

I will focus on the tee construction first and then the shorts, but I do want you to know that I am skimming over the nitty-gritty details of sewing it up and instead asking you to visit my pattern review for both items for more on the process of sewing, at this post I will focus more on the visual evidence of what was done, the styling aspect, and sizing info. 

Pattern Review for Burda 6910.
Pattern Review for Butterick 5044. 

I received the knit fabric for the top from Fabric Mart in a bundle.  I had about a yard and a quarter or so, and that was plenty for sewing up this top.  Keep in mind that the top is substantially longer when it starts out (it was probably around mid-thigh length before), so you need extra yardage for that so you can properly ruche the sides.

The shorts fabric is an ikat fabric I found as a remnant at Joann's.  I thought it was so pretty and different, and at $9, I knew I could play around with it without feeling bad if I screwed up.  In the end, I could have used a bit more fabric since I had barely enough to eek out a 3.5" inseam.  I had to do a very narrow hem on the shorts, and while it isn't awful, I know that a thicker hem would look better.

From this vantage point, both pieces look pretty decent on me.  The top is a really an interesting design, and while I can see where it is flattering, I had to really fuss with it to get it to look like this for the photo.  While wearing it in real life, I am not really noticing the fact that it fits not so well in the upper body (shoulder and neckline area), but I could immediately see the issues when I started taking the photos.  This photo is one of the only ones I took where the top looked the way it was supposed to based on the cover art of the pattern.

From the side.  The ruching is a cool effect but maybe one that is lost on my frame since I have a flatter chest and a narrow waist to start with...I think if I had more of a larger bustline, the effect would be more pronounced and flattering.  It's kind of sad (lol) that some of those ruching bits have a bigger bustline than what I have naturally.  ;-)

I like the back view best.  Since the ruching is intentional, the usual wrinkling I get from all my tees from my sway back (see this photo for proof of that) is there, but it is SUPPOSED to be there.  Yay!

The shorts look awesome from the back.  It is rare for me to like my back view in shorts.  I am going to sew this pattern up again just because I like the back view so much.  (With a few small changes implemented, though.)

Here is where you can best see how badly the tee fits me in the upper body and neckline.  I knew the tee would be a bit long and large on my body (even though I sized way down on this pattern--usually I wear a size 38 bust/40 upper hip, and in these I cut a size 36/38), but the neckline really surprised me at how large it was.  It appears that if I want to make this top work on me I have to size down to a 34, cut the neckline binding to a 30 or 32, and then make the rest of this in a size 36, with a shorter overall length.  Not so sure I am going to go there.

Having said that all, I am very proud of this tee, even if it wasn't a slam dunk in fit.  I was able to construct this top perfectly using my serger and my sewing machine, and on both the inside and outside, it looks ready to wear, which is pretty darn cool.

Inside view of the top.  Barring a tiny bit of tricot interfacing peeking through at the hemline, this tee looks a lot like ready to wear tees that I own that have the ruching on the sides (mainly maternity tees, fwiw).

To get the ruching to work, I had to sew the elastic onto the sides of the tee while stretching the elastic to fit.  My zig-zag stitch isn't perfect, but it does the job very well.

If you take any Craftsy courses, you may notice that I sewed this neckline on using Linda Lee's RTW application that she teaches in her "Sewing Fashion Knits" class, lesson 7 on edge finishes (specifically ready-to-wear bindings).  It worked like a charm, and looks like it is supposed to...on the top.  If only the neckline had been small enough to lay flat against the body.  (There is a lot of speculation that the neckline binding was drafted too larger for the neckline to properly lay flat.  If it were a bit smaller than the neckline, then it would lay flat.  I did cut this neckline one size smaller, and then added another inch on top of that just to be sure, but even all of that was not enough.  Sigh.)

My first attempt at twin needle hemlines was disastrous, so actually getting it to sew up properly was such a thrill.  Again, I used Linda Lee's awesome instructions on getting a great hem on knits from her "Sewing Fashion Knits" class.  Worked so well!

This is the inside of the lower hem of the top, the zig-zag is created when the twin needle goes up and down making the stitch on the other side.

While the shorts fit, I know that next time I need to add an extra half-inch to the pattern piece in the middle of the piece to get the shorts to fit better over my hips.  See, I had bought this pattern in the larger sizes and when I sewed up some pj shorts in the size L, they were MASSIVE on me.  So I figured I could sew up the M no problem.  Well, it turns out that my lower hips are just a touch too big for the M size, so I will just add that half inch of space to the pattern piece, and with an extra inch overall in the hip area, I will have a pair of shorts that will fit my frame well.

The pockets are fun and were very easy to add onto the shorts themselves.  Definitely make sure you mark where they belong, though...without those markings it would have been impossible to figure out where to add them. 

Okay, that's all for now.  Hopefully I will get back to sewing up my last pair of shorts for the summer soon.  Thankfully VA always has a fairly warm September/early October, so I should be able to bust those out at least a bit, even though I didn't get them sewn up earlier.