Reconstructed plaid dress

Some of you may remember this dress from the second-to-last day of Me-Made-May. This is actually the first plaid dress that I can remember owning. Terrible, I know. I’ve had it in my to-be-reconstructed pile for a couple of years now, but I finally got around to reconstructing it in mid-May.

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Here’s the before picture. I must’ve taken this photo at the beginning of last summer, and it was obviously not a good day for me. My crazy hair and face really add to the ick factor.

IMG_2381Hot, right? ;-P In case it wasn’t clear just how frumpy it was in its original state…

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Believe me, you should be glad that I cropped out my face.

The deets:

I cut the skirt and bodice apart.

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Then, I went about cutting the bodice to the size that I wanted. I left the neckline the same, but I re-shaped the side seams. I tried the bodice on, and there was significant gaping in the armholes. There were already darts up the front of the bodice, but I pinned some darts on the sides of the bodice to get the fit right.

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I cut out a new skirt. The center back became the center front and the center front became the center back seam once I cut away the placket. I cut the placket off in such a way that I could match the plaid along the center back.

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I attached the bodice front to the skirt front and the bodice back to the skirt back.

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Then, I  sewed up one side seam, and inserted an invisible zipper on the other side for closure.

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I didn’t have enough material to make strips on the bias, but I cut out strips from the placket pieces for finishing the armholes.

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The plaid didn’t match on the original dress at the side seams or at the bodice skirt, so there wasn’t much I could do to remedy that problem. I only had so much material to work with, after all. I did, however, match the plaids along the seam in the back.

IMG_7620I was lazy in the footwear department that day, and I just slipped a pair of flip-flops on. I was walking around a lot that day and it was nasty humid. I regret my choice of footwear now, as it doesn’t do my legs any favors, but I’m not about to take a whole new batch of pictures, obviously.

IMG_7635The first day I wore this dress, I stopped at a historic building and accompanying garden area.

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There was a sundial in an area that gets absolutely no sun. Huh?

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Not sure what this pose is all about…I’d like to say I just lost my balance, but I think I actually did this awkward pose purposely. What?!

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IMG_7671Besides the bugs that were eating me alive, it was an enjoyable detour.

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Strawberry Sherbet Exercise Top

I finally made some cute active wear for myself. It’s been a long time coming, as I’ve grown more and more frustrated with RTW clothing of all kinds. I used to think that it wasn’t worth my time to make items that I would just use to exercise in and get dirty. But you know what? I’ve realized that it’s even more important to be comfortable when exercising.

This exercise top with a built-in bra is the first of the active wear items I made. I actually finished it a couple of weeks ago.

IMG_7709IMG_7707This top was made from a self-drafted pattern. I felt like this was the only way I could get exactly the fit I was looking for. If there is enough interest, I’d think about working on a multi-sized pattern for this top.

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Drafting in process

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My biggest complaint about RTW exercise tops is having to wear a sports bra even when an exercise top has a built-in bra. That’s three layers of material, and I usually still have significant bouncing action. Most tops don’t give the level of compression that I need. This top has a built-in bra and it does a pretty good job.

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Told ya’ the tiny racerback bow would show up again. :)

I usually exercise six days a week, sometimes just five. I do a variety of different types of exercise including kickboxing, bootcamps, high intensity interval training, running, plus circuit training and toning exercises. So, I need things I can wear and be comfortable in while doing all of those different activities.

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The best part about the top is that it actually contains the gals. I did some pretty extensive field testing.

I can do burpees, jumping jacks, air jacks,

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jump kicks,

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tuck jumps,

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and, whatever this is (haha!),

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Don’t worry, Newton was not harmed during the taking of these photos. I’m always really aware of where he is because he likes to try to lay right next to me when I’m exercising.

all without the girls spilling out or bouncing painfully. I’d say this was a successful endeavor, and I have several other tops in the works to replace my worn-out RTW ones. I’ll be using the same pattern, with a couple of variations, one of which is definitely going to involve some scallops.

Who says active wear can’t be cute? :-)

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Dress for The Great Gatsby Sewing Challenge

My dress for the Great Gatsby Sewing Challenge is complete. Here it is!

IMG_7896The beading drove me crazy, and I know this is not a complete success, so please be gentle.

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This dress is Great Gatsby inspired, and as I said in my planning post, this project is also inspired by my great-grandmother, Frances Coles.

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My Fav!

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Although, I barely knew her, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about her. She was a beautiful woman inside and out, and I wish I could’ve known her better. She was also an amazing seamstress, and she made clothes for her ten children. Several of her children, including my grandmother, are also sewists. I’m blessed to have received whatever genes gave her a passion for sewing. :-D It’s fun to think about the way that sewing has made its way through, from generation to generation. My grandmother and my mother taught me to sew. I feel like sewing offers me a special form of connection to previous generations of family.

This dress was a source of joy and frustration, but I’m glad I finished it. I finished up the beading on the dress over the past few nights, and just took the photos this evening. I decided to keep the beading very simple and similar to the sketch.

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rough sketch of my original plan

Please see the inspiration/planning post for more information about why I chose the design that I did. As you can see from the scribble next to the sketch, I was undecided about making a sash to tie at the waist. When I finished the dress and tried it on, I felt that it really need a little sash around the waist.

IMG_7893The dress material is a silk blend that I’ve had in my stash for a couple of years. Since the material is see-through, I made a stretchy under-dress. I didn’t want to detract from the dress with a frilly slip underneath. I don’t have a strapless bra right now, but I guess the bandeau effect of the under-dress makes the look a bit more authentic to the ’20s. I certainly wouldn’t be comfortable going out in public like that, but that’s an easy fix.

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No matter what I did, the beading ended up wonky around the hemline, but I persevered and finished it anyway. I just didn’t give myself enough time to plan well. I bet if I gave it a good pressing after adding the beading the hemline would’ve been more submissive. Oh well, it is what it is.

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I didn’t have time to make the cloche hat, but a headband works just as well for a ’20s inspired look.

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Pardon my ridiculously chapped lips…

I added a simple line of beading to echo the beading around the hem.

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IMG_7921I got better with the beading as I went along, so the headband looks the best. The beading on the dress isn’t exactly my crowning achievement. Actually, it’s pretty terrible, even though it’s so simple. It’s the first time I’ve done anything like it, so I guess I should just call it a learning experience.

Well, it’s late and my eyes are heavy, so I’ll leave it at that.

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Me-Made-May ’13 Week 5

I know we’re a couple of days into June now, but here’s the final weekly wrap-up for Me-Made-May. I succeeded in taking my daily photos, but I definitely crashed and burned on the looking nice everyday front. Since the first week, there have been several days that I didn’t even bother to do my hair and make-up. I’m a bit embarrassed, but life’s too short to care about such things too much. :-D

5/26 – Drywall dust and fiberglass

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We worked on our house renovation most of the day, so I wasn’t about to wear any of my nice clothing to get sweaty, covered in dust and whatever else, and potential get holes in. I’m all about being honest with you guys, here. If I’m going to be working on the house all day, I’m not about to sport a dress, or even a nice shirt. Luckily, I had the reject Renfrew that I mentioned in my last post that I could wear.

Shirt: Renfrew reject
Capris: Fila
Shoes: New Balance Trail Shoes
Scarf: thrifted

5/27 – Summery Knit Dress

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Dress: self-drafted knit dress
Belt: thrifted
Shoes: Mudd t-strap wedges

5/28 – Red Polka Dots

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This is my favorite causal day dress. It’s very lightweight, so it keeps me cool during the hot and humid months. It shrunk a bit, but it actually fits better now.

Dress: thrift store dress refashion
Belt: thrifted
Shoes: Mossimo white slip-ons

5/29 – Pink and Navy

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Shirt: Unblogged, used the same pattern as this shirtShorts: “Birds in my pockets” shorts
Shoes: No idea…this is another one of those pairs I’ve had for well over four or five years.

5/30 – Spur-of-the-moment Sightseeing

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Sometimes, I’ll stop at random historic sights and buildings in the area I live in. We won’t be living here too long, so I may as well enjoy all the history around us while we’re here.

Dress: unblogged, refashioned dress
Belt: thrifted
Shoes: black Rainbow sandals

5/31 Outfit 1 -Kickboxing in Polka Dots

instagramday31I wore an unblogged, exercise top for that morning’s workout.

5/31 Ouftit 2 – All Done!

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This is undoubtedly the worst picture of the month, if not my life, so I left it small. Haha! I forgot to take a picture until it got pretty late, and hubby and I were in the middle of a project. I took a quick break from mixing some concrete to squeeze my last photo in. At least I wiped the dirt of my limbs. :-D

Shirt: unblogged, reconstructed thrifted shirt
Shorts: basic black shorts w/ no zipper
Shoes: thrifted
Scarf: thrifted

 

I’m glad that I participated this year, but I am ecstatic to be done taking pictures of myself everyday.

Here are the other Me-Made-May posts:
-Week 1 (May 1-4)
-Week 2 (May 5-11)
-Week 3 (May 12-18)
-Week 4 (May 19-25)

So, how did I do? Well, this was my pledge for the month:

 I, Becca, of Creative Notions, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’13. I endeavor to wear a different handmade garment every day for the duration of May 2013. I also pledge to sew at least two new garments and two activewear garments.

I wore a handmade garment everyday, without any outfit repeats. Everything I wore was me-made, aside from cardigans and jeans. I did wear my jeans a couple of days, which made me realize that I really need to experiment with making a pair myself. I realized that most of my spring and summer wardrobe is made by me. However, if I tried this challenge in fall or winter, I would have mostly repeats.

I more than met my sewing goal, too. I made 8 new items, several of which have not been posted yet. MMM gave me the boost I needed to be productive.
-Purple chevron Renfrew
-Floral Miette & blue Renfrew
-Summery knit dress
-Kelly Skirt & navy Renfrew
-Pink & white striped sweetheart top (to-be-blogged, pictured on 5/29)
-Reconstructed plaid dress (to-be-blogged, pictured on 5/30)
-Black & white peter pan collar dress (technically, I only get partial credit for this one, since I only finished it during May)
-lacy tie neck dress (I really finished this dress just before May, so it doesn’t count. However, I posted about it in May, so I figured I’d include it.)

I also completed two new activewear items, but I haven’t blogged about them yet. One of them is pictured under 5/31 outfit 1. It’s an exercise top with a built-in bra, seaming details and a little bow in the back. The second item is a pair of shorts made from vintage, orange polka dot fabric. I’m also working on a third activewear item. A pair of capris with scalloped pockets and scalloped hems.

Thank you, Zoe, for hosting Me-Made-May again this year. It was fun to finally take part this year, but I think what I enjoyed most was seeing all the participants’ wardrobes. I have far too much inspiration swimming around in my head now, though. 8->

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My First Kelly Skirt

Guess what? I finished a new skirt a couple of weeks ago, and I can tell that she and I are going to become good friends over the next few months.

IMG_7551I wore this skirt last week, as you saw in my MMM post on Sunday. I finally got around to taking some pictures of it.

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When I came across the floral denim, I knew immediately what I wanted to make with it. As soon as I got home, I ordered Megan Nielsen’s Kelly skirt pattern.

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On the selvage of the material, I found that it was titled, Urban Cowgirl. I didn’t really think of it as cowgirl material, but how amazing would it be if I could find a pair of blue boots to wear with this skirt?

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I made a blue shirt, because I pictured the skirt with a blue top. I used Sewaholic’s Renfrew pattern to make a shirt, but the shirt didn’t turn out the way I hoped. The neckline got stretched out, and it’s just too hot at the moment to wear an extra shirt underneath. The top ended up as a bit of a reject. It worked out though, because it gave me a me-made item to wear on Sunday while we worked on our house. It’s prefect paired with a sports bra.

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I took down most of the ceiling drywall in one of the upstairs rooms. Unfortunately, I got covered in fiberglass in the process.

IMG_7558For those who might be wondering, I made between the XS and S. I cut the waistband between the XS and S and I flared the skirt out from an XS at the waist to between S by the bottom of the skirt. The only reason I was able to make an XS/S is because of how much room there is in the hip region of the skirt. I love it when a project is so easy! If this were a fitted skirt I would’ve had to make the waist an XS and the hips a M, or even L. Such is my plight in life. :-/ I’m just glad that I no longer have to struggle to find RTW clothing that fits me.

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While I really like the skirt, I actually don’t think it’s necessarily the most flattering look on me. Since my waist is pretty short, I think the waistband may be a bit too wide. Plus, the side view makes my butt look even bigger. Whatever, I still like it!

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I wish I’d picked up some topstitching thread for the topstitching. It would look a lot better, but it isn’t the end of the world.

IMG_7340IMG_7341We just put up a new wall and window trim in the living area, and the finish nailer and drywall cutter were both laying nearby. So, I figured I had to pose with them. I do love me some good tools, sewing or otherwise. ;-P

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The light in these photos doesn’t do the skirt justice, but at the moment, I refuse to go outside for extended periods of time when I don’t have to. I know you’ll forgive me when I tell you why.

*Warning: skip quickly to the bottom if you don’t like bugs.*

The 17-year magicicadas are out of the ground, and I’ve already been hit about five times by the clumsy, bumbling idiot bugs. I know they aren’t harmful, but why, oh why do they have to look so freaky?

I know there are many of you who probably have experience with these buggers, but where I spent most of my life (the desert of Southern California), we didn’t have monstrosities like these.

For those who don’t know what cicadas are, let me enlighten you. They have red eyes, orange and black bodies and wings, fat striped bellies, and just look at the horrifying face on the one below…

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This creeper was hiding out among my lilies of the valley by the garage. No doubt, waiting until I walked by to fly up my skirt, or something. Good thing I’m on Code Red alert, right now. Yeesh!

Have I succeeded in giving you nightmares? Just in case I haven’t…They’re like zombies (minus the flesh-eating part). They’ll keep crawling around, even when they’re missing half of their body.

Long story short, it’s too much for me to handle. Luckily, this particular type of cicada will only be around for a few weeks. Until then, I’ll be almost exclusively indoors, and I will not be apologizing for it.

I have so many things swirling around right now, and I’m trying not to fall behind on posting about completed projects. I should have the post for the final week of Me-Made-May up later today or tomorrow. To my pleasant surprise, Erin extended the deadline for the Great Gatsby sewing challenge to Tuesday. So, I’ll be finishing that dress up over the next couple of evenings, as well as catching up on some blog reading and responding to comments on the previous few posts on this blog.

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A Summery Dress & Some Spiky Thistle

I think thistle and many other weeds are misunderstood. It’s all a matter of perspective. They make the best out of any situation. They continue to come back no matter what hardships they endure. Wildflowers are strong, free and add beauty to the world. While we may not want weeds in our yards, without them, the world would be a boring place.

When I saw this thistle on the side of the road, I thought it would make the perfect backdrop for a couple of pictures of my new dress. Unfortunately, a couple of pictures is all I got in because there was a sudden influx of passersby.

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I tried to take one of those giant thistle flowers home with me, but there were spikes on everything, including the leaves. Yikes! I don’t think I’d ever been close enough to thistle to realize how “thistle-y” it is. Ha! My penchant for doting on weeds is becoming well-documented. I’m once again guilty of being a weed-lover (No, not that kind of weed. Don’t get the wrong idea, here. ;) ), because I think thistle is really cool looking. If I could have taken one of the stalks home with me without getting bloody, I would’ve.

Anyway, let’s talk about the new dress…

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I have made this design several times over the past four years, or so (the ones below are some of the custom orders I did through my Etsy shop). It usually popped up in the form of a top, with a cowl or a split cowl.

100_0867100_1782100_1186My first version of the design was actually a dress with a basic, gathered skirt.

dscn9129I made the dress above back in 2009, so you can see I’ve been working on improving this design for a while. I call the design Verity because it became a signature design for a while in my Etsy shop, Verity Clothing.

I’ve made sleeveless versions, as well as versions with sleeves of varying lengths. You may remember, last fall I made this version of the top.

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For this most recent version of the design, I opted for a simple band around the neckline instead of a cowl (more comfortable for warmer months).

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I recently reworked the pattern for a better fit. I also drafted a skirt, so I’d have the option to make a dress version. I prefer partial circle skirts to gathered skirts nowadays, and I really like the drape of this skirt.

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I still have a couple of little tweaks to make (lengthening the bodice, for one), but I am extremely happy with the fit of this pattern now.

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I know I’m squinting in every picture. It was a cloudy day, but still surprisingly bright.

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I brought my tripod with me while I was out running errands yesterday, and set it up in a few places that looked interesting. I’m getting used to people giving me weird looks, but I still try to find areas that aren’t likely to have a lot of traffic.

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IMG_7450 My favorite part about this design is how many variations I can make. I plan to make a couple of sleeveless tops for the summer months.

There are only three days left in May, and I’m happy to report that I have met my sewing goals for the month. Although I haven’t posted about any new active wear yet this month, I did meet my Me-Made-May goal of making two pieces of active wear. I’ll post about those later this week.

What’s on your sewing table? Did you give yourself a goal for the month?

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Me-Made-May ’13 Week 4

Are we there yet?! I’m so ready to be done taking pictures of myself everyday. It’s becoming a bit of an annoyance. We’re almost there though. Only a few days left in May. Good thing too, I’ve worn almost every single me-made I have.

5/19 – Sunday, with cherries on top

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Dress and Belt: Sew for Victory ’40s dress

Shoes: Modesta

For those who have wondered about the background in some of the photos. That whole dirt area isn’t our driveway, it’s mostly the backyard. We just haven’t planted grass yet. I know I’ve neglected to post an update on all the house and yard work we’ve done. I will do so soon, I hope.

5/20 -Polka dots on a forklift

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To change it up, I took a photo on the forklift at hubby’s shop. I really do have to drive it occasionally. It can be a lot of fun! :-D

Dress: reconstructed polka dot dress

Belt: thrifted

I need to get a few spring cardigans in different colors. I’m sure you’re getting tired of this one. I know I am

Shoes: black Rainbow sandals

 

5/21- Aww, do I have to?

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As you can see from my face in this picture, I was a bit annoyed about having to take a picture.

Skirt: reconstructed striped skirt

Shirt: self-drafted top, never blogged

Shoes: Not sure because the brand is worn off (the shoes are probably at least six years old)

5/22 – Oops, almost forgot…

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Sorry for the terrible light in this photo. I was out at the shop, it was the end of the day, and I realized that I still needed a picture.

Dress: Better Late Than Never Dress

Belt: thrifted

Shoes: same aqua wedges that I’ve worn about ten times this month. Ha!

 

5/23 – Attack of the Cicadas

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We are currently enduring what can only be called a cicada plague here. There are way more of them than usual, and they are flying clumsily and scaring me, everywhere I go. My face in the picture above is expressing a combination of amusement and concern about the cicadas flying nearby.
Dress: Mini Mushrooms Make Me Merry dress

Cardigan: thrifted

Shoes: thrifted

 

5/24 – Test driving date

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We went car shopping and test driving on Saturday. No, that isn’t my new car, but I can dream! :)

Skirt: to-be-blogged skirt, made using Megan Nielsen’s Kelly pattern

Cardigan: thrifted

Shoes: Modesta

5/25- Errand day

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Yesterday, we went to Costco and did our weekly home improvement store trip. It was a very exciting trip this time. Yay, insulation! Haha!

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Dress: reconstructed crochet neckline dress

Belt: thrifted

Cardigan:

Shoes: brown Rainbow sandals

The Californian in me has been coming out, as I slipped on my flip-flops several times this week. I often wear other shoes when I go out and about, but otherwise, I’m frequently in flip-flops during the warmer months.

IMG_20130525_172911Just to give you a new face to look at, here’s sweet little Newton. He says, “Hi, everyone!” Oh yeah, and as you can see in the last photos, I just received my new glasses. Now, I have a pair to wear with blues, greens, and blacks and a pair to wear with all the other colors. I’ve never had two pairs of glasses at once. I’ve usually either lost or broken my old ones by now. :-P

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In Progress – Great Gatsby Challenge Dress

Last month I mentioned that I wanted to make something inspired by/in honor of my great-grandmother Coles for the Great Gatsby ’20s sewing challenge.

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I meant to post my plan a couple of weeks ago, but there have been several other things vying for my time. Boy, am I glad that I have until the end of this month for this challenge. I’m almost finished sewing the dress, but I plan to add beading, too. :O

Anyway, I have several pictures of my great-grandmother that were sent to me by my grandmother’s sister. I wanted to share some of them with you–even if they don’t directly relate to the dress–simply because I think old photos are cool. :)

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I love so many things about this picture! Plus, don’t ya’ just adore her coat?

Here’s an interesting side note: my great-grandmother was VERY tiny. Apparently, she only weighed 98 lbs when she got married in 1931, and she had a 19″ waist! :-0 She was also pretty short (5’2″ or 5’3″). At least I know where I got my small stature from. Everyone else in my family is pretty tall. All of my sisters are about 5’5″ or taller, and I barely tip over 5′. Ha!

The picture below is of my great-grandparents and seven of their children. They had ten children! My grandmother is the shy cutie on the left.

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This picture is awesome! Am I right?! It looks like she’s playing a ukulele and wearing a nautically themed outfit.

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OK, let’s move on to how I planned out my dress. I thought long and hard about a way to make a look that would be ’20s inspired but still flattering on me. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I have large hips and an ample butt, so I like to accentuate my waist most of the time.

I looked through a lot of photos of ’20s and ’20s inspired garments, and to my delight, I found some looks that weren’t super loose on top, but they still had a ’20s feel.

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I liked some aspects of the dress shape on the pattern envelope below, so I decided to use it as a general guideline for my design.

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The picture below of my great-grandmother was also part of my inspiration, I really like the sweet scallop hem of her dress. This picture was taken in the early ’20s.

78 MamaI found a lot of scalloped hems and other decorative hems on many of the ’20s inspired dresses that I looked at.

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The dress below is the inspiration behind the hemline that I decided on. I like the look of the large scallops. I’m even going to add some decorative beading above the hemline.

484b428f75a89f84eba3136dc94e3582I also plan to add some embellishment around the neckline. I like the embellishment on the top of the dress on my great-grandmother in the picture below.

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I especially like the little hat that she’s wearing in the first picture in this post and again in the picture below. So, I really want to make a turban-like cloche hat to match my dress. I may end up having to settle for a headband.

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Here’s the extremely rough planning sketch I did before starting on my pattern.

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I drafted a pattern and sewed a muslin.

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I had to change several things about my original pattern, but that’s what muslins are for.

I’m almost finished sewing my dress. I used a silk crepe material, pictured below, which I bought at G street almost two years ago. It was in a small clearance bin for silks. It’s some sort of silk blend because it has some stretch. There was about 2 yards of material.

IMG_7359For the under dress, I’m using a stretchy light blue material.

I just love all the beading that I saw on a lot of the inspiration photos I looked through, and I’m excited to try my hand at beading. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll probably start on that this evening.

I’ve got several new makes to share, but I’m waiting for the clouds and wind to go away so I can take some nice photos.

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Me-Made-May ’13 Week 3

If only I’d had time to come up with a clever title for these summary posts. Oh well. It’s round-up time again. Here’s what I wore for week three of Me-Made-May ’13.

5/12 – Mother’s Day

IMG_20130512_201235Dress: Mad Men Inspired Dress

Belt: thrifted

Shoes: aqua wedges (same ones that have made several appearances this month), Apt 9, approx. $10 on clearance several years ago

5/13 – It’s Not Easy Being Green

IMG_7204Dress: Lace and Geometry Refashioned Dress

Cardigan: thrifted

Belt: thrifted

Shoes: thrifted

 

5/14 – Kicking and Punching in Me-Mades

IMG_7272I thought I change it up and show you some workout attire. I exercise just about every day, but I rarely wear me-made clothing when I do. I just don’t have much of it yet. I did wear me-made active wear for my kickboxing workout on Tuesday, though.

Pants: basic exercise capris in a dark purple activewear material, never blogged

Tank: basic floral tank

Shoes: New balance

5/15 – Black & White

IMG_20130515_182559Dress: Black & White Peter Pan Collar Dress

Belt: thrifted (came w/the thrifted dress I used for the skirt of this dress)

Cardigan: Old Navy

Shoes: same as 5/12

5/16 – ’40s Modern

IMG_7289Dress: 40s DuBarry Dress

Cardigan: thrifted

Shoes: All Black (from ModCloth)

5/17 – Blast from the Past

IMG_7314This dress is from a couple of years ago. I reconstructed it from a thrifted ’70s dress.

Dress: reconstructred 70s floral dress

Belt: thrifted

Shoes: Same as the aqua ones

Here’s a picture of my hair from that day. It’s a nice quick hairstyle to keep my hair out of my face and off my neck on hot, humid days.

IMG_7323

5/18 – Rainy Productive Saturday

IMG_20130518_160001_348Sorry, I wasn’t feeling like getting all dolled up just for this picture. So, you get to see no make-up and bedraggled hair. My husband and I both ended up staying home all day. It was a nice rainy Saturday at home. I got a lot of sewing and sewing related things done. :D

Dress: Talking with Turtles ’60s Mod Dress

Shoes: Rainbow sandals

 

That’s all for week 3. I’ve been sewing like mad over the weekend, to the exclusion of just about everything else. We’re taking a trip for Memorial Day weekend, so I’m trying to make sure that I have what I need to keep my me-made pledge alive. What have you been up to this weekend? Any Memorial Day weekend plans?

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Spring Cleaning Giveaway Winners

Friday evening was the deadline for entries in the Spring Cleaning Giveaway. Now, I’m announcing the winners. Thank you to everyone who was interested in the patterns and dresses! I’ll make this post short and sweet.

I assigned numbers to the entries for each item according to their order in the comment section. I then used a random number generator on Random.org to determine the winner.

1. Bell skirted evening dress pattern

Butterick 2906, size14, bust 34

Butterick 2906, size14, bust 34

There were thirteen entries for this pattern. Here are the results of the random number generator:

bellskirtpatternresultsThat means the winner is Lauren.

Lauren says:

i would love the bell skirted evening dress pattern!

2. Princess seam dress pattern

McCall's 8263 from 1966, size 14, bust 34.

McCall’s 8263 from 1966, size 14, bust 34.

There were three entries for this dress pattern. The winner was chosen via random number generator:

princess seam results

That means that diya is the winner.

diya says:

Nice of you to host a giveaway. Lovely the pin tuck dress looks , its just not my size though :) I would love to win the princess the seam dress pattern;)

3. Striped reconstructed dress

100_2992There were seven entries for this reconstructed dress. Here are the results of the random number generator:stripedrecondressresults

So, the winner is Elen.

Elen says:

How lucky am I that your dresses would fit me! I would love to have the striped dress. I have shoes that would go perfectly with it :)

4. Floral pintuck dress

100_3339There were six entries for this dress. Here are the results of the random number generator:

pintuckdressresultsThe winner of this dress is redeyedtreefr0g.

 redeyedtreefr0g says:

I love both sewn dresses! The dainty Sound of Music one the most, however, so if I have to choose just one, it’s that one. Is it safe to guess that flat measurements can be doubled to find the actual ones?

 

Congratulations to the winners! I’ll be contacting the four of you for addresses, and I’ll ship these out to you next week.

Thanks, again, to everyone who participated. I’m so glad these items will be getting lovely new homes! To those who didn’t win, don’t be sad. I’m sure I’ll have another giveaway soon enough. :D

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