Today the heatwave has finally broken here in Somerset, but I’m sharing the perfect dress for summer. Here’s hoping I can get plenty more wear out of it this year! Although I don’t really want any more days as hot as yesterday, thank you very much. That was the hottest June day in my lifetime and I could happily go another 40 years without seeing another one like it.
Anyway, enough about the weather. On with the sewing!
Yes, I know I shouldn’t have worn a black bra but it was the only colour not in the laundry!
In a Nutshell:
The perfect vintage-inspired maxi dress for a heatwave!
Pattern:
The Knit Sweetheart Top from the Gertie Sews Vintage Casual book by Gretchen Hirsch. I made it once before as a black tank top that got loads of wear during Me Made May, but this time I hacked it into a maxi dress with the aid of my knit maxi skirt pattern, drafted using this tutorial.Continue reading “The Some Like it Hot Dress”
Right, well I’ve been busy sewing up a storm this month, but all on one project which I’m doing to an insanely fine finish. French seams galore! And I’m still not quite finished!
Anyway, luckily I have a few of last month’s makes to share with you still, and here’s one I had the foresight to do the pics for when I wore it for the first time, at the very end of Me Made May. Unfortunately neither me nor my photographer noticed I had a twisted strap (curse you, Andy!) and we haven’t had a chance to redo the pics yet. But I’m sharing them anyway because I’m sure you all have the imagination to picture what that strap would look like if it wasn’t twisted. Pretty much the same as the other one, in case you need any help 😛
As part of my continuing mission to do at least a little bit of unselfish sewing for my nearest and dearest, I’ve made my boy a summer hat. And now, of course, everyone wants one. I’ve made a rod for my own back!
But seriously, how cute does he look?! Gabriel has always loved a hat, but has an annoying propensity to lose them. I’m just hoping he can keep hold of this one. At least until I’ve made him a newsboy cap…
Okay, I’m really getting into the swing of thinking of my sewing in monthly chunks. Not sure why this is so helpful to me, but it is what it is. May’s plans are here, should you be interested. But now on to what ACTUALLY happened in May…
Blogged in May:
The month was rather dominated by my Me Made May roundups (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 and Week 5) but I did blog my main sewing projects completed in April: The Gertie Skirtie, The Knit Sweetheart Top (black tank version) and the Jalie Drop Pocket Cardigan. I may not bother blogging my simpler April makes (knickers and Daisy’s skirts), or I might lump them together in a future post if I make more knickers. Who knows…
Wow, what a Me Made May it’s been! Only my second year taking part, but I’ve learned a huge amount about my style preferences, my wardrobe gaps and about taking better pics. Here’s this years’ posts in full: Pledge, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.
And to wrap it all up, here’s the last few day’s outfits, followed by some general thoughts on the whole month.
Day 29: I wore my freshly made Striped Knit Sweetheart Top for the second day running (don’t judge! It passed the first test of laundry: it didn’t smell or look dirty, therefore it wasn’t dirty). This time I wore it under my needlecord Cleo dress, (fourth appearance) like I’d always planned for this top. Yay, it looked as good as I’d hoped! Continue reading “Me Made May – week five and final round up”
We have truly had ALL THE WEATHER this week, which shouldn’t really surprise me as a Brit living in the West Country, but still, it’s been remarkable. Heatwave days when it was too hot to move, thunderstorms, torrential downpours–we had it all. At least it’s stayed too warm for socks, although the kids seem to disagree. Gabriel gets very upset if we try to put him to bed without socks on, even if it’s 22 degrees C in his room. And then he pulls the duvet over his head /o\
You’ll see some hot weather clothing in this lot, then, and also a couple of new me-mades. How exciting is that?! Okay, contain yourself, people. Let’s roll…
Day 22: It’s the first appearance for my Colette Aster blouse, teamed up with my rockabilly headtie. Mixed feelings about this top–it’s really comfy in the heat and I love those mother of pearl poppers, but I don’t think it fits right. I decided this one will be relegated to gardening wear in the future. Continue reading “Me Made May – week four”
This has been a weird week in terms of weather, with a few days of unrelenting rain, wind and now back to sunshine. Okay, probably not that odd for spring in Somerset, but still, it’s made it more of a challenge to put together new outfit combinations (see my pledge here) as not all that many of my me-mades are suitable. I’m really hoping this next week is as good as it’s meant to be so I can break out more of the summer clothing!
Anyway, here’s what I managed to throw together:
Day 15: Tried to find a good indoor photo location as it wouldn’t stop raining! I’m in the Easy Knit Pencil Skirt again (2nd time) and the Wembley Cardie (also second time). This outfit looked quite dull until I added the chiffon scarf, which suddenly tied everything together.
Anyone who’s been following my Me Made May posts either here or on Instagram will have seen this cardie plenty of times already, but here’s the full lowdown on what has become probably the most worn item of me-made clothing this month.
In a Nutshell:
Like the title says, this is my dream cardigan! Do you really need to know any more than that?! Oh, okay. Read on, then, to find out why… Continue reading “My dream cardigan!”
Well, we had a couple of glorious warm, sunny days this week, but then it got cool and rainy. I suppose I should be glad for the garden, but instead I’m wondering how I’m going to get a chance to wear the rest of my summery me-mades this month!
Day 8: I went for three me-mades today, seeing as how two of them were accessories. I teamed up that black Knit Sweetheart Top (second time this May) with my chunky necklace and freshly made rockabilly head tie. Really liked these together, although I did at times wonder if the head tie was giving off more of a housework vibe than the vintage glam I was after! Continue reading “Me Made May – week 2”
It might have taken me a long time to get around to making anything from the book Gertie Sews Vintage Casual, but since the success of the Knit Sweetheart Top I haven’t been able to stop! This is my second project from the book. Read on to find out if I like it as much as the first…
In a Nutshell:
A basic but incredibly useful pattern. Wish I’d paid a bit more attention to my fabric, though!
Pattern:
The Easy Knit Pencil Skirt from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual. It’s a simple pencil skirt with an elasticated waist and all the shaping in the side seams. I cut a size 6, grading to an 8 at the waist as my measurements indicated. Continue reading “The Gertie Skirtie”
This is my second year of Me Made May, and I have so many more garments to choose from this time around! That’s why I decided to up the challenge level to wearing two (or more!) me made items a day, and to try not to repeat any combinations (read my pledge here). It’s totally okay to repeat garments, though. I’m not that well stocked. Maybe next year…
Anyway, I’ve been posting my outfits daily on Instagram (I’m @anna_jo_sews), but thought I’d do a quick round-up on the blog every week, with some closing thoughts. Nothing like a bit of clothes-related navel-gazing, right? 😛
Right, I’ve got a lot of sewing from April to get blogged, so prepare yourself for lots of posts this month! First up is one of the most useful garments I’ve ever sewn.
I’ve been photobombed by a pine cone!
In a Nutshell:
A seriously versatile basic tank with some cute details, that has become my new favourite top!
April has been an incredibly productive month for me, sewing-wise, although I must admit the blogging has rather fallen by the wayside. That’s partly because of the way I’ve been working (batch cutting lots of projects, then batch sewing all the grey overlock bits, followed by all the grey sewing machine bits, then the black overlock bits, and so on) which meant that I had lots of projects on the go at once, and most things weren’t completed till nearly the end of the month. It’s also because I wasn’t one hundred percent happy with the finish on two garments, and had to redo them until I was happy. That meant I’ve only just been able to get photos of those two projects, but rest assured, there should be plenty of April’s sewing making it onto the blog in May 🙂
Clockwise from left: Daisy’s Striped Skirt, Seamwork Geneva Knickers, Made by Jack’s Mum Speedy Pants Boxers for Gabriel
I also made a black knit school skirt for Daisy, but I don’t have a picture of that one yet so you’ll just have to imagine it. It’s like the striped one above, only, you know, black.
There were a few projects I’d hoped to complete in April but didn’t get done: a grey short sleeved tee and some more knickers, along with a school dress for Daisy. But that’s okay, because I made a couple of extra skirts instead 🙂
I had also hoped to get some materials together for a maxi dress (done and ready to cut), as well as a shirt dress and a Moss skirt. Those last two aren’t at all ready, but I’ve been thinking about the shirt dress so that counts for something, right?!
I’m really proud of everything I’ve achieved in April, and particularly the way I worked through some of the exercises in The Curated Closet and finally figured out the style I feel happiest in. I posted about my Off-Duty Rockabilly Librarian style here, and I’m already planning lots of projects that will fill in the gaps in my current wardrobe, allowing me to express my true, sassystyle.
I’m going to make May a budget month (out of necessity) so I’ll be shopping the stash as much as possible. I’m planning to make a couple of dresses: a red and white polka dot maxi dress, using the Gertie Knit Sweetheart Top pattern along with a self-drafted maxi skirt one; and another Cleo dungaree dress using my star print stretch denim.
As for tops: I want to have a go at a self-drafted chiffon kimono for wearing over vest tops and jeans (two chiffons to choose from there: the grey flowers and the b&w bird design), a cap sleeve Knit Sweetheart Top using my striped jersey, and another vest top would be good, using the Alabama Chanin corset top pattern and some purple interlock.
I’ll also be making some very quick and simple projects, like more knickers (leopard print FTW!) and a rockabilly style headscarf, and making some alterations to a leopard print maxi dress I already own but haven’t worn in ages (needs straps and a fresh hem).
If that doesn’t keep me busy enough I want to make a few unselfish projects too, like more boxers and a sunhat for Gabriel, and an apron for Daisy.
I think that’s probably a ridiculous amount of sewing for one month and I’m sure some of it will spill into June, but hey, I’m fine with that. This isn’t a race, and it’s meant to be fun.
As well as all this I’ll be finishing off a complex crochet cardie, documenting my daily outfits on Instagram for #MeMadeMay17, and posting some round-ups here on the blog. I’ll also be doing some prep work (researching patterns, techniques and fabric) for some more complicated patterns I want to make over the summer: shorts, cigarette trousers, a shirtdress, a bikini (swimwear sewing–eek!) and a shirt for Andy, because I haven’t sewed him anything. Ever. But don’t feel too sorry for him coz I’ve mended loads of his jumpers and trousers and crocheted him a hat, so I reckon he’s doing okay.
Anyone else planning a crazily ambitious sewing month in May? And what’s on your sewing table at the moment?
Happy Me Made May, everyone! I’m actually wearing today’s make to kick off my Me Made May (find details of my pledge here). Anyone else taking part?
Right, I’ve finally got around to blogging my last March make: the Heather Dress. Not so tardy, really, as I made a change after completing it, and it’s only just come back off the sewing pile. It’s another installment in my search for the perfect knit dress pattern. Read on to find out if I’m still searching…
In a Nutshell:
I remember thinking “I must make this dress!” when the pattern first came out. It had everything I was looking for in a knit dress: a fitted silhouette and big pockets, plus some interesting style lines to make it a bit different to the other knit dresses I’ve made. Took me a little while to get around to actually buying the pattern, but I’m glad I waited as I got it on sale and got to take advantage of all the online feedback about the pattern sizing. Continue reading “The almost-a-disaster dress”
I’ve mentioned in the last couple of posts that I’ve started working through the exercises in Anushka Rees’ The Curated Closet as part of an ongoing mission to figure out what my style really is. It’s something that’s become more and more important to me since I started making my own clothing. When putting that kind of time investment (and a financial one too, sometimes) into making something, it’s really disappointing if it doesn’t feel “me” once I’ve finished. My hit rate has been getting better, but I’m still only at about 50% so I have a fair way to go.
When I was younger getting dressed was easy. I chose a subculture and bought the clothes that fit. First I was an indie kid, then a hippie, then a crusty (yeah, not the best look), then I got more into dance culture and dressed accordingly. When I started teaching I bought clothes that typified librarian chic: A-line tweedy skirts with tight but covered-up tops and cardigans.
Then I had a kid and everything changed. My body size changed, and for a few years I dressed mainly in hand-me-downs from my mum and sister who had both lost weight. I wasn’t all that fussed at the time as I had enough on my plate bringing up a kid with Downs, but eventually I started to look around me and wonder why I looked such a dog’s dinner compared to other women. Why were some stylish and others not? Was it simply something they were born with?
So I started thinking more about clothing, and learnt how to make my own. I was initially drawn to retro style party dresses, but of course I couldn’t really work that 50s pin-up vibe into my everyday wardrobe. It was a high maintenance look that was just for occasional dressing up, and I was okay with that. What I needed was a wardrobe suitable for being a mum and working from home. Comfy, practical clothing, but that suited me perfectly. The search was on…
Over the years I’ve tried many ways of figuring out my style. I read numerous books (Trinny and Susanna and Gok Wan were prime offenders) that gave me lists of clothes I had to own, or styles that would suit my body shape (somewhere between hourglass and pear, apparently) I had a Colour Me Beautiful colour consultation, where I found out I suited soft, cool and deep colours, and I even paid for the Dressing Your Truth online consultation where I found out I was a Type 4 (bold).
However, none of this really helped. Sure, there were some good bits of advice in amongst all of it, but I still wasn’t one hundred percent convinced I was dressing my best. Perhaps that’s because the one place I hadn’t really looked was my own preferences…
More recently I’ve been drawn to the idea of capsule wardrobes and have been trying to let go of any clothes that don’t bring me joy (yep, thanks, KonMari!), but although my pared down wardrobe made me feel much happier, I still struggled to put good outfits together with what I had. I needed to build my wardrobe up again, but where to start?
Finally, I took the plunge and bought a copy of The Curated Closet. Weird it took me so long as I’ve been reading Anushka’s blog, Into Mind, for years and always had the idea I would buy a copy someday. Well, that day came. I read it through, felt excited, then started to do the exercises. Documenting my outfits for two weeks revealed I was in a bit of a rut and wearing the same few items in pretty constant rotation.
Then came the exercise I was most looking forward to: gathering inspirational images. Rees encourages you to devote a solid few hours to this, allowing yourself to go down rabbit holes to find things that really speak to you. I was expecting to come up with some variation on current trends with lots of neutral and muted colours along with flowing silhouettes. And there’s a bit of that, but what I kept coming back to were two of my old faves: librarian chic and rockabilly/pin-up. Two looks I’d thought were too tricky to pull off as a busy mum. But then I realised there were more accessible ways of making it work, and blending the two styles (three if you count the whole maxi skirt thing I have going on) could create something new. Something I’ve decided to call… wait for it:
Off-Duty Rockabilly Librarian
Yep, that about sums it up. It’s a low maintenance version of 50s glam mixed with more contemporary geek chic, and it’s geared towards everyday outfits I’ll find easy to wear. The colours are strong, with plenty of black, navy, cherry red and purple. And the patterns are bold stripes, polka dots, plaid and leopard print. Silhouettes are fitted, waistlines are high, skirts are long, trousers are cropped. Here’s the mood board:
I’m so pleased I’ve taken the time to really think about what I genuinely like and feel good in. It’s already helping me with planning sewing projects. I realised I have a whole book full of suitable patterns: Gertie Sews Vintage Casual, and I’ve now made two of them. I’ve also realised that I have a fair few items already that will work with this style. And I’m now working through the exercises to help plan what I need to fill in the gaps.
This is even going to help me clear out some of the clutter in my loft. I can see now why certain items of clothing and stash fabrics just aren’t inspiring me, and it’s time to let them find new owners.
Yep, I can see the way forward. I’m already putting together outfits that feel more “me” and people are noticing. I feel confident and a bit sassy, channelling my inner Rizzo (been watching a lot of Grease lately as I’m going to see a local production next month).
Now, excuse me. I’m off to watch Grease again while tracking down some leopard print jersey and sewing myself a red, polka dot headscarf!
I’m doing my best to use up stash these days, both in terms of patterns I already own and fabric. This is a total stashbuster project, using a Seamwork pattern I downloaded back when it was first released.
In a Nutshell:
A cute summer top, but it took a lot longer than it should have done as the neckline sewing was fraught with issues…
Pattern:
The Aurora top by Seamwork. I’ve loved the shape of this tank since it was first released, and it looked like an ideal hot weather top for me. I tend to live in RTW cami tops in the summer, but am looking to find a TNT sewing pattern that gives good bra strap coverage. I had high hopes for this one! Continue reading “Ladybird top”
