Posts Tagged ‘handmade’

Sewing: Striped Briar Sweater

October 24th, 2013
15 Comments

I organize my fabric in wire bins according to type and color, but in the case of fabric that I’m dying to sew I keep it out in the open. This fabric sat on my cutting table for nearly a year and a half. Such a travesty!

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I bought the fabric on a trip to San Francisco a while back. I fell in love with the weight and texture of this rayon knit. It’s soft, silky, thick with great stretch.

Originally I planned on a wiggle dress for this fabric, but the more I looked at it, the more it felt wrong. At $30 a yard, I only bought a yard of this. My options limited me, but in the end served me well.

I’ve been meaning to try out the Briar sweater from Megan for ages. I’ve also discovered that I’m lacking in long sleeve options for fall and winter.

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The short crop isn’t a design that I would typically gravitate towards. However,  the short bodice allowed for long sleeves!

Sleeves take up a deceivingly amount of fabric. If you ever want to make anything long sleeved, you’d better err on the side of 2 yards. I’m still kicking myself for not buying 2 or three yards of this fabric. But hey, financial responsibility is worth something, right? And I LOVE how this sweater turned out.

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It works perfectly over the few button ups I own, and it will be marvelous over my uber high-waisted skirts. It’s a great piece to challenge my typical shirt-n-pants uniform. And it’s warm. I’m all about keeping warm this winter.

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I didn’t make any modifications to the pattern, I cut an XS exactly. I was thoroughly impressed how quickly and easily I sewed on the arms. The seam goes all the way out to the edge of the shoulder so the ease is minimal. I only used three pins to sew them in!

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Next time I have a little more fabric to spare, I’m definitely making the longer version of this top.

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This outfit was the perfect mom outfit yesterday. I was comfortable all day, felt amazing and looked polished. Perfect for lunching it with my mom, running errands and picking up kids from the bus stop.

Outfit details:

 

 

*I just have to say, these are the most comfortable boots I own, and they have a 2 inch heel! They’re easy to style, easy to walk in and the perfect on-your-feet, on-the-go bootie! I’m a HUGE, HUGE fan of SoleSociety.

Sewing: Handmade Basics

September 16th, 2013
4 Comments

I would much rather spend $10 at a big-box store for a basic tee than spend an hour making one. But sewing something this easy is a nice way to turn off the brain and and just make.

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This fabric, a structured not-so-stretchy jersey 100% organic cotton knit, needed to be a simple tee.

It’s a forgiving knit to sew with, like the quilting cotton of knit fabric. So easy, I didn’t use a single pin while sewing this top!

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I made this shirt  fitted to pair nicely under voluminous skirts or with skinny jeans. Because the fabric is so structured, the tighter fit is still flattering.

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The top ended up being shorter than I would have liked, but it works. It falls just below the button on my new favorite denim. It’s not ideal for all of my pants, but perfect for my higher-waisted skirts!

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I cut the sleeves a little long for my taste, so I’ve just rolled them up. I like the contrast of white that it gives. I can also roll the sleeves down if at some point I decide I want a longer sleeve. Can I tell you how much I’m loving my new denim? I scored these at a blogger event a couple weeks ago at DownEast. They’re worlds better than any of the denim I own and I didn’t have to put darts in them to keep the back from gaping.

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Outfit Details:

  • glasses: Target
  • earrings: vintage
  • bracelets: vintage/gifts
  • scarf: soel boutique
  • tee: handmade
  • denim: c/o DownEast
  • shoes: thrifted

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Fabric provided by Organic Cotton Plus.

 

Sewing, then Remixing “Old” Clothing

September 10th, 2013
16 Comments

I made a shirt a couple weeks ago. I haven’t showcased it here because it’s borderline “old”. The idea for a box pleat at the neckline seemed cool in my head, but as soon as I tried on the finished piece, I felt like it came straight off the racks at Coldwater Creek.

It’s comfortable and I love, love the fabric! The style and the fit together are, in the words of Michael Korrs, dowdy. It’s not the kind of tee I can throw on and feel put together. It requires a little bit of styling to get past go. Not the worst thing in the world, but I thought I would share  two tips for taking something “old” and making it contemporary.

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Certainly I’m no fashion expert. After seeing bits and pieces of NYFW, I’m second guessing all of my style notions. But no matter. I’m on the slopes of Utah, where Guy Fieri hair is considered a thing among some. So here we go:

Front Tuck (see above image), where the front is tucked in and the back is loose and untucked. Chris doesn’t get it but fashion bloggers do it all the time. So it makes perfect style sense, right?

80s Knot (see below image), where I grab all excess material at the waist and twist it into a little knot, 80s style. It gives me a waist and the shirt some purpose.

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Next time I’d like to try a trendier print. And maybe do this in dress form. Belting an untucked shirt isn’t cool anymore, but I could belt a dress and be on my way.

Or I could go sans belt if I had a cool leather jacket, blazer or slouchy cardigan. I can’t get Sophie’s blazer out of my mind. I might need one with leather piecing on the sleeves.

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I do wear this tee without styling it. Usually it’s without make-up, bra or heels. It’s incredibly comfortable, but I’m not leaving the house like that.

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Again, I’m certainly no fashion expert, but I feel more put together when I wear something with structure and a pair of heels. How about you?

Outfit Details:

  • earrings: thrifted
  • necklace: thrifted
  • top: handmade (fabric here)
  • skirt: handmade (tutorial here)
  • bracelet: DownEast Basics
  • shoes: ALDO

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On a sewing-related note, I did my first blind hem by serger. This is a great option for hemming clothes to allow for lots of stretch, without a coverstitch machine. I’ve knotted the heck out of this shirt and no hem threads have busted yet. Major win!

I’m going to be showcasing a LOT more sewing projects on the blog from now until the end of September. I’m prepping for Sewing Summit, so I’ll be spending any spare time on calligraphy, sewing and my photography presentation for the conference.

Fabric provided by Michael Levine Fabrics.

 

Sewing Harem Pants – Out of My Comfort Zone

September 6th, 2013
32 Comments

Confidence is key when wearing anything beyond just jeans and a tee. That confidence has waxed and waned in the last few years. But mostly waned.

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I also have ridiculous fit and texture sensitivities which makes branching out into atypical silhouettes really hard for me. But I really want to give harem pants a try. And I did this week. I’m still deciding if I love or hate them.

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I guess they’re growing on me. I’ve worn them mostly all day. At least the fabric is awesome.

Like super awesome. I wish I had made these in the thick of summer when it was super hot. I got this fabric in LA’s fabric district. There’s a black/pink colorway version available here.

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I nearly asked Chris, “Do these pants make my butt look fat?” before realizing it’s a question that should never be asked. By anyone. Ever.

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There’s a disconnect between how I feel they look and what I see in the mirror (and these photos). And I want to get over that disconnect and feel confident in them all the time.

Do you have any pieces in your closet like that?

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Outfit details:

Click to read more about the sewing process (warts and all. I mean all warts).

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Sewing: Super Wrap Maxi Skirt

August 29th, 2013
20 Comments

I didn’t put the question up here on the blog, but I asked what I should do with this triangular rayon challis about two weeks ago. It’s not a print I would normally gravitate to, but I love the colors and the drape of the fabric. It was a $2/yard score in LA.

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When I first started sewing the skirt, the opinion was for the long skirt with a slit. Since then, the opinion has changed. No matter. I’m not second-guessing my decision for this skirt. It works beautifully as a wrap maxi.

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I’ve mentioned this before, but my beef with wrap skirts is coverage. We live on a pretty drafty mountain and I hate showing off my underwear to family and friends. I do like how easy these skirts are to draft, sew and wear.

With this skirt, I drafted something slightly different. Most wrap skirt patterns (that I’ve seen from the big pattern manufacturers) are rectangles with darts. This doesn’t create a whole lot of room at the bottom for flowiness or for covering lady bits when the wind picks up. Instead, I drafted up a partial circle skirt (just shy of a third of a circle) for both sides, the front flap being only 2-3 inches shy of the side seam rather than a whopping 6-8 inches. That makes all the difference in the world.

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The skirt walks really well and doesn’t show off really any skin above the tops of my shins. I say that’s perfect for the upcoming fall and winter months.

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The fabric used here is a soft, breathable rayon challis. I love this kind of fabric. It’s fairly easy to work with, breathable and drapes really nicely. I can’t seem to find this print anywhere, but I now have a pinterest board dedicated completely to rayon challis. Check it out. You’ll love it.

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Outfit details:

I love my new skirt, even if the colorway is so nuts I only have two or three shirts that actually match. Two Sundays ago, I couldn’t find any clean shirts that matched this skirt (but I wanted to wear it so bad!) that I rummaged through my “to refashion” pile and came across this white button-up.

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I bought this button up in the boy’s section at DI for $3 or so. It fit great in the body but not in the arms. I simply grabbed my serger and quickly zipped up the sides of the arms for a more tailored look. Pre-serger, that improvement would have taken about 30 minutes because of pinking or finishing the exposed fabric edges. This time it took me 5 minutes. I felt like I cheated it was that easy.

Have you ever made a wrap skirt before? It was one of the first garment sewing projects I ever did. I think I was 12 or 13.

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