The Replacement Rooibos

I never thought I'd be the kind of gal who would make the same exact thing twice. But after discovering how much I love the Colette Rooibos silhouette + my slim Me-Made-May pickings, I really longed for a wearable one.

This is the great thing about moving toward a style: I know what I like and I know what I'll wear. So another Rooibos it was!

As luck would have it, I was with my sister in a thrift store in my hometown. I came across this denim-like twill, more gray than blue. It looks fabulous but it wears a bit like 70s poly, and irons like it, too. Boo. That didn't become clear until I was constructing the dress.

With two Rooibosi under my belt, I thought this would be easy-peasy. But in a mad dash toward The Perfect Dress, I made plenty of mistakes. I'm not sure how much of it was sloppiness or my own disappointment that things weren't going swimmingly. Perfection is a tall order, after all. I didn't achieve it on this one, that's for sure.

That said, there's much to be proud of: first time using piping and making my own bias tape. First full lining, which I love love love. A full lining, for me, brings a dress from lovely to luxurious. I feel like I'm gliding through my day. 

Like the previous dress, I made a number of adjustments. I was terrified of having the bodice and armsyce too tight again so I allowed enough ease to pull over my head. So I remember if I make the Rooibos again:

I wish the poly fabric felt better close to my skin and that it ironed well (without melting), but it's being worn! I managed to put it on once every day on this long weekend, Me-Made-May Days  26, 27, 28 (rotating with the Lola and the LBD) and I'm pretty sure I'll wear it this final day of May. Then I'll wash it, pinky-promise. 

On its maiden voyage, paired with a coral cardigan and a striped scarf.

Now I'm dreaming of summer sewing. I hope we can do some sewing together in June.  :)

What about you? Did Me-Made-May get you sewing something you'll love to wear?

Possibly a Perfect A-Line Dress for Me (& Yet I Never Wear It)

I hella heart this dress, my denim Colette Rooibos (originally blogged here and featured on the Coletterie here). 

When I was talking about A-line fantasy dresses for rectangular gals, I was probably thinking about this dress: the wide neckline brings attention to the shoulders, the wide hem to the lower body, and a fitted bust and empire/high waistband brings a slimness to the torso without showcasing a full natural waist. 

Then there's pockets and the basic color that pairs with everything, any season. When I think of a perfect-for-me woven dress, this is it. 

And yet I don't wear it. 

I had A LOT of fitting problems with this dress. Since I made it last June, I must've un-stitched and re-stitched various seams 3 to 4 times. The bodice was too tight, the armscyes too high and I could never decide on the sweep and length of the hem. 

Add to that a fabric that was absolutely unforgiving to unpicking—either leaving marks in the fabric or unraveling to the point or where a new seam was useless. Sigh. 

This dress only looks good from five feet away. I've jerry-rigged it to make it wearable, but I'm so self-conscious every time I put it on that I just don't put it on anymore.

The wonky zipper, from sewing and re-sewing.

The navy knit inset, so I could breathe. Under one arm, so the bodice is slightly off. So unsightly. 

The old hem line I get to look down to every time I wear it. Plus some fabric problems from the wash. 

This is definitely one of those dresses that, when folks ask if I made it, I know it shows. In the bad way.

What about you? You got any of these lying around? 

There's nothing like a month-long me-made challenge to start dreaming up perfect-for-me garments and so, up next: The Replacement Rooibos! 

Red Meh Skirt and Me-Made-May

The last item in my mini-red wardrobe: The red skirt. 

Two weeks ago, I holed up with my sewing machine to alter an existing pattern for the red sailor skirt. Remember when I said drafting often brings me face-to-face with my own limitations? Yeah. Pattern-perfect but something wasn't working in reality. Maybe fabric.

Eleventh hour frustration and I started again from scratch and traced off the Colette Meringue sans scallops. So here it is.

Too loose? Too short? Too A-line? I don't know. I'm sort of happy with it. The first red skirt went into the Purgatory Pile. And this Meringue skirt I could love if only I didn't spend all my days at offices with nearly covered knees and I could bask in reliable sunshine.

One neat alteration I added was a side button closure instead of an invisible zipper. I used the pattern pieces from BurdaStyle's Ruby Shorts.

Good news is: My mini red wardrobe has really enticed me into wearing more red, whether me-made or not, and I realize how happy warm colors make me. You'll see them lots in these Me-Made photos below!

Me-made LBD 1.0 and cowl. This is a typical travel combo for me: basic knit dress and leggings, colorful cardi, and scarf. Easy to pack and comfy for long rides.

Me-made Victory Patterns Lola! She hasn't been featuring much in my Me-Made photos but once I tear off my day's clothes, I lounge in my Lola and at bedtime slip into my avocado Lola nightie.

Me-Made navy Jalie 3024 in french terry with a cloche made by Jessica of a Yen for Craft. Off to the Maker's Faire!

The Red Meringue has its day. I don't like tucking. I know it doesn't look bad, but it makes me uncomfortable.

Me-made Sunday Morning skirt in denim (70s pattern). On the way to work.

Me-made purple crepe slip dress from 40s pattern.

Not a great day: As an underlayer, me-made tank and cowl. Me-Made May makes me want to fix all the clothes I love, so I fixed the clasp on these capris so I could wear them.

Me-made knit dress from Burda Mag. By far one of my favorite me-mades, so comfy and stylish.

I think I'm in a sewing rut, folks. I've been fascinated and inspired by a lot of recent posts about other sewists' evolving style. I feel like I'm finally evolving into a style (and Me-Made-May is a great exercise in that!) but what's also evolving is what I want out of sewing and out of my wardrobe.

I expect more from my wardrobe, more from my sewing skill set. I'm no longer satisfied with just making a wearable garment. I want to it to be perfectly fitting and well-made and versatile. And yikes, is that hard. I'm afraid I don't have the patience for it and it makes me not want to sew at all. I've been making all sorts of sloppy mistakes lately—logging a lot of seam ripper time. 

Maybe I should just stick to knit dresses. They're easy to make and I love them immensely.

What about you? Is what you want out of sewing changing?

The Shape of Things: 46% of Women are Rectangles

All you curvy ladies, I love you. I love what you wear, how you wear it. But I ain't go it. Nope: No hips like whoa, no lovely lady lumps, no junk in the trunk. This baby ain't got back and my cup most certainly does not runneth over.

I'm small-busted, short- and thick-waisted, and slim-hipped, which can usually be summed up as a "rectangular" body shape. And I'm not alone. According to research, 46%(!) of women are rectangular, too.

"Designers and manufacturers still insist on making clothes that fit the traditional hourglass figure, when women's shapes are more likely to be top-heavy, rectangular or pear-shaped," according to this article. "The research found that although only 8 per cent of women now had the sort of hourglass figure flaunted by curvaceous 1950s film stars such as Sophia Loren, designers and manufacturers continued to make clothes to fit a slim-line version of that figure."

When I try on RTW clothes, I often feel childlike with a bust that I can't fill out and plump around a midsection I can't button or zip.

With sewing patterns, I spend so much time taking in the bust and hips and increasing the waist. Colette Patterns, which I love, seems to be particularly agonizing for me to fit and yet look beautiful on curvy women. Sewaholic serves pear-shaped women. But what about us rectangular gals?

The problem, for me, is not just that I have to make pattern adjustments but that some silhouettes are really are not flattering on a rectangular frame. I've been thinking about this since Tanit-Isis mentioned her issues with waist-seams and drindls -- it was an aha moment for me. She says:

I always end up feeling cut in half, emphasizing both the width of my waist (2-3 sizes larger than the rest of me) and the shortness of my upper body. ... Unfortunately for me, this describes roughly 90% of the dress patterns out there, and (even worse) a large percentage of the ones I’m dyingtomakerightnowdammit!

Fantasy Dresses for Rectangle Gals

So not all rectangles are short-waisted like Tanit-Isis and I and I'm sure there's a great deal to be said about personal style and preference here, but can we imagine for a second what a great dress for rectangles might be?

I think dresses are a great place to start because, despite how inherently feminine they are, I initially felt more boyish in them. The wrong dress has a way of hiding the little curves I had and so I felt a lot more bootylicious in a tee that curved around my torso and jeans that cupped my derriere. Still, I think the right dress can be stunning on a rectangle gal.

The Drapey, Flowy Wonder




There's nothing that will make me feel more Marilyn-like than a drapey number.

• Bare clavicles and shoulders and arms and v-necks bring attention to the top half of me and define the bust, while a full skirt swishes around my knees.
• A modest neckline doesn't take away from the femininity of this number. 
• The waist is either empire, curved toward the back, or de-emphasized with belts and sashes in the same color that provide definition but not contrast. 
• The body's not being cut in half, nor do I look like a stuffed sausage with an over-emphasized midsection. 

I dream about dresses like this, of silk and rayon and crepe and bias-cut fabrics. I'm a bit weary of a waist seam as well as pleats, but they can work depending on the design and fabric. I think what matters is the hem needs to be noticeably fuller than the waist and I'd like to experiment with the clean look of a half-circle skirt. Think: 40s and 70s

The A-Line, Shifty Cool



The opposite of drape is structure and yet I find a crisp A-line works equally well. Less indication of curve, more imagining of it. More leggy-Twiggy-ness.

Despite my love for the former type of dress, I find this much more versatile year-round amid gusts and inclement weather.

• Easy to layer with tights and, depending on the sleeve, with sweaters and coats.  
• Ideally there's still bust definition, but it's the sweep of the A-line skirt that makes the body look curvier than it might naturally be. 
• Without a waist seam, it's so comfortable. 
• With a slim bust, I can usually make these without a zipper and it pulls right over my head.
• A great way to show off print and color. 

Wool and twill and corduroy and linen. Think: 60s.

What I'm Weary Of




I'll wear a knit dress in any shape because I love them so much, but I'm generally weary of a straight sheath, drindl, blouson, or super tight dress. Again, they could all work depending on the details, but I usually feel childlike and out of sorts in any of these dresses.

That's my budding perspective and I'm sure it'll evolve as I get more of these shapes into my closet.

There's a good chance you might be a rectangle too, what does your perfect dress silhouette look like? 

Me-Made and Megastores: Struggling with an Ethical Wardrobe

Finally, a Me-Made-May update! I started the month in the heavy humidity and sunshine of my homestate, Hawaii, where my knit LBD and a white tank came in handy (but no photos!). Now I'm back in the sometimes sunny, sometimes gray, sometimes windy Bay Area. I really miss reliable weather.

As pledged, I've been wearing at least one me-made garment every day. I've always found these me-made challenges a real game-changer, wardrobe-wise. It's a great exercise in what's working and what's not. There are a few gems, but there's several things that have already been sent to the Purgatory Pile, where projects await judgment.

I've already edited out a me-made skirt, shorts, dress and knit tee from my wardrobe. Wasteful? Perhaps. Or maybe I'm learning non-attachment, finally. They'll be recreated or recycled, so no fabric waste. This is self-forgiveness, not project-forgiveness. Onward.

Purple crepe dress, from 1940s slip pattern. It's not perfect, but I love love the way it falls on my body and the way the skirt hangs.

Me-made tank and knit pants, both self-drafted.  Lazy Saturday, the pants don't get much wear unless I'm lounging or traveling because of the elastic waist that shimmies down with wear.

Mother's Day started out gray. Me-made purple corduroys traced from fave GAP jeans and me-made cowl. The pants are by far my proudest project, but don't wear these much because the fabric's not stretch and it gets baggy and unflattering by midday. Boo. Purgatory Pile?

Me-Made Denim Skirt from 70s pattern and blazer traced from J. Crew. Blazer fits perfectly, but the fabric wears like cardboard ----> Purgatory Pile

Me-made: tank, beret and blazer. 

Me-made knit top from 50s pattern.  Looks OK in the photo, but the color doesn't excite me. Likely gifting to a friend. Also: My fave skirt, silk with godets. I've been stopped twice in the street in this thing.

Jalie 3024 dress in navy french terry. Usually not hot enough to wear this, perhaps I should just move some place warmer ;)

Me-made knit dress from Burda 06/2010. Love this dress, so so comfy. Trying to do the tomboy thing with the sailor sweater.

Kwik Sew fuschia knit top. Still haven't shortened it as sagely suggested and I've grown to hate the "draped" shoulder that doesn't drape at all. ----> Purgatory Pile until I grow patience.

Me-made batik dress (adapted from Burda 06/2010 pattern) and beret. Even though this doesn't have any waist shaping, I love wearing this print.

All the while I've been buying from megastores, the anti-thesis of Me-Made-May. After my Fashion on the Ration pledge ended in January, I whipped up a list of what I thought a perfect wardrobe might be for me. The good news: It was a short list and I had most of it.

I've spent the year slowly donating things that aren't on the list and filling the gaps by either 1) making or 2) thrifting and 3) buying what the thrift flotsam doesn't shore up. In my defense, it's a mindful approach, even if that pretty green cardigan was stitched together under conditions I don't want to imagine. Less is better than more, but worse than nothing. Sigh.

Having an entirely ethical wardrobe feels like a lot of pressure. What do you think?

Happy Me-Made-May, I'm totally inspired by everyone's creations and personal style :)

New Sewing Patterns by Christine Haynes

Hello, all! I'm back from a wonderful, exhausting family trip and have received some exciting news for me professionally. I'm trying to get back into the blog-swing of things and have been enjoying wearing all my me-made dresses and skirts in the fabulous weather we've been having in the Bay Area.

I'm weather-motivated, so all I can think of now is full skirts and A-line leggy goodness. Speaking of summer-lovelies, I was thrilled when I saw that Christine Haynes' new sewing patterns were available for pre-order! Christine is the author of Chic and Simple Sewing and is teaching the Craftsy class, the Sassy Librarian Blouse.

I met Christine—who is a friend of one of my favorite people on the planet—at the Colette launch party at Sew L.A. in February.

Here's the Derby Dress, described as "a fun swingy a-line sundress. Both versions pull on, feature princess seams in the front, and have four panels in the back. View A has a contrast Peter Pan collar, straps at the neck, and a gathered ruffle at the hem that hits above the knee. View B has a bias-cut gathered ruffle at the neck, a tie belt at the waist, and hits just above the knee."

No zipper? Peter pan collar? Ruffle? Yes, please! I snapped the Derby Dress up, and I think I'll try View A in a buttery silky fabric I just picked up in Hawaii.

This is the Chelsea dress, and the 90s girl in me longs for Version A. It also seems perfect for folks who are bold with prints and fabrics.

It is "a sweet and modern baby doll dress. Both versions pull on and feature raglan sleeves and dress that gather into the upper yoke. View A has a contrast yoke, Peter Pan collar with a 3-button closure, short sleeves, and hits above the knee. View B has a V-neck collar with bias cut bow, 3/4 length sleeves, and band at the hem that hits at the knee."

Check them out here. Free domestic shipping until May 31!

Reading, Knitting and Failing Better

First day of Me-Made-May! I woke up in my Lola nightie and then pulled on a me-made white tank. I'm back in my homestate and the past few days have been chock full of family and cooking and cleaning and little ones. When I can I've been checking into the blogosphere and loving all the PJs and the MMM preps! 

To continue on with my mini-red wardrobe: The Knitted Beret 

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. 

—Beckett

So I haven't been showing you much of my knitting because I've been failing at it a lot. In all their glory: a thrice cast-on baby hat in blue for a December 2011 baby, a failed red beret in January, a quarter-made top-down mock-turtleneck in black from January, and a bottom-up maroon sweater made from January to March, with the world's ugliest neckline.

This surprisingly hasn't rankled me too much. A lifelong reader, I'd fallen off the wagon these past two years—work and anxiety made it hard for me to sit still. So there was sewing, but that's a consuming affair. But knitting, forgiving knitting, became the carrot that enticed me back to books. 

Reading

Once I committed knit and purl stitches to muscle memory, I fired up my e-reader and started plowing through books. When I cast on the black turtleneck, I opened Wuthering Heights. I'd read—and disliked it—as a teenager (just get together, already, Catherine and Heathcliff! I'd say).

And as I worked my way through the maroon sweater, I finished Bronte's novel, picked up Alice Munro's Too Much Happiness, then a friend's novella, then Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. I cast off while reading Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus. In terms of nonfiction, I finished Joy of Less by Francine Jay and Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston—both helped immensely in my desire to have less.

And finally, the red beret for my mini-red wardrobe. 

In this hat is the last thrilling chapters of Night Circus and the beginning of Tea Obrecht's The Tiger's Wife. Not to mention many short stories and essays in between. I suspect Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun is next.

I long for that moment when I'm so enraptured by the story that I seriously consider calling in sick so I can sit at home and read. Knitting gives me the patience to sit through the beginning of a story, before I've attached to the characters, not to mention the boring and slow bits (the younger Cathy wore on me, she did).

Failing Better

I sometimes wish I was the type of person that could endlessly work at something until it was perfect. In fact, there's a lot that's not perfect about my new red beret—it could be a bit tighter and less slouchier—but I like it all the same. In knitting, I could rip it out and start again, but I'm much more inclined to "fail better" on the next project.

Through all this knitting, I've learned:

• How to calculate gauge from my RTW sweaters/hats
• Working with cotton vs. wool (I can see what all the fuss is about with wool!)
• How to pick up dropped stitches (I just purchased the book Knit Fix—worth its weight in gold)
• I like working with interchangeable needles
• For mindless knitting in the round, I like metal needles for speed
• Sweaters may be too large of a project for me, I lose steam
• How to knit on two circular needles for a small circumference (though I don't really like it)
• I'm afraid of DPNs
• I really like knitting hats

To the last point, and inspired by Roobeedoo who churned out many lovelies from this book, I just purchased Weekend Hats.

I think I'm ready to start branching out beyond stockinette endlessly in the round, so I thought this book might be a good introduction to simple lace work and color work. I'm a bit worried that it might interfere with my reading (having to constantly look down at the needles), but I'm excited about the possibilities!

Speaking of failing better, I'm also applying my hoarding-lessons from sewing to knitting. I'm allowing myself to buy any knitting supplies I want, providing they fit in this box:

I wish I had some yarn on me now—I'm penning this as my 8-month-old niece naps but here in the tropics, yarn stores are rare and far away from where I grew up. Sigh. 

I'm curious though: Are there nearly-mindless knitting projects you recommend for reading?