Me Made May

I have been privately participating in Me Made May, wearing one thing I made myself every day. I have managed it every day, though two of those were by changing something after I got home from work.
Mostly the MMM items have been knit tops or earrings though trousers and cardigan jackets have featured as well. I haven't taken any pictures of myself at all, so I have nothing to share here.

Since it is my own little personal challenge I am going to try and carry on with it into June and beyond.
If I included items I have customised/altered then the list of options would go up a lot as I often make little tweaks on purchased items by dying the garment, adding beading, changing buttons, altering for a better fit, changing hemlines (subtly or drastically) etc

Not much in the way of sewing progress to report, though I've done a few bits of crafting, taking some lime green lamp, sponge painting the bases cream and adding cream lampshades. I seem to be entering a more neutral phase!

SWAP results are up

The SWAP 2013 results are announced

SWAP 2013 results

well done all!!!

I didn't place, but still very much enjoyed being part of the contest again

Please go and vote on Stitchers Guild for SWAP 2013.

AnnRowley writes

LAST DAY TO VOTE!

I shall be counting votes tomorrow (May 27) morning - the leaders are neck and neck, and there is currently a tie for third place but every single SWAP has been someone's choice. I need some more votes - please!

So if you haven't voted yet (and are already a member of Stitcher's Guild), please do so!

Instructions on how to vote

Link to all the collections

New Look 6873 Cami done

I went through the projects box and found a partly completed cami from New Look 6873.
So I decided to finish it off

I had apparently decided to make view E with no trim, and had partly made the cami. I think I must've had machine tension problems as some of the stitching was a bit dodgy. I decided since it was a UFO there was no unpicking and just went ahead and finished it off.
The only alterations I made was to shorten the straps by about one inch and to run elastic through the back casing to snug things up a bit.
Front:

and back

looks like it could do with a bit of a press!
I wonder what else needs finishing off with white thread? I may go and have a look in some of the UFO boxes under the table!

New top done

Using the usual pattern, I have now finished this white print top. I cut it out for the SWAP, but things went a slightly different direction, and I went for print dresses but plain tops, so this one was left as a kit.

 It is now finished and will work really well with blue jeans.

I also hemmed the chocolate and charcoal RTW trousers, so they just need a little press and then can go back into the wardrobe.

I have white on all the machines from sewing the top, so think I will look for another partly done project which needs white thread and work on that next.

Bank Holiday Sewing

Rather than charge into new projects, I think my Bank Holiday sewing needs to be more along the lines of fixing hems, sewing up cut out projects and other finishing off type activities.

I have a tendancy to be excited by new and interesting things, and always want to start new projects, but every so often find it useful to have a completing/mending phase.

So my aim is
- hem charcoal RTW trousers
- hem chocolate RTW trousers
- sew up the 'kit' for a cowl neck top in white with turquoise print.

Of course there are many more things in the list, but I hope that keeping it short means those things at least will get achieved.

SWAP: dress and top

Here I am wearing the dark teal cowl neck top over the bright jungly print dress, just add a belt for some waist definition.

The same dress, this time picking out the bright spring green in the print of the dress. I could've made another top in the purple, but it's not as good a colour for me as the teals and greens.

This is the other dress, a more muted navy, soft teal, turquoise and off white. It works well with the ivory top, but could also be worn with the navy blue top (not shown). A rich turquoise would also work well with this print, but I wanted to keep the colours as neutral as possible in this side of the collection.

Both knit dresses also work very well with a purchased neutral short linen mix jacket I overdyed in turquoise. In fact it would be a great topper for all the outfits in this collection instead of the the teal cardigan jacket.
I'm glad the pictures are up now as it means I can wear the pieces without concern for laundry accidents!

SWAP Wearing the Fun Spring dress

Knit dress from the more colourful side of the SWAP, styled with a twisted sinamay hat, crinkle wrap, teal stretch boots and dark green leather belt.
Sadly I have no wedding or garden party invitations, and I'm not sure my sweetheart would be comfortable coming with me even if I did!

SWAP 2013 Photos are up

Ann Rowley writes

Photos are up!

Thank you everyone for all the work you have done in putting together such wonderful SWAPs. We have eighteen entries this year which is a great response to the challenge.

Details of how to view and vote can be seen here

As there are so many entries I have extended the voting time - you have until midnight Monday 27 May.

Good Luck everyone!

Voting information is here - Voting Information for SG members
SWAP photos are here - All the SWAP 2013 Photos

If you appreciate sewing please enjoy all the photos, and if you are a member of SG please do also then go and vote as per Ann's instructions!

RTW musings

SWAP should get posted on Ann Rowley's Flickr Stream tomorrow, so I am trying to be patient until then.

Yesterday I did a bit of snoop shopping and had two main conclusions.

1. Lace/crochet look etc
There were lots of lace tops in multiple shops. So this looks like a good time to dig out my stretch lace, burnout knit and etc and make myself a few nice tops.

2. Buy a new suit (maybe)
I really like this suit from Next, and plan to try it on see what the fit is like. I like the Neutral (Taupe colour). My favourite work suits are old ones from Next, but it may be the cut has changed a bit, so I would have to try on and see.

That's all for now.
---------------
Updated to add that I tried the suit on in black at lucnhtime and the fit was not good. I did not buy it!!!! Maybe this is why we sew?

SWAP being worn

Here's Ruthie wearing the pieces!!!

SWAP Patterns Used

The patterns I used for my collection

The 4 knit tops and the 2 dresses are all based on New Look 6735.

For the dresses I've used the short sleeved top C and added a long flared skirt traced off a RTW dress I once had. I overlap the pieces at the waist when cutting out so there is no waist seam.
For the tops I used the long sleeved version of the top (view B), lengthened the sleeves to full length and replaced the neckband by a self drafted soft collar. I have altered the front and back pieces to accommodate my forward head/sway back/rounded upper back.

The jacket and skirt are from New Look 6082, with the skirt lengthened slightly. The jacket has been altered for my forward head/sway back/rounded upper back.

The trousers are from Burda magazine October 2008 (Burda 10/2008 #132) which I sewed in November 2009 (post on Burda10-2008-132 Pants), which are included as my previously made piece.

I wear these a lot and the fabric has held up well to laundering.
I think I shall make a matching jacket (as I still have the rest of the fabric) and have a little suit!

Green SWAP top: final piece

Here's the springy Emerald green knit top

I have been quietly doing a Me-Made-May item each day, but no pictures.

Hopefully proper SWAP pictures this weekend of me wearing stuff, though I shall be good and send them to AnnRowley for the Flickr site and not post them here.

Anyway the story board looks like this now.

Not quite what I planned at the start but I like it!

SWAP Teal Cowl top

Made from a dark blued teal mystery remnant, which was very drapey (I'm thinking viscose aka rayon) and is beautifully soft on the skin, this should be a joy to wear.

Sorry about the photo, its taken indoors with flash on my new little Fujifilm point and shoot and I'm still getting used to it.
Same pattern as the ivory top, but that is almost a sweater knit weight, and this is extremely soft and drapey. Interesting what they look like despite using the same pattern.

Another SWAP dress

Well try as I might, I could not get the navy/ivory/tan print dress to work with the teal jacket, so I made a new dress with teal in it which works really well.

I want the tops in each section to be able to be worn over the dress so it looks like a skirt and gives more mix 'n' match options. So when daylight is back I shall check out the planned top fabrics before cutting out.