Me Made May - Days 11 to 14

Last weekend was another diving weekend, but this time it was a Live aboard, trip, so fourteen of us spent the whole weekend on a boat.  While I was able to sneak off to a quiet corridor to set the self timer up and photograph last weekend's outfits, this was never going to be practical on a boat, so this is what i took:  A different thermal top to wear under my dry suit.  

This one has passed near the new embroidery machine.  It was very loosely based on a Burda Magazine top, from January 2009 (125).Burda 1-2009-125 again.

I took the same leggings as last week.

I also took one of my standard T shirts to wear under the thermal top:

In case it got cool in the evening I also added a cardigan that I knitted last winter when I was trying to teach myself to knit lacey stuff.  I didn't have a pattern, just sort of made it up as I went along.

I was generally happy with the cardigan, but I still haven't mastered button holes, so rather than spoil it with crappy button holes I put two feature buttons on the front and crocheted a loop to join them. 

It was warm and sunny when I drove to the harbour so it was probably shorts  and T shirt weather, but I really don't feel that shorts do me any favours at all - my thighs look enormous.  As an alternative I tend to chose casual skirts, so I wore a denim skirt (made from my standard skirt block) and another attempt at lacey knitting (again, no pattern)

I came home on Monday morning and went straight to work, and didn't photograph the outfit, so this is it, another make of the very old New Look 6454, although I only made this one quite recently.  The top is from Burda, March 2007.  I've made a few of these, but I usually alter the top half of the bodice.  I've discovered that if I cut the upper bodice pieces on the fold down the centre front line I can then make the tie a separate piece.  Why?  you ask?  When I tie the knot I bring the inside piece of the tie UNDER my bra, so that the knot also ties the top to my bra.  The obvious benefit of this is that the top doesn't ride up, but it also adapts the neckline according to the style bra that I am wearing.  I plunging bra will produce a plunging neckline, while a more conservative one will produce a work-appropriate top.

Today I'm wearing one of the first pairs of pants that I made with another Burda top. The pants have pleats at the front and when I made them i had more of a waist than I have now.  I still wear them, but looking at these pictures they are not especially flattering.

The top is another Burda one, the only one I've made from this pattern, but when I put it on I decided that I quite like it - I see a few more of these in the future - I've got some red Lycra that would look good in this design.  

I topped the pants and T shirts with a garment that was originally supposed to be a dress, but half way through making it I realised that the fabric was see through.

I changed the design direction to this duster jacket.  Interestingly, I have had more people comment on this dress/duster jacket than any other garment that I have made.  It does do a great dramatic flowy thing when I walk.