MMM12 - Day 9 and 10

Day 9, and my plan is to go for a walk, then start cataloguing my fabric stash.  I'm going to photograph each piece of fabric with a piece of paper showing the length.

Doing the MMM12 challenge is showing me that I the clothes that I make are not the ones that I wear on a day to day basis.  I may not like the fact that I don't have a job, but it means that I tend to wear jeans and track pants most of the time.  These pants came from Burda, June 2009.  Not only are they not flattering, but they tend to need constant adjustment to stop them falling down.  The T shirt is from my standard T shirt block, taken from a RTW t shirt.

I made this ensemble as a yoga outfit, drafting the pants myself and using a Burda Pattern from June 2008 for the T shirt.  It's comfortable, but not flattering.  It was also one of the few outfits that I had that met the needs of today (doing nothing in particular at home) and the Me Made criteria.  I have a host of suits and skirts and dresses, but since I was made redundant most of them are not appropriate for day to day wear.  

Even if I was offered a job tomorrow I'd still have a gap in my Me Made wardrobe for weekend wear.  Last night was my pattern making class, so I copied the teachers instructions for drafting Jeans.  I'd like some well fitting jeans, and they would fit into my life better than endless lovely dresses, especially in the winter.

 In this picture I am knitting a set of cuffs for a casual hooded jacket that is in my plan:

The main fabric is a denim-weight cotton with a fun print of faces all over it, which I am planning to line with a pale grey T shirting fabric.  Since I want the jacket to be wind proof I was going to put some black ribbing round the wrists, but then came along this black-white-grey wool and I decided to mix my materials up a bit and knit my own cuffs.

Another weekend away, so the same old thermal undergarments will be trotted out for diving, but I'll have to think of another Jeans alternative.

Having two days with nothing to do I did manage to finish preparing the pieces for another version of the Burda Jacket that I wore on day 8.  The first version was black with red topstitching.  This time I've chosen a plain white linen but embroidered black swirls all over it.

 I'm not sure about this one - I'm warey of using the embroidery machine to over-do the embellishments, but it does look quite pretty.

Me made May 12 - Day eight

Today's outfit was another version of a very old A line skirt from Simplicity, a self drafted tank top and a jacket from march 2007 Burda.  

Although it's been in my wardrobe for a while I like this jacket .   In fact, I'm using the same pattern to show case the new embroidery machine on my current project: A plain white linen jacket with a black swirly pattern embroidered all over it. 

I've got a white dot fabric to line it with, but it was surprisingly hard to get all the swirls in the right places - still a work in progress, but I'm enjoying it,

Made Me May, day 5, 6 and 7

OK, this has to be the LEAST flattering picture that I will post - my scuba diving outfit!  I actually dive in a dry suit, which, for the non-divers, is like diving in a big plastic bag, so I wear thermal underwear to keep me warm, and actually stay dry while I dive.  For technical reasons to do with pressure at depth, the underwear has to be simple, close fitting with as few zips and buttons as possible.  Hence this monstrosity.  All I can say is that almost everyone at the dive lodge is wandering round in thermal underwear, so I didn't look nearly as odd at the lodge as I do here.

As an added Me Made Bonus over the weekend, I took several pairs of me made knickers/underpants - no model shots, but all garments are worn over these.  

They were reverse engineered from my most comfortable pair - 1/2 a meter made four pairs!

The less than flattering pictures continue with the closest I have ever come to jeans:

I have never been very happy with these cargo Pants (Burda December 2009),

 

For some odd reason the pockets always gap and give the impression of huge hips.

However, I would have looked really odd wearing a dress at the dive lodge, where the dress code is really casual.  A few years ago I drove up straight from work in a suit, and the lodge "mother" who I have known for AGES didn't recognise me.  So my nearly-jeans had to come out.  I've seen a few bloggers who have made very successful jeans (Amy and struggles to sew a straight seam spring to mind) recently so I might try again, but not with  this pattern.

I am wearing them with a top from the same magazine (121) which was much more successful.

As a final outfit for my first week of MMM12 I was helping paint a friend's living room, and I do draw the line at photos of me painting, however, here are the overalls which were made from an eighties Burda magazine, I can't recall which one.  They have recently, however, had a quick up date with the new embroidery machine!

That lace knit and MMM12 day 4

Every one I know has seen me knitting this top.  It was supposed to be an Equinox Top made with some Sirdar Pure Bamboo yarn that was on special at a local wool shop.  I followed the instructions and then neck was really high and frumpy looking.  Two thirds of the way through  this top I decided that I didn't like the way it was shaping up so unravelled it and redesigned the neck before starting again.  I did finish it this time, but months of handling, the "white" yarn, was lookiong decidedly gruppy.  The label on the yarn said machine washable, so I popped it in the machine with the regular wash, and out came a perfectly white child's T shirts!

I did nothing for a few weeks, then I unravelled it and started again.

When I finally finished it, it looked...well...ordinary.  Rather than redesign the whole thing and knit it up again I threaded a few bits of black ribbon and put it on to drive north for a weekend.  

I am so over this jumper now.

So this is now my Me Made May 12 outfit for Friday, that **** knitted top and the first skirt I made from my skirt block.

Me Made May 12, day 3 and finishing the elephant

It was a family dinner today, so I pulled out an old favourite.  This teal wrap dress was based on a full length overdress from Burda Magazine in January 1999 (yes I have them from that far back).  I shortened the dress and sort of melded the top and bottom pieces to eliminate the waist seam.

It's getting quite chilly in the evenings, so I put a Jacket over the top - also from Burda Magazine, this time May 1999.  Again this pattern was adapted - the original was a full length coat.   The fabric was actually curtain fabric , but not thermal lined.  I loved the colours so disregarded the fact it was curtain fabric - I just hope I never meet someone with the curtains! 

My main reason for going with the green dress for this evening was that I bought a new pair of shoes the other day.  I had seen them and loved them earlier in the summer, but they weren't cheap so didn't buy them.  Last week I was passing the shop and they were half price.  I took this as a sign from the gods that I was supposed to have them.  They are rather high heeled, so I can't actually walk very far in them - more practice needed I think.

Since I would be seeing my ex at the dinner I was motivated to finish his trousers (the elephant Project)  despite my cunning strategy of breaking the project down into manageable chunks, I had still had procrastinated and hadn't finished them.  I had got engrossed in a jacket covered in embroidery (using the machine that Mum gave me) and was seriously lacking enthusiasm for the elephants.  Fortunately i had fitted them and made the required adjustments so I was able to get them done before the dinner.  He seemed pleased, and at least I can get back to the jacket, which is looking quite...er... unusual at the moment.

I'm heading North this weekend - hoping to get do some scuba diving (I have a me made outfit for that) and I've offered to help my buddy paint his living room while I'm up there. Me Made overalls packed - pictures to follow.

Me Made May 12, day 2

Day 2, and I've got to wash my car and take it for a new tyre and warrant of fitness.  Despite that, I've chosen a cream and brown collection.

The pants are from Burda Magazine again, this time 106 from May 2008.  I wasn't especially happy with the pocket flaps on these; They seem to point a metaphoric arrow at my hips, but other than that they turned out OK.  Looking at the picture I realise that the print pants with a print top look a little busy.

The top was self-drafted from my basic T shirt pattern and then slashed into strips and overlocked back together on the outside.  Not quite sure that it worked - probably would have been better with a plan fabric.

Me Made May 12

The first day of the Me Made May 12 challenge: It was surprisingly difficult to get dressed this morning.  Jeans and T shirts have become a dangerous habit.  I eventually settled on a T shirt and an A line skirt.

I can't remember quite how old this skirt is, but it was the first version I ever made of New Look 6454.  I have a photo of my little girl's first day at school and I'm wearing it.  Since "little girl" is now at Uni, it must have been at least 13 years ago, and I have made this pattern up more times than I can count.  I suspect it may be out of print now, as that pattern number is an evening gown on the Simplicity/New Look web site.

The top is a Burda Magazine one, from January 2009 (125).Burda 1-2009-125

I had to take the photo myself with the self timer, and only now do I realise that I look as though I only have one leg!

After a few weeks of playing with Mum's embroidery machine I decided that I needed help and was delighted to find a shop in Papatoetoe that offered one hour one on one lessons on the Janome machines for only NZ$20.  Papatoetoe is the other side of the city for me, but it was worth it.  I came back with all the problems that I had magically solved, and bursting with inspiration.  I've left the elephant project on the side for a while now, but I can feel an elaborate embroidery - based project coming on!