Me Made May 2018

Well, it's here again, already! Can you believe it?

I'm just dropping in to say that I am participating in Me Made May again this year. I've pledged to wear as many handmade garments as possible each day. Realistically this will probably only be a maximum of 2, but there might be the odd day when I can manage a third.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to assess some of my makes and figure out why I don't wear them, if there is anything I can do to change that, or if not, what I'll do with them. I also want to figure out handmade wardrobe gaps. Finally, I need to do some mending, and I'd like to make a pair of jeans or another pair of trousers, but we'll see on that last one.

I'll try to do periodic round up posts, but you can see all my goings on on Instagram (@grosgraingreen).

Are you joining in this year? What's your pledge?

Trouser Inspo

It won't have escaped your notice that I've been sewing trousers recently (here and here), and I have just finished another pair of Emerson/Alexandria mash ups which have yet to be posted. I've talked and thought a lot about sewing trousers in the past, but never really managed to actually do the sewing. Suddenly I can't get enough!

I think there are a few reasons for this. Firstly, I'm just wearing trousers more. Generally casually, I live in skinny jeans and at work wear more dresses and skirts, but this winter I've definitely been wearing my RTW black skinnies to death. I'm not sure what's prompted this change and I suspect that come summer (IF summer ever cometh) that my skirts my come back out to play, but for now I want to wear trouser.

Secondly, I tried on quite a few RTW trousers and didn't like them. The fit was OK, but not good enough, and I figured I could at least attempt to do better myself.

Thirdly, the more you make trousers, the less scary they seem. Actually trousers are not difficult at all to make. Just hard to fit.

Lastly, there seems to have been an explosion of Indie trouser patterns in the past few years, which makes the whole thing easier still, albeit with some limitations (see below).

What I will say though, is that I am fussy about the shapes and styles that I wear, and none more so than trousers. I can't always put my finger on what I don't like about things, I just know they aren't right for me, and sadly from the sewing point of view, often I can't identify this until I've actually tried them on. Case in point the Alexandria pants and more recently the Calyers, which I muslined and then rejected (same problem with fabric volume as the Alexandria). This quickly becomes an expensive hobby (the Calyer pdf cost £10), so I am trying to come up with some ways to identify whether a pattern is likely to be a winner or not, BEFORE I make the purchase. This still needs some work, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share some lovely trouser inspiration with you. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's some of the patterns I have my eye on currently, in that "my eyes are bigger than my sewing ability" way we all know.

Wide Legs

I love the cropped wide leg look, and am keen to recreate a pair I tried on in Jigsaw a couple of months ago but didn't buy because they were dry-clean only and itchy wool. This is a selection of patterns I've been considering. I have previously made and do like the True Bias Emerson pants (not pictured), but would like to move away from an elasticated waistband. I think I like the Anna Allen Persephone and RDC Gaston's best, due to the covered fly and the slightly wider leg, but the others, the True Bias Lander Pants and the Papercut Nagoya Pants are strong contenders. I prefer that the Lander has back pockets, but they are easy things to add to a different pattern. I'd like to make a black pair for work (fabric tbc, but maybe a canvas?) and also a pair in denim. I LOVE Novita's version of the Persephones. So gorgeous.

Aside: I mentioned above about elastic waists. I actually never thought I'd write this, but I have nothing against elastic waists per se, however there are a lot of Indie trouser patterns out there with elastic waists, whether full or back only, and I'm wondering why. They are definitely easier to sew, so perhaps easier to tempt trouser-making newbies in (plus since elastic waists go with baggier trousers, less potential fitting to be scared of?), but given it's more than likely that most people will make skirts or dresses before they make the jump to trousers, they will have sewn darts and a zip or 2, making trousers with a side zip not insurmountable. Personally, with well written and illustrated instructions to follow, I don't find a fly that difficult either. Do pattern designers themselves dislike fly front or side/back zip trousers and assume their customers feel the same? Or do they actually want to avoid writing the instructions, which I can imagine are probably difficult to describe for a fly zip, and while there are some very good tutorials out there, you can't really produce a pattern and then direct your customer to someone else's tutorial. Or, actually, is it just that elastic waists are trendier/have become more socially acceptable in recent years? I have no idea, and I have no strong feelings about it. It's just something that I've been thinking about since I've been looking for some patterns without an elastic waist.

Peg Legs and Pleats

Obviously I've made a few peg leg and pleated trousers with some mixed results. I REALLY love teh look of them, but I struggle with the wearing of them. My successes have all been with the pleats of the Emerson, which are pretty shallow and short. This combination doesn't seem to give me the excess at the front crotch and thigh area, which I find problematic. This is why I think the Orangeuse Patterns Bruges Trousers might work for me. I'm not convinced by the side stripe on the legs, but that's optional, and I really like the rest of the pattern. No back pockets again, but I'm sure I could add welt pockets (she said, never having sewn welt pockets in her life). The RDC Claude Trousers interest me, but they look quite different depending on the version you see. I do like the versions that Christine has made here and here. I even dreamed about them (true story)! Finally the Papercut Patterns Guise Pants. I really wish these weren't elasticated at the back, but I suspect the pleats are probably going to be a problem anyway, so it's highly unlikely I'd make these. But they look nice, don't they?

Skinnies and Jeans

Dead easy to wear, there will be room in my wardrobe for skinnies for a while yet. I've been meaning to make the Closet Case Ginger jeans for a while, I have the pattern and one of my RTW pairs has just gone through at the knee, so it's inevitable they wiill happen. If I like them, I might also try the Sashas which are made from the same block. I chucked the Papercut Patterns Starboard jeans on there too as it has some interesting details.

Finally

I've been a bit obsessed with the Elizabeth Suzann Clyde Pants for a while. They have an elasticated waist, so I might not actually like them on me, but I love the drafting. No side seam with a capacious scoop shape pocket and a tapered leg. I even like this weird khaki colour. Unfortunately they are RTW, sold in the US and out of my price range. I recently came across the Sew Liberated Arenite Pants on Instagram and while I wouldn't wear this slouchy, relaxed shape, it has a lot in common with the Clyde pants. So much so, that I am considering buying the pattern to hack. I'm not sure how easy it would be to do with no side seams, but if I could reduce the ease enough, it could work. It's not a priority, but it would be an interesting experiment.

So, there you go. That's the round up of what's going on in my head at the moment. I wonder what, if any I will actually make?! :)

New Years Resolutions - 2018

My New Year’s resolutions this year take the following form. As always I started out with a big list, but I know that it’s most effective to keep them to a minimum. I am also steering clear of negative resolutions – you know the ones, the things you aim to do because they will make you “better”, like the current you is somehow lacking. 

So, here goes:

1.       Spend more time outside. This year I’d like to spend more time in my garden. We weren’t able to do that much last year while the building work went on, and my gardening has really taken a backseat to sewing and child-rearing over the past 7 years. I’d like to return to gardening, to get more joy from both the process and the result, but I’d also just like to be outside more, whether that’s exercising, gardening, playing with the boys, going for walks or just chilling.

2.       Prioritise exercise. I know I said I wasn’t trying to self-improve, but I’m conscious that although I am thin and healthy, I am not fit. I don’t consider myself a couch-potato by any stretch, but my preferred activities do revolve around sitting, my job is desk bound, and I drive to and from work. I’m also conscious that I am often tired, stressed and anxious and I think (hope) that exercise will help with this. I also want to set a good example for the kids, and to have the energy and fitness levels to properly run around with them. Gardening will help, as will being outside (apart from the chilling aspect), but I’d also like to make a concerted effort to use the gym at work and maybe run/walk a bit more.

3.       Read more books. This doesn’t need further explanation, does it?

4.       Socialise more. I feel like I hardly saw anyone last year. The building work really took its toll on both our finances and our time and energy. Now we have a shiny new kitchen, I want to entertain more, and I want to be more proactive about arranging get-togethers with my friends.  I also want to bear in mind that entertaining doesn’t have to be a full on extravaganza. It’s about seeing people, not dazzling them with fancy food.

But what about the sewing resolutions? Well, I don’t have any. I plan to continue sewing as often as I can and to blog as and when I want to, and that’s what I do already. No changes. No revelations. No guilt about the stash, no self-reproach about what I sew and for who and no pressure to sew all the things. 

With that in mind, I have a number of things to photograph and blog that I sewed at the back end of the year, so watch this space!

Autumn/Winter 15

It's feeling like ages since I last posted, but it's really only been a couple of weeks. It's been a busy time though, as we were away 2 weekends in a row and then I was working last weekend. All this has really impacted on my sewing time. I don't generally tend to sew at the weekend, but if we're away that impacts on all the other stuff that we do, which then ends up taking priority during the week. I'm all for sewing over housework, but if the boys are coming out the bath dirtier than they went in, then I need to address my priorities!

Being away has also impacted on my general social media interaction, as I've just been too busy. But it's good to take a break now and again to spend time with people I actually know.

So, I have no sewing related stuff to show you today. I am slowly working on one of my Vintage Pledge items - a chambray shirtdress. I'm not convinced it's going to turn out well though, which really doesn't do well to motivate me to finish it. When I tried it on early in construction, my husband commented that I should be wearing it to work in a sewing factory. And now I can't see past the fact that it does look a bit "uniformy".

I have a lovely afternoon of sewing planned on Sunday at The Stitchery, with Jen. Although I'm not finished the shirtdress, I don't want to take that with me. I did plan to take the Named Alexandria trousers to sew, but now I'm swithering over sewing something else entirely. I might print and cut out a couple of options and then I can decide on Sunday morning.

And so to Autumn sewing plans, which seems to be the theme of most of September's blog posts. I have opted to split my list into "need" and "want" in a bid to narrow my focus and allow me to prioritise a bit. I'm never great at sewing plans. Actually, I'm great at airy fairy ideas of the billions of things I want to make. But coming up with a concrete, deliverable plan is something else entirely. So let's call this a list of things I could do with and/or patterns that I <3. :)

Need
Before I returned to work I decided not to buy or make anything specifically because I didn't think I needed anything. I have just spent the past 3 months wondering what the hell I used to wear to work every day. So, I need work clothes.

1 / 2 / 3 

Trousers: I have all 3 of these patterns already, so I just need to decide what to make them in. And then how to wear them. Can the baggy/flowy trouser translate to winter wear? Maybe with an ankle boots? If not, I guess it'll be a couple of more pairs of Ultimate Trousers (#3).

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Tops: to go with the trousers. I don't yet own any of these patterns. No specific thoughts on fabrics yet, but I do fancy either the Inari (#3) or the Lexi (#1) in scuba.

1 / 2 / 3

Dresses: I like wearing dresses but I'm not sure what kind I want right now. So, I'm detailing my vintage pledge dress in the hope it will turn out alright after all (#2 above). Plus the Inari dress (#1), which I really want to make in a black and white Cotton and Steel rayon in the stash. It's probably not that autumnal, but our office tends to be pretty warm. I also love this RTW by Hush (#3 above) and reckon it would be pretty easy to knock off.

Want
I don't need much in the way of casual wear, other than a new pair of jeans which I will probably buy. In addition...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

#1. A shirt, in either chambray or black/white gingham or both! #2. Culottes - although I'm not convinced by how I will look in them. Possibly with a matching cropped top for Christmas nights out?! #3. All the stripey tees, most probably using the new Lark pattern. #4. A line skirt, in denim, naturally. I love the pocket detail on this pattern.

What are your plans for Autumn? And how "deliverable" are they?

Hot, hot, hot!

Wow, what gorgeous weather we've been having this week! Sun, sun and… oh, OK then, just a little more sun, please! I am not good in excessive heat, but I am keen to avoid complaining about it because it’ll be over before I know it. It’s so rare to have several consecutive days of such lovely weather, that I will find a way to cope. Thankfully the evenings are cool and our house generally doesn't get much direct sun during the day, so we've had no problems sleeping.

Source

And what a difference it makes to our lives. I feel like I'm on holiday. Meals are eaten outside. I take a lunch-break at work. My mood is just generally better. When it’s warm, my favourite part of the day is first thing in the morning. If it’s warm then, and I'm wearing something summery, it takes me straight back to our family holidays as a child. Pretty much every second year we’d go camping in France (the alternate years, we’d go camping in England). 

Butter wouldn't melt - my sister and I in our tent

Camping obviously meant being out and about in the fresh air first thing in the morning: sauntering to the showers, strolling over to the campsite shop to buy baguettes and croissants, eating said baguettes and croissants (followed by reluctant ambling to the central dishwashing area to help Dad clear up), getting organised for the days’ activities. There is something about the smell and feel and the stillness of the air, early in the morning that is completely different to the rest of the day. Add in some warmth, and I’m straight back in a campsite in the Dordogne eating raspberry jam on baguette, smelling my parent’s coffee, listening to the sounds of the other campers and caravaners starting their day, and very probably fighting with my brother and sister.

Clearly not breakfast, from the bottles of beer on the table

Unfortunately the lovely weather has highlighted some serious gaps in my wardrobe. I have no summer clothes! I have my bird dress, my recent refashioned Venice skirt, one RTW dress* and um… that’s it. Evidenced by the fact that today I am wearing the RTW dress, and it’s the third time I’ve worn it since Saturday!

 *I have just realised that this RTW dress is technically a refashion, so I will blog that some time.

I’m not sure what happened. I used to have a summer wardrobe. But then, I used to go abroad on holiday. I haven’t been abroad for 4 years now. A pregnancy, maternity leave and subsequent limited funds have ensured that. And since then, I’ve changed shape, gained and lost weight, changed my style and my preferences and had some clear outs. As such, I have a few “holiday” skirts that no longer fit me properly and very little else. I do have shorts, which are fine for kicking about the garden, but are far from work appropriate. I do have plenty of summer blouses – my Violet, my Sorbetto, my kimono sleeve linen tee and my pink sleeveless blouse, not to mention other RTW blouses and tops, but I don’t have anything really summery to pair with them! And while we’ve had some lovely “staycation” holidays over the past 4 years, the UK has just not had enough consistent good weather to justify either buying or making summer dresses, skirts or trousers!

There is no shortage of lovely summer appropriate skirt and dress patterns out there to tempt me, but I am conscious I don’t want to spend limited time and money making items that I won’t really wear. My answer? I don’t really have one. I guess it might be sensible to make more dresses and skirts that can cross seasons. My bird dress, which I really must write a post about, is a good example. It’s a light cotton and a bright colour, so definitely works as a summer dress, but it has sleeves and is a colour that doesn’t look daft with tights (with a slip underneath) and a cardigan, and can therefore equally work for a spring/autumn transitional look.  Of course, if I’d stuck to my summer sewing plan, I’d probably have a much larger selection of summer and work appropriate items to wear, but I haven’t. Too many distractions!

Source

Another problem I’ve encountered is with my underwear, specifically bras. I chucked out all my old bras and went shopping for more back in May. I am ashamed to admit that the bras I was wearing up until then were ones I’d bought before I was pregnant (Small Boy is now 3, remember?!). Due to limited funds, and the fact that underwear is so blooming expensive, I bought 3 new bras: one white, one black and one nude. I’ve not really owned nude bras before, mostly because the nude colours on offer were horrible. This one is a nice almost peachy shade and, oh my goodness, it is useful! I rarely wear the white one because it’s just a colour (technically not a colour!) that I wear. The black will get loads of wear once the weather cools down, but the nude just goes with everything summery (all 3 things! :))! Previously I had specific bras bought to wear with specific sheer blouses, or I chose colours that worked well within my wardrobe, or occasionally it just worked by happy co-incidence – a burgundy one went really well with my lace collar pink blouse, for example. But it seems that nude goes with everything vaguely summery, and, as a result I need more!!!

So there you go. My summer wardrobe, or lack thereof, in a nutshell. I’m currently just finishing off a skirt, which I hope to show you soon, which will work for summer. The next project I am planning is a Peony in some fabric that I bought back in February at the quilt show (below), which should make a nice summery dress (although almost definitely won’t work with tights). And I am loving By Hand London’s new dress pattern. I also have a “do” at the end of this month, that I am considering making an outfit for, but that’s a whole other post. Busy, busy, busy!

Fabric to make my Peony