Here’s the Flare skirt paired with a blouse from @Goodclothingsa.
Many years ago I drafted a flared skirt pattern as part of a course I took at @StudioFaro in Sydney. This year I wanted a high waisted winter skirt and had found some lovely rust coloured corduroy at @UnionRag. I adapted my original pattern to include exaggerated flares, a straight, wide waist band and an exposed zip at the back. This @meagannielsen Tutorial was a great help with the zip, as this is the first exposed zip I’ve done.
The back isn’t quite what I wanted: the zip is a bit long and it doesn’t lie flat against my back. I think maybe I needed to use a shaped waistband.
I enjoyed making this skirt and even though it’s not my normal style, I enjoy wearing it and it’s great to add some warm colours to my winter wardrobe.
Pattern: Self-drafted high waisted flared panel skirt
Fabric: Rust coloured fine corduroy with slight stretch from Union Rag
Make it again: I don’t think I’ll make this one again but it’s great to see how an old pattern can adapt to create a totally new look. I’m keen to adapt this pattern again.
After holding out for many years, I have finally started an Insta account for Dodgy Zebra. Come and visit at @dodgyzebra for my latest creations.
My hesitance was based on the thinking that more social media would just take more time, leaving even less time for what I really want to be doing: sewing! But after speaking with a fellow sewist friend, I realised that I was missing out on much of the action, new patterns, the local sewing community, so I’ve taken the plunge and launched. I’m now a self-proclaimed member of the #sewistsofinstagram!
Wearing my high waisted flare skirt to work
I’m hoping to still post here, even if it’s a bit of a repetition – mainly to keep the journaling continuity.
Thanks to everyone who does read my blog! I really appreciate it.
I’ve been admiring the Brooklyn skirt pattern by Seamwork for a while, so when my Fabric Godmother sent me this fun colourful fabric, it seemed like an obvious choice.
The Jelly bean Brooklyn skirt in all her glory
The printed cotton fabric reminds me of jelly beans and while I wondered whether it wasn’t “serious enough” for an adult, I eventually went for it and I’m so glad I did. Who needs serious clothes anyway way?
Single box pleat in front
The pattern is well designed and the instructions are clear with good step by step details. I love the box pleat in the front and the A line shape.
A-line shape with a tight waist
The waist sits at the natural waist and makes for a flattering silhouette. I think I rushed a step in the zip and button installation because it didn’t quite line up like it was supposed to and I ended up putting a loop of ribbon for the button – it worked but is a bit of a compromise.
Whimsical and fun
I am happy with how this skirt turned out and love that I can wear it in summer and winter, like I did during Me-made-May.
For many years, my fabric godmother has worked closely with the Myanmar social business, Kind Stitch. This incredible business supports women garment workers who create beautiful garments made from traditional Myanmar textiles. I was lucky enough to be gifted a beautiful piece of cotton, woven with traditional designs. It has taken a long time and thought and practice (see my summer shift dresses) to figure out the right pattern to make the most of this piece of fabric. And finally my One of a Kind Stitch Dress is complete.
To make the most out of the fabric, I used the McCall’s 5716 pattern which is a simple shift dress pattern featuring bust and waist darts. I left out the little V at the neckline and I fully lined the dress. I thought a lot about pattern placement and strategically put the horizontal pattern along the hem.
I chose to put the vertical green stripe down the front offset from the centre line. In retrospect this was a mistake. I should’ve put it right down the middle because now it’s not quite off centre enough so it looks like I just made an error. And the waist darts also cut into the stripe which looks a bit strange.
The back has a zipper and a neat little slit which I reinforced with a triangle of leather – a little feature that I like to include in most of my skirts and dresses that feature slits.
Once I had planned, placed and cut out the pieces, the pattern came together easily and the simplicity of the pattern and the fit just seems to work. I learned from my summery shift to tighten up the back neckline to avoid gaping and my slight alteration worked. The combination of the fabric and the pattern makes for a striking dress that can be worn smart or casual. I enjoy wearing this dress and it makes me think of garment workers around the world and as sewists, we all need to support each other.
Pattern: McCall’s 5716
Fabric: Traditional woven Myanmar cotton
Alterations: Extra length at the waist; excluded the V at the neck; slight tightening of the back neckline to remove gape.
Do it again?: This is a great pattern that works in a range of fabrics. Certainly a good go-to.
It’s no surprise that Sewaholic’s Renfrew has made another appearance. This is such a great pattern with so many opportunities to tweak it to your liking. I also find most winter sewing so uninspiring that I tend to make my winter winners again and again.
Renfrew dress hack in teal
I used the same dress hack pattern that I used here but I used the long sleeve variation not the three quarter sleeves.
Great winter pattern
I used a lovely warm knit fabric in this beautiful teal colour. I haven’t used a thicker knit like this before and I found it relatively straight forward. It doesn’t slide around but it is quite thick so my overlocker complained a bit.
I’m loving wearing this warm winter creation and I’m sure Renfrew will make another appearance.
I love box pleats but it took me a long time to finally make a box pleat skirt. And I had some trouble along the way.
Box pleat skirt in cotton
I found this great tutorial: Live Free Creative Co DIY Perfect Box Pleat Skirt. But then I second guessed myself and didn’t trust that a pure rectangle would make a good skirt shape. So I found a pattern in my stash that I thought I could combine. This was my fatal error.
Cynthia Rowley’s Simplicity 2215
Cynthia Rowley’s Simplicity 2215 looks like a great pattern that I’ve never actually made but I liked the shape and the pockets and I figured I could combine it with the tutorial to make the ultimate box pleat skirt. Wrong!
I painstakingly made piping for the waist band, added the pockets, carefully measured out the pleats and inserted an invisible zip in the side seam…
…only to discover the skirt is need up MUCH too big. Somehow in combining the patterns, my maths was out and the whole waist size was much too big. The front looked fine but I would have to clip a bunch at the back like a mannequin in a shop window if I was ever to wear it in public.
This major the faux pas made me very despondent and the side zip, pockets and pleats made a quick fix virtually impossible. So it sat in “the pile” (you know the one) until a friend suggested I outsource the problem to a tailor which I did and eventually I had the box pleat skirt I was dreaming of. The tailor’s finishing wasn’t quite up to spec but I wasn’t going to complain – I had a skirt I could actually wear.
I made it!! For every day during the month of May, I wore at least one unique me-made item. It was a fun experience and certainly learnt a lot. Nevertheless, I am glad to be done with the structure of the challenge, and I can wear whatever jumps at me, even if it’s the same things over and over; and I don’t have to think too much about it. Key things I learnt:
I have quite a lot of items that I’ve made! Over 33 at least.
Many of my me-made items are quite summery and while I did a decent job in styling them for for the cold, winter isn’t my favourite season to sew for. And I don’t like being cold.
Taking photos of myself every day gets old and I start feeling self conscious.
I don’t have too much in the way of winter conference outfits that I’ve made.
There are items I hadn’t worn in a long time and they finally saw the light of day. Some are keepers, and some I can safely pass on knowing they have done their job.
I discovered that there are many items I haven’t blogged about. And I can safely say that I prefer the sewing part to the blogging part.
So here they are. The items I wore until the very last day of May:
Day 20: The MC pants
Like: This self-drafted pattern is the first (and only) pattern for pants that I’ve successfully executed. I don’t wear them that often and had forgotten what a great fit they are. I like the contrast in the pockets.
Don’t like: I’m not mad about the synthetic fabric and I’m never sure what shoes to wear with them. I think if I remake these pants, I’ll try to taper them and see if a narrower leg works too.
Day 21: The One of a Kind Stitch Dress
Like: This is a new little shift dress made from fabric from Myanmar. I love the fabric and the fully lined dress feels lovely to wear. It makes for a smart but unique conference outfit.
Don’t like: I purposefully offset the stripe down the front but I should’ve kept it in the centre because it looks like I’ve just made a mistake rather than a considered design approach.
Day 22: Renfrew dress hack
Like: This Renfrew hack is one of my favourites. So comfortable; love the colour; very versatile and warm.
Don’t like: It’s not the smartest item I own so I felt a little under dressed for a conference.
Day 23: New Look 6952 in Liberty
Like: I recently blogged about this one here. I love the bright fabric and structured fit.
Don’t like: Some of the finishes are not as polished as I would like and the summery feel maybe wasn’t right for a work event.
Day 24: Back ruffle pencil skirt
Like: I like that I designed this pattern myself and worked out the side zip and arched ruffle at the back.
Don’t like: For some reason I don’t wear it very often and I’m not sure if it’s the fabric or design. It’s almost too casual for work but not casual enough for home.
Day 25: A-line maternity skirt
Like: I made this skirt for early pregnancy many years ago and I hung onto it because it’s still wearable if I fold down the stretchy waist band. So I like the versatility and the colour is fun. Luckily it was a warm enough day to wear it.
Don’t like: The skirt fabric is quite heavy and I don’t wear this skirt very often. But maybe I should.
Day 26: Saltspring in blue
Like: I love a nice warm day when I get to wear this dress! This dress feels great and is fun to wear. I love the pockets, and despite the fact that it’s synthetic, I do quite like the fabric.
Don’t like: I don’t NOT like the long maxi dress style but it’s just a bit more difficult for my fast-paced life as it doesn’t let me run up and down stairs with my hands full!
Day 27: Twist top
Like: This is a fun pattern that I designed as part of a class at Studio Faro many years ago. I like the colour and even though I don’t wear the top very often, each time I do, I’m reminded that the style is quite flattering.
Day 28: Waterfall jacket in cobalt
Like: As you know I love this pattern and these jackets! This bright blue, cobalt one is fantastic and very eye catching. I kept the edges square rather than round which is a slightly different take. It’s lovely and warm and I can wear it loose or with a belt. Here photographed in the lift at work!
Don’t like: The edges fray a bit with this fabric.
Day 29: Box pleat skirt for a mannequin
Like: This is a great skirt despite the trauma it caused during creation. (I’m yet to blog about it). I love the pleats and the pockets. The colour combination on the printed cotton is great.
Don’t like: I didn’t enjoy all the mistakes I made while making the skirt – more on that later. Even though I love the pockets, they catch on door handles and tend to rip. I’m not sure if this is a common issue with skirt pockets or if it’s just me.
Day 30: The Lesley blouse
Like: Another self drafted pattern that I am quite proud of. All the details like the waist darts, longer length and curved hemline, the wide cuffs and square buttons were all thought through and brought to life. I like that it remind me of my sewing buddy Lesley.
Don’t like: Sadly, I don’t really like this blouse any more. I’m not as skinny as I was back then so the fitted waist is a little too fitted. The extra length now seems like a strange choice coupled with the shaped hem: If I wanted the hem shaped to be worn untucked, why did I make it so long? And the square buttons are funky but actually just a pain to work with. I also don’t love the fabric – I kinda wish I’d made it out of really nice Liberty fabric and then maybe I’d wear it more often and feel more love towards it. Maybe a lesson that cheap fabric doesn’t always make for well-loved garments. At the time, I thought contrasting fabric under the collar and inside the sleeve cuffs was unique and interesting but now I feel like it’s a bit gaudy.
Part of me wants to have another go at making this shirt – if I can find the pattern – because I think it has potential and maybe I have learnt a thing or two since then.
Day 31: Moo cow PJ pants
Like: I love that my grand finale for Me-made-May 2024 is these moo cow PJ pants! These are a fun pair of pajama pants in a playful fabric – prefect for winter nights.
Don’t like: I cut the pattern of other PJ pants and somehow I didn’t quite get the proportions right: The rise isn’t deep enough so it feels like they are falling down half time.
Thanks for joining me on my Me-made-May 2024 journey. It certainly has been a clothing adventure and I’m sure I’ll do it again some time.
I love a brightly coloured and comfortable summer top. I’ve made a few over the years but they haven’t made it onto the blog so now’s the time!
Le Top Palerme in teal
In a frenzy of holiday creativity while on holiday in France a few years ago, I bought a French sewing book called ‘Couture pour l’ete’ (‘Sewing for Summer). This was ambitious since my French is weak at best, but I figured I’d stumble along and work it out step by step. The first pattern I tried was Le top Palerme in a teal viscose. It’s a simple little top with a styled pleat in the neckline and little hints at sleeves.
These types of pattern books are fun to browse through but quite irritating to actually use when you have to decipher the multi-layers of patterns and copy the pieces off before you can even start. Nevertheless, pattern came together relatively easily despite having to translate and note the translations in the book. The teal viscose was a little fiddly but super soft and lovely to wear and I LOVE the colour. It does require ironing though which is not ideal for me.
The top is easy to wear and having a solid colour is a useful addition to my wardrobe, but it’s not my favourite. I feel like it doesn’t fit quite right (pulls across the bust) and maybe a bit more length and a shaped hemline would add a bit more interest.
Mom’s Favourite top
My mom has a favourite shop bought top that she wears very regularly, so I took the opportunity to copy the pattern and make it up in a fun viscose stylized floral print in turquoise, blues and greens. As with any self drafted pattern, it takes some brain power to work out the construction (well for me any way), but it came together well except for the placket where I cut it too low and sewed too close to the edge so there are some threads sneaking out and I had to hand sew a tiny bit to close the neckline a little.
I like the simple collar, the capped sleeves and the little gathers at the shoulder (difficult to see in the picture). The interfacing I used for the collar and placket is a little stiff so it doesn’t lie nicely which is a reminder to me to use softer interfacing.
The shaped hemline works well for me and the fun fabric makes me happy. I wear this top a lot and it’s interesting now, comparing it to the teal Palermo and trying to work out why this one is a go-to garment while the other one just isn’t.
New Look 6952 in Liberty
This beautiful pink floral Liberty fabric called out to be a fun shirt that can be worn smart(ish) or casual. The New Look 6952 pattern seemed like a good fit and the shirt making began. For some reason I ran out of steam at some point and for a long time it was left in the drawer-of-unfinished-projects until my mom-in-law came to visit and I co-opted her into helping me with the buttons and button holes. It was then that we discovered some fatal flaw in the shirt and the two sides didn’t match up properly. The one side was considerably longer than the other. I don’t know how that happened and once again I was disheartened and the shirt went back into the drawer-of-unfinished-projects.
I finally mustered up the courage to fix the mistake and made some adjustments and sneaky little tucks here and there to finish off a shirt that ultimately is decidedly wearable and not at all the flop I had thought it was.
The soft cotton and bright pink colour is a very happy summer fabric to wear with a smile.
The shaping darts in the front and back make for a flattering silhouette and the ruffles on the three-quarter sleeve are a fun addition. I can’t blame the pattern for the misalignment so I might need to attempt it again in one go to avoid going wrong again.
Three summer tops each with their unique characteristics and sewing challenges, but they are all fun in their own way and they each get their time in the sun.
Me-made-May is in full swing and as the weather is getting colder, I’m realising there might be quite a few of my favourites that won’t even get their chance. Some other things I’m learning:
I don’t particularly like having to take a photo of what I’m wearing every day. Although I do like the process of recording which me-made item I wore.
I will need to up my game for colder weather clothes
There are days when I enjoy planning out my outfit and executing it, and others where I can’t be bothered and it feels like a bit of a chore to think of what to wear.
Overall though, it’s a fun exercise and certainly making me rethink how I wear some of my pieces and also encouraging me to pull out some of the oldies from the back of the closet.
Day 6: Pietra pants in plaid
Like: I love this pattern…which is fairly obvious since I made three pairs! I love that it has no closures, the pockets are great and the lines are flattering.
Don’t Like: I don’t like this poly blend fabric. It looks ok but doesn’t feel great and makes me regret choosing a cheapo synthetic. This version’s waist is also not quite tight enough but it works for a quick throw on.
Day 7: The Elizabeth Skirt
Like: I like that I created this pattern myself and the two contrasting Shwe Shwe prints in green make me happy.
Don’t like: The uneven hem length was a design choice and although I do like it, I think it’s the reason I don’t wear this skirt as often as I could.
Day 8: Grey Pencil skirt
Like: The tease of ‘corporate in the front and cheeky red zip and red Shwe Shwe pleat at the back’.
Don’t like: It’s not a bad skirt but maybe not the most comfortable.
Day 9: My first Renfrew
Like: One of my all time favourites. Very comfortable and wearable… especially before an icy ocean plunge
Don’t like: It’s just getting a bit old.
Day 10: Renfrew in beige
Like:warm, comfortable, a good staple in the cupboard.
Don’t Like: It’s a bit of a boring colour, but sometimes we need that.
Day 11 outfit 1: Mom’s favourite summer top
Like: I wear this top a lot. The fabric is great, the design is good – I copied a top my mom has and wears all the time.
Don’t like: The neckline is fraying a bit – I don’t think I sewed that part very well.
Day 11 outfit 2: Sirrocco jumpsuit in gold
Like: Oh how I enjoyed making and wearing this! It came out much better than I expected and I had a blast wearing it.
Don’t like: I can’t wear it every day!
Day 12: The forgiving floral shirt aka Mother’s Day shirt
Me-Made-May is off to a good start and already I’m learning lots, not only about the pieces I’ve made, but also things like: May in the southern hemisphere can be a cold time to commit to wearing self-made items when I prefer making summer things!
Day 2: Summery shift dress
Like: I love the cotton fabric and how it feels. The print is fun and happy. I like the shape the princess darts create.
Don’t like: There isn’t much I don’t like about this dress. The slit at the back is a bit high but still workable.
Day 3: Fancy Hawaiian shirt
I realise that I didn’t ever blog about this one. It was made while on holiday in Maui many many years ago. The fabric is a beautiful floral print from Liberty…I think.
Like: I love the soft cotton in the bright floral print. It makes me smile. The two shaping darts in the front are very flattering and the shape of the collar works quite well.
Don’t like: When I completed this shirt as per the exact instructions, I was very irritated to realise that I was told to make the button holes horizontal, not vertical, and too far away from the edge. This just annoys me and taught me the lesson that sometimes my judgement is better than the pattern instructions. Although I thought I’d like the simplicity of the collar that is part of the shirt front pieces and no button stand, I think I actually prefer separate pieces for those elements.
Day 3 outfit 2: Open back beaded dress
I made this one for a New Year’s Eve party years ago and while it’s a fun outfit to wear, it seldom gets its time in the limelight. An impromptu ‘Fancy Family Friday night dinner’ was a great opportunity to pull it out.
Like: It’s a fun style with a very dramatic back. The beads are a great element that are perfect for shaking on the dance floor.
Don’t like: I don’t love the base fabric and for some reason I made the lining way too short so it rides up. It’s not a dress you can sit down for long in because of the beads and choosing the right underwear makes it a difficult dress to wear regularly.
This one is hot off the sewing table so I haven’t blogged about it and the fun and games in the making thereof. That will come. For now I’ll just speak to the wearing part.
Like: I love the colour and the soft comfortable feel of the cotton knit. The shape is great and I feel good wearing it. I like that it has no closures.
Don’t like: Given that there are no closures, I have to be very careful I don’t damage the waist seams when I put it on and take it off. Otherwise no real complaints from wearing it.
Day 5: Pink longsleeve t-shirt
Like: It’s comfortable. A great Sunday-around-the-house top. Bright pink is fun.
Don’t like: I made it pre-overlocker days so it’s not particularly well made and is falling apart in places. The neckline finishing was an experiment and I waver between loving it and hating it.
Dodgy Zebra 