Giraffe top

Back in early October I scheduled a private lesson at Lockstitch and Lustre to figure out why I was so unhappy with the tops I had been sewing. It was very informative. I brought in 3 different shirts, and they all really had the same issue...too much material in the high bust. We picked one pattern (Simplicity 1461) and modified it. The fall was crazy for me at work, and I never got around to trying the pattern again. I had wanted to use it to make a giraffe top as a Halloween costume.

I'm really happy with the fit, and am excited for Halloween already!

Self Sewn Wardrobe Series - Dress No 2 - With finished binding

I added a pop of orange binding to finish off dress no 2. I really like the contrast. Unfortunately I'm not happy with the neck at all. It's too high in the back and I have a fair bit of gaping. I like this pattern though and think it will be fun to make some variations off it.

Shirt No 1 -- Quest for Fit

I really wasn't happy with the extra fabric in the armpit area when I made the next size up of Shirt No 1. I decided to tackle how to make it fit. I pulled out a couple of tops that have the kimono style/dolman sleeve. I looked at them compared them to my finished shirt and decided to try making the top sleeve angle more, and add the bit I was taking out to the bottom of the sleeve. It was a subtle difference, but I felt like I was getting somewhere. I still had a lot of extra fabric in the armpit. I decided to take in the pattern a 1/2" along the area with the extra fabric. So I slashed the pattern and taped it back a 1/2" in. It looked better, but really I was back at the original size with a few minor adjustments. Or I'm just overly sensitive to the extra fabric and it's not noticeable by anyone but me, and I did all of this for not.

It was a good exercise, but I have decided this type of top is not for me.

XL with only length modification

XL with shoulder seams at a stronger angle

XL with a 1/2" taking in through the upper bust

Really no different from the L

Self Sewn Wardrobe Series - Dress No 2

Dress No 2 is the third project in the series. I wound up making 3 muslins as I was concerned again about the fit in my bust. I started again with my high bust measurement, but could barely get it on. The next size up fit a little better but was snug and definitely didn't give me enough room in the arms. The next size is better. I'm still a bit worried about extra fabric, but am probably going to just go with it.

Here are the finished bust measurements from my muslin. Remember I'm a bit inconsistent with seam allowances so mileage my vary.
L - 47.5"
XL - 48.5"
2XL - 49.5"

I bought some wearable muslin fabric (aka quilting cotton on sale at Joanns). I'm actually pretty pleased with the fit. I'm reserving judgement until I finish the neckline.

Self Sewn Wardrobe Series - Pants No 1

Next up in the series are Pants No 1. I followed the sizing for my waist and hip on these. I made them with a lovely linen cotton blend - Essex Yarn Dyed in Black. That is some yummy fabric and there are some more pants in my future using it.

I figured there were would be plenty of ease with these pants since the pattern sizing for XL is 42" waist and 52" hips. I wish I would have measured the pattern. I am disappointed in the fit. There's very little ease. They fit, but weren't what I was expected.

I modified with inseam pockets and used a drawstring instead of elastic. Next time I will do a 70" drawstring instead of 60" and probably make the casing a 1/2" bigger.


My measurements:
Waist 42"
Hips 48"

Finished pants:
Hips: 51"

Self Sewn Wardrobe Series - Shirt No 1

Our first project in the series is Shirt No 1. While I felt like the shirt would be easy to sew, I was concerned about fit. I have had trouble with shirts fitting me well. I have a large bust, but when I go by my measurements, I am often unhappy with the fit in my high bust.

I decided to give it a go using my high bust measurement, which means a Large. And after browsing the internet, I decided to add 1.5" to the length because of my height.

I used a lovely shot cotton in the moor color way. It's a lovely green and burgandy that changes depending on the light.

I learned how to make my own bias tape which is pretty cool. Instructions that come with the pattern are informative, especially for making your own bias tape.

Overall I was satisfied with the fit. If anything given the style it's a fitted, but doesn't feel uncomfortable or tight.

I decided to make another one in the next size up, and to make it 4" longer. The bust measurement is 2" smaller than my full bust measurement. It definitely fits more loosely, but I'm not satisfied with the fit. It feels like there's a bit of extra fabric in the high bust.


My measurements:
High bust 41"
Full bust 46"

Finished shirt measurements (disclaimer...I'm a bit inconsistent with my seam allowances so mileage may vary with these measurements)
L 47" with the added 1.5" to the length it is 23.25"
XL 49.5" with the added 4" to the length it's 27"

Self Sewn Wardrobe Series - Planning

I signed up to take a 7 week sewing class called the Self Sewn Wardrobe Series. I'm pretty excited about it. In particular I'm excited about the planning session. I am not very intentional about my wardrobe, and have been slowing reading The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees.

The instructor, Niku, had some great worksheets to plan out the shirt, pants and dress we would make in the series. All the patterns are from 100 Acts of Sewing. So I got to ruminating on mood, color/patterns, fabrics for the series.

Mood keywords: flow, comforting to wear, layers/color and fun.

Fabrics was easy. I knew I wanted to make the pants in linen or a linen blend, and possibly use it for the dress too. Otherwise cotton. I spent a delightful time at Valli and Kim fabrics, and found a lovely Essex Yarn Dyed linen/cotton blend for the pants, and a two toned shot cotton for the shirt, and a delicate floral pattern for the dress. I made sure they all coordinated so I could mix and match.

When someone asks me my favorite color, I often say green or purple. I do have a fair bit of green in my wardrobe, but not a lot of purple. I have a lot of grey and black, and also blue in my wardrobe. I think blue often winds up being a go to color, and I like grey or black to blend in.

As I looked at clothes on Pinterest and thought about things, I realized that I really like colors and floral fabrics but I'm often reluctant to wear them. I'm an introvert and I really don't want to draw attention to myself. Compliments are nice, but I'm usually embarrassed by them, and I certainly don't want the attention. I looked in my closet again and realized there are a couple floral blouses I wear, but the patterns are small and they are usually on a dark background.

I was a bit of a clothes horse as a teen and in my 20s. And didn't dress to disappear. I think some changes happened as I gained weight, and more happened as I became unhappy in my marriage. There's definitely some baggage I'm carrying from the ex, and at some point I hope I can just put that bag down. It's heavy.

A week into the class Niku talked about a podcast from Love to Sew. The topic was Sewing Makes You Love Yourself, which is a thing...to share your story of how sewing makes you love yourself. Holy cow. Now I'm ruminating on why I like certain clothes and how they make me feel. There's a lot to explore and I don't think I've even scratched the surface. I'm sure I'll write more as I process this more. There's a journey in here somewhere that will have some illuminating results...and I think get me closer to having a style and not using my clothes to hide.