Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2013/14

Last year (still getting used to that) I drew up some plans for a Summer Capsule Wardrobe.  A bundle of garments that all work together as well as being seasonally appropriate.  The wardrobe evolved a little as it all came together but the bones of it have stayed true to my original plan.  

A sleeveless chambray shirt.  This was one of the first garments I made for this project.  It very quickly became a wardrobe staple.  The pattern is BurdaStyle 10/2009 105 without the sleeves.  I used silver coloured buttons to fancy it up and they work beautifully with the chambray fabric. It fits just right, looks great tucked in and untucked, buttoned to the top or left open at the neck, I love it.

Navy high waisted shorts. These were a difficult make.  The fabric frays like mad and drove me crazy, I got the feeling these shorts didn't really want to be made.  I persevered though and they turned out quite cute.  Then the invisible zip busted.  So I replaced it with an exposed, indestructible metal zip.  The pattern is the same as for the November shorts, BurdaStyle 0/2011 111.

Wiksten tank dress.  This lightweight cotton fabric was in the bottom of a box at my local op shop.  I loved the massive bright floral print the moment I saw it.  It really needed a simple shape and the Wiksten tank dress is perfect.  I added an elastic casing at the waist, and lengthened the hem by 5cm.

Red Wiksten tank.  I made this tank for Red October.  The fabric is so light. It's perfect for hot weather.  Unfortunately it wasn't colourfast so it has faded a little, but it's still very red!  

Printed denim shorts.  The bottom of November's outfit, these have seen quite a bit of action so far this summer.  I was worried that the high lycra content would make them a bit saggy with wear but they're holding up very nicely.  They are comfy too, very successful!

White tee.  This plain white Elise Tee from December's outfit was another to quickly become a wardrobe staple.  It is casual, comfy, and goes with everything!

Navy button up tank.  Another from November's outfit.  This one has fitted in with so many of my outfits too.  I love wearing it with jeans, it's casual without being sloppy.  Comfortable and cool for summer!

Teal skirt.  This one was not originally part of the the plan.  Just like it was not originally part of December's outfit.  I'm thrilled with it though!  It fitted right in with the whole wardrobe.  This is one I can see transitioning well through all seasons.  It will be so cute with tights and cardigans when the weather cools down.

Coral tee.  This scoop necked, low backed tee was rescued from being an unsuccessful attempt at a bodysuit.  In hindsight, I really should have known it was a poor fabric choice, but the colour was so perfect!  No where near enough stretch for a bodysuit but just right for a tee!  

Coral elephant wrap skirt.  It took me a very long time to find the right fabric for this skirt.  The pattern is a 1970s Simplicity with a couple of different waistband and length options.  This shot doesn't show it off as well as it could, but it it lightweight and flows beautifully, and the wee elephants are so sweet!

There were a couple more garments that haven't made the final cut.  The bottom of my swimsuit turned out quite well, the top not so much, I can't really show off the bit that worked though because this is not that kind of blog!  I also have a wrap maxi dress that I don't consider to be up to standard, I'll get around to tweaking it at some stage to make it what I want.  I held out on posting in the hopes they would be sorted, but sometimes you have to know when to walk away.

These photos were taken in the surrounds of our camp site on a family camping trip during the summer school holidays.  I assure you, platforms and hair and frocks are not my usual camping attire and were packed back away for the rest of the holiday!

Menswear Outfit Three: November

It's the first of December!  The first day of summer, and a very important day at our house!  With Bing, Dean and Frank crooning Christmas songs in the background, our tree goes up and gets sparkly.    We thought we'd use the opportunity to grab some pics of Darron's third outfit.

This sailboat shirt is from the same Style pattern as last month's shirt, 3789.  This one just has a single pocket.  I love the little sailboat print so much.  So much that I very carefully cut this shirt so there would be enough left for another for me!

The sleeves are full length, so he has the option to dress it up or down.  Darron prefers a rolled up cuff to short sleeves as a general rule.  A shirt has to be a very particular style for him to like short sleeves.  I am trying to find the right style and fabric to meet with his approval for a short sleeved shirt.

Once again I used the Thread Theory Jedediah pants pattern.  This time it's shorts in a mango coloured canvas I picked up from Ikea a couple of years ago.  

The pockets are light grey poly-cotton and the seam allowances are bound with grey bias binding.  After three pairs of Jeds, I'm getting a bit more proficient at their construction.  It's still one of my very favourite patterns.

We went with the cuffed hems for a casual style.  I like the way it shows off the neatly bound seam allowances.  It's fantastic to be able to give Darron shorts that sit at the exact length he likes.  It can be a struggle to get the length right in RTW shorts when you're a tall dude.

The shirt is a lovely lightweight fabric, so to protect his modesty, as well as for casual open-shirt wearing I made a plain white tee.  This one is the plain tee option from the Tread Theory Strathcona pattern, in plain white cotton jersey.  Every man's wardrobe needs a plain white tee or two!

A man of many skills and talents, Darron is can juggle all kinds of things, including hand knitted Christmas characters!

I think this is my favourite of Darron's outfits so far.  It's bright and fun, and suits him perfectly.

Thanks for joining us while we put up our tree!  

Menswear Outfit Two: October

I can't believe that we're two months down already in the menswer department!  Darron's October outfit is done, and once again we're happy!  This month we brought along a photographic assistant, the resulting photos show Darron in playful dad mode.

Once again this outfit started out with some great Thread Theory basics.  A Strathcona Henley in beautiful light weight merino knit.  

We wanted to add a contrasting placket for this one and Darron picked out a dark stretch denim.   It goes so nicely with the colour and texture of the wool.  I had a go at using the denimfor the neckband as well but even though it had quite a bit of stretch, it didn't have quite enough give to go onto the the super stretchy wool body.  I was concerned that the neck would be to wide with the wool neckband but it seems to be just about right for wearing over a collared shirt, so it works.

This month's Jedediah pants are in a chocolate brown drill.  Lighter weight than September, and in the smaller size, they are a slimmer fit and great as the weather is warming up.

The pockets are plain in these Jeds, and I used leftover fabric from the shirt to bind all the seam allowances.  I love the finish inside these, the binding is so neat, and with the flate felled seams as well there are no exposed edges, fancy!

Darron wanted this shirt to be casual.  He was after something a step up from his standard tees that was still light, comfortable and wearable.  He chose the fabric too, the man has style and is showing a talent for colour and pattern choice!  

I picked up this pattern from the op shop when we first started throwing around the idea of making 12 outfits for Darron.  It is Style 3789.  It turned out to be exactly what I needed.  A basic, slim fitting attern with several collar and pocket options and two sleeve lengths.

The sleeves didn't even need lengthening to fit his looong arms which was great.  I made a muslin from an old floral bedsheet to check the fit, and was pleasantly surprised that it didn't need any work.  Obviously they were designing shirts for his body shape in the mid 1980s!  

I really enjoyed sewing this outfit, I had thought that a mens shirt would be trickier than it was.  It helped that the pattern was excellent.  Easing the sleeve caps was my biggest concern and they came out neat, and pucker free which was a bid confidence boost as it's something I've struggled with in the past.  I'm looking forward to starting his next shirt, and shorts!  

My October outfit will be coming up in the not too distant future, I'm knitting sleeves at the moment so we're nearly there!

Summer Colours and a Capsule Wardrobe

Because I clearly don't think I'm sewing enough!  Following Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow as she created an autumn capsule wardrobe using her wonderful colour palette method made me look a little differently at my summer wardrobe sewing plans.  So when I found my coloured pencils while spring cleaning the studio I spent an afternoon assessing what I want and need, what I actually want to make and what colours I'm loving for summer to bring it all together.

I started with my November and December outfits, navy blue and some bright floral fabric I really want to use for summer.  Then I gathered all the patterns I had been setting aside for summer.  Finding a balance between what I want to make and what I want to and am likely to wear was tricky.  I want to make them all!  That's why I collect all these patterns, every single one of them.  I took the floral fabric as a starting point for colours.  All the colours go well with navy, so that's a base colour confirmed.  Then there is red, pink/coral, yellow, teal and turquoise.   At this point I decided that the floral print gets to be a Wiksten tank dress.

Using the Fashionary printable technical templates, I got to planning.  I love my big fashionary journal and I have a little neon light in my bag at all times, I think I'll get the tech template sticky memo pads too, they're wonderful.  And here's what I've come up with: 

Shorts: Navy, and stretch geometric patterned denim, both from Burdastyle Magazine.  The denim shorts are the bottom of December's outfit.

Dresses: Floral Wiksten Tank dress with elastic casing at the waist, 1980s Vogue wrap dress - I'm hunting for another bright patterned fabric for this one.

Shirts: Chambray sleeveless shirt - this one came from the shirt originally planned for September's outfit and already cut, white sailboat sleeveless shirt from Burdastyle mag 06/2012 - there will be enough left over from Darron's November shirt (aw yeah matching his and hers).

Tops, tees, and tanks:  A Wiksten tank - this one in red voile, a white jersey Elise tee (November's top).  

Scoop neck bodysuit in coral jersey, navy jersey scoop necked button front tank (December's top).

Skirts: Yellow (possibly eyelet lace, maybe a print, it looks like I may have to dye to get the golden yellow I'm after) wrap skirt from a late 1970s Simplicity pattern.

Blue and white seersucker Button front skirt, this one is November's bottom.

Swim suit: Turquoise 1970s halter neck.

So in theory all these colours work together and any top and bottom from the collection should look good.  It seems like a lot to tackle, but most of the garments are quite simple.  The chambray shirt is already done and awaiting buttons and the Wiksten tank is cut and ready to sew.  So by knocking over a garment every now and then between other projects I should have a well stocked wardrobe in time for summer! 

Outfit Seven: August

I've finally caught up!  Here is August's outfit... in August!  I have a confession, it has been ready for nearly a week and I've had plenty of opportunities to photograph it but I waited 'til I got my new hair.  It had been over a year and a half since my hairdresser laid hands on my hair, and it was incredible to get a proper style cut and colour instead of the shaggy growing out 'do I've been sporting lately.

I am very pleased with this outfit.  This was a big departure from the outfit I had originally planned, but given that elements of it have already been getting near constant wear I'd say it's one of the biggest successes of my 12 outfits so far.

Starting from the outside, this oversized cardigan is a simple big boxy shape with pockets, but in warm black drapey knit fabric it goes with just about everything in my wardrobe.  It's casual and comfy without being sloppy.  The pattern is from Burda Style 7/2013, 109A.  I have bought a fuzzy, lacy knit to make another for spring.

 I bought the fabric for my shirt at the same time as the fabric from March's skirt.  They are the same print on different backgrounds.  I love the bright red and bold graphic floral print.  It works perfectly with the pattern, you guessed it, another Burda mag 2/2009, 120.

Because the fabric is an almost sheer cotton voile, I used french seams throughout.  It was well worth the little extra effort to enclose all the edges, the finish is really clean and the seams are nice and secure.

I put a bit more thought than I usually would into the pattern placement.  I didn't want sheer background patches at the bust, or a great big flower arrangement bursting out of my guts.  I'm pretty smug about the way it turned out.  Perfect for the transition into spring that the weather has been hinting at this week.

When the pattern for the Maroo Mitts was released I fell in love with them.  I love the scalloped colour work, and the colours used in the samples were right up my alley too.  I've been hoping to get more confident with knitting colour work, but just hoping wasn't doing much so I've started practicing.  These are a fantastic introduction.  I had decided to knit them without being part of any outfit but noticed that the greys and yellow fit in so nicely with the colours in this outfit, and I just happened to have greys sitting in stash and yellow left over from my cowl, so here they are!

I bought this super smooshy grey 4ply yarn from Wendy Dennis a couple of years ago at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show.  200 grams was perfect for the Mara shawl that has been in my Ravelry queue for a couple of years too.  On 4mm needles I used about 90 grams got the garter body of the shawl and then 95 grams for the the ribbed ruffle.  Blocked out it became a great big squishy hug.

Finally pants.  For the record, I don't do leggings.  I wear running tights when I run, I wear tights under dresses, skirts, even under shorts.  I do not wear leggings.  These pants were borderline.  The ponte knit is dense enough to avoid unsightly sheer stretching over my widest parts.  The pattern had enough structural detail to take them far enough out of leggings territory and into pants land.

These were my first garment from a Style Arc pattern.  They are the April Pants.  I must say I was very happy with the pattern.  Again I put more effort than I have in the past into these pants.  All the seams are overlocked and topstitched, the result is a very smooth neat finish.  The fit is perfect, the pattern is great, I'm looking forward to making the Sandra  Jeans I bought at the same time.

You can see my assistant in some of the above photos.  When she wasn't wandering through my photos she was doing this:

Muddy puddles!

Outfit Four: May

May is here and it's cooled right down.  Perfect for my May outfit!  The majority of this outfit was finished before May even started, I got a bit ahead of myself there.  This was because the big time consuming knit was finished in February.  There are more details about my Effortless Cardigan here.

I have had this pink pinwale cord in stash for a couple of years.  It was another score from my local hospital op shop.  There wasn't much, less than a metre, but plenty for a short skirt.  This one is from the same pattern as the red tartan skirt.  BurdaStyle 2/2010 pattern 104A, a-line with hip yoke pockets and an invisible zip.

The blouse is sleeveless, slightly fitted, and originally started out as a rather large mu mu.  One of the great things about mu mus is that they are essentially large pieces of fabric just stitched together, so cutting out another smaller garment like a blouse is easy to do.  I have a couple more I bought from the op shop at the same time that were made from the same pattern by, I'm assuming, the same person.

The pattern I used is a 1970's Simplicity blouse and tunic pattern (8209), I made a few minor mods, like removing pin tucks and sleeves.  Plain black buttons finished it off.

These tights used to be white.  I only ever wore them a couple of times, because really, I'm a grown woman, and they're white tights.  I still had a second pair I hadn't even taken out of the packaging.  Bundled up in some rubber bands and dunked in some grey dye for 15 minutes and they are much more wearable.  I'm now on the lookout for more white tights to tie dye some in every colour!

Originally that was all I had planned for May's outfit.  But as you can see in the photos I'm wearing a hat.  I decided that I needed something more to just top off the outfit, so a slouchy hat in an angora blend was knitted.  The pattern is Knitted and Scrunched Beanie, made from some Moda Vera angora blend I've had for ages, but could never come up with a project for it before.

So this is May.  In the past, the majority of the garments I've sewn have been light weight summery clothes, so it's nice to actually have some clothes I've sewn myself that I can wear in the colder months. As it's Me Made May at the moment, all of these garments have been getting worn, together and with other pieces from the me-made collection, so I'm well pleased with them and how quickly they've settled into my wardrobe!

Note:  I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago and scheduled it to break up the MMM'13 outfit posts.  I feel lucky that I did because depression is a bitch of an illness and ignoring your warning signs can land you in a deep dark hole.  So, while I climb out of this hole, with the help of my loves and my doctors I can still share something.  Something that also helps to remind me that I have valuable and worthwhile skills, and that at the end of the day I make stuff, and for my whole life, making stuff has made me happy.