Top 5 of 2013

Thanks to Gillian at Crafting a Rainbow, it's time to take a look back at a year's worth of making stuff and decide on some Top Fives.

Here are the categories I'll be looking at over the next couple of weeks as the year winds to close:

• Top 5 Hits: Favourite Creations, most worn or most loved
• Top 5 Misses: Sewing Fails, UFOs, worn once, or complete disasters
• Top 5 Reflections: What did you learn about yourself or sewing this year? 
• Top 5 Inspirations: What books, people, blogs, trends etc motivated you this year?
• Top 5 Goals for the New Year

This year had been huge.  I've sewn more this year than any before, I committed to big long term projects and followed them through, I hit my lowest point in a long time, learned once again to manage my mental health, I've cared for and been cared for by my husband and children as we've battled illness left right and centre, I've made big decisions about my future and actually took the first steps to make that future happen. These five lists will be an interesting reflection on a crazy big year!

Outfit Ten: November

The first week of summer has been very Melbourne.  Hot sunny days, balmy nights, pouring rain and bitter cold!  Obviously I got out on a gorgeous sunny day earlier in the week!  

This is November, or the outfit formerly known as December.  This is one of a couple of outfits doing double duty as a member of the twelve as well as the summer capsule. 

I hadn't chosen a pattern for the top half of this outfit.  The decision was made easy when visiting my awesome friend Tara recently.  She sent me away with a big stack of old patterns, including this 1986 gem, Butterick 3903.  The elastic waisted bottoms and power shoulder jacket were not exactly appealing but a button front tank with a scoop neck and round hem?  Yes please!

I used the leftover navy jersey from Darron's first outfit.  I wanted something a bit fancier than plain navy buttons, and these have been sitting in my stash for several years.  I added a good eight centimetres in length.  The pattern wasn't actually a cropped tank, just a little short for a long torso.

This patterned stretch denim was yet another thrift score, patterned denim is fantastic, and this one is awesome!  The shorts are from BurdaStyle 6/2011 Pattern 111, I love their vintage style.

I had already used the pattern to make another pair of plain navy shorts and I didn't want to make them too similar so instead of an invisible zip I put in a metal one.  Metal zippers and denim belong together.

From the previous pair I also knew I wanted the back pockets lower for this pair.  I added the turned up cuff and bound the seam allowances so the cuffs are nice and neat.  Did I mention that these are stretchy?  Having already made a pair, I made adjustments to account for the stretch, I may have underestimated just how much these want to stretch.  I'll see how they wear and I may run them in a little more.

It's been a long time since I was comfortable wearing shorts this short.  I'm happier with my body now than I was, even when my legs were in considerably better teenaged shape.  So while I look at them critically, more than any other body part, I'm kinder to myself about showing so much of them.  These are running legs, kicking legs, they're my greatest physical strength and if it's hot, I'll be wearing shorts!

Once again looking to the left.  There's always something interesting to gaze at to the left I'm sure.

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!  

Operation Summer Wardrobe: Progress Report

Seeing as Summer officially starts in a couple of days I thought I might update on the progress of my summer capsule wardrobe. I've been knocking out bits and pieces while working on 12 outfits garments, and making a muslin and fitting my niece for her dress.

Firstly, the tops are all done, including December's (which is handy as I've had to swap November and December's outfits). So that's two sleeveless shirts, two tanks, a tee and a bodysuit.  

Next up, the bottoms.  I've finished both pairs of shorts.  There was a skirt almost done, November's skirt on fact but I'm having some strobing issues with the stripes so it's been set aside, hence the November/December swap.  I have fabric and pattern prepped for one skirt, but I'm still searching for the right fabric for the second skirt.  It's out there somewhere I know it!

On the dress front, I've changed the wrap dress to maxi length, I finally found the right fabric for it and it's ready to go.  The Wiksten tank dress is cut and ready to sew.

Last of all is the swimsuit.  I have chosen the fabric, a nice jade green, I just need to actually go and buy it!  Then it will be my project for the Sewcialist Green December.

So that's where we stand.  I'd love to have it all done in the next week or so.  We're coming up to our busiest time of year and pretty soon I'm going to be running short on sewing time.  I'm happy with all of the garments so far.  They're all getting plenty of wear already now that the weather has warmed up, and that's the whole point!

Outfit Nine - October

My October!  A little later than anticipated, but as we regressed into wintery weather it took a while for my cardigan to dry.

One of the great things about this project has been that I've finally used some of my favourite fabrics.  The beautiful fabrics I have been hoarding and saving are now becoming garments that I love even more.  I bought this fabric a couple of years ago, it was love at first sight, there was only a couple of metres left on the bolt, I bought the lot.  It's a light gauzy voile, always destined to be a summery frock.

Because it is quite sheer, I chose a dress pattern with lining and lined it with ivory coloured lawn.  The pattern is from BurdaStyle 5/2013 125, it's one I'd been planning on making since it was released.  I lengthened the bodice midriff by 15mm, and made the skirt fuller by using up as much of my fabric as possible.

I love the combination of romantic feminine shape with the bright graphic print. 

October is a fickle month, weather wise, in this part of the world, so I knew I'd need a cardigan to go with my dress.

I had planned to make a Myrtle Cardigan, but the combination of all over lace cardigan and all over printed dress was far too busy.  And the yarn just did not want to be a Myrtle!  I went with my back up pattern, Soay and it is perfect.  Just right for warmer weather, it will be in high rotation.

This is a seriously great pattern.  Very cleverly constructed, no seams, and beautifully fitted, everything I was after.   It is perfect with all my dresses and looks great with jeans and a tank top as well.

This was my first foray into the wonderous world of Wollemeise.  I admit I had my doubts, the cottony stiffness had me worried, but washed and blocked it is a different creature altogether, soft and springy, and the colour is so intense!  

I plan for this outfit to get me through a few celebrations in the next month or so.  Birthdays and Christmas functions are coming up in abundance, and it's always nice to show off something special and handmade!

The dress has already had an outing.  The weather was so awful and cold on the day of my interview for school that I needed something that would work with my navy blazer.  So the outfit I had prepped to wear was out and this dress was in!

This tank is in a park fairly local to us.  The kids had a ball clambering all over it while I grabbed some quick shots.

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!

Red October

Way back, before October even started, the twitter sewcialists brought up the concept of #sewredoctober.  Simple really, sew something red during the month of October.  For a split second I thought about going off plan and sewing a fabulous red summer frock, then I remembered that there was a little red garment in my Summer Capsule Wardrobe which would be perfect.  So amongst everything else going on in October, I knocked out this little number.  

A sheer red cotton Wiksten Tank.  Perfect for summer!  It is light and comfortable, great on its own, but it also layers really well. 

I know I'm late to the Wiksten Tank party, but it really is a great pattern.  Very simple, beautifully finished, a versatile top.  

I can't wait to make the dress version next!