In which she made nothing she wore....

 

So, this is what I wore to work on Monday.  The day after we got home from vacation; the red fuzzy blanket is mercifully covering the pile of laundry waiting to get a trip through the machines.  The white jeans and black sweater tunic are from Lands' End, I think the white shirt came from a local department store and I honestly don't remember where I got the scarf. The SAS loafers are something like 12 years old.

Why am I sharing this when I made none of it?

Because at some point on that day I clicked on my Facebook memories, and came across a rant from several years ago that was a reaction to an article I'd read online on 'How not to dress like an old person'.  I don't think that was the title, but that was the gist of the article.

One of the things that the article claimed makes one look old is 'never wearing white pants in the winter'.

Well, on Monday, I just so happened to wear white pants so I snapped a pic to prove that I surely do not look old, lol.

Seriously...and this was the point of my rant...why would 'never' doing something fashion wise make me look old?  Two days later I wore doubleknit pants with a striped t-shirt and a knit cardigan (all made by moi, btw)....did my white pants on Monday negate the fuddiduddiness of the home sewn knits?

Now, there are some things that I agree will make me look less than my best...wearing clothes that don't fit, or that are faded, pilled or otherwise worn looking, or reveal the bumps and bulges a little too literally...but to say that 'never' doing something will result in me looking better or worse on any given day is just a little far fetched.

I wore the white pants because it made me happy.  Also because, well, laundry, lol.

Which I need to hasten off to begin. Planning to start construction on the planned wardrobe this weekend...crossing my fingers it happens! 

Workwear 35

Because, you know, if you get multiple compliments on an outfit it's worth a post, right?

Specially when there's been precious little sewing happening...

I discovered one of the ladies' rooms at the new-to-us church building in which I work has a MIRROR. So, if I can figure out how to do it better, there might be more workwear posts...

This is a pair of RTW gray jeans, a Vogue 9057 top from olive knit (purportedly rayon/lycra but, well, I kinda doubt that it has much rayon...) and a gorgeous silk/wool blend scarf from Novica.

That just happened to match the green in the top dead on.

In all honesty, I think the scarf was the attraction, rather than the outfit as a whole, but it's worth documenting because it works.

I really like that Vogue pattern, too.  Maybe more of them will show up someday...

Workwear 34

I'm mentally writing my next blog post...about fabric accumulation (sigh)...and I didn't expect to write one before that.

But I wore something yesterday that actually snagged several compliments, so I thought it might be worth documenting for future reference...lol...

It was late when I made that decision and the quickest way to get a photo was to prop the camera on the kitchen counter.  So the angle is, well, not the best.


It's a couple pf pieces from this year's SWAP collection...the modified Loes Hinse Bootcuts and the Pamela's Patterns Cool Cardigan, with my favorite cowl neck shell, Vogue 8669.  I made the same pattern in a cream knit for the SWAP and originally planned to wear that...but decided I wanted some color and, in a rather uncharacteristic move, pulled a top that I generally only wear when required by the choir wardrobe.  Orange generally is not my friend.  But this one is bright and intense and leans towards red and it worked.

But I have decided I need to hem the pants a little shorter.  I'd forgotten that the pants I'd made years ago from this modification had shrunk in length over time.  I held off, just in case these also shrunk, but they appear to be stable so...one of these days I'm going to take about an inch off the bottom.  If I could wear heels, they'd be fine, but my particular mix of orthopedic issues means that I have to be very, very careful about my footwear.  Sassy heels are not for me, and the pants need to be shorter. 

One of these days...

Workwear 33

So I had some fun.

The new tank dress, with an old denim jacket and black capri tights.

Outside of the comfort zone in one way...crazy comfy in another.

Had to wear the jacket, though...the only way I had pocketses.

Mayhap I shall find excuses to wear the dress a bit more often than I had expected....

One wearing note...I discovered that the shoulders really are set too wide for me, and the neckline kinda collapsed.  Not because it was stretched, but because the shoulders got pushed in due to it being drafted for wider shoulders than I have.  So a little tweaking is in order there, should I make it again.

...and the drapey cream top....workwear thirty-three...

The ribbed rayon cowl neck top  slightly modified Vogue 8669...the last of the SWAP pieces to be worn in public.

With the original Hippy Earth Mother skirt and my old skool CWC denim jacket.

Yeah.  Kinda retro hippy.  But really comfy.

It's all officially broken in now.  Back to our regular hit-or-miss blogging schedule... :-D

Workwear 32 and the black SWAP top

Yeah, it looks a little rumpled...And the collar is not arranged nicely...
But, y'all, I'd just helped The Flute Player move back home and we had about 15 minutes before we hopped back in the car for evening obligations.

So.  It is what it is.

And it is the Combo 1 top (Jalie 2682), black Lee jeans and a ten-years-plus old Silhouette Robin's Jacket; it was the first one I made from the pattern, before I whacked down the height of the shoulders for less Dynasty-looking shoulder pads.

This is a great black top.  Love, love the fabric; wish I could remember for sure where it came from. I have a bit more;  thinking of making a long cardi out of it.  If I have enough.

I think that's everything worn and photographed EXCEPT the cream cowl-neck shirt.

As the church offices are closed on Fridays, it'll be next week before I can get that last photo.

Workwear 31

The gray T from Pack 2 makes an appearance today...with the original altered Oxfords and my favorite Jalie Draped front cardi...the only one I've made w/the pleats turned to the outside as intended.  It was a boo-boo at first; I misread the directions.  But I honestly think they look better turned in.  Lots of vertical lines and no noticeable fluff.

But it's such a bright color (last April's choir blue)  that it kinda overrides the fluff.

I almost didn't post this;  I've been wearing the gray T since I made it and it's already shown up in several choir posts.  But, since I'm in a series...and, today being a 'visit the chiropractor' day stretchy comfy was the rule...why not.

It's Me-Made-May anyway, right? ;-)

Workwear 30

Same dark corner as yesterday.

Wildcard pack Helix pants, with Vogue 8691 (also made in the SWAP time frame, now that I think about it.  That's the first garment I finished this year) and the black cotton twill vest from Burda Style 05/2009 that has been a wardrobe workhouse since I made it ages ago...

And I've been making necklaces again; I've got a coral-and-gray one nearly done (it'll show up on choir posts, even thought gray is technically not in the mix I think it will work...) and last night I finished a knock-off of a necklace I'd seen (and nearly purchased) from a direct-sales company.  But the stated measurements in the catalog were just a hair shorter than I wanted, so I made my own.  It's convertable...I can wear it doubled, short, or single strand, looonng.   I want to put one more charm on it, but I gotta stop at Hobby Lobby to see if they've got what I have in mind...

Workwear 29

It's a dark picture, but it was the best of the set-the-timer-and-hop-in-front-of-the-camera selfies...

Today's SWAP wardrobe item to mix with old stuff is the New Look wool crepe jacket.  It actually fits very well...and shows  it, when I have pulled the sides in and draped the jacket just so.  But, like other kinda-sorta double breasted styled jackets, it tends to swing out and down and look like it's baggy. 

It actually took me a bit to figure out why it looked so boxy in some photos...that's why.  I hadn't pulled the sides in.

But, you know, it's ok.  It's wool, but it's an airy crepe and it's single layer so it actually works really well in an over air-conditioned world.
It's gonna get a lot of choir wear when we put gray back into the mix.

And it's playing well with my zig-zag cotton Jalie 2566 T and gray Lee jeans...which probably would look way more on trend if I'd've cuffed them a wee bit.

But, well, somedays you feel like a cuff and somedays you don't... ;-)

Workwear 28

But first, an update on the 10 year anniversary giveaway...

I went by the post office today and dropped off Marilyn's box and the 4 pattern consolation prizes :-).
That means everyone's prize is in the mail EXCEPT DEBBIE'S.  I still need Debbie to resend her mailing address to tig77LW at yahoo dotcom;  yahoo and I had a bad day about a week ago and the original email with your address apparently disappeared.

The tattersal wool plaid is in a box, waiting on an address.... :-)

But I had a delightful conversation with the mail clerk...who sews and asked for the blog address so she could stop by.  How cool is that? :-)

But...today's work-with-the wardrobe SWAP post...

The Pac B pants, with a mixed-texture T from the Old Version of Coldwater Creek and my turquoise wool gab Vogue 1100  jacket, which I love but seldom wear because it's hard to put with pants.  But I really like this combo; the top matches the button on the jacket and matches the stripes in the pants.


So...I have a new combo.  Win.

No work wear tomorrow...I'll be wearing utility black-and-white, as we're serving an appreciation luncheon for local social workers and others who work with children in foster care or crisis situations.  All church staff become wait staff for this event...which we've been doing for something like 10 years now.  Which is hard to believe... But it's cool to thank some folks who seldom get much appreciation.

Workwear 27

It's the Easy, Ageless, Cool rayon challis campshirt from the Combo Pack today...with a gray rayon knit Jalie 2566 and black RPL double knit Loes Hinse Oxfords.  I will probably wear the shirt as a topper as much or maybe even more than I will wear it as a shirt.  It's very, very loose and flowy...I love it in the rayon but I think it would be too oversized in a lofty cotton. Drapey fabric is a must! 


I  recruited The Actor to take the photo for me as soon as I got home from work today...the kitty was still in 'welcome home!' mode.  And there is a nice coating of cat hair below the knees of my pants now...lol...

Workwear 26: Workin' the SWAP Wardrobe...

Not exactly Me-Made-May, but I decided that I'm going to try to wear pieces from the SWAP for the next couple of weeks, and, if I can, get photos of those pieces working with the existing wardrobe.

So today's first piece is the topical wool Oxford Pants from Pack A.  SO COMFORTABLE!!  I put it with my pinky-lavender My Heart's A-Flutter shell from Cutting Line Designs,  my denim jacket (from Coldwater Creek, back in the day...) and a silk scarf from Talbot's.

I have become a huge fan of tropical wool.  I need to sew up more from the stash...

Workwear 25

I said I'd try to post a photo of the lacy vest I got from the Z flower retailer;  had to do the ol' set-the-timer-and-jump-in-front-of-the-camera routine again, but at least you can get an idea of what it looked like.

I had to secure a few long thread tails this morning before I could wear it.  I have to say, I have not been impressed with the quality of stuff from the Z folks.

But it was kinda fun to wear.  One of my co-workers said I was going retro today...and I replied that, since I never owned a lacy/macrame' vest back in the day, I could wear it today.  :-).

It's over modified Loes Hinse Oxford pants (I added the flare to the legs) and a long sleeved Jalie 2566 T shirt.

And I made a stop at Hobby Lobby on the way home from work and a lady asked me if I made my necklace, since I was buying jewelry goodies.  When I said I did, she asked if I sold them.

Maybe I should have asked her to make me an offer?  LOL.

Workwear....24?

Tried another spot for the 'jump in front of the camera' shot...don't think I like that one, either...I had to put the camera on a lower shelf to get my feet in the photo, but the angle looks weird to me.  So I'll try another spot next time...

But I wanted to post a photo 'cause it's the blue fabric that was too sheer for a t-shirt, made up in the Jalie 2919 Cardigan . (Stops to count) 

That's cardi number 6 from that pattern, if I'm counting right.  With my favorite modifications of 3/4 length tabbed sleeves and a fishtail back.

The white shirt is kinda interesting; it came from an outlet store, and the 'french' cuffs are really not done correctly.  But it's a princess-seamed shirt, and the side panels are white knit.  So it's  a rather forgiving top.  I bought it last August; and this is the first time I've worn it, due to the weird cuffs, which I have intended to fix but can't seem to get around to it.  But, turned up over the sleeves they don't look as wonky.

Maybe I've found the way to make it work...

A little in...a little out...

Mint green is coming up in choir...and that is one color I struggle with; I've made a couple of pieces but haven't been satisfied.  And we have Easter this month...which means extra services.

So I took advantage of a recent sale and got a couple of mintish green pieces of fabric to try again.  Let's see if I can get something through the machine in time to wear it Sunday...

But meantime I finished up the last of the tops I cut out last month...a wild print from EOS, made up in the least wild view of Marcy Tilton's 9057 top set.  I'm going to hold off on reviewing it until I get at least one other view made up, but I think I'm going to use one of the more. um, unique views for the mint jersey that arrived today, so maybe that will be soon.

Bad bathroom selfie:

 And an even worse 'set the timer and hop in front of the camera' selfie...but that's how I wore it today.

It was definitely a good choice for a gloomy, rainy day that even had some frozen precip falling early on.

I made a slight FBA, and shortened the neckband and did my typical cheater of using 1/4" seam allowances on a pattern that uses 5/8".    But I like the fit of this and think I'm very close to the 'relaxed fit' TNT t-shirt pattern.  I could probably scoop the neckline just a little to get an approximation of a Rag and Bone T shirt shape I have on my pinterest page. 

But now I'm gonna see about sewing up some mint...and then I've got to hit the SWAP plan, if I'm going to get those wardrobe basics cranked out by the end of next month.

I think I can I think I can I think I can...

Workwear 23

:-)  I haven't worn new stuff in what seems like forever.

But, fresh off the machines...my second rendition of Vogue 8691, which I really, really need to review.

I wore it with The Sewing Workshop's Helix Pants,which I also need to review,  made out of a  pretty cheap double knit.  A new pair is in the SWAP plan, with a much nicer fabric queued up for them. I added pockets and really, really like these pants a lot. I'm even wondering if they'd work out of a stretchy woven...

Workwear 22

I said maybe I'd get another McCall's 6559 Maxi made before the summer was over...just squeaked it in last week...

I've recently seen references to the 'Dazzle' or 'Razzle-Dazzle' camouflage paint used on wartime ships during WW1...the black and white random graphic designs were visually confusing and made it difficult to determine how many ships were in a particular area and even what way they were going.

Of course, with the advent of radar and satellite imagery, that's all old stuff, but, well, I had a piece of black-and-silverish stylized print rayon/lycra jersey and I thought I could do with a little dazzle camouflage myself.

These are very nearly instant dresses.  They only take a pinch longer to sew than a tank top.

And I love them with a denim jacket...

I bet I use this pattern in different lengths...but maybe not this year.

Fall sewing beckons. :-D

Workwear 21 - A totally frivolous dress

Here's a dress that will likely never be worn for choir; just not a color combo that will get worn in tank top season.  But I wanted one nonetheless.  A striped maxi in an old catalog was the inspiration, and when Fabric Mart put this stripe on one of their crazy sales a year and a half ago I got five yards...intending to use a chunk of it for the McCall's 6559 dress.

But it languished.  Choir projects took priority.  Then Carolyn made a boatload of 6559 Maxis  and I was inspired.  I had to make mine.

This is actually a frankenpattern of McCall's 6559 and my TNT Jalie 965.  The neckline is Jalie; the shoulders are Jalie, extended about 3/8" towards the shoulder to brastrap-friendly the shoulders.

I actually prefer binding on knit necklines/armholes...it feels like it stabilizes it a little bit.  Alternately, you could sew clear elastic into the turned-and-stitched hem, but binding is easy.

Assuming, of course , that you cut it to the correct length.  I could use the Jalie pattern for the neckline binding, but the armholes were a mashup so I measured and, despite knowing better, cut the binding the same length.  So of course they were horribly floppy and gappy.

Pulled 'em off, shortened them 2" and put 'em back.  Not perfect, but acceptable.

I steam a seamed basted the hem and then double needled it.   Even with redoing the armholes, it was a really quick sew.

Wore it to work today w/ my CWC denim jacket.  Loved it.

I may make a couple more before the summer's over...lol...

Workwear 20

Just because I'm putting together stuff I have not put together before.

It's a really lame jump-in-front-of-the-timed-camera selfie.   But the Flute Player *still* has stuff from her move-back-home frenzy piled in  my usual jump-in-front-of-the-camera spot,  where I can set the camera on a shelf at approximately chest height.   

This photo was taken with the camera sitting on the porch railing, at about waist height.  So the angle looks a little weird.   But I'm wearing something that makes me happy...the guipure lace tank I purchased in Dallas last fall for a lower price than I could ever have bought the lace yardage.  It's over a navy bamboo/lycra jersey  Jalie 965 tank top with midnight navy tropical wool Sewing Workshop Plaza pants.  And my old CWC denim jacket, with the lapels turned up in what is supposed to be trendy hipness and just looks kinda strange...I don't think they ended up curled Just Right.  Messing with the camera and then moving quickly to get into place rarely ends with everything Just Right.  So I'll settle for ok. 

Haircut appointment next week to put the shape back in it.  Amazing how it goes from cute and curly to just bushy almost overnight...

Completely off-topic:  for years, I 've used Sitemeter to kinda track visits.  It doesn't give really good data, but I get an idea of whether or not I'm getting any traffic (I'm not going to say 'much'...'any' is good enough) and whether folks just click in and click out or if they actually read a page or two while they're here.  But lately it has been more and more useless.  For one thing, I think people are wising up and using software to hide their visits so they don't get tracked.  But Sitemeter itself has just been weird.  It's been down more than it's been up ('The data base for your site is not available now.  Try again in a few minutes')  and the numbers are whacko (176 page views in 3 seconds?  Really?).  So I'm about to ditch it, I think.  Can anyone recommend a similar service that seems to work that I can switch to?  Although, to be honest, I may be better off not knowing that no one visited for three days (that would be the other blog; this one usually as at least a dozen or so visits in a day.  I think. )

Workwear 19 - New Pants

Photographed late last night : a brown rayon blend jersey Jalie 2682 top , which is a great basic, and a rumply denim jacket from the original Coldwater Creek that, to be honest, I've never really connected with but wear because I don't have another white denim jacket...yet...are teamed up with the newest addition to the wardrobe:  striped linen Stretch and Sew 704 Quick and Easy pants.  This is the 3rd pair of pants I've made from that pattern and, once you get the welt pockets in, there really is nothing to them.  But this is a 'no side seam' pants pattern and, to really see what happens w/ NSS pants that have a tapered or narrow leg, you need to click on the picture to make it bigger.

You can see how nice and vertical those stripes are above the knee, but, wow, check out the tilt on the lower part of the leg.

That's because the grainline is being pulled in by the bias cut inseam.  The stripe runs vertically down the outside, but the only way to taper a NSS pants leg is to  angle in the inseam.  There's a little bit of baggy that happens right around the knees on these pants as well, and, as it's not visible from all angles, I think it has to do with the skewed grainline. 

Now, this isn't necessarily awful...just something to be aware of.  It would not be nearly so obvious in solid or randomly patterned fabric.  And it's not even terribly noticeable here...unless you're looking for it.

These are actually very, very comfy pants.  The fabric came from last month's trip to Textile Fabrics in Nashville; I washed it in hot water and dried it 3 times before I cut it.  The selvages frayed a little in a couple of places and I had a ton of lint in the dryer screen, but the fabric is wonderfully soft and drapey now.

I bet I wear these a lot this summer...twisty stripes or not. :-)