Did you know that Make It Perfect attended the last International Quilt Market in Minneapolis? Well, I wasn’t there in person but my pattern distributors (Creative Abundance) were there showcasing my patterns along with a few other designers from Australia.
I sent over a whole heap of samples for display and it was a great excuse to sew up a few fresh ones too.
I have a cupboard full of Make It Perfect samples but sometimes I sneak the samples out of the cupboard and into my own wardrobe! I needed to make a new Skippy dress because nothing was sample-worthy and this is what was created…
I used an Art Gallery knit, and am so happy with the quality of this fabric. It’s great that the bigger fabric manufacturers are spending more time creating fabrics that are suited to sewing clothing, the variety and types of fabrics are ever increasing giving us so many more options for sewing.
I didn’t use any contrasting fabrics for this dress, just the spots all the way through and I love the effect. I’m not sure where this dress will end up yet…it should be living in the samples cupboard so I don’t have to sew up another one next time I need a sample but I can feel it making it’s way towards my own wardrobe!
A month ago the hard-drive on my computer failed. And I have never backed up my 55,000 + photos from 2008-2015, like EVER. I have everything I need for the backup sitting on my desk and for months Jaron has been reminding me to do it, but it was something that I just never got around to. And then everything was all gone! May was an annoying month. It took 4 weeks for the computer to be repaired and partial recovery of the files, but I am still missing about half of my photos, all of my purchased computer programs (like everything I use for writing patterns!) and much more. Photos are priceless and they can still be recovered, it’s just going to cost an annoying amount of money but needs to be done. Lesson learned = back up regularly. (I think I’m the only person who needs this lesson, by the way!)
Something new started in May.
Recently I have been getting lots of requests from you Make It Perfect sewers out there for a Facebook group. I’m a little anti-Facebook so didn’t really get what all the fuss was about when it came to closed group. Usually I’ll just keep an eye on my MIP page and check out posts if I am tagged or check my messages, but other than that I steer away from my newsfeed and anywhere else that will suck into my time. Long story short, I did a bit of asking around and it turns out these topic-exclusive Facebook groups are actually pretty cool, so I started one!
If you are as naive about it all as I was, basically the Make It Perfect Sharing Group is a place where you can go to discuss anything related to MIP patterns…you might have a question about how to sew something or want to share a tip or trick or even show off photos of your MIP creations (my favourite part!) The group has been running for a week now and there are already some amazing photos shared and interesting questions and feedback to read up on. We would love to have you join our group so head on over and request a membership and get ready to be inspired!
Something inspirational happened in May.
For the month of May, I participated in my first Me Made May challenge (#mmmay15 on Instagram). I have been a spectator of this challenge in previous but this is the first time I have committed to taking part in it myself. For MMM I challenged myself to wear a piece of handmade clothing everyday and document the outfit with a photograph (documented on my Instagram account). I also challenged myself to wear something different everyday…which meant that I had to dig deep in the wardrobe and revisit a few items that I don’t wear that often. While I loved the challenge, taking a photo every day was pretty tiring! By the end of the month, I had the self-timer on my iPhone sitting on the ironing board all sorted out because my family members were sick of me getting them to take photos each day!
What I learned from the challenge is that I have a pretty versatile handmade wardrobe. I think the only thing I am really lacking are some jeans and cardigans so will make sure I tackle those in 2015. Other than that though, I feel like I have a good mix of handmade clothes…lots of comfy, everyday wearables as well as a few dressier, prettier pieces. If you missed it on Instagram or Facebook, here is a review of everything I wore for the month…
I’m almost to the end of my un-blogged sewing projects. Like these three tops. The change of season always brings around “wardrobe crisis” – usually in the category of tops. Last year’s are tired, worn out or I just need something fresh and new – you get it, right?! Plus ALL of my knit tops end up with a couple of little holes right in the front, a few inches above the hem. I have no idea why, but more often than not I am getting rid of tops because of these little pesky holes! Does that happen to you? So frustrating!
So, for this top I used my Skippy dress pattern, but didn’t add the skirt to the bottom. I love this style – it has a lovely relaxed fit, the half-sleeves are always a win and the kangaroo pocket in the front and gathered sleeve caps help set it apart from a regular tshirt.
After these photographs were taken and after I had worn the top a few times, I ended up taking off the hem band and shortening the length a bit to make it more snug around my hips. It has a much nicer fit now. This fabric was purchased from Ixat (no longer avaliable) and I originally bought it as a “boy-friendly” print with intentions to use it for one of the boys but it was quite lightweight and I thought it would suit an adult better than a child so it became mine!
And another one of the same…Skippy dress turned into a top. This fabric is also from Ixat (also out of stock), but much thicker and with a better recovery than the arrow print and you can see how much that effects the way the finished top looks. Knit fabric varies so much, using different fabrics for the same pattern can give it a totally different look.
All of the trims and bands for this top were made using a really good quality black jersey with great stretch and recovery. The waistband on this one was cut exactly the same size as the one in the arrow top but it much tighter here because of the recovery (how much it “bounces back” when you stretch and let it go) of the fabric. Unless you have someone to guide your sewing decisions, sewing with knits is a real trial-and-error process until you get to know what is going to work, how things will turn out with different fabrics, etc. I loved this fabric uncut, but it is pretty “out there” as a top! I have to be in the right mood to wear it and have actually changed the sleeve bands from the solid black fabric to the triangle print to try and tone down on the contrast so much but I’m not sure that was the best move?!
And the last Spring top make is using a different pattern altogether! This one is the City Girl Top. I bought it during a sale from Pattern Anthology a long time ago and hadn’t used any of the patterns yet so thought I needed to at least give one of them a try!
The fabric I used was purchased on clearance from Crafty Mamas, it was really cheap so I thought it would be good for a trial-run before cutting into a more expensive fabric. I think I would like the top more in a solid print, but the fit is really nice – very comfortable to wear as it is nice and loose and flowy, but the cowl neck and pleat in the front are just enough “extra” to give it a more dressy rather than casual look.
So, now we are half-way through Summer (although it doesn’t feel like it some days!) and I have Summer wardrobe crisis going on! Need to sew some short-sleeved tops and a swimsuit or two ASAP!
I just realised that I have a new pattern which hasn’t been officially shared on the blog – shocking! This pattern was released with One Thimble magazine (an Aussie-run PDF e-zine), just as we moved house and then we were without internet with over a month so I didn’t had a chance to give it time to shine until now!
If you are new to sewing or just looking for a project which you can quickly sew for yourself or as a gift for friends, then look no further than the Festival Skirt.
Refresh your wardrobe with a Festival Skirt. A timeless style you’ll be finding an excuse to wear often. The super comfy and versatile (yet stylish) elastic waistband is a relaxed alternative to fixed waistbands, zippers and buttons.
The Festival Skirt is an effortless wear with side pockets for a casual feel and a chic puffed skirt. Simply grab your favourite fabric and you’ll have one sewn in no time!
Sometimes you just need a quick, simple sew – right? This skirt is just that, but still oozes with style and funk! The Festival Skirt is great for Summer, easy to pull over your swimsuit at the beach or pool and keeps you nice and cool.
The Festival Skirt is designed to have a “puffy” finished look, because of the elastic waistband, the fit is quite forgiving so if you want a less puffy look to the skirt then just size down a bit or use a lighter fabric with a softer drape – such as double gauze, voile, lawn, silk or rayon. I have made a few of these skirts made from quilting cotton too and they result in a much more full skirt, but still just as great looking!
Truth be told, I’m still trying to get into the sewing groove…it always takes awhile to find the time during the Summer school holidays, but playing at the beach, working in the yard and hanging out with the kids have taken priority lately. And I like it that way.
I was cleaning out some folders on my computer last week though and found a few items of clothing that I have sewn and never blogged about – kinda helpful to keep the blog rolling along!
This is a Skippy dress I made awhile ago – I think this may be the first short-sleeved version I have shared on the blog?
I choose to go a solid chocolate brown for this one. A little more subtle than the loud prints I am usually drawn to. And it gets a good workout. As fun as it is to sew with bold prints, these plain basics are always the ones that are easy to pull out of the wardrobe without much thought in the morning.
I really love the gathered cap sleeve option on the Skippy dress. This sleeve is gathered both at the top and the bottom of the sleeve, creating a full and even puff. The edge of the sleeve is finished off with a thin band.
I’m determined to break my sewing fast today…whip up a few “needed” items then start work on a new pattern because it’s been awhile!
