Portraiture and Me Made May 2016

Nicole outfits, sewing projects

You know when you have a bunch of photos to post and you don’t really have anything to say about them? Yep, that would be the case with these.

I was trying to take a picture of what I wore, earlier this week, because I am taking part in Me Made May this year, and then I just decided, why not do a self portrait photo shoot? I used to take self portraits when I lived on my own, but now my sister usually takes outfit photos for me, since we live together. She wasn’t around so I decided to play around with the self portrait style again. That’s why these images have a bit more serious of a style- usually when she is taking photos the majority of the photos end up being outtakes where I am either laughing or making funny faces. Usually making funny faces 😉

But anyways, yes I am participating in Me Made May, which I was going to blog about on here, and 7 days into the month I still haven’t done so! Oops: time flies by! I, of course, decided to join at the last moment- literally on the 1st of the month when I saw a bunch of people posting photos of their outfits on the morning of 🙂 The idea behind Me Made May is to wear the clothes you have made yourself. I never participated before because I just don’t have enough homemade items to last an entire month (without recycling outfits I mean, which would be super boring for a documented challenge) But I still wanted to participate, so I came up with a twist on the challenge. I do have a fair share of garments, and odds and ends like purses and hats that I have made for myself, yet never seem to reach for on a daily basis. So, my challenge is to wear EACH of my homemade garments and accessories at least once this month. (While I will actually wear some of them many times, I won’t bore you with taking pictures of them over and over!) This challenge of course excludes seasonally inappropriate garments as well. (Unless it snows this month- not unheard of- although I sincerely hope not!) I’ll be posting my pictures, when I take them, on instagram, and I’ll probably do a round up here as well.

Anyways, if you want to find out about Me Made May 2016 you can just click on that little button on the side that says “#MMM16I’m taking part”, (go figure!) and it will take you to the page of the lady who is hosting it.

And, well there you go. I said I didn’t have anything to say, and here I have managed to ramble on for a few paragraphs 🙂

Oh and aren’t these tulips sweet? My lovely sister got them for me as a wonderful Spring surprise!

Wide Legged Trousers: Burda 7122

Nicole outfits, sewing projects

Now here enters the only pair of pants I own.

When I was little (up until about grade 3) I wore dresses all the time. Then, somewhere along the way, I decided that pants were much better for running around at recess in. I wore mostly jeans for many years, until one day, about 5 years ago, I realized that actually I love dresses and skirts so much more. I guess I have come full circle- reverting to my childhood as I now wear mainly dresses!

However, pants are convenient sometimes, and it’s always good to have a pair. The thing about pants though, is that they are so difficult to fit! I never find ready-to-wear pants that fit, and I am the worlds slowest seamstress, so this is the only pair I have. (Aside from another pair I sewed, which shrunk and are now gauchos, and a pair of skinny jeans with a hole in them. They don’t count)

These are Burda 7122. I chose this pattern as it has a high waistband and looks vaguely vintage. I ended up having to alter the waistband when I made these- so unfortunately I didn’t end up with my “sailor” pants. One thing I discovered is that, though this pattern has a retro look to it, they definitely fit like a modern pant. I have read about the differences between modern and vintage pants, and how the crotch depth and leg width are so different in modern patterns. That is definitely true of this pattern. I don’t think I would make this pattern again, even though I don’t mind how the pants turned out, and if you are after a more modern wardrobe these would fit the bill, but because I would like to actually get a true vintage pattern. I think that a vintage pair of pants would be so much more comfortable and also, really give that authentic look I am after. The drape and style of vintage pants is just so much better. . . Oh well, in the meantime, these will tide me over!

The first dandelion of the season. Even though they are a terrible nuisance later, I can’t help but get excited when I first see them popping up!

The “Mix Up” Suspender Skirt

Nicole outfits, sewing projects

I’ve been sewing for probably 15 or so years, since my mom taught me when I was quite young. I look back to the early days of my sewing adventures, and the garments I made were often baggy, shapeless, ill fitting and unflattering. (Whew, that’s a mouthful of insulting descriptions!) I wasn’t very good at choosing garments that would look good on me, and not very good at fitting said garments either. Fortunately with time and practice though, my sewing skills have improved. I like to think that my style has improved a bit too 😉 I still have so much to learn, but each time, I get a little bit more accomplished. One of the garments that I am the “proudest” to have been able to make is this suspender skirt.

I came across this illustration in a 1939 Sears catalogue. This group of skirts are called “Mix Up’s”, because of their ability to mix-and-match in your wardrobe. Interestingly “Mix-and-Match” separates weren’t really a marketed item until the Depression and War Years, although of course people always did mix and match. During those years where poverty turned into rationing and people didn’t have the money or the resources to make new outfits, mix and match separates were worn to help stretch the wardrobe. It is interesting that in this catalogue- that is the marketed feature of this skirt. (Also jealous to note the $1.98 price tag for a wool skirt- although in todays dollars that would be. . . only $34. . .  ok never mind I am still jealous)

I love the suspender skirt in the centre, so I decided to try and make something like it. I didn’t have a pattern, I had never drafted a pattern from scratch before, and I only had a limited amount of fabric, as I had already used most of the twill for a pair of trousers, so it was a bit of a learning curve! I used an a-line skirt pattern I already had for the bottom, but I draped and drafted the vest/pinafore/suspenders. It took a few tries, and a lot of fiddly fitting, but fortunately I have my mother- master seamstress- to lend a hand when needed, and so it turned out! I omitted the laces in favour of a non-functioning button, and didn’t put buttons on the straps, instead placing them on the back of the skirt. The skirt is also made of brown denim twill rather than wool. So the skirt is “inspired by” rather than a direct copy of the illustration. I am afraid that I don’t have pictures of the process, and actually I don’t really know what I did aside from drawing a shape I liked and cutting out a test muslin, so I won’t be able to tell you how to do it yourself. 🙁 Your welcome.

It is one of my favourite skirts however, and has become, like the advertisement said, a great “Mix Up” item in my wardrobe, as it goes with almost every top I own.

Excuse the excessive amount of crumpling in the photos. 🙁

Wearing a bow on your head makes your day just that much better, don’t you think? Just look at how happy I am in this photo.

A note about these shoes. I bought these two years ago, and they quickly became one of my favourite pairs. Then while wearing them last year, when I was riding my bicycle, I crashed. I skinned my knee, I scraped my bicycle, and I did not cry. But I ripped the leather off the toe of these shoes- and that made me want to cry! I wasn’t sure if anything could be done, since there was a spot about the size of a nickel scuffed out of the leather, but I took them to my local cobbler and they came back like this! You can’t even see in this picture where the leather was damaged! So, the moral of the story? Take your shoes to the cobbler as they can work magic. Oh, and perhaps don’t wear your favourite heels while cycling, in the event of accidentally destroying them.