Tried and True Review: Slow Fashion October Edition

A Tried & True Review, where I look back at old project and discuss how it's held up since I made it, both successes and closet rejects, in an attempt to show how my projects have stood the test of time and/or to learn from the mistakes of my yesterdays.

The Original:  Waltz in Grey and School House Tunic

Made: June 2011 (4.25 years old) and September 2011 (4 years old) (you'd also think my hair doesn't change much either...)

Update: If you follow along in the sewing or knitting social media worlds, you've probably heard of Slow Fashion October by now. If not, the short version is that it's taking the month of October to think consciously about our wardrobes, how do we add to them?, what is enough?, how does making your own clothes influence that? etc.

I've been thinking about a lot of these topics for a while both in these Tried & True Reviews and in my post on Ethical Fashion and why I started making my own underthings.

It's week three of Slow Fashion October now, with the theme of LOVED: proudest accomplishment / most loved item / most frequently worn item / thing you saved up for / investment pieces / thing you worked a long time on / oldest thing that’s still in rotation. And I thought it would be as good a time as any to feature my two most frequently worn makes in a Tried and True Review.

If it's fall or winter and that top is clean, there's a good chance I'm wearing it and even if it's not clean, I'm probably still wearing the cardigan anyway.

Fit: In truth, I really should have knit the next size of the cardigan up, so the collar doesn't really fold back as far as it should, but I just give it a firm blocking whenever I wash it and it's an open cardigan anyway, so it doesn't matter too much. The tunic fits well, though sometimes the armband elastic feels a bit snug.

Style/Materials: The cardigan was knit out of an undyed alpaca/nylon sock yarn. It takes a licking and keep on ticking (as they say). It's a bit itchy on bare arms, but the beautiful natural grey color goes with pretty much anything, which is why is gets worn so very much. The fabric for the tunic is in gingham (my favorite) and is a thick cotton that feel almost like a dish towel, it's just ridiculously cozy. As for style, I still feel like the tunic looks vaguely like maternity wear (and I made a bunch during my pregnancy), but if I throw a more fitted cardigan over it, it doesn't matter as much.

Construction: The tunic was a simple sew, but the cardigan took forever to knit. I've had to replace the thread button loop on the tunic once and the yarn is starting to pill a bit, but both these pieces have survived four years of hard wear and will last for many more. Well worth the effort.

Lesson(s) Learned: Positive ease is a good thing in a cardigan.

Final Verdict: Something doesn't have to be perfect to be your favorite.

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Tried and True Review: A Big Bag of the Blues - Part I

A Tried & True Review, where I look back at old project and discuss how it's held up since I made it, both successes and closet rejects, in an attempt to show how my projects have stood the test of time and/or to learn from the mistakes of my yesterdays.

 I recently took a big bag of clothes, mostly handmade items, to a local consignment store and I thought, true to the spirit of the Tried and True Review, I'd take some time to share with you why I was ready to let them go. Also, if you're in the Portland (ME) area and want to grab something sewn or knitted by me, now's your chance!

There's a lot of items there, so I'm going to break it into two parts. For now, let's take it from the top (of the pile)!

The Original: School House Tunic #3

Made/Age:  March 2012, 3 years old.

Update: Accepted for Consignment.

Fit: It's loose and tunic-y, which I think works better at a shirt length than a dress length for me. At least in this fabric, which was still a little stiff. 

Style/Materials: Beautiful chartreuse linen. I was short on fabric and cut the sleeves as long as I could, which ended being a weird length about 2 inches above my elbow. From pretty much the second wear, I planned on shortening the sleeves to a more flattering length, but I never did it and never did it and never did it. Don't get me wrong, I love my school house tunics (I have three more!), but between the sleeve length and a color that's not my best color, this one was always my least favorite. 

Construction: This is one of two School House Tunics to have pleats added and the only one without the addition of a front closure.

Final Verdict: If you don't fix something after several years of intending to, you probably don't like it that much.

The Original: Dr. Faye Lady Suit

Made/Age:  June 2012, 3 years old.

Update: Fabric salvaged from skirt. Jacket rejected from consignment and off to Goodwill. Those shoes are also at the consignment store.

Fit: The skirt was too big and ill-fitting from the get go. I've always had trouble getting "pencil skirts" to fit right. This was just a big square of terrible. The jacket fit better, but was still very boxy.

Style/Materials: Another beautiful linen. I love linen, but maybe I'm just not picking the right patterns for it. Separate or together, these pieces were just big, boxy and blah.  It's the boxy that did it in. If it was nicely tailored and fitted it would have worked, but probably not in linen. My lady suit dreams will have to wait. At least I loved the shirt pattern in the pattern envelope.

Construction: The jacket was fun to sew and I covered all the seams with bias tape. 

Final Verdict: Boxy just ain't my thang. Also, does anyone know of good patterns for linen?

The Original: Off to the Races

Made/Age:  June 2011, 4 years old. (Hey, I'm back to that hairstyle too!)

Update: Accepted for Consigment.

Fit:  It's my own fault, but I cut it with too little ease. I tried letting our the seams where I could, but it wasn't enough. It pulls terribly at the bust. 

Style/Materials: A fabulous checked stretch shirting material. A bow blouse. Fun buttons! It so perfect for me, except that it doesn't fit me. This is the one item that really broke my heart to give away, but it truly, honestly, just doesn't fit right.

Construction: Don't remember apart from the fact that I did the buttonholes horizontally, where I should have done them vertically along the button band.

Final Verdict: Button up items need bust ease! But I should remake this at some point.

That's it for this week. Next week I'll roundup the other 4 items.

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School House Tunic #4 or Maternity Sewing #1

I know, it's like a disease, but I can't stop making School House Tunics. Especially when I realized that they make great maternity wear. Aside from my normal modifications (button loops, pin tucks), I added a couple extra inches to the front skirt, making the pleats deeper and giving myself some extra belly room going forward.

I probably needed to make some room adjustments to the bodice, and I likely will on the next one, because of course there'll be a next one. You should probably be grateful that I purchased another Sew Liberated pattern (the Sunday Picnic blouse) for the spring/summer, otherwise, there would be no stopping the madness.

Have you done any maternity sewing? Have a favorite maternity pattern? Have any standard patterns that would work well for growing bellies/pregnant ladies? Let me know!

(P.S. If you like the cowl, it's my free Knoll Rib Cowl pattern, more about it here.)

A Bit of Cake

A few weeks ago Tasia had a great post on sewing "frosting" (fun, often patterned, not necessarily everyday items) versus sewing "cake" (basics, everyday wear). Like most sewists, I definitely fall on the side of being drawn to frosting projects over cake projects - personally, I would be happy sewing nothing but pretty dresses, even if I wear a dress maybe once a week. But recently I've been finding a bit more balance between projects like my houndstooth dress, which I enjoyed sewing, think is awesome, but only wear occasionally:

and my slew of School House Tunics that I wear practically every time they're clean enough to wear.

This weekend, I focused on some serious cake.

But that isn't to say cake can't be fun too.

Sure it's a basic black skirt, but have you seen the inside??

In typical Leah fashion, I took a simple project (Colette Patterns Ginger, a total of four pieces), and made it 100% more complicated by adding pockets and finishing all the seams with home-made bias binding.

That said, I'm pretty pleased with the finished product, even if the fabric seems to spontaneously generate lint. If I had to make any changes I would have 1) used a stiffer interfacing in the waistband 2) gone a size down in the waist and 3) done the recommended hem length (I did a bit deeper hem).

(Might still do that last one).

I'm fairly certain this basic will get heaps of wear, especially since it looks so fantastic with my saddle shoes. :)

Oh and I should say that I'm not abandoning the pursuit of frosting, because my next project may very well prove to be the most fantastic, least practical thing I've sewn since my Halloween costume. (Still wondering where I can wear that).

School House Tunic #3

This is the last one of these for a while, as I've finally run through all the fabric I purchased to make School House Tunics, so I'll be moving onto other patterns in the near future, I promise!

For this take on the School House Tunic, I added 4 inches to the tunic-length to make it dress-length for me; added a series of three pintucks to each side of yoke; and made it short-sleeved, because I ran out of fabric.

The fabric itself is a cotton/linen blend in a color Bristol will want to steal from me, that I picked up at Z Fabrics.

I think this version will get a ton of wear in the warmer months, but for now I'm pairing it up with some tights, boots and a long-sleeved tee.

School House Tunic #2

Ever since I made my first School House Tunic for the Fall Palette Challenge I have been wearing all the time, pretty much, if it's clean, I'm wearing it.

I fell in love with this pattern for three reasons:

1. I can cut it out and sew it up in day, and I'm not a quick sewer;
2. It looks nice enough to wear to work;
3. It is soooo comfy!

It's also fairly easy to adapt. For this version I added some more substantial button loops (thanks to Mags and Bristol for help with the placement) and I've got fabric lined up for a longer version with some pintucks planned.

The fabric in this one is slightly stiffer than the last one, which gives it a crisper shape, and I'm in love with the Anna Maria Horner print.

• Top: School House Tunic, made by me
• Skirt: made by me
• Tights: Target
• Shoes: Clarks
• Robot Bracelet: by Hobomoon on esty

I can't wait until I have time to sew a third version. Do you have a favorite go-to pattern?

Fall Palette Challenge: School House Tunic

  It's rare that a project comes together quickly for me, usually because I gravitate toward patterns with lots of fiddly details (see dress with bow neckline and pleated sleeves). So while it's been in my to-sew queue for quite some time, the School House Tunic, was a bit out of the norm for me - particularly since I cut it out and sewed up it in about a day.

I made the shirt-length pattern exactly per the instructions with one addition: a button and thread loop mid-way up the placket, which I find to be a neutral additional. It doesn't really add anything, but it doesn't detract either.

The fabric was from my stash, and considering my usual fabric shopping habits, it probably came from Denver Fabrics. The texture is akin to those soft cotton dishtowels, which makes for a very cozy shirt.

I'm not sure if the empire-waist and pleated skirt are the best shapes for my figure, but the shirt is so comfy that I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a at least one more in flannel for the fall/winter and another in white linen for the summer.

Fall Palette Challenge

Although historically my sewing tapers off after summer, I've decided this year to participate in Colette Patterns Fall Palette Challenge. The goal - make a unified palette of items within 8 weeks! I'm going to be overly ambitious here with my challenge projects, but here we go!

For the challenge, I'm using all fabrics from my stash. They are (clockwise from top left corner): super pale peach silk charmeuse from Denver Fabrics, large check gingham shirting (source unknown), green stretch twill from Denver Fabrics, and blue/black wool houndstooth from Fabric Row in Philly.

My first project up will be New Look 6909,View C. I saw this dress in a display at JoAnn's and knew I had to make it. The fabric will work perfectly, as it's both warm and work appropriate!

Second up, Clover from Colette Patterns in the green twill. I was so excited to see Colette do a pants pattern, especially since pedal pushers/clamdiggers/capris have been on my to-sew list for ages. If I have time, I'd love to do a pair in black as well.

Thirdly, Sew Liberated's School House tunic in the gingham. This is a pattern that's been on my wish-list for ages and I think the fabric will be a great fit. I'm leaning toward the shirt length version.

If I have time (and I assuredly won't) I'm aiming to use the silk charmeuse for a Cinnamon Slip.

So there's my pieces for the Fall Palette Challenge. I'll keep ya'll updated as I go along, and let me know if you're playing too!