Camping Maypole Quilt

I realize one of my latest posts was saying that quilting isn't really my thing - but I do enjoy it!  I bought this fabric a while ago, not really sure what I was going to make with it.  I thought I might even make a dress out of the canoe-print!  I've been following more quilters on instagram, and one of my favourites is Suzy Quilts.  She posted a great pattern - The Maypole Quilt (albeit meant more for solids) and I knew it would be a great fit for my camping-themed fabrics.  Best part - I had the right amount of fabric for the throw size!


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IKEA Canvas A-Frame Skirt

Have I told you guys how much I love the A-Frame Skirt pattern?  Because OMG you guys, it is SUCH a great pattern.  Definitely underrated in my opinion - why don't I see more of these out there?!  I've already made one in a fantastic orchid-print cotton sateen (it gets almost weekly wear!) and I have at least 2 or three more lined up in my fall sewing queue.  It's the pefect skirt for work, and I just can't get over how well it fits and how easily it comes together.  Oh, and it has POCKETS.  You can't beat a skirt with pockets!

Now, you might remember the Portside Duffle I made a while back with some great canvas I bought at IKEA.  Well, I had juuuuust enough left over to squeeze out a skirt!

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Ottawa Garment Guild

Oh hey there!  So, I've decided to undertake a new challenge - I'm going to endeavour to set up a "Garment Guild" of sorts set up for garment-makers living in the Ottawa area.

What is a "Garment Guild" you ask?  Well, that's a super great question and I'm actually in the process of figuring it out for myself.  I've been a part of a local modern quilt guild for a few months, but I'm really not much of a quilter, in case you haven't gathered that already!  I do quilt from time to time, but my true love is sewing clothing. I've been looking for a place to meet up with like-minded people to talk about sewing clothes, so the idea of starting up a Garment Guild was born!

If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below!  Watch this space for more information as I'm still working out some kinks.  I have set up a quick survey so if you could take the time to fill it out (even if you're not in the Ottawa area!) I would so very much appreciate it.  Also, you can follow the Ottawa Garment Guild blog for more information as I sort things out!

Thanks a bunch!

Geometric Burn-Out Scout Tee

One of my favourite parts about sewing my own clothing is when you have an idea for a garment, and it turns out exactly how you pictured it.  I bought this fabric nearly a year ago, and just last month got around to sewing the shirt I had pictured.  

Like, this is literally exactly what I had in mind.  Ahh!  So pleased!  As you probably could have guessed, it's the Grainline Scout Tee pattern!  This pattern is so darn versatile, and it is simple enough that it lets the beautiful fabric stand out on it's own.

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Colourful Polka-Dot Willow Tank Dress

After starting my dress-sewing adventures making mostly fit & flare type dresses, I never would have thought that I could look good in a sheath or a-line dress.  For whatever reason, I just didn't think the look was for me.  After sewing the Seamwork Adelaide Dress, I've totally changed my mind!  I can actually wear that silhouette!  Hooray!

Enter the Willow Tank & Dress from Grainline Studio.  Why, oh why, did I take so long to make one of these?  So simple, flattering, and easy to wear.

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Floral Rayon Charlie Caftan

YASSSS!  It's caftan weather!!!  Well... sort of.  Man, it's been a rainy summer here in Ottawa!  Now - before making this, I had never actually worn a caftan. HOWEVER - I have lusted after them something fierce, and just haven't found the right one. Thank goodness for the amazing Heather-Lou over at Closet Case Patterns.  Fabrications (local Ottawa fabric shop) teased this pattern a week before it's release in their IG page, and Gillian over at Crafting a Rainbow commented "please be a caftan!" to which I nearly lost my mind because that was the exact thing I needed to add to my summer sewing list.  ANYWAYS!  I literally bought this pattern the moment I got the email newsletter announcing it's release, printed it the following day, and had it sewn and ready to wear the following weekend.  Behold - the Charlie Caftan!

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Floral & Striped Ebony Dresses

What?!?  Two blog posts in as many days?  I have a ridiculous backlog of things I've been meaning to post, so I'm working through them while chillin' inside with the AC on since it's a million degrees + humidity outside this weekend.  Central air conditioning is pretty fantastic you guys.  Also, we rearranged the living room yesterday and I'm really diggin' it.  Wee!  

Ok, back to sewing.  This is a sewing blog after all!  Back in mid-winter when the Closet Case Ebony T-Shirt & Dress pattern came out I scooped up some knits I had in my stash and sewed up a couple different ones.

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Navy Dotted Alder Shirtdress

Another dress I made in the winter, and I'm just getting around to blogging it now!  I bought the Alder Shirtdress pattern a while ago and have fabric I bought with a birthday gift card last August.  It took me a while to get up the courage to sew something with a collar...  I don't know why I waited so long... it really wasn't that hard!  Please don't mind my pasty-white skin, I took these photos back in March!  Also, I'm just really pasty ;)

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Les Fleurs Cleo Skirt

Now, everyone and their grandma has at least some of this fabric.  But seriously - who can blame them? It is SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL.  When this stuff first arrived at one of the local fabric shops, it was gone within hours of their instagram post about it.  Seriously!  I went in 3 hours after the post and the whole bold was GONE.  So, I ordered this fabric online from Rifle Paper Co. with a boxing day deal and waited patiently for it to arrive.  Then it sat on my shelf for a few months because I was too worried to ruin it, and hadn't quite decided on the right pattern that would show off the fabric nicely.

Made By Rae released her Cleo Skirt pattern at the end of January and I figured it would be a great pattern for the fabric.  Simple, comfortable (woo elastic waist!), and would work really well with the drape of the rayon.

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Me-Made-May 2017 Final Wrap-Up & Last Few Days

IT'S DONE!!! FINALLY DONE!  I get excited about MMMay every year, but by the end of it I am so darn glad that it's over - mostly because the selfies get annoying, and my IG feed is just other people taking selfies.  Not that I don't enjoy it - it's just gets repetitive after a couple weeks and it is SO difficult to keep up with what everyone is doing!

Anyways - this year's MMMay was a great success.  My me-made wardrobe has expanded pretty significantly since last year (thanks to having my own sewing room, and feeling much more confident in my skills) and I didn't have as much trouble finding things to wear every morning - even with the crazy weather we've been having.  As with last year, I found that I need more semi-casual tops to pair with jeans - or I just need to make my own damn jeans (something I keep putting off!)

So, here's a summary of the last three days and links back to the past 4 weeks of Me-Made-May 2017.

Week 5ish:

Day 29:  Orchid-print A-Frame Skirt

Day 30:  Purple Aztec-Print Hudson Pants

Day 31:  Dotted Willow Tank Dress

I actually finished off the week wearing me-made tops - the red chambray willow tank I wore last Friday and the geometric burnout scout tee from last Tuesday :)

Week 4:

Week 3:

Week 2:

Week 1:

ALSO!  I didn't post about these, since I haven't finished making all the pairs I have cut up, but I made a few pairs of Scrundlewear!  Which I wore under most of my flowy skirts and dresses.  I had been looking for some new boyshorts since they provide a bit more butt-coverage in case of a gust of wind - but all of the ones I found in-store had centre-seams.  WHO the HELL wants a centre-seam up their centre-seam?!?!  No thank you.  So I made my own - and they are THE most comfortable pair of underpants I have ever worn - hands down.  I splurged on some meundies a while ago and I thought those were the best you could get. The best part about making your own undies?  You can make them from scraps!  I have so many knit scraps stashed away, I could probably make a months-worth of my own underpants.  Here's a peek at the first three pairs I made:

Anyways - all this to say that while MMMay is fun, it does get a bit boring towards the end of the month. However - the goal of wearing almost all me-made clothing is a great one to keep working towards, and I'm finding it to be a great way to push myself to try new things.