On the fence

I just finished sewing up a test run of Lekala 4562, and I’m just not quite sure about it. I mean, I think it would get a lot of wear during the summer when I’m working outside and sweating like crazy because it’s loose and flowing, but I was hoping it would be a bit more…flattering. I don’t know. It’s currently running through a load of warm water clothes to see if it looks better once the starch is washed out and it maybe shrinks a bit, because right now it’s a muu-muu. 😕 We’ll see. I’m keeping my fingers crossed because I was hoping to make 2 or 3 actual versions with fabric that doesn’t have holes in it from the prewash. 😡 (Side note: why is it that Jo-Ann has all the cute prints/good selection in challis, but the quality is so hit and miss that it’s hard to buy it there?) In fact, the shirt has a hole right under the bust dart–grrr! I was trying to miss it, but I didn’t technically have enough fabric for the pattern, and even though I marked it with a pin, it must have shifted when I went to cutting. Oh well. For a work shirt I don’t really care.

Notes on the pattern:

• It has you hem it before you sew up the side seams. This seemed like a weird/scary idea, but it actually worked out perfectly.
• I’m always impressed at how well Lekala patterns print out on my printer–even when it’s being a brat. The lines match up nearly perfectly every time, and even when I’ve had to fudge it a bit, I’ve never had a problem with pieces not matching up. Knock on wood.
• The sleeve cap is asymmetrical–it’s subtle, but it’s there, so pay attention and mark your notches accordingly (and put two in the back to make it easier for you!) I think I sewed my sleeves on backwards, they fit, but I’m pretty sure they are backwards.
• I would have preferred a patch pocket to the weird little flap. That’s an easy change, but I wanted to make it “as-is”, to see if it really was a cute detail that I was sneering at and would end up loving later (tell me I’m not the only one who has this happen?). I remain unconvinced.
• I didn’t add any length, and I don’t think I needed to for a change. This one is plenty long from the start. I’m not sure if it was a measurement I changed or if something has been updated, but before it seemed like everything I printed was too short. Just keep an eye on it before you cut your fabric, this is super easy to fix on paper, but not with the fabric already cut!
• I don’t think the sleeve cuffs will stay put in the drapey fabric. Scratch that, I know they won’t. And I’m not sure how to stitch them down so that it’s invisible either. I was thinking blindhem, but it’s the opposite of what my machine does, so…?

Anyway, not sure what else I can say about a super simple woven t-shirt, so I’ll wrap it up. It’s a quick sew, and I’m so desperate for summer shirts that I’ll probably wear it to death even if it doesn’t come out of the washer any better than it went in. Maybe I’ll just take it in a bit…maybe. 😉

Have you ever made an unintentional muu-muu? Did you wear it anyway?

I’m bored…

With basically my entire aesthetic. I have no idea what I want to replace that with though. I’d like to step into something a bit different, but not drastically so. I’ve done the t-shirts and jeans thing for the better part of a decade, and I’m bored.

Not so bored that I want to suddenly start doing my makeup every single day (!!!) or wear frilly dresses (!!!), but small changes. Something to change it up a bit and get me out of my comfort zone before I turn into one of those people who wears yoga pants everywhere. OK, actually, I’ve been more of a ratty t-shirt and jeans person, but you know what I mean. 😉

So, in honor of MeMadeMay, instead of a daily roundup of stuff that I’m wearing every day, I want to see how much stuff I can make to replace the things that I’ve had to throw away. My goal is to make at least 4 new shirts that aren’t just a boring t-shirt (though there might be a couple of those too!) to replenish my dwindling clothes that are fit to be seen in public. (I threw out a bunch of old holey ones, so now I’m forced to take action.) Given my time constraints, I don’t forsee them being super elaborate or all different patterns, but I need nice wearable basics. I feel like one a week is a reasonable amount, where I can still spend time with my family, help with house projects, and whatever else we have going on before summer break hits.

Anyone else ever get bored with their closet? What sort of things do you make when you have “nothing to wear”?