You know when something niggles in the back of your mind, and just doesn’t feel right? That’s how I feel when things go unblogged… so without futher ado, let’s jump back to some projects from the past!
(For the rest of the pictures it’s going to be be modelling it, but Anne kindly sent me the pics above when she wore it to a family Christmas party!)
First up, a modal jersey wrap dress that I made for Anne in November 2016. This was a project for Cali Fabrics, so you can read the original post there!
It is, of course, Cashmerette’s Appleton wrap dress. Even just a year into Cashmerette patterns, Anne and I were already addicted to the reliable fit! We both own several versions of this dress. I actually just sewed myself another, but the “is this pretty or not?” fabric turned out to be a NOT on me. Too much brown and beige in amongst the pretty colours!
So, the fabric I used for this dress is essentially the same as the modal jersey I got from Stylish Fabric for the Day and Night Challenge. It’s a beautiful yet challenging fabric, I think, so I wanted to show it again in this dress!
Pros:
- gorgeous buttery texture on the right side
- beautiful drape
- soft brushed finish looks really luxe
- lots of colours available from different shops
Cons:
- the reverse feels polyestery and slightly rough
- slightly sheer in direct light
- shows every lump or line underneath
If you look at the dress on me, it doesn’t leave much to the imagination. I notice though that when Anne layers it over a cami and ties it more loosely, it all hangs much smoother! (That, and I have more hip than her…) I did cut everything roughly a size larger, because the fabric is quite stable.
So, what is modal knit good for? Anything with a bit of ease, I think, will offer more elegant drape and less “Look! I’m wearing layers underneath!”
Speaking of Appleton wrap dresses though, here’s one I made for my cousin recently!
Doesn’t she look great? She wanted a velvet dress with a twirly skirt and pockets so I used the Turner skirt and Rivermont’s deep pockets. Three Cashmerette patterns in one!
One to the next pattern: the Decades of Style 3’s a Charm Jacket!
I made this jacket last Easter, and it’s a really cute little pattern! It has four darts in front, four in back, and sleeve darts as well. If, like me, you loved the idea of the Grainline Morris blazer but found it too boxy, then I suggest this pattern!
I used a fabulous almost-neon floral printed on a textured stretch woven. The stretch certainly makes this more comfortable. I dug this pattern out again recently, because I like the idea of a jacket over casual tops instead of a cardigan. I’m curious about making a bomber jacket or moto, but I’m not sure if the proportions would work as well!
And because you know I never make just one, here’s a 3’s a Charm Jacket I made for my mom at Christmas! It’s a scuba knit with bonded wooly lace, and we added a button (as drafted) to keep it closed.
Speaking of buttons – check out Mom’s cute button necklace! She has been making them for years to fundraise for the Stephen Lewis Go Go Grannies charity, which supports grandparents raising AIDS orphans. Anne and I get our craftiness honestly!
I’m sure as soon as I publish this, I’ll think of some other projects that have been languishing unblogged… but until then, it feels good to have everything recorded for posterity! (Aka. for me to search when I wonder about a pattern in years to come!)
I’d love to know: What proportion of your sewing projects get formally recorded, or how many just slip into the wardrobe unmentioned? I tend not to blog things like tank tops, but I do blog pretty much everything else!
Crafting A Rainbow 
You are all so crafty! I think the dress looks great on both you and Anne but I sense she feels more at home in it – so great that it’s hers 🙂 The colour is perfect, IMO. I have worked with a modal in that tone on a variety of occasions and it looks great with my skin tone. Also, that Easter jacket is fantastic. I mean, you prob want to make it in all of the colours (including a boring dark solid), because it can be paired with everything.
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You’ll be so proud – I just sewed a plain navy version of that jacket! I’ve been staring at it all week trying to figure out how to add a bit of personality to it through some kind of embellishment without making it too hard to mix and match as a basic. I”m thinking a faded denim version would be nice too as a take on a denim jacket!
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About 60% of my makes go unblogged Gillian. It’s just so difficult to get good photos. For instance I have a lovely tea dress my husband snapped some pics of on the way to a restaurant. He gave me the bottle of wine to hold while he took the photos and so in the photos I feel I look like an alcoholic… unblogged! Kind of ridiculous I suppose but one has standards. I just love the colour of that blue dress, but can totally understand how tricky it might be to wear and the jacket looks terrific on you, useful length. X
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OH gosh, I’m picturing the wine bottle photos and I know exactly how you feel! One of the reasons I prefer to take pictures by myself with a tripod and remote is that in the end, it’s faster than communicating to my husband exactly what I want – and then I never feel guilty taking lots of pictures! 😉
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Oh I love the idea of using Turner’s skirt, and Rivermont’s pockets on the appleton! May have to steal that idea!
I have a pile of me-mades that have been worn tons, but I have zero photographic evidence of. I’m thinking I’d like to make a folder of pictures of me-mades, and print off pictures and notes about fabric to tuck in with my patterns in my (new!) pattern storage binder.
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Maybe Me-Made May will help you get photographic evidence of your clothes! Do you have any spot in your house that would work for pictures?
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Not really lol. I’m thinking of getting up the courage to ask people at school to help me with photos in May XD
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Most of my makes never see the light of the Internet lol I just started my blog and have only a few posts, almost all are stops on blog tours at this point. I have been sewing for years and watching other blogs for inspiration ( yours is one I love to look at ) I want to do a documented me Made May this time around so I can see wardrobe gaps better and I think seeing outfits in a picture is a good test of if it works together.
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I hope you enjoy documenting your MMMay outfits! If you blog about it, would you share a link here so I can go check out your blog? 🙂 ❤
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Sure! My blog is http://www.missmarahsewn.wordpress.com planning some last minute before MMMay sewing as we speak lol
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Really love those jackets and the 3 pattern dress 🙂
I blog the overwhelming majority of what I make…even when I have to settle for poorly-lit or, gasp!, mirror selfies :-p But I like having a record of what I make. When I realize later that something wasn’t blogged, it makes me so sad.
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I feel exactly the same about unblogged makes! Some record is better than nothing, and like you say, perfect photos are not the point! (I mean, I enjoy taking the best blog pictures I can easily, but sometimes that means camera photos or selfies, and that’s a-ok!)
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I absolutely love that velvet dress and the gorgeous floral jacket. They are really brilliant. I have a few things that are unblogged. Lack of photos will do it every time, plus I had an ironing disaster that needs to be fixed with one of them. Can’t believe that I have actually sewn stuff but as they say “written down or it never happened”. 🙂 Xx
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Well at least you are sewing, right? Maybe snapping items on a hanger or dress form would help you feel like projects have been celebrated and recorded? Keep it simple, right?
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I love that jacket…it looks great on you and that Fabric is to die for. I have lots of undocumented males…I can’t always find enough to say about them to post them but I love this idea of blogging things in batches like you have here… perfect!!
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