Chevron Shirt and Gray Skirt

Shirt: Made by me
Skirt: Made by me
Cardigan: Target
Tights: Target
Boots: Frye

I need to start playing some major blog catch up here! I guess there isn't actually anyone telling me that I ABSOLUTELY HAVE to blog everything I've ever made. Well, no one except my internal organization freak, that is! So I'm going to try to back-blog some stuff I made in November and December, in an effort to be able to get around to some real time blogging sometime soon. I think it will be good to have as my own personal reference, even if no one else cares. 

So, here are two made by me items that I wore together yesterday. As I think I've mentioned before, my major impetus for starting this sewing journey is to create a wearable and comfortable wardrobe for my very casual life. I know a lot of sewing bloggers love to make beautiful and complicated dresses because they love the challenge and learning new techniques, but that really isn't what is (currently) driving me to sew. I feel like I have been sewing out of desperation these past few months. Desperation, because for years I have not been able to find the clothes that I WANT to wear in stores, and now I feel like I have the tools to make them. I'm trying to build a wardrobe here! And really, I've made great progress. Yesterday, I wore two made by me items, and I'm doing the same today. Hardly a day goes by now that I'm not wearing something that I have made, simply because the items I have made fit better and suit my needs better than anything I've bought in a long time. 

If I'm guessing right, this shirt was probably around the third thing I've made, back in November or December. It made it from the free Blank Canvas Tee Pattern by Steph at Cake Patterns/3 Hours Past. I have to say that I haven't been wild about the fit- I think there is a bit too much room in the bust for me, but I was (and still am) struggling with how to fit kimono sleeve tops. Something about it just confuses the crap out of me! 

 However, looking at these photos, I don't think its as bad as I thought it was! Its made of a nice drapey rayon knit from Fabulace on Etsy. That store has some seriously good prices. The print is a little crazy, but I think I like it!

I did the suggested binding at the neckline, but I finished off the hem and the sleeves with my favorite- the double needle! I used some clear elastic to stabilize the shoulder seams.

Now, on to the skirt. I finished this up on Monday night and wore it on Tuesday, nothing better than that!

This is basically a self drafted pattern. I printed off the free 30 Minute Skirt pattern from Make it Perfect, but after making a trial run with it in a different fabric, realized it wasn't what I was looking for. It was too high waisted, too long, and way too tight for me to feel comfortable in. Using it as a basic template, I lowered the waist, raised the hem, added some width, took some of the extreme shaping out of the hips, and added a casing for the elastic waist. Its pretty much not the same skirt anymore. I think I could still stand to make it a little more fitted, its probably a bit too baggy, but I'm not sure where my fitted skirt comfort level is.

My cheap ass sewing machine is always skipping the zip zag stitches. What gives??? Is this fixable?? And yes, that thread color looks atrocious with the fabric, at some point I will rip it out and restitch with a darker thread. This is what happens when the closest sewing store is an hour away. Speaking of the closest sewing store, that's where I picked up this lovely material. Santa Fe Fabrics is the most beautiful and inspiring store, I just wish it didn't have Santa Fe prices (i.e., really high for the tourists) and that it was open later than 5:30 during the week days and not closed on Sunday. Makes it hard to feed the fabric addiction! Thank God for the internet (I make sure to do so at least once a day). Anyways, the fabric is a very nice poly/cotton/rayon blend that I got in the remnant bin, just enough for one skirt.

My lovely Frye Harness boots. 

The End!