Still Truckin’!
The middle part is always the hardest. Things come up, I get busy, the usual. Despite this though, I have been doing pretty well! I’m behind on posting the photos, but I have been wearing my me-made-clothing and enjoying it. Trying to prepare for our random weather has been a little challenging (especially if you are someone who bikes or uses public transportation like me), but I’ve dealt with it – rain boots go with everything, right?
Here we go! It’s that time of year again! I’ve drafted my Mr. into the role of photographer and I think we’re beginning to develop a routine. My goal is to have 5-minute photo shoots and so far, so good! My other goal is to actually complete the challenge – last year my good intentions kind of fell apart about half-way through. It’s helped that the month of May works for me in terms of the clothing I’ve made: not too hot but not too cold either, so I’m able to incorporate lots of different pieces. I’m keeping my photos on flickr and you can see the set develop here. Go Team!
This shirt is a combination of two patterns I have used before. Simplicity 2652 provided the base, but it would have been way too wide for a simple shirt, so I brought in all the darts from my favourite pattern, McCalls 5929.
The print on the fabric is actually all little hearts. That look was a little too cutsey for me, so I cut out the pieces with the fabric up-side down. I like that this way, you can see that they are hearts only if you look really closely, but it also gives a nice chevron effect as well. The cotton is really soft and it’s so comfortable. I’ve already worn it to the market a couple of times! I think if I were to do this again I would take out the same amount of volume, and add elastic at the waist instead of buttons.
Special thanks to my awesome photographer, Denis Duquette. We were going for a natural look and the shoot was really fun. There was a lot of giggling going on!
It was such a great week for mail. Not only did the Minoru pattern arrive, but so did a gift certificate to the fabric store! It appears that spring has also finally arrived! I’m going to try this jacket out in a pale yellow outdoor-twillish material with some blue lining that I got from Mood a while back. So, one check for using up old supplies, and one for new!
I used to do some character work as Dorothy Gail from The Wizard of Oz and modelled as Dorothy as well (I have some really fun images from a shoot in a coin-laundry). It involved false eyelashes, a basket, and - of course – ruby slippers! With it’s slightly gathered sleeves and checkered print, I like to think that this shirt is the casual, ready-to-wear version of that costume. It was so easy to make (McCalls 5318) and probably had the fewest pieces I’ve ever used for a pattern. And I always appreciate a pattern with a lot of darts. I decided to match the checks when I could, but not to get all hung up on it either.
The only drawback with this shirt is that I also modelled it after one of my person’s button-downs (I tried to steal it so many times that I just decided to make my own). We have discovered just how matchy and ”his and hers” it looks if we both wear them! Schedules will have to be worked out…
The sun came out for about an hour this weekend and it was awesome. I had my first trip to the Public Gardens (our teeny-weeny Hyde Park) of the year. My favourite part though, was the “love” graffiti on the side gate. Thank you to whoever chose not paint over it!
I love to analyze the laundry on the lines around my neighbourhood. It can be very revealing about who lives there! It’s basically hanging out your life on display - even the sheets on your bed. What’s on your line? Baby clothes? Lingerie? T-shirts over and over?
I had several of my big pashminas and scarves out there this weekend as part of our giant spring clean-up. Our line was a crazy explosion of colour and patterns! They are so light and long, they caught every little breeze.
I’ve simply given up on winter. I’m done. I have decided to enter into the time-honoured tradition of Canadian Seasonal Denial. When I first moved back to Canada, the rather optimistic outfits I saw (pastel colours, the occasional pair of flip-flops) would make me giggle. There is a sense here of “I will make spring happen” – if I act like it’s warmer, the weather will follow suit.
And so, as my first act of denial I purchased some yellow tulips. It’s been so long since there have been flowers in the house that I couldn’t even find a vase! They are currently housed in the measuring cup for my immersion blender.
I’m already feeling better. Now if only I could find my flip-flops.
