This past week was March Break – yeah, that’s right, it was delayed until April! Ontario is rapidly sinking into disaster, so I started off the holiday being pretty blue. So what could be better to cheer myself up than sewing a blue-themed mini capsule?
Behold, a few days of sewing:
Let’s look at each garment!
First up, the Tyra Tee by Just Patterns. This is the newest of the patterns I sewed, mixed in with some true classics. I posted on Instagram this winter that I was looking for a pattern for a boxy sweater, and the designer from Just Patterns sent me a free copy of this pattern to try. It was a disaster in the heavy cotton rayon sweater knit I first tried, but it’s very cute as a tee!
This fabric is deep stash – in fact, it’s the same rayon stripe that the old Concord top I shared recently is made from! Which makes it at least six years old. I’ve seen great versions of this tee in cotton for a more structural feel. I shortened it a bit, and it probably would be more stylish and inch shorter. I really like this length though. Next time I sew it, I might narrow it by an inch on either side of the shoulders so that is ever so slightly narrower.
Boxy Top Numero Dos! This is my second Muna and Broad Torrens Box Top, and my first since it was redrafted. My original gets worn but never made it to the blog (hellp, COVID blogging slump) – the neckline tended to slide around and droop at centre front. This version solves those issues.
Can we talk fabric? I fell in love with the Dashwood Studios design aesthetic when I got a rayon challis sent to me for the Style Maker Fabrics tour a few years ago and ever since I’ve been collecting various prints. The tank in this post is Dashwood, and so is this tank. I started hunting for the new 2021 release a few months ago, and ended up doing a big $$$ order from Minerva Crafts to buy several, including this geometric print. If you general like bold multicolour organic prints like me, you might enjoy checking out the line! No sponsored, just being an enabler.
Now two basic knit TNTs from Hey June:
This is the free Durango Tank, which I’ve now technically sized out of… but with knits, I’ll keep using a pattern for years and just add a bit of width each time I cut it. The fabric is a cat print from Lady McElroy that I bought last year. I’ve got a few of her print knits because I get suckered in by the prints.. but I don’t love the fabric itself. Her knits are a rayon crepe knit, that is slightly sheer. It’s not heavy and drapey like a classic rayon jersey, and it’s the sort of fabric than can velcro to itself.
In a nearly identical colourway, here’s a print from another maker that is just a classic rayon jersey!
My camera battery died before I could photograph this last outfit, so you are stuck with iPhone pics from here on in.
This is a Hey June Santa Fe, which I have made in tank version about a billion times, and in this raglan tee version a mere five times or so. Here’s my most recent from last spring, and my first from 2016! I’m actually still sewing the same size raglan as five years ago, though my measurements are several inches larger. It fits a bit more snugly and i actually prefer this current fit! In the tank, I usually add width on the fly like with the Durango above.
And finally, the bottom part of each outfit.
This is the Cake Hummingbird Skirt, which I loved back in 2013 when it was released. I like the idea of a straight skirt with all the boxy tops that I’ve been sewing, and I love the deep pockets and easy construction on this pattern. As I used to do, I sewed it in a stretch woven and a pull-on waistband. Sewing it again, I remembered how unique the pattern sizing is… basically you start in a 5″ size range and then adjust the side seams to make it fit. I also had to add a second set of darts in the back to handle my booty, and in the end, I’d prefer a traditionally drafted pattern. I still like the skirt though, and it is a fun walk down memory lane.
That’s a deep pocket!!!
I actually had a pair of blue chambray wide leg pants planned too but I ran out of elastic! I was so sure I’d have some hiding somewhere, but no, I really don’t. I ordered some from Fabricland/Fabricville online, but it took a week just to ship. Don’t they know they are holding up my sewing queue?
I started this capsule because I was feeling blue… and I’m happy to report that sewing it pulled me out of my funk. Ironically, I’m actually about to dye my hair blue in a few days. My husband coaches a high school Improv team and they made it to the Canadian Improv Games Nationals, which means he has to make good on his promise to dye his mutton chops the colour of their choice – cyan! Since I’ve been easing into fun hair colours this spring, I figured, why not join him? Watch out for some bold hair during Me-Made May!
Have you been sewing lately? I feel like so many of us are in and out of depression during COVID, so the sewjo is tenuous at best. It was fun to sew a bunch of basics to clear my head!
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