Late to the party: summer of basics update.
Okay - I said I was, then I said I wasn't ... but now I *finally* have an actual list of Summer of Basics patterns that I want to finish by the end of August, so I'm back in for #summerofbasics2018
I made my #1 Summer of Basics item earlier this month - the one I was wanting to make for a long time... a black rayon New Look dress. I put it together during my staycation at the beginning of July, but I was really unhappy with the sleeves and neckline, so I remade those a couple weeks later, after thinking through how to fix them. Now I really like it. No pictures yet, though.
That dress was the only thing I really wanted to plan to make at the time that fell into basics category - everything else was more spontaneous... so I scraped the idea of doing the official challenge and just had fun sewing for the month of July. It turned out to be really productive and I made some good basic pieces in the process too.
The Gypsum pattern was released and I've made three already - two in crisp cotton prints and one in black lightweight cotton twill.
First print was a wearable muslin in vintage-looking copper and cream paisley print that I got as a souvenir from a thrift shop on my Oregon Coast weekend at the end of June, the day after the pattern release. As soon as I got home from the trip I printed it out and tested it. I was so happy when the sizing worked out and it was an instant TNT pattern! (I'm wearing it here with the original Sorbetto pattern.)
Second version was the black twill. On this one I did the flat-felled seams and I think the fabric was a little heavy for that... I thought it was a disappointing make at first, so I hung it up and ignored it for a couple weeks. Then last week, I wore it to work with a version of the New Sorbetto and it was quite serviceable as a work skirt, so I like it well enough now.
The twill was that black fabric I accidentally bought at Joann back in May, thinking I needed it for a project my friend wanted me to make - but then my friend changed plans and I decided to keep the fabric (though they graciously offered to buy it from me so I wasn't out the $). I think part of the reason I didn't like this skirt as much at first is because I felt kind of dumb about accidentally buying new fabric I didn't even really want. There was something healing about turning it into a garment though and once it was made, it started to grow on me. I am very happy the fabric didn't go into a deep stash and never get made into anything & I know I will get a lot of wear out of it. I could have retro-actively counted this as a Summer of Basics item, but that didn't seem quite right.
The last one is my favorite. Not exactly basic, but I will wear this one a lot. It was totally a random idea - it came to me and I just had to execute it that minute. Luckily I was on staycation and had the time to throw myself into the project and stay up late to finish it.
I had a sundress cut from this beautiful moonphase fabric a couple of years ago that I never stitched up and then I got bigger and didn't want to make it because I knew it would be too small as it was cut. I was looking through my fabrics after I finished the black skirt and deciding what to make next and I realized that I might have enough to make a Gypsum with the cut pattern pieces if I was careful and clever.
I had just enough to tetris out a Gypsum and I love it so much more than the dress I was originally planning from it, so I consider that a very serendipitous win! I adore this fabric and I'm so glad I can finally wear it now. Another fabric saved from deep stash doom!
If you are a regular reader (which I am pretty sure no one is!) you may have seen my previous post about the Peppermint Peplum Top. I'm wearing a remade crop version of that with this skirt - It is all wrinkly because it is linen... but it fits and flatters much better than my original. I took an inch in at the side seams, cut some volume out of both the width and length of the ruffle, and ended up with something I actually like that works really well with Gypsum. (Still think it would be better in a drapier fabric, if I ever make it again, though.)
So why all the Gypsum updates in the middle of a Summer of Basics update? Well.... because a chambray Gypsum is my #2 Summer of Basics item!
I have had the fabric in my stash for a few years, so it's yet another deep stash clean-out and I think it will be a great basic addition to my wardrobe. I really like chambray and denim skirts, but I don't have a good one right now. My old chambray Kelly and Dot Chambray Brumby are too small and have considerable wear even if they did fit. I had a thrifted RTW chambray skirt that I was wearing to take their place, but the fit has always been a little off (too big in the waist and a little too short for my taste in work skirts) so decided to donate it & make myself one that I really like... so yeah, dark chambray Gypsym, here we come!
And... my #3 Summer of Basics make came to me quite by surprise while at a work conference in Arcata last week. There is a really lovely independent fabric store in downtown Arcata called Fabric Temptations.
I got to go there and they had a lot of paper Indie Patterns. I wanted to get one, so I picked the Scout Tee. I have always heard wonderful things about Grainline patterns and I had been disappointed with the sleeved version of the Sorbetto, but really interested in a woven tee... so I decided it would be a useful choice. I got some super-soft striped cotton lawn for the pattern, but I have to make a muslin first.
I recently picked up a jacquard-weave white cotton sheet at a thrift store for muslins, so I am going to use that to make a plain white tee. With a whole sheet, I can even muslin more than once, if needed to get the perfect fit & have a new TNT tee pattern, while also making the most classic basic of all time. What is more basic that a plain white tee?!
So here it is - an LBD, a chambray skirt (which is about as close as I get to jeans most of the time) and a plain white tee. Super basics!!!!!
I made my #1 Summer of Basics item earlier this month - the one I was wanting to make for a long time... a black rayon New Look dress. I put it together during my staycation at the beginning of July, but I was really unhappy with the sleeves and neckline, so I remade those a couple weeks later, after thinking through how to fix them. Now I really like it. No pictures yet, though.
That dress was the only thing I really wanted to plan to make at the time that fell into basics category - everything else was more spontaneous... so I scraped the idea of doing the official challenge and just had fun sewing for the month of July. It turned out to be really productive and I made some good basic pieces in the process too.
The Gypsum pattern was released and I've made three already - two in crisp cotton prints and one in black lightweight cotton twill.
First print was a wearable muslin in vintage-looking copper and cream paisley print that I got as a souvenir from a thrift shop on my Oregon Coast weekend at the end of June, the day after the pattern release. As soon as I got home from the trip I printed it out and tested it. I was so happy when the sizing worked out and it was an instant TNT pattern! (I'm wearing it here with the original Sorbetto pattern.)
Second version was the black twill. On this one I did the flat-felled seams and I think the fabric was a little heavy for that... I thought it was a disappointing make at first, so I hung it up and ignored it for a couple weeks. Then last week, I wore it to work with a version of the New Sorbetto and it was quite serviceable as a work skirt, so I like it well enough now.
The last one is my favorite. Not exactly basic, but I will wear this one a lot. It was totally a random idea - it came to me and I just had to execute it that minute. Luckily I was on staycation and had the time to throw myself into the project and stay up late to finish it.
I had a sundress cut from this beautiful moonphase fabric a couple of years ago that I never stitched up and then I got bigger and didn't want to make it because I knew it would be too small as it was cut. I was looking through my fabrics after I finished the black skirt and deciding what to make next and I realized that I might have enough to make a Gypsum with the cut pattern pieces if I was careful and clever.
I had just enough to tetris out a Gypsum and I love it so much more than the dress I was originally planning from it, so I consider that a very serendipitous win! I adore this fabric and I'm so glad I can finally wear it now. Another fabric saved from deep stash doom!
If you are a regular reader (which I am pretty sure no one is!) you may have seen my previous post about the Peppermint Peplum Top. I'm wearing a remade crop version of that with this skirt - It is all wrinkly because it is linen... but it fits and flatters much better than my original. I took an inch in at the side seams, cut some volume out of both the width and length of the ruffle, and ended up with something I actually like that works really well with Gypsum. (Still think it would be better in a drapier fabric, if I ever make it again, though.)
So why all the Gypsum updates in the middle of a Summer of Basics update? Well.... because a chambray Gypsum is my #2 Summer of Basics item!
I have had the fabric in my stash for a few years, so it's yet another deep stash clean-out and I think it will be a great basic addition to my wardrobe. I really like chambray and denim skirts, but I don't have a good one right now. My old chambray Kelly and Dot Chambray Brumby are too small and have considerable wear even if they did fit. I had a thrifted RTW chambray skirt that I was wearing to take their place, but the fit has always been a little off (too big in the waist and a little too short for my taste in work skirts) so decided to donate it & make myself one that I really like... so yeah, dark chambray Gypsym, here we come!
And... my #3 Summer of Basics make came to me quite by surprise while at a work conference in Arcata last week. There is a really lovely independent fabric store in downtown Arcata called Fabric Temptations.
I got to go there and they had a lot of paper Indie Patterns. I wanted to get one, so I picked the Scout Tee. I have always heard wonderful things about Grainline patterns and I had been disappointed with the sleeved version of the Sorbetto, but really interested in a woven tee... so I decided it would be a useful choice. I got some super-soft striped cotton lawn for the pattern, but I have to make a muslin first.
I recently picked up a jacquard-weave white cotton sheet at a thrift store for muslins, so I am going to use that to make a plain white tee. With a whole sheet, I can even muslin more than once, if needed to get the perfect fit & have a new TNT tee pattern, while also making the most classic basic of all time. What is more basic that a plain white tee?!
So here it is - an LBD, a chambray skirt (which is about as close as I get to jeans most of the time) and a plain white tee. Super basics!!!!!
Comments
Post a Comment