On Friday night, around 9pm, I decided that I should probably get started on that whole wardrobe challenge thing. So I did. I banged out this shirt in about two and a half hours. All the while, I was thinking that I probably shouldn't even count this one towards my challenge since I've already made this shirt four times and it almost felt like cheating (previous versions are here, here, and here).
Um, apparently I was getting a little cocky. You see, I really haven't sewn anything in close to a year and I thought maybe I'd ease my way back into it with an old favorite. After I banged this one out in two and a half hours, I tried it on, and, um, it was way too big. I still can't quite figure this out since I made the same size as the other three I have and those fit me, but this one was clearly too big. So I spent Saturday and Sunday ripping it apart. And then I re-cut and re-sewed it one size smaller on Monday.
Something is still not quite right, it appears to be slightly lopsided and it's definitely smaller than the other ones I've got. But it's done, it's wearable, and I'm counting it as submission number one to the great 2010 wardrobe challenge. As an aside, the pattern is Simplicity/Built By Wendy 3835 and I made it out of a really nice chambray that I picked up off the remnant shelf at Treadle. And now, well now I'm totally motivated to get going on some more garments and was already pouring over more patterns last night.
How about all of you? Are any of you out there who wanted to play along making any progress? I'm curious to see how you're all doing out there!
Also...a few links for you this week:
...check out my guest post over at Abby's! She and her husband just moved from Portland to Austin and asked some friends to guest blog about road trips while they were heading south.
...Shanna's got a new desktop calendar! This time she collaborated with the wonderfully talented Hannah Huffman and it's wonderful. I changed my desktop the second I saw it.
...Claire's new mix is amazing. Period.
...I made something akin to this last week with the last of my frozen apricots and cherries, and it was amazing. In fact, it might have had the most crunchy-good crisp topping I've ever tasted. Definitely a recipe to keep in mind as summer fruit season creeps in.
PS: I'm slowly cleaning up the ole blog here, so if you notice a little tinkering here and there, that's what it's all about. For now, I've added a handy dandy search box on the sidebar there for all those pressing things I wrote about two years ago that you can't find.
Well done Julia! I love the color. I have the same pattern (and an unfinished dress from it) and I am hoping to do the same top but in linen. The pattern doesn't list linen, though, so I'm a little nervous. Do you think it would work?
ReplyDeleteMy own wardrobe challenge is progressing. I've made one seersucker top for myself and a dress for baby (first sewing project without a pattern, and which she has already outgrown in only a week and a half) though I am only "counting" clothes for myself. Guess I better get on the next adult project!
it counts!!
ReplyDeletethe armholes on the bbw patterns drive me freaking crazy. i would say that you could go down a size, but for the teeny tiny spaces that you are supposed to maneuver your appendages. so rude.
oh i'm in. i just set up my sewing machine on the weekend, and as soon as i have finished sewing a little turtle for a newborn, i'm all over clothes. i just bought myself that cal patch book for my birthday, and i might even finally get around to cutting out my plates from the pattern making course i took LAST YEAR!!!
ReplyDeletewish you lived closer so we could have a night of wine and sewing :)
also, so happy you love the mix :) can't stop listening to that edward sharpe album.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many fabric shop visits I can squeeze into my drive through Minneapolis next weekend on the way to visit friends. I supposed seeing people I haven't seen in three years is marginally more important than fabric.
ReplyDeleteI have only made the dress version of 3835, but I've heard people have success using the darts from the dress to make the top a little bit more fitted, so you could try that.
I just discovered your challenge and I am in too, though I'm not sure how much will be clothing for the adult--rather, my summer challenge is to make a list of my works-in-progress, bang those out, and then re-evaluate the stash.
ReplyDeleteBTW, won't make it to knitting tonight. (Morning sickness wins. Again.) :( :( :( xo
thanks ladies!
ReplyDeletemjb- i actually always make the darts in the shirt version- i think i just thought you were supposed to and didn't realize that you weren't until the third time i made it! so i've just kept doing it that way- it does make it quite fitted :)
claire- totally wish we lived closer, that would be too perfect.
molly- getting ANY sewing (clothing or not) is an accomplishment in my book. i think i've had oven mitts on my to-do list for about three years.
angela- i'm SO impressed with your progress, your stuff looks great!
melissa- you're SO right, why have i never put that together?! the armholes are always tiny...