June has arrived and, though we are thrilled for the arrival of summer, we are a little sad to see May go.
We had so much fun participating in Me-Made-May! It is, truly, one of my favorite things we’ve ever done as a store. Thanks to all of you for helping to make it such an enjoyable event!
Day 25:
Tamara wore three handmade pieces: a coat sewn in linen/cotton suiting, a knit top, and a silk crepe-de-chine skirt! The pattern for her topper is the Palvi, from Lotta Jansdotter’s book Everyday Style. She drafted both her shirt and skirt patterns.
Ellen also donned a trio of handmade garments! Her round-neck coat pattern is from Casual Sweet Clothes: Favorite Pieces for Every Day by Noriko Sasahara; she used a linen/cotton Ikat, a perfect fabric pairing for the simple silhouette. Her top and pants are the Mimosa ensemble from Sewing Workshop, which she sewed up in yarn-dyed linen/cotton.
Kristina wore a second iteration of the Kiomi tunic and a knit tube skirt of her own design. For this version of the Kiomi (originally a dress pattern in Lotta Jansdotter’s Everyday Style), she used washed silk dupioni and created a hi-low hemline. The effect is cool and elegant. Her tube skirt is rayon/spandex jersey; a similar pattern is KwikSew #3765.
Jessica wore a button-down shirt with Peter Pan collar of her own design. She used plaid linen/cotton for a perfect picnic look! Though the pattern for this shirt is unavailable (she drafted it herself), Burda #6840 has similar details.
Day 26:
Ellen was ready for the weekend in her cropped jacket, which she sewed up in a cotton with crewel-work details! Pattern is #009 from Betsy Ross, which is, sadly, no longer in business. For a similar look, try Vogue #9190.
Jessica prepped for the weekend in a restyled vintage skirt! Longer, pleated and a touch too small from when it was purchased twelve years ago, she breathed new life into the skirt her scissors and sewing machine. For a similar pattern, try KwikSew #3794.
Days 27 & 28:
Sadly, we did not have a chance to take photos on either day 😦
Day 29:
Kitrina wore a pleated cotton piqué skirt with petersham ribbon details at the waist and alençon lace trim at the hem. The original Burda pattern is now discontinued; try Butterick #5756 for a similar pleated skirt pattern.
Kristina paired her asymmetrical Kiomi tunic with her favorite straight skirt (McCall’s #3830). The hi-low hemline of her tunic perfectly showed off the border print of her skirt!
Jessica wore a boldly patterned silk/cotton lawn dress. She used Simplicity pattern #2497 (now discontinued) featuring a ruffled neckline and blouson details at the waistline. For a similar-but-updated silhouette, try Vogue #1343.
Day 30:
Kitrina wore a fabulous dress with a draped collar and sash. She sewed the now-discontinued Vogue pattern out of yarn-dyed polyester suiting. For a comparable style, try Butterick #5850.
Ellen got ready to bid adieu to me-made-May by sewing up the Betsy Ross Cropped Jacket pattern with a fabric that she’d had in her stash for at least 15 years! The simplicity of the jacket style was perfectly paired with the yarn-dyed beaded linen. Though the Betsy Ross pattern company in no longer around, try Vogue #9190.
Jessica wore the matte jersey dress she discussed in our post on planning for me-made-May. She used the bold print to make a pattern from the BurdaStyle S/S 2016 plus size special magazine (pattern 417B), a casual dress with cocoon silhouette and draped armholes. For additional coverage, she lined the dress, and added openings to the sides seams for a ribbon sash.
Day 31:
For the final day of me-made-May, Tamara wore a striped tee-shirt style dress paired with a printed cotton lawn overdress. The knit dress, made of rayon/spandex jersey and bound with fold-over elastic, is McCall’s pattern #6612. Her Japanese lawn dress is the same Marcy Tilton pattern from day 11, Vogue #8876.
Izzie, our resident milliner, wore a summer straw hat of her own creation! She used sinamay straw and vintage trimmings for the perfect look! If you are in the Seattle area this weekend, Izzie will be showing her hats at a trunk sale at the Beppa store; be sure to check it out!
And for a final me-made-May farewell, Jessica ended the month in the same dress from the first day, her favorite Decades of Style pattern, #2003 1920s Hazel’s Frock. For something new, she added a handmade straw braid hat, which she made in classes with Izzie and trimmed with millinery flora from our Ribbon Room!
Thanks again for joining us for Me-Made-May! We had a blast participating and look forward to doing it again next year!
Nancy's Sewing Basket 