FO: Sailor Top Stash Bust

You can't get much better than a simple stripey tee.  Easy to wear with some many things, bright and simple.  I love my striped shirts but have been lacking a short sleeved version for summer. And  sometimes it is good to have a quick project with simple straight seams and a satisfyingly fast end product.

Lovely Jessica sent me a piece of striped jersey last year.  It has a nice weight to it.  I love striped fabric (told you that already haven't I?) and I was delighted to receive it.  I'd thought of many ways to sew it but couldn't decide.  But I am trying to sew up my stash and the fact that I had this nice jersey unused was really starting to bug me.

 Finally I settled on Marilla Walker 's Sailor top. I liked Marilla's versions, especially the dress version but wasn't sure.  Then I was finally swayed by Helen of grosgraingreen's version. 

The pattern is a free pdf.  It is square shaped with a clever diamond gusset in the shoulders. The basic square shape reminds me  of sewing simple tops for dolls! I mean that in a nice way.

  It was easy to put together. I cut and stitched it in one evening while everyone else watched a film.  Snip, snip, sew, sew.
  I just managed to squeeze front, back and sleeves from my jersey piece. I didn't have enough striped fabric for the gussets so I used left over red rib from this dress.  I love  the little bright peep of red.  I also used some red ribbon to stabilise the neck on the inside.  

The final top is great for our on off summer. It's on a constant wearwash rotation at the moment. And just this morning I saw Jenna's Sailor top!  Now I feel a bit of serendipityis  in the air.  

Photo opp stolen by RG  

Trying to show the gusset

So, if you want a simple quick sew tee and like a blocky simple shape, I recommend you try the Sailor tee.  It's great for using up a small piece of jersey.

Recently...

I haven't written a "recently.." post for ages but I have blogged so little lately that it seemed like a good way to catch up.  So,
Recently....there's been playing in the rain,

 Planning our summer holidays, reading US blogs always surprises me as they start summer holidays so much earlier.  Here we still have a month to go, but I have been quietly booking a few free or low cost workshops.

 There's been much fun in puddles...

Sort of recently, but actually a month ago, it was my birthday and I was given some money to spend.  I bought this sweet star necklace from Bybjor.  I love it and it arrived in lovely packaging. I also bought two pieces of fabric from Clothkits. A metre of each, spectacles and some pale grey dotty liberty fabric.  I have already stitched the liberty up and will share soon,  It's lying in a crumpled heap waiting to be ironed.  I was also given this cookbook.  The beetroot hummus was lovely but for my children it was A Step Too Far.  "When can we have some real hummus?"  I had to eat it all.  For three days.  

My favourite old friend sent me this bracelet.  

Recently, my sewing is mostly about this confection.  a mermaid outfit for Little I to wear in the local carnival in just over a week,  It is um...a work in progress...

What has everyone else been up to?  Anyone else sewing fancy costumes?  Or failing with hummus?  

Me Made May - the end

Ottobre Autumn Mood tee, Tate skirt

So, Me Made May is at an end.  I wore me made every day but didn't photo every day. I have put in most of my photos here - anything not me made is second hand I think.  So, what did I learn?  Well, I do like the versatility and wearability of a denim staple...I wore my denim Portfolio dress four or five times, my Tate skirt four times, and my V1247 denim..um..lost count. I like the denim pieces as I can add colourful and patterned tops without being too crazy lady. I also fell back into love with my V1247 bright green cord skirt.  In fact I am thinking making another V1247 skirt as I like it so much. I realise that my default photo pose is slightly hunched, hands in pockets, not sure what conclusions to draw there.

Vogue 1247 skirt in green cord

Ottobre Autumn Mood tee, Tate skirt

Sew Lisette portfolio dress, aka Simplicity 2245

I finished my Amazing Fit trousers as seen below but the fit isn't amazing YET and I have to unpick and take the waist in a bit.  I wore them twice but they aren't quite right yet.  I plan to blog fully about them soon.  May was so cold that I have a large amount of summery me mades that were not worn at all...sleeveless tops and shorts, summer skirts and dresses all remained in the wardrobe.

Simplicity 1696 Amazing Fit Trousers

Ottobre Summer '14 painted Roses Top 

Butterick top, Vogue 1247 skirt

Sew Lisette Traveller Dress, aka Simplicity 2246

Tova tunic blouse, Sew Liberated Skinny 

Me made apron, V1247 skirt

Sew Liberated skinny jeans, Painted Roses top from Ottobre (unblogged)

Just had to include this for the ghostly child image

I am glad I took part as it got me out of my jeans and top rut, and I enjoyed wearing my skirts and dresses.  I love my red jeans.  I love being able to say "I made it" if someone compliments an item of clothing.  So anyone else have fun with May?  Thank you to Zoe for organising it again.  This year I was slightly out of the community as I'm not on flickr or instagram but I think that was good for me as I would never have kept up with so many images and people!