31/12/2016

#2017MakeNine

Well then - we've made it through 2016 (well... just a few more hours to go here)!  It was one heck of a year with lots of ups and downs... and lots of sewing!  I haven't really sewn much over the past couple months due to our big move, but I do have lots of sewing plans for the upcoming year!

Over on her blog, Rochelle New has a wonderful way of looking ahead to sewing projects planned for the new year with her #2017MakeNine series.  She started it last year, inspired by the instagram "best nine" posts that everyone was posting.  I don't know why I missed out on participating last year... so I'm jumping on it this year!  Click on through for my list of to-sew projects for 2017.

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13/12/2016

Top 5 Projects of 2016!

Holy crap - how on earth have we already made it to mid-December?  Someone on Monday mentioned that we're less than two weeks from Christmas and I almost peed my pants.  It just completely snuck up on me!  I feel like this happens every year... but this year especially as there has been so much going on lately!  First we bought a house, then I got my Professional Engineers License and all that comes along with that, and then we moved in this past weekend!  Wee!

Anyways!!  Gillian over at Crafting a Rainbow (holy crap if you're not following her get thee to her blog!  She's absolutely delightful!) has a wonderful series summarizing her best (and not-best) projects of the past year.  I think it is a fantastic way to look over the things we've all made and be proud of what we've learned and accomplished with each new project.


So, without further ado, hop on past the jump to see my #sewingtop5 for 2016!
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Life Update - Professional Level-Up!!

Just a quick departure from the usual sewing updates!  In addition to recently buying a house (and moving in this past weekend!) I've had some pretty exciting things happen!  I recently received my Professional Engineering License!  If you're not familiar with the whole thing, to be able to practice as a Professional Engineer, and legally call oneself a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, one must be licensed by the Professional Engineers of Ontario.  Here's a blurb from their website:
Ontario professional engineers are part of a community of more than 80,000 PEO licence and certificate holders committed to enhancing the quality of life, safety and well-being in the province. The P.Eng. designation represents high standards of engineering knowledge, experience and professionalism. To become a professional engineer in Ontario, you must be licensed by Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO).
[...] PEO has governed its licence and certificate holders and regulated professional engineering practice to serve and protect the public of the province.  [...] PEO also raises public awareness of its role and of engineering as a licensed profession. Only a PEO licence holder can take responsibility for professional engineering work in Ontario; only a PEO Certificate of Authorization holder can offer or provide engineering services to the public. 
So, to become licensed, I have had to work in my field (water resources/ stormwater management) for 4 years after graduating and prove through a Professional Practice Exam and through my experience as and Engineering Intern that I am qualified to be licensed as a Professional Engineer.  So, not to toot my own horn (totally tooting my own horn) but I'm pretty dang proud of this accomplishment.  And what's a blog for if you're not going to brag about something cool you accomplished every once in a while?  So there you have it!  Just a bit more about me, and what I'm up to when I'm not busy sewing ;)  I sadly didn't wear any me-made items to the certificate ceremony this past Thursday as all my clothes were packed up for our move the following day!




04/12/2016

Grey Herringbone Elmira Wrap Cardigan

Well hey there!  I'm finally back to it with some sewing!  I actually have 4 or 5 other makes that I've been to lazy to blog about, and will hopefully get those posted once we're all moved in to the new house.

I made this Elmira Wrap Cardigan (from Seamwork) a couple months ago, mostly to go with my Cat-Lady Emery Dress and other sleeveless dresses so I could wear them in the colder months.  I used a grey herringbone knit I bought from imagine gnats (amazing shop - you should check it out!)


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Ahh! We Bought a House!!

AHHHH!! Seriously, I am SO dang EXCITED!  We bought a house in October, and we'll be moving in this week.  The best part?!?  I GET MY OWN SEWING ROOM!!  (second best part being we don't have to put up with a shitty neighbour across the hall!)  Ohhhmygoodness I am so excited to have my own little space to keep all my sewing stuff and ongoing projects.


The new house is a late 1950's bungalow that was for sale by the original owner.  It's in an up-and-coming neighbourhood, so we were happy to get in before the house prices sky-rocket (it's no Toronto, but houses ain't cheap in Ottawa!)  The place is in really great condition, but needs some updating and a new coat of paint.  The yard is a blank slate with lots of room for gardening, and I'll have a great backyard to take blog photos in!  It even has a nice big window over the kitchen sink - one thing I always loved about the house I grew up in!  We're just so darn excited to settle in and make this place our own.  We really do love our current apartment (it's served us well for nearly 3 years) but it was time to branch out and have a home of our own.

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29/11/2016

Blog Updates

Well hey there!  Long time no see!  I've obviously taken a break from blogging (and sewing a bit) over the past couple months.

While I've been away from the blog, my husband and I bought a house!!  Ahhh!! I'm going to have my very own sewing room and I'm just so dang excited.  At the time of posting, we have only 10 more days to go until we move in.  

I've been collecting ideas and figuring out how I want to decorate my new room once we've moved in - but most of all I'm just looking forward to getting back to some sewing.  All of my sewing-stuff has been packed up for the past couple weeks, and I'm just itching to dig it out and get back to making things.

Also, you may have noticed that my blog is looking a little wonky... I'm currently trying to re-vamp it and move away from the "year of sewing" theme to just a regular sewing blog, and the HTML stuff is a bit slow-going.  I tried an esty-bought blog template, but I really didn't like the lack of customization, so I'm going to try to figure the stuff out on my own.

Anyways!  Figured I would just pop in with a quick update (I'm home sick from work today with the cold that has been making the rounds) and let you know that I'm still here and I still plan on blogging about my sewing!

02/10/2016

I DID IT!!!!!!!

YIPPEEEEE!!!  I made it a whole damn year sewing almost all of my own clothing!!  Holy crap you guys I'm pretty damn proud of myself.  I did cheat a few times (whoops!) and didn't quite get everything I was hoping to get done, done.... but I managed to sew myself a fairly substantial wardrobe!  If you're new to the blog and wondering what the heck I'm talking about, head on over to this page and see my original goal.

Here's a quick breakdown of what I made (for a full list, hop on over to this page!)
  • 8 tops
  • 9 dresses
  • 7 skirts
  • 5 pairs of leggings/ sweats
  • 1 trench coat
  • 1 duffle bag
  • 1 set of PJ's and one pair of PJ shorts
  • 3 bathing suits
  • 1 robe
  • 3 bras

That's 40 items total!  HOLY CRAP!!  On top of these, there are also a few items I just haven't gotten around to blogging, or totally forgot to blog about in the first place... so I'm thinking the grand total is actually closer to 45 or 50.  That's nearly one item a week!  There were definitely times where I wouldn't sew for a week or two, and then blitz things in one weekend (I think the record is 4 completed items in one weekend), but for the most part, I was fairly busy with sewing non-stop.

Now... the cheats!  I bought a total of 7 t-shirts.  Mostly roller-derby related, and one the other day because I really wanted it (ha! terrible impulse control, much?)  I also had to buy "golf clothing" to wear for my company's annual golf tournament, as I decided to attend somewhat last-minute and didn't have time to source fabric or patterns for something appropriate.  Underwear and bras don't count, and I did restock on those throughout the year.

There were a few items I had been meaning to sew before the end of this project, but just didn't end up getting to.  I had hoped to have a pair of jeans done (I seriously need to get on that soon...) and I was going to attempt some underwear.  I had thought about sewing a few cardigans, but I don't have a button-hole function on my machine, and the right sweater-knit is really hard to find.  I never got around to sewing some camisoles... but I imagine that would actually be a huge pain in the ass.  And of course, there are all the other dresses, skirts, pants, and tops I have swimming around in my head that I just didn't have enough time for!

As for the blog... I learned something important about myself.  I really don't enjoy it as much as I thought I might :/  In starting this project I was really excited to put myself out there and share some stuff on the internet!  I had no idea how much work it can be to regularly pump out blog posts.  Good gravy!  Mad praise for those of you who keep regular blogs... OOf!  I think the hardest part is just getting nice photos of my makes done.  I never built up the confidence to got take photos of myself outside, and getting the right lighting in my apartment can be tricky at times.  Also, usually when I have time and the lighting is right, I'm spending the weekend in my sweats and don't feel like changing into outfits and making myself look nice!  I much prefer sharing my makes on instagram where it can be a quick on-the-hanger shot.  Heck, maybe I'll just switch to that for sharing photos here on the blog.  I will from time-to-time keep updating here (after a bit of "re-branding" perhaps?) but don't be surprised or upset if posts really start to slow... Or who knows!

Anyways!!  I'm calling this project a total success!  I've developed a totally new love of sewing, learned a TON of new skills and techniques, and I've really enjoyed following along with the online sewing community - you're all absolutely delightful!  Thanks to all of you who followed along with my little project  😍

05/09/2016

Mermaid Sophie Swimsuit

Capping off what turned out to be a bit of a swimsuit week here on the blog with my Mermaid suit!  I had about a metre of this fabric leftover from my Mermaid Leggings, and I knew it needed to be turned into a swimsuit this summer.  Thank goodness for the Sophie Swimsuit pattern!  

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03/09/2016

Geometric Print Reno & Dakota Bikini

Well well, it's bathing suit week here on the blog!  The second suit I finished up is the Reno & Dakota Bikini from Seamwork.  They released the patterns as two separate pieces (personally I think this is stupid but that's fine) and with two names.  Reno is the top, Dakota the bottom.

Both pieces have a bit of a retro look to them, but since I used a fun, modern print, I don't think the retro-ness really shows through.


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(Less Than) One Month To Go!!

HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS!!  I can hardly believe it is already September, let alone the last month of my year-of-sewing challenge!  I really didn't think a year would go by so quickly and I figured this challenge would be a lot harder than is has been.

I'll be sure to do a year-end wrap-up post at the end of the month, but I just wanted to acknowledge how far along I am in this "challenge".  I have had SO much fun and have learned lots, and I'm excited for a new season starting up and an already too-long list of fall and winter sewing to get started with.

I still have a few pieces that I haven't blogged about yet, and a pile of failures that I've been meaning to do a post on.  I had also intended on sewing myself a pair of jeans by the end of this year, but the way September is shaping up (so so busy!) I don't think I'll be able to find the time.  I've also been meaning to do another wardrobe cull, since there are definitely some pieces that didn't get as much wear as I though, as well as some RTW items that have been pushed out by me-made items.

I think I'm still going to continue with the blog after the year, but I might make some title-changes and I've been thinking of cleaning things up and giving a different platform a try (anyone have a good experience with wordpress or squarespace?)  We shall see.  Anywhoo... I best get back to some sewing!

28/08/2016

Black & Gold Dot Sophie Swimsuit

TaaDaah!  I made a swimsuit!! Well... I actually made three this summer - but here's the first one I finished. When Heather Lou of Closet Case Files started teasing her new swimsuit pattern earlier in the summer I could hardly contain my excitement! I had been wanting to try my hand at sewing a swimsuit, but I wanted a pattern with cups. Lo and behold - the Sophie Swimsuit! A great pattern for those of us looking for a bit of support in our swimwear.

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27/08/2016

Polkadot Chambray Baseball Skirt

I'm still alive!  Don't worry!  Sorry (again) for the hiatus!  I was away on vacation for a week and a half, and after a week back at work I'm finally starting to get back in the groove of things again.  I have a really quick post to share of the Sew DIY Baseball Skirt I sewed up a little while ago in the last bit of that polkadot chambray that I made both a Fen Dress and a (failed) Hayden Tee out of earlier this summer.  I wish I had bought more of this fabric because it is so comfy, and so easy to sew with!


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06/08/2016

Wax Print Scout Tee, and Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation

Another Scout Tee!!  Can you tell that I love this pattern?!  It makes the perfect light, airy, but still structured shirt - and it goes with almost anything, especially jeans.  It's a perfect casual Fridays staple.  

Matt and I have some friends who lived in both Senegal and Tanzania for a while, and when we got married (nearly 2 years ago now!) they gifted us (me) with some gorgeous wax-print fabric (also known as Ankara fabrics).  I have been hoarding it since then, not sure what to do with it yet.  Enter, the Scout Tee!


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03/08/2016

Oatmeal Linden Sweatshirt

Ohh you guys, I don't know why I waited so long to try out this pattern.  Well, a good (and not stupid expensive) french terry is hard to come by!  I found this beautiful oatmeal-coloured light french terry from Blackbird Fabrics earlier in the spring, and bought it specifically for this top.


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30/07/2016

#SaturdaySewing

some #SaturdaySewing with a beer, naturally.

A photo posted by Kallie A. (@kalliesews) on

Seamwork Catarina Dress

What's this?!?  A dress?!?  I haven't sewn a dress in ages!  I had been so caught up in tops and tees and bras that I haven't sewn myself a dress in quite a while.  As with my Stripey Linen Scout Tee I posted the other day, this baby was sewn up at the end of Me Made May 2016, so naturally I'm getting around to posting about it at the very end of July.

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29/07/2016

Stripey Linen Scout Tee

See!  I'm still alive!  My sew-jo (and blog-jo... is that a thing?) has been severely lacking as of late, and I've been busy busy with summery things!  Apologies for the lack of posts.  I swear I'm still going with this project - with minimal cheats (I bought another 2 roller-derby tops... whoops!).

For those of you who followed my Me-Made-May 2016 adventure, you would have seen this tee at the end of the month when it started getting stinkin' hot here in Ottawa.

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27/07/2016

Bit of a Summer Break

Well, it's been a while since I last posted!  Sorry about that... I do have a backlog of things to get up here, I just haven't had too much time.  That, and it's the summer and I have lots of other things going on.  I'll hopefully get some things up here soon :)

09/07/2016

Chambray Seamwork Hayden Tee

Welp, they can't all be perfect... and this one definitely isn't.  When the Seamwork Hayden Tee pattern came out I thought, "Oooooh!  Lovely!" Well... now that I've sewed one up, I can't say I feel the same way.  I'm not putting all the blame on the pattern - I definitely am at fault for this thing turning out not-so-great... I just am really disappointed with how this turned out.

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07/07/2016

Three Little Watson Bras

Oh good gravy I haven't been great with this whole blogging thing.  It's the summer here in Ottawa, meaning it's hot and humid and my sewing room happens to be the hottest damn room in the apartment.  I'm also spending more time outside and out of the house than I do in the cooler seasons, so I'm really not getting tons done sewing wise.

Anyways!  I finished up these three Watson Bras a while back, and I've been meaning to share them.

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16/06/2016

Polka-Dot Chambray Fen Dress

The Fen Dress!  Also know as the most comfiest lounge-iest dress I now have in my wardrobe!  Like most of the things I'm finally getting around to blogging, I made this dress a couple months ago.  The Fen Pattern is from Fancy Tiger Crafts.


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13/06/2016

Fishy Scout Tee

Here it is!  The ever-popular during MMMay16 fishy Scout Tee!  I wore this shirt at least five times over the course of MMMay since it paired so so well with a pair of jeans!  I actually received this fabric by mistake (I ordered a polka-dotted double gauze) but it was a happy accident!  The fish print is just so fun, the double gauze has the right balance of flow & structure, so it made for a great top.  

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12/06/2016

Me-Made-May 2016 Final Wrap-Up

Well hello there!  Bit of an unintentional hiatus there... I was so blogged-out and instagrammed-out after Me-Made-May that I haven't been up to posting much, even with a big backlog of things to post! Whoops!  Anywhoo... here's a final wrap up of my first year participating in Me-Made-May.

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01/06/2016

Me-Made May Week 4 1/2 Wrap-Up!!

It's done it's done it's finally done!  Me-Made-May 2016 officially wrapped up yesterday, and while I am so happy with how it went and had so much fun seeing everyone's outfits every day, I am SO pleased that I don't have to take daily selfies anymore.  I was getting a bit too glued to my phone!

I'll have a wrap-up of the whole month and how I felt about the project coming up shortly!  I want to see if I can put together a mosaic of all the photos :)  Here's what I wore for the last three days of MMMay:


Day 29: Stripe-y linen Scout Tee (new last weekend!)
Day 30: Patterned rayon Catarina Dress (also new as of Sunday!)
Day 31: Good ol' Orange Dotted Moneta :)

28/05/2016

Me-Made May Week 4 Wrap-Up!

Weeeeeek 4!  Almost there - just three more days to go!  I won't lie - I'm looking forward to the end of the mirror selfie.

This work-week was full of prints - with plain tees to cap off the weekends :)



I'll wrap up the end of Me-Made May later this week and write a post about my first MMM16 Experience then! :)

Day 22: Unfinished grey lark tee
Day 23: Orange Dotted Moneta Dress
Day 24: Green polka-dot fit & flare dress
Day 25: Dotted Adelaide Dress
Day 26: Flamingo Nita Wrap Skirt
Day 27: Fishy Scout Tee
Day 28: Striped Linen Scout Tee

26/05/2016

Flamingo Nita Wrap Skirt

New skirt alert!!  I have been sooo lazy with getting this skirt up on the blog - I finished sewing it nearly 2 months ago!  I finally had the chance to wear it today as the weather has finally warmed up. When I bought this amazing Charley Harper fabric (from the lovely imagine gnats shop) I knew I wanted to make it into a skirt, I just couldn't decide which pattern.  Then!  Along came the Sew DIY Nita Wrap Skirt - a perfect match for what I had been thinking of!


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23/05/2016

Orange Dotted Moneta

Ahh!  I'm finally getting around to posting my most recent makes.  The weather outside is GORGEOUS so I took a whole bunch of photos of various items out on our balcony.  Soo... that's why all the photos in my next few posts will be eerily similar!  So - you've seen it a bunch in my Me-Made-May posts already, but here is my Orange Dotted Moneta Dress!


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Me-Made May Week 3 Round-Up!

Week three already?!?! Holy crap!  This challenge has seriously been so much fun to participate in - and has started to become a little bit challenging.  If you follow me on instagram, you'll have noticed that there have been a number of repeat items showing up week-after week.  It's not that I don't have a bunch of other me-made things I could wear, it's just the temperature has been fluctuating enough that I'm not completely comfortable in my usual summer dresses :)  Also this week - the May-long (aka Victoria Day) weekend was this past weekend (wooo holiday Monday today!) so my husband and I took our now annual canoe camping trip to Charleston Lake Provincial Park.  Even though we were away camping, I was still able to sneak in a few me-mades!

Anyways, enough talk - here are my outfits from last week:



Day 15: Comfy polka-dotted chambray Fen Dress (not yet blogged)
Day 16: Orange Moneta dress!  Again!!
Day 17: Striped Lark Tee
Day 18: Dotted Adelaide Dress
Day 19: Fishy Scout Tee (also again!)
Day 20: Floral Lark Tee (yep - this one is a repeat too!)
Day 21: Camping edition - Constellation PJ's

14/05/2016

Me-Made-May 2016 Week 2 Wrap-Up

Two weeks!  We're nearly halfway there :)  Sorry I haven't had many outfit posts lately... I've been crazy busy on the weekends and haven't had much time for photos.  I have lots to share!

Anyways, here's what I wore this past week:
 

From top left:
Day 8: An un-finished and un-blogged grey cotton jersey Lark Tee
Day 9 (pt 1):  Orange Moneta Dress (still un-blogged)
Day 9 (pt 2): Purple Hudson Pants, grey lark tee, navy watson bra
Day 10: Fishy Scout Tee
Day 11: Navy Feather Moneta Dress
Day 12: Teal Moss Skirt
Day 13: Floral Lark Tee
Day 14 (pt 1): Constellation PJ's
Day 14 (pt 2): Mustard Lark Tee

08/05/2016

Me-Made-May Week One Wrap-Up!

Me-Made-May 2016 is in full swing!  And so far, it really hasn't been that difficult to keep my promise of wearing at least one me-made thing each day.  Most days I actually wear 2 or more, if you can count pajamas ;)

Here's a look at what I wore each day, with Day 1 at the top left.


Day 3: Green Polka-Dot Dress (older make, so I haven't blogged about it!)
Day 5a: Orange Dot Moneta Dress (new!  will be blogged about soon!)
Day 6: Fishy Scout Tee (also new!  will be blogged about soon!)
Day 7b: Fishy Scout Tee (again!) and Purple Aztec Hudson Pants

'Phew!  Can you tell I like polka dots? 😉   This project has been so fun so far, and it's great to follow the hashtag and see everyone's makes on Instagram!  If you want to see my outfit posts day-by-day, hop on over to my Instagram feed!  I'm going to try and gets some photos that aren't mirror selfies... but they're just the easiest to take in the morning as I'm on my way out the door to work.  We'll see how next week goes!

03/05/2016

Adelaide Dress Featured on the Colette Blog!!

Ahhh!  My Adelaide Dress I posted about not too long ago has been featured on the Colette Patterns blog as a part of their "Pattern of the Month" series. I'm just so pleased to be featured in such good company!  There are ladies in that list that I look up to in the sewing blog-o-sphere! 

I am just so gosh-darn excited.  I just wanted to share that with you all!

30/04/2016

#SaturdaySewing (#2)

#SaturdaySewing (#1)

A Totally Me-Made Outfit! Lark Tee & Moss Skirt

I'm back!  Ahh, sorry for the lack of sewing posts... I've simply been too lazy to share :P  I have quite a few items I've been meaning to photograph and share, as well as a bunch more on my to-sew list!

A couple weekends ago, I finished these very spring-y items:  A teal Moss Skirt, and a floral Lark Tee - an entire Grainline outfit!  My first ever moss skirt was a total fail, and it is currently stuffed at the back of my closet somewhere.  As for the lark tees,  I love the three I have already made, but I wanted to try a thicker neckline this time.


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24/04/2016

Half-Way There!

Wooohoo!  I made it to the 6-month mark!  Like, three weeks ago...  I can't believe I missed that!

Anywhoo, I'm just really stoked at how well this whole project has been going, and I wanted to share it with you guys.

I think it is actually time for another wardrobe cull... as some of my old store-bought things didn't get any wear over the winter so it's time toss them into the donate pile!

Also, I've only cheated a tiny bit!  Other than buying the allowed underwear/ socks/ etc. I did buy a couple roller-derby tanks and tees... supporting local business and promoting my league!  I think that's justified... and they were things I couldn't realistically make myself, as I couldn't really make my own tee's and have them sent away for the screen-printing.

Welp, other than that I have a couple things to blog (moss skirt, more lark tees, a fen dress, a nita wrap-skirt, the hayden tee) and a few things on my list to get done in time for Me-Made-May 2016!

13/04/2016

Dotted Adelaide Dress

You guys you guys you guys!  Spring has finally arrived in Ottawa!  So what does that mean sewing-wise?  Well, I'll probably not going to be spending as much time inside... but it also means fun spring and summer dresses & skirts!

To start off the sunny season, I sewed up a Seamwork Adelaide Dress in a Nani Iro double gauze I've been hoarding since last year.


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03/04/2016

Aires Leggings in Action!


I'm a big ol' nerd and I asked one of my teammates to take a picture of me after practice so I could actually get one up on here - hence why I look like I could collapse from exhaustion any minute!!

I missed any good photos of me in my mermaid-tights, but you get the idea!

Me-Made-May 2016

Wait a minute, didn't the calendar just flip over to April?

I know, I know, but the time to sign up is now!  I came across this mid-May last year when I was still just getting into sewing my own clothing and missed the chance to participate.  I've been looking forward to this since starting my challenge!

If you're not familiar with the idea, just hop on over to Zoe's blog for the explanation.

So!  Here's my goal for the upcoming #MMMay16:

I, Kallie Auld, sign up to participate in Me-Made-May '16.  I pledge to wear at least one me-made article of clothing each day, and document it weekly for the duration of 
May, 2016.

Well!  there you have it!  I'm going to do my best to share a blog post every week with a summary of my outfits for the month of MMMay16, and I'll try to post my daily outfits on Instagram.

As it's only the 3rd of April... I'll have more details the closer we get to May.  In the mean time... I should get on with some sewing!

27/03/2016

Geometric Print Aires Leggings

Another pair of Aires Leggings!  These ones are wayy more comfortable than the mermaid-scale print ones I made a little while ago.  I ordered some fabric from Imagine Gnats during her leap-day sale since I wanted a more practical pair to wear working out and at derby practice.  This pair is a definite success!


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23/03/2016

Eep! A Tiny Cheat!

I knew this day would come... but I think it falls within the lines of an acceptable cheat of "store-bought" clothing...  My roller-derby league is ordering tshirts, and I obviously had to get one (or two!) to wear to practice or while I roll through the neighbourhood this summer.  Please forgive me! I can't really sew this item, and going without because of this project seemed silly!

Anyways, that's about all.  I've finished up another pair of leggings, made some headway on another dress, and have several other projects lined up and waiting to go!  Looking forward to sharing my upcoming makes with you lovely folks :)

19/03/2016

Constellation Pajamas

These have been cut out and sitting on my sewing table for nearly a month... and I finally finished them this afternoon!  After the first pair of Carolyn Pajama shorts I made using a knit fabric, I've been meaning to sew up the pattern properly with a woven fabric.  A while ago I ordered 3m of the Lizzy House Constellations cotton with the intention of making a dress, but then realized that this fabric would be perfect for a pair of pj's!


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#SaturdaySewing

18/03/2016

Almada Robe

I'm back!! 'Phew, that was a busy couple weeks.  I had a big project going on at work and it was taking up pretty much all of my energy, so by the time I would get home in the evening I really wasn't up for much - including sewing.  This Sunday afternoon I was able to sit down and get started on a couple projects.  First one finished - The Almada Robe from Seamwork.


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16/03/2016

Purple Aztec Hudson Pants

I can't believe I forgot to post about these!  I made them a couple months ago, and if I could get away with it I would wear them every. single. day.  As you already know, I am in love with the Hudson Pants pattern.  I was looking for some lightweight knit fabric to make a more spring/ summer/ hot apartment appropriate comfy pants, and found the perfect purple aztec-print bamboo rayon.


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01/03/2016

Baby Sewing!

Hiya!  Good friends of ours recently had a baby in February, which was the perfect excuse to whip up some leggings, hats, and bibs!  There are a ton of baby patterns that come up on pinterest, and although my husband and I aren't planning on kids any time soon, I was dying to give them a try.


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29/02/2016

Work-Break!

Hey Folks, sorry I've been away for a bit!  Work has been craaaaaazy busy and stressful the past few weeks, so I haven't been getting any sewing (and obviously blogging) done.  I've also got some visits coming up over the next two weekends, so I won't be able to get much done then either.

Luckily though, my winter sewing has kind of died down, so I'm not really in need of anything new at the moment.  It might actually be time to go through what I've made this season and pare down my wardrobe a bit!  I've found that there are a couple things I made that I haven't really worn much (if at all) so it looks like they'll be going into the 'donate' pile.  I hope to do a bit of a summary post around the 6-month/ end of winter mark and go over everything I've made thus far.

In the meantime, I'll have a couple posts schedule with old makes that I really love.  I also finished up some baby-sewing a while back for some good friends and their adorable new family member, so I'll get those things up on the blog soon as well.

Welp, just thought I would explain my hiatus and let you know I hope to be back at it soon!  Happy sewing!

15/02/2016

Hudson Pants - Valentines Day Edition

If you couldn't tell from my instagram feed, I am seriously loving the Hudson Pants pattern from True Bias Patterns.

A while ago I purchased some red heart-print knit fabric with the intention of making a shirt.  Welp, I fell in love with the Hudson Pants and decided that the fabric would make some great comfy-pants for around the house... and just in time for Valentines Day!


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13/02/2016

Cat Lady Emery Dress

What?! Another dress!?  I am so in love with the print on this dress, and the cotton is incredibly soft.  For this sleeveless version of the Emery Dress, I used fabric from the Cotton & Steel Cat Lady line.
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07/02/2016

Four Months Down!

Holy smokes you guys!  I'm already four months into this project!  It feels like the time has just flown by, which has made not shopping that much easier.  Although I have purchased things like socks, tights, bras, and underwear - I haven't bought any RTW clothing since September.  I did receive a t-shirt from my sister at Christmas, but I never ruled out gifts (and it's a great roller derby shirt!).

Overall, it has been pretty easy to not go shopping for clothing.  I haven't really had any need for something that would be too difficult to sew, and thanks to a somewhat casual work environment, I was fine wearing jeans & blouses as I built up my fall & winter work wardrobe of dresses.  I've had a couple sewing fails which have been frustrating - but not discouraging.  I'm just more determined to make things better the next time.  There are some days or weekends where the sewing has become a bit of a chore, but that's usually nixed by the excitement of wearing a new outfit to work the next day.

I realize that I haven't really kept up with the budget aspect of this project.  I was going through some numbers early on, and realized that I wasn't really keen to share that information with the internet. Not necessarily out of embarrassment for the stupid amount of money I spent on clothing last year, but mostly because I don't think it's really necessary to share anymore.  Sewing is a hobby, and I spend what I can afford.  I wouldn't say I'm saving buckets of money sewing my own clothing, but the pieces I produce are of much higher quality, and I have more of an emotional tie to them, rather than a financial one.  We'll leave it at that :)

Anyways, things are going well.  Winter sewing can kind of be a bummer with darker fabrics, and the fact that heavier fabrics are more expensive, a bit harder to find (for some weird reason) and sometimes more difficult to work with, so I'm getting excited for spring to start.  I have a number of dresses and skirts lined up, and I need to sort out some new tops.  I'll likely be sharing some of my older projects soon too as the winter sewing winds down and I have a bit of a break!

06/02/2016

#SaturdaySewing

Comfy Cozy Hudson Pants

Last weekend I whipped up a pair of True Bias Patterns' Hudson Pants.  I had seen these pants all over the sewing blogosphere, and have only heard great things!  Appropriate sweat-pants fabric is kinda hard to come by (and crazy expensive!) here in Ottawa for some reason, so I waited until there was a sale at Fabricland.  I managed to get 2m of thick sweatshirt knit for $33!  Woo!  I'll be able to get two pairs out of the cut.

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23/01/2016

Mermaid Tights! - Seamwork Aires

YOU GUYS.  Ohhhhh man am I in love with these tights.  When the Seamwork January Issue came out I thought OHHHmygoodness, I need those cat leggings.  But then I realized I already had a couple other cat-fabrics and that I should find something else to make those leggings with.  Not a word of a lie - I had a dream about mermaid print fabric and hurried over to Spandex House to order some up in bright purple.


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17/01/2016

Sunday Stash-Busting

Hey there!  It's been a little while since my last update, but I promise I've been busy busy sewing away!  Clearly I've made good on my "make more time for blogging" resolution... not.

Anyways, after buying up a few metres of new fabric and not having a place to put everything, I took the chance to go through my stash and figure out some projects to use up all the fabric I've got in my stash.  I do not need to buy any fabric for a long while!  I have so many things I can sew with what I've got.


All these lovely cottons will eventually become dresses!  These are some of the new ones I ordered after the holidays with some Christmas money :)  The fabric is so so so soft, and they're all thick enough that I won't have to line the skirts.  The bottom two will be great year- round with tights & cardigans for the winter.  From the top: Catnap - Cat's Cradle (Lizzy House), Natural History - Star Chart (Lizzy House), and Cat Lady - Friskers (Sarah Watts for Cotton & Steel).


All these fabrics have been hanging out in my stash for a little while now... the one on the top left was purchased wayyyy back when I first started sewing my own clothing!  It has a good amount of stretch to it, and the photo doesn't do the deep teal colour justice.  I'm thinking I'll make another attempt at a Moss Skirt (first one was a fail... I'll post about that sometime), with the floral fabric as the pockets and inner waistband.

As for the others!  The top right is a Nani Iro double-gauze I bought in the summer and never got around to making a dress out of.  I had the hardest time finding a lining cotton to match!  Bottom left is some more cotton that I'll make yet another dress with (they're just the easiest thing to wear to work!), and finally the bottom right is some leftover navy cotton twill from my Robson Coat that should work nicely for another Moss Skirt!

Oh, and this is obviously not everything... Ha!!  I still have a bunch more bits an pieces hanging out in drawers and under the bed... I just have to figure out something to do with them!