Softshell anorak from Ottobre Design

Today I’m sharing with you my newest make - this softshell anorak! I’ve already written about several softshell jackets I’ve made (see this first one for my daughter here and the Serra jacket and another jacket I made for her here) so you probably already know that I like this fabric a lot. 

If you are not familiar with this fabric I’ll tell you a bit about it. This fabric is ideal for lightweight fall/spring jackets as it’s wind and rain proof (it’s not entirely waterproof so you can’t really use it in pouring rain but I have used it without an umbrella with light rain and it worked well). The exterior layer is a technical fabric that makes the fabric wind and rain proof and the interior layer is a lightweight fleece and the combination is just perfect for casual outerwear. You’ve probably seen this fabric used a lot for activewear!

There are several places you can get softshell these days but I will mention the shop I ordered it this time, it’s called Active Fabrics. I already mentioned this online shop (based in Germany) in my boiled wool post as we also tried their wool which is great and very reasonably priced (Laura used their wool for this pretty Clare coat). I ordered my softshell from this shop too as they have several types and lots of solid colors to choose from. The one I chose is the Arctic Softshell but I also ordered swatches for other types of softshell they have available and all of them looked just fine. The flat rate shipping is a bit expensive as they send the orders with DHL but we did order many different fabrics among the students at the academy so it was well worth the money and they delivered to Spain really fast!

So now about my anorak. I knew I wanted to make myself another fall jacket in softshell but in a more “neutral” color. I’d say that the print I used for my Serra jacket wasn’t the craziest I’ve seen (and as it was me who picket it, I obviously liked it, hehe) and I’ve been wearing the jacket a lot...but you have probably already noticed my tendency to wear more neutral colors so I was left with an itch to have another more “combinable” jacket too. 

I’ve actually made an anorak style jacket before (this Kelly anorak) which I liked a lot but as I used a quite random canvas fabric when I made it several years ago it started to have some pilling and I knew I had to make another one. I actually wanted initially to use the Kelly pattern but the yoke and two part sleeve aren’t such a good fit with this activewear fabric. Also, I knew I wanted the zipper to go up until the raised neckline of the hood for maximum warmth.

When I received the latest Ottobre Design women's issue (5/2020) this summer I knew that the anorak pattern was just perfect for me...and I also liked the dark green color as I already have some outerwear in this color and I find it super easy to mix with all my other neutral/boring color choices, haha (I chose the Olive color from the shop for my jacket). The pattern in the magazine is not directly made for softshell but it’s very easy to adapt as sewing with softshell is very comfortable: you don’t need to worry about any seam finishing (well, I did use some bias tape but more about that below) as the fabric doesn’t fray.

I of course made some changes...the first one being adjusting the pattern to have raglan seams instead of dropped shoulders. This modification is a bit complicated to explain here without diagrams but it’s not super hard to do for relaxed fit like in this anorak. But...if you’re like me and forget stuff, you can easily almost ruin your project, haha. I did modify the raglan seams a bit in a hurry (to cut the pieces at the academy so I could sew at home during the weekend with my industrial sewing machine) and forgot one crucial step which I found out about when I had already sewn together the body and the sleeves.

Long story short: I almost didn’t finish the project because I had some crazy wrinkles in the armhole area due to my poor patternmaking mistake but I somehow managed to correct this by cutting the sleeves off (yes, cutting, not ripping the seams, I was that devastated, haha) and recutting the armhole shape. I had to sacrifice about 5-7 cm of the sleeve and general length with this “hack” but it wasn’t that bad because I could just add cuffs for the sleeves and be OK with the body being a bit shorter (although my daughter made jokes about seeing my butt from the hem opening on the back piece…). Anyway….after being able to save the project everything else was quite easy, haha.

I didn’t use the original pockets as I wanted to have bigger welt pockets. Also, sewing welt pockets is way more exciting as you actually have to cut into your almost finished project (if you’re like me who’s basically winging it and marks/sews the pockets as the last thing, haha) so you can be scared about making a mistake you can’t really fix, hahaha. Anyway, I managed to make the pockets with quite a lot of success and the best part is that I used the soft fleece side of the fabric for the interior lining of the pockets so it’s super nice to put my hands in the pockets now! Also, you can check out the welt pocket tutorials (and other neat sewing techniques) on this resources page over at Ottobre Designs website (I already mentioned this page in one of my newsletters...if you want to get my best finds about nerdy sewing stuff in your inbox you can sign up here!).

The cuffs were a happy accident due to my sleeve wrinkle incident but I actually like them a lot this way and I don’t think I would have thought about doing this cuff detail otherwise. You can’t really see it but on the inside these cuffs also have a ribbed knit cuff...because you’ve got to keep this body warm, hehe. Rib knit cuffs are super comfortable and you can really add them to any sleeves, with or without cuffs!

As I mentioned before the fabric doesn’t fray but as usual when sewing with softshell fabrics I did open the seam allowances and topstitched through both layers on the right side of the fabric. I like how it looks and the fabric will lay nice and flat this way too. I did use bias tape to cover the body/hood seam as it gets kind of bulky and I like to cover it for a neater finish. I also used this Circa 2020 label from KTML to remember this very weird year!

I really like how this anorak came out and I’ve been wearing it a lot since I finished it! The fit is really good, I like the color a lot and these roomy soft and warm pockets make it so nice. The hood could be a bit smaller but it’s OK...I don’t know what’s up with my hood lately, haha, I always prefer bigger hoods but then they end up too big and they just fall on my eyes when I actually wear them. Oh well...at least it doesn’t rain so much in Madrid :)

So yes, I’d definitely suggest you try sewing something with softshell if you haven’t tried it out yet! I think the result is really professional and also comfortable + you can choose between many different styles. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you around here in two weeks when I’ll publish my annual project recap post. I’m really glad that this versatile piece is one of the makes of 2020 :)

I also wanted to add this photo of Alex, Laura and me from this Friday! We went to an exhibition at the San Antón market in Madrid organized by Instituto Iberoamericano de Finlandia. The exposition was about Finnish textile design and it’s open until 15th of December if you’re in Madrid :)

Two makes with boiled wool

Autumn is definitively here and I wanted to share two projects I made with boiled wool, a fabric that is just perfect for this season. The one I used this time is a blend of wool and viscose and it’s lighter weight than the regular 100% boiled wool and it also has a really nice drape. It can be lined and worn as a jacket or on it’s own too (you’ll see my second project with the same fabric unlined below). I already made two coats with “regular” 100% boiled wool, that fabric is great for winter garments, it’s very nice to work with, presses amazingly well and it gives you all the warmth. I used it for this Burda coat and the black Berlin jacket below.

I don’t know about a specific shop where you can find a wool blend like I used but you can get 100% boiled wool in different places. We just received at the academy different wools we ordered at this online shop (the shop is in Germany, you can see the site for UK customers in English here) and the quality is really nice for the very reasonable pricing they offer (we got different wool coatings and boiled wool and everything was good quality and the shipping only took a couple of days to Spain). If you’re thinking about making a coat this winter I’d recommend you to buy wool coatings as they are so much easier to work with than cheap polyester coatings. You can of course first make a toile in a similar more affordable fabric but I’d really encourage you to try wool, you’ll be thankful later!

Now before talking about these two makes I have to start with previous makes with the same pattern, the Berlin jacket by Tessuti Patterns (I’m also including them here as I wasn’t really active posting my own makes over here at the blog during last year so they don’t appear in a separate post). I’ve used this pattern a couple of times already and I really like the simple shape. First I made this black boiled wool coat without lining like suggested in the pattern. The pattern actually is made specifically for boiled wool as this fabric can be left with raw edges and there’s no fraying involved. So it’s a very easy project really. 

The only change I made was to draw an overlap for the front piece as I wanted to use snaps to close the coat (I know that when I’m already wearing a wool coat it must be cold enough to not walk around with the coat left open in the front, haha). After wearing it a couple of times over my wool sweaters I noticed that the friction between the two layers wasn’t really good for my wool sweaters and I knew I had to line the coat. So I unpicked the whole thing (the construction on the Berlin coat is a bit different and I wanted to have normal seams not the overlapped seams) and lined the coat so I could wear it comfortably (you can see more photos here).

This summer I discovered that the quick toile I had made for the black coat actually looked cute (I used a random not stretchy cotton knit), the peach color looked like something I could wear in the summer. So I cut the jacket shorter and finished it to wear in Estonia where the summers are not so hot like here in Madrid. I really really like how that one came together, it’s the perfect layering piece! Inspired by that make I actually made the boiled wool jacket featured in this post :)

So after liking my short Berlin jacket so much I thought I should also make a more autumn appropriate version in something like a boiled wool. I had also seen so many gorgeous Wiksten haori makes on Instagram (check out the #wikstenhaori hashtag for some serious jacket inspiration!) and as the pattern is actually very similar I thought I would just hack my Berlin pattern a bit. The main difference is that the Wiksten has a separate collar band and the Berlin has the band incorporated to the front pieces so what I did was to remove the band width from the front pattern and use a straight collar piece instead. I made mine narrower than the Wiksten and I didn’t fold it under. Again I lined the jacket for more warmth and comfort. 

I really like the result and I’ve been wearing it a lot this season! Remember that I wrote before that when I decided to make the black coat I knew I had to close it in order to keep warm...well for some reason I didn’t really think about it when sewing up this one, haha. But it became obvious I had to do something as using a blanket scarf to cover myself wasn’t really going to work in the long run. Buttons wasn’t an option I was thinking about...but I did get some pretty decorative safety pins, big enough to close the jacket comfortably and also to stay hidden under the scarf, haha. But then it occurred to me that I could maybe make a belt with the same fabric to resolve this problem.

And the belt was a very good idea actually! I’m now wearing it tied up and I think it looks really nice. It does not really have the same oversized jacket vibe but I’m liking it very much! I also added little loops on the sides so the belt stays in place.

My second make is sewn with the same fabric. You might ask why I’d get so much of it to make two garments...well, there actually is an explanation, not a very logical one, but what can I say, haha. So I got this fabric for the first time last year in Estonia and took it with me to Madrid to make something with it but I didn’t use it yet. This summer in Estonia I got the idea for the jacket, went to look for a fabric and the one I liked the most was...the same one, haha. I knew I already had it back in Madrid….then again I also knew that a basic beige like this will always be used at some point! So I got the same fabric again and made the jacket in September.

When I later saw the 5/2020 edition of Ottobre Design I knew I wanted to try out the wool jumper on the cover...annnnd as I had the same fabric that would be just great for this style in Madrid, I could now use it up! So I guess I don't have a fabric collecting problem after all, haha.

So, about this wool jumper...I guess I can call it a jumper? I saw the cover photo of the magazine and thought immediately that it would be a great layering piece for the winter. It could be something I could use over a long sleeve knit t-shirt when I’m at work and this way I could have a little variety from wearing sweaters every day too (but I’d still have the warmth I need so it would be a win-win situation!). You could of course wear it also outdoors when it’s not very cold.

I actually don’t have anything like this in my wardrobe so I was a bit hesitant about this really fitting my (very basic) style. But not so hesitant to NOT cut it out from the wool without a previous toile, haha. Luckily I really like the result!!!

From the cover photo I could tell that the high neck was really exaggerated and that it might be too much for me but I decided to try it out anyway. And as I suspected, it was really wide! The good thing was that it was easily fixable. I did lower the neck quite a bit and I also brought the shoulders in quite a bit to get a look I wanted. The rest was really easy as I then just pressed all the hems and hand stitched them under so the seams won’t be visible after all. In that sense boiled wool and similar fabrics are really great as it’s easy to hand sew them in a quite invisible way (I’m not a big fan of hand stitching actually, haha).

I paired it with a high neck long sleeve rib knit t-shirt I made recently too and the combination is perfect!

I already made a similar white t-shirt that I talked about on IG with a pattern from Ottobre Design 7/2017 so it was easy to repeat with the same pattern (I’m planning to make more!!!). 

The thing is that I always find the high necks that are sold in the stores super tight on my neck! I like how they look but I could never get myself any as they feel so uncomfortable. So what I did here is that I widened the neck piece quite a bit (I measured my neck roughly + added some more “breathing” room) and just used the new neck piece and the result is great, I feel good wearing it, haha. I didn’t make the neckline on the front and back bigger, as I was using a stretchy rib knit I just stretched the two layers enough to equally divide both circumferences.

To end this post I wanted to also share this beautiful Cumulus blouse (pattern by Petite Knit) I made in September (also up on my Raverly page). I used a delicate mix of silk, alpaca and mohair and the result is amazing. I wasn’t sure if I’d like a V-neck and I love it!!! It’s by far the most delicate (and expensive) thing I’ve knit and I’m hoping to wear it a lot this winter!

I hope you liked this post and maybe got inspired to sew yourself something fall/winter appropriate too. The last edition of Ottobre Design from where I got the jumper pattern has many great patterns if you’re looking for new projects. I also made a pretty coat from there too but I’ll save the details about that one for a next blog post :)

My canvas jacket

A post about a personal make...or a unicorn?

Before writing about the jacket I wanted to point out that I’m trying out something new here and I’m writing this entry only in English and I’m not adding the Spanish translation as I usually do.

Writing blog posts takes a lot of time and many people have been moving away from writing blogs probably because you can use social media way easier to communicate what you have to say (although there are some really great bloggers who keep up the work, like Austin Kleon for example who just had his 15 years of blogging anniversary!). I like to write my blog and I like the thought of having this home of mine here on the internet where I can ramble about my sewing limitlessly and maybe someone even finds my project notes/tutorials/recap posts interesting. It’s waaay easier to post a sequence of photos on Instagram and call it a day but honestly, I think that blogs aren’t going away and maybe there are less people who actually read them but those people will appreciate the effort (YOU are reading this so I guess blogs are definitely not dead!).

As much as I like to post here, there’s this part that makes me soooo lazy about it. And it’s the translation part. You see, writing my notes about a certain project is an enjoyable process but when I think about translating everything it just takes all the joy away from the process, many times to a point that I won’t write at all. So, I thought that in order to create more posts and write about more projects I will only write in English as there are actually technologies that can translate the text and I don’t have to do it myself manually...because all that time can be spent by writing more blog posts, sewing, knitting….whatever things that make me happy basically, hehe.

I’ll see how that goes and maybe I’ll still write the tutorials in Spanish! I do send out two newsletters each weekend, one in English and one in Spanish where I share with you what’s going on here on the blog, at my shop and lately I’ve been also sharing links to sewing related topics I’ve found interesting. You can always get to my newsletter list for these weekly emails (+ there’s a free e-book about sewing panties for you when you subscribe!).

So yes, that’s about it, let’s go on to today's post. I have to say that I brought this canvas jacket with me to Estonia in the summer specifically to take photos and write about it over at the blog. And maybe also because I knew I’d give it away to my sister or a friend. You see, it’s one of these projects that can’t start well as you just don’t follow your plan based on your actual needs and just go on and sew, haha. But I still wanted to blog about that make, it’s a good one...maybe just not a good one for me!

Images from my Pinterest board

So going back in the memory lane...I started this jacket one year ago! I needed (and I still do, haha) a lined autumn jacket for these chilly days in Madrid when it’s not really really cold yet but you definitely need some warmth in the mornings. I had been using my beloved Kelly anorak, blogged here, for this purpose during the past years but the fabric already had some pilling so it didn’t look very good anymore. Also my first Kelly didn’t have a lining (I later made another for my sister, with lining, blogged here) so it was a really good looking and well worn piece in my wardrobe but it wasn’t as practical as I’d like as it didn’t really give me the warmth I wanted (I always had to wear a sweater underneath because otherwise there would be much sense to wear it on its own in my climate).

Last summer I made another jacket which has been really nice for autumn, the Sierra jacket in softshell fabric (blogged here)...but I needed something less sporty (and way more neutral...cos you know me!!!) so I actually just wanted to make another Kelly, this time lined but in the same cream-beige color. I thought I’d just go and get myself a better, sturdier fabric in the same color, I mean how hard can it be to find a neutral beige cotton canvas fabric in Madrid? Well you must know the answer: difficult. I was so annoyed that I couldn’t find a basic like this (I mean, it really isn’t so much to ask, right?), cursing on the local fabric shops that are unable to carry a good variety of basic dressmaking fabrics and wishing that Blackbird Fabrics would have a little shop in the center of Madrid (one can dream, haha).

So, I did find a fabric that had the structure I was looking for but it was a shade of brown. As I really didn’t want to go home with empty hands I just got the fabric. This was my first mistake...in a row of more mistakes. You see I thought: this brown is basically considered as a neutral, I’m looking for a neutral, this will be more or less a match to what I’m looking for. Nah...it’s just NOT my brown! I know, it really sounds like first world problems but hang in there with me. Clothes wise, I’ve grown in time to understand that there are things I like and then there are things I like too, but not for myself. So I’ve come to understand which colors and tones make me feel comfortable, in which I feel like myself and which colors I look for over and over again. Call it boring or whatever you want, but I want to be sure that I will feel like me so I really try to only buy/make stuff that has passed a test of “yes it’s me”. This doesn't mean that I don’t find beauty in vivid colors or bold prints (I looove prints, apparently I just don’t love wearing them), it just means that over time I’ve found out that there are certain things/colors/shapes that make me happy so I choose to acknowledge that and put this first even though a trendy cut or a cute print is caaaaalllllling me to sew them up (to be left hanging in the closet afterwards, no good!).

Ok, getting back to the brown. The brown wasn’t my brown, I knew deep inside when I got it but I still really wanted to make it work for me so I convinced myself that I will like it (to read more about how I actually think you should choose fabrics for your projects you can read these two posts about fabric composition and fabric drape, both of these posts are full of advice that actually works, haha). I also really needed a jacket so there were not so many options (buying one is an option, but I actually wanted to make one, haha). Basically I went against everything I was talking about in my previous text!

After washing the fabric I “knew” it wasn't my brown so I already knew I wouldn’t make a Kelly with it as I didn’t really picture it in my head anymore. But the fabric was really nice, it had this slight twill weave and I was still missing a jacket...so I headed over to my Pinterest board where I gather images of garments I find pretty. Canvas jackets got my eye! It’s something I did see myself wearing for autumn.

So a workwear inspired canvas jacket it was. I didn’t do much research on patterns as I found a shirt pattern in Ottobre Design (2/2019) that I thought I could hack a bit to get what I needed. After finishing my jacket I found out there actually was a pattern that would have probably saved me some construction issues, the Julien Chore Jacket by Readytosew, but oh well, hehe. The shirt pattern had more or less everything I needed collar wise. There was a yoke but I removed it by joining the back piece without the extra fold with the yoke directly. I also didn’t use the cuffs nor the original pockets. I drafted pockets that were sewn inside the side seams.

I don’t remember why exactly I decided to make the jacket without a lining. Seriously, it’s a big question in my head as it was one of the main things I NEEDED to have for my jacket as I explained before. Maybe it was because I thought that this style of jacket usually doesn't have a lining (great, but why did I choose it for myself, then?), maybe I was too lazy to think about lining the jacket (again, why did I start then?) or maybe I got the idea of using a super cute bias binding for all the raw edges which made me choose no lining (again, cuteness is not equal to warmth, so why?). Basically, I made a jacket with a fabric that didn’t have the right color for me + I made it unlined although I needed warmth, hahaha. Do you think it will be the next wardrobe staple of mine? No, oh why???

But let’s just forget about the fact that while sewing my pretty bias tape I already knew I wasn’t going to wear the jacket a lot in our climate. The bias binding on all the raw edges actually looks very nice. If you ever want to use longer strips of bias tape I’d highly suggest you to make your own, using this tutorial from Colette's blog for example (the blog itself is worth searching through, I learned so many good sewing tricks there when I started, Colette patterns were having a momentum then!). I also added the pretty “It has pockets” label by KTM.

I finished everything except the buttons probably back in autumn (see the above image with the softshell jacket for y kid next to it) but then the temperatures dropped and I couldn’t wear the jacket (remember the lack of warm lining, right?). I finally got the buttonholes done somewhere in June I think. Here are a flatlay with a kitty Mustikas and a mirror selfie so you can see it less wrinkly than my actual “blog shoots”, haha.

So the overall result. I actually really like the jacket, it has super nice and roomy pockets that are very practical. It does have a nice shape although I think I’d make it a size smaller if I could (I usually wear a 40 in Ottobre Design patterns so I sized up for the jacket and made it in 42 for more room), then again this way you can layer it comfortably over a wool sweater. I like the workwear look a lot. I like the jacket...but not for me, haha. 

Did I learn something with this project? Of course...that I shouldn’t rush into new projects, that I should actually make garments that work for my life, that I should use a lining for a jacket NO MATTER WHAT. I also wanted to blog about this make as I feel it wasn’t a total waste of time, it turned out nice, just not appropriate for me. Looking at the pictures actually makes me want to make a new one for myself! But in “right” color and with a lining, you guessed it!

Do things like this happen to you? I think I’ve certainly learned a lot in my sewing journey and I make mistakes like this waaay less than in the beginning...but I still do make them! But oh well, someone is going to have a nice jacket at least (it also begs for a scraf I think!)...and I will be on the lookout for a new fabric :)

---

5 summer dresses // 5 vestidos de verano

I’ve sewn a couple of summer makes in the past weeks so I thought it would be a good idea to write a post about a summer staple of mine: a strappy dress! Let me give you a little background information first, hehe. I live in Madrid where it’s really hot during the summer months (the heat begins depending on the year in mid May and lasts at least until the second part of September usually), the temperatures go between 30-40 degrees and it only cools down a bit very early in the mornings but usually you never need to carry a jacket around. So my summer staple garment is either a sleeveless top or dress. I do have short sleeve blouses too of course but let’s be honest, I sweat a lot during summer, and avoiding armpit stains is something I really try to do if possible. 

Remember the post about fabric composition? I wrote about which fabrics you should choose according to your habits, climate and other personal factors. So apart from the fabric composition it’s also really important for me to know my daily habits and the temperatures I’m dealing with to know which garments to choose/sew...that’s why strappy designs are my go to choice in summer. Dresses and tops like these let my skin breathe and I feel comfortable in them...well as comfortable you can feel when walking home from work when it’s 40 degrees in the shadow, haha.

So I’ve made a couple of dresses this summer and I now have a mini collection I really like. I’ve tried out a couple of different styles and I’ll give you the details about the patterns I’ve used.

Estas pasadas semanas he cosido un par de cositas veraniegas y pensaba que estaría bien hacer un post sobre mi gran básico del verano: el vestido de tirantes! Te cuento un poco de historia de fondo antes, jeje. Vivo en Madrid y aquí hace un calor sofocante durante los meses de verano (el calor empieza según el año más o menos a la mitad del mes de mayo y dura bien hasta la segunda parte de septiembre normalmente), las temperaturas suelen estar entre 30-40 grados y solo se refresca un poco más a la primera hora de la mañana pero casi nunca tienes que llevarte algo de manga larga. Así que mi básico de verano es desde luego el vestido de tirantes. También tengo blusas de manga corta pero vamos a ser sinceros, sudo mucho con este calor, así que suelo intentar evitar marcas de sudor en las prendas si es posible y voy mucho mejor con tirantes.

Recordáis del post sobre la composición en los tejidos? Escribí sobre qué telas deberías elegir según tus hábitos, clima y otros factores personales. Aparte de la composición de telas también es muy importante para mí saber cómo va mi día y a qué temperatura voy a estar a la hora de elegir la ropa que me pongo/coso...por eso las prendas de tirantes son mi básico en el verano. Vestidos y tops así dejan que mi piel respire y me siento cómoda al llevarlos...bueno, lo cómodo que puedas sentirte al andar a casa con los 40 grados en la sombra, jeje.

Así que este verano me he hecho un par de vestidos y ahora tengo una mini colección que me gusta mucho. He hecho un par de estilos diferentes y os daré los detalles sobre los patrones que he usado.

The first one is my latest make, the Calvin wrap dress. I had this pattern by True Bias on my sewing queue since last summer when it was published and I wanted to make a top. The other day I found this striped cotton linen blend fabric at Julián López and thought it would make the perfect dress version so I went ahead with the dress directly.

I really like wrap styles in general so this was not a disappointment of course.There are only two pattern pieces...and meters of bias tape, haha. I really like to use striped fabrics for bias binding as then you can combine different stripe directions as the bias comes in the 45 degree angle and creates a cool effect combined with the vertical stripes on the dress.

I made the dress a bit shorter than the original version so the hem is just below my knees. I usually don’t wear this length but I think it looks really good for this style. The pattern is drafted for C cup and I’m an A cup so I modified the side seam a bit, taking in aprox 1,5 cm on the side seam and this way it fits good. I already made a top version in linen too, I really like the result.

El primero es mi última costura, el vestido Calvin. Este patrón de True Bias ha estado en mi cola de proyectos pendientes desde el verano pasado cuando lo publicaron, quería hacerme el top cruzado. El otro día en Julián López encontré a esta tela de mezcla de lino y algodón de rayas y lo vi perfecto para el vestido así que con eso empecé.

En general soy muy fan de prendas cruzadas así que sabía que me iba a gustar. Solo hay dos piezas de patrón...y metros de cinta de bies, jeje. Me gusta mucho usar telas de rayas para bies porque así se puede combinar diferentes direcciones de rayas ya que el bies va a 45 grados y crea un ángulo diferente a las rayas verticales en el vestido.

Hice el vestido algo más corto que la versión original, el bajo me llega justo debajo de las rodillas. No suelo llevar este largo normalmente pero para este estilo creo que queda muy bien. El patrón está hecho para la copa C y yo soy A así que modifiqué un poco el lateral, le metí unos 1,5 cm desde la sisa para que el delantero me quede bien. Ya he hecho una versión del top, en lino también, y estoy contenta con el resultado.

The next dress is made with the Ogden cami pattern (another pattern by True Bias) and modified into a dress. I made this version last summer in a floral viscose fabric and I’ve been wearing it a lot. The modification is easy: I used the facing pieces and lengthened them a bit to get the bodice in my desired length. I then cut the new bodice pieces twice from the fabric and followed the same sewing instructions as you’d normally do. For the skirt I used a gathered rectangle with the regular fabric width (aprox 140-150 cm wide) and the desired length. I then just gathered the skirt into the same width as the bodice and joined all the layers. The result is a flowy cami dress that feels like nothing on! It’s just perfect for the hot summer weather as it barely touches the skin, hehe.

El siguiente es el vestido que hice con el patrón de top Ogden (otro patrón también del True Bias) modificado en vestido. Hice esta versión en viscosa el verano pasado y me lo he puesto un montón. La modificación es sencilla: he usado las piezas de las vistas y los he alargado al largo deseado del cuerpo. Después los corté dobles y usé el mismo orden de construcción como en el top. Para la falda usé un rectángulo de tela con el ancho normal de la tela (140-150 cm de ancho) y el largo deseado. Después fruncí la falda para que cuadre con el cuerpo y junté todas las capas. El resultado es un vestido con vuelo que es super cómodo porque parece que no llevas nada puesto! Es perfecto para el calor porque apenas toca la piel, jeje.

The next dress is the Claudia dress by Tessuti Patterns. I made this dress last summer using a rust colored linen that was gifted to me by my friend Ana. Linen is perfect for this style as the dress has straight lines that look good in a structured fabric like this. I have to say that I love the result but I didn’t wear it last summer as I wasn’t really convinced about the color on me (cold tones usually work better for me). This summer I tried it on again and I was actually surprised about how much I liked it now (a classic case with finished objects for me, haha). I usually wear this dress with a t-shirt underneath as I feel too “exposed” when wearing it solo, don’t ask why...I can wear the other strappy dresses as they are, it’s just this one that doesn't feel right, haha. The only negative side is the wrinkles...even when you iron the dress they still won’t go away but oh well…

El siguiente vestido está hecho con el patrón de vestido Claudia de Tessuti Patterns. Lo hice el verano pasado con un lino que me regaló mi amiga Ana. Lino es perfecto para este patrón ya que el vestido tiene líneas rectas que se quedan muy bien usando una tela con cuerpo como ésta. Tengo que decir que me encanta el resultado pero el verano pasado no me lo puse porque no estaba convencida del color (normalmente suelo llevar colores fríos). Este verano me lo volví a probar y me gusta mucho (un clásico con las prendas que termino, jaja). Normalmente lo llevo con una camiseta debajo porque me siento un poco expuesta si no llevo nada más abajo, no me preguntéis por qué...los otros vestidos de tirantes no me crean este problema, jaja. Lo único malo son las arrugas, incluso si lo planchas no salen del todo pero bueno...

Another make from this year is the Jessica dress by Mimi G. I had been seeing this dress around for a while but I wasn’t convinced about the gathers directly on my waist together with the fitted bodice (I was convinced about the Ogden cami dress that has gatherers but they just “float” around your body, haha). But after seeing all the cute versions I decided to give it a go with this pretty floral viscose in my stash. I actually made a mistake about the sizing: as I usually don’t wear very fitted garments I just cut the bodice according to my bust size ignoring the waist measurement (that falls in a bigger size than my bust measurement). When I tried on the bodice it fit juuuust right but there’s definitely no more room on my waist, haha. Luckily the overall bodice fit was good so I just cut the skirt again like I did for the Ogden dress using the width of the fabric instead of following the pattern measurements (that’s the volume of gathers I feel good in). 

I really like the result!!! I was worried that with the gatherers just around the narrowest part of my waist I wouldn’t like the overall look but I actually really like it. It feels really comfortable on and the fitted bodice looks really cute. I’ll definitely make more dresses with this pattern!

Otro proyecto de este verano es el vestido Jessica de Mimi G. Había visto este patrón por allí un montón pero no me convenció mucho el tema de frunce justo en la cinturilla junto a un cuerpo ajustado (estaba yo con el modo vestido Ogden con sus frunces “flotando” por allí, jaja). Pero después de ver tantas versiones bonitas decidí probarlo con una tela de viscosa floral que tenía por casa. Lo que me pasó es que hice un error de principiante con las tallas: como no suelo llevar prendas ajustadas corté el cuerpo con la medida de pecho ignorando por completo la medida de cintura (mi cintura cae en una talla más grande que mi pecho). Cuando probé el cuerpo me queda juuuuusta pero desde luego no puedo aumentar centímetros allí, jaja. Menos mal que en general el cuerpo quedó guay así que corté la falda igual que con el Ogden usando el ancho de tela en vez de seguir el patrón (este es el volumen de frunces que me gusta).

Me gusta mucho el resultado!!! Estaba preocupada por cómo me veía con los frunces justo en la parte más estrecha de mi cuerpo pero me gusta mucho cómo queda. Es muy cómodo y el cuerpo ajustado queda mono. Seguro que voy a hacer más vestido con este patrón!

And the last make is the other Ogden cami dress I made this summer. This time I used this pretty gingham cotton lawn fabric gifted to me by Laura. I added ties to gather the back a bit and it looks really cute that way and I can adjust the waist shaping as I like thanks to the ties. 

Y el último vestido es otro vestido Ogden que hice este verano. Esta vez usé la bonita tela vichy de algodón que me regaló Laura. Le añadí unas tiras para atarlas en la espalda para ajustarla un poco y así puedo decidir cómo llevarlo, si más ajustado o menos.

I also used these cute labels by Kylie and the Machine that we now have on sale at the academy, they are super soft, I was really surprised when I opened the package. They add a nice tough for my handmade garments and look really professional, hehe. 

También usé estas etiquetas de Kylie and the Machine que tenemos ahora en venta en la academia, son super suaves, estaba muy sorprendida al sacarlas del envoltorio. Las etiquetas añaden un toque bonito a mis prendas hechas a mano y así parecen profesionales y todo, jaja.

So this is my mini capsule summer dress wardrobe! If you’re into strappy dresses I’d definitely recommend you these patterns, all of them sew up beautifully and are perfect for summer. If you’re living in a climate where it’s not so hot you can always combine them with light jackets and they still look really cute!

Así que ésta es mi mini colección cápsula de vestidos de verano! Si te gustan vestidos de tirantes te puedo recomendar estos patrones, todos van genial y son geniales para verano. Si vives en un clima no tan cálido puedes combinarlos con chaquetas, también quedan bonitos así!

Me Made May 2020

Another year of Me Made May is almost over and I wanted to write a recap post here on the blog to gather all the photos together + add the links to the patterns I’ve used. So first off, many things were different this year...a strict lockdown due to the pandemic is the main thing of course. Luckily my health and my families health is good and for me the biggest thing that has changed is that I stayed at home almost all of the month, and only little by little we’ve started to go out for walks and now I’ve been able to go to work on my projects over at the academy too (no classes yet but my brain definitely appreciates changing the work environment and spending time out of house again). 

Clothing wise it was very different of course as I usually go out early in the morning, drop off my kid at school, go to work, pick her up, sit at the park/take her to the activities and I usually get back home quite late. Which means I always have to wear many layers as the month of May here in Madrid is crazy weather wise...it’s chilly in the morning and usually very warm (or directly hot as hell in the end of the month) in the afternoon, so I’m always out and about with my backpack on to carry everything with me. So this definitely wasn’t a thing during this month...and I’m actually happy about it. Lately the days were so stressful, I felt that I wasn’t at home at all, that all we did was just sleep there...and then life changed dramatically. These are big contrasts, I know, I’d be more than happy to just slow down a bit, not to live in an eternal lockdown, but I’m just leaving it there...it has been nice in that sense. Of course it has been a terrible time in the world, don’t get me wrong please!

So, there was no need to put on various layers but I didn’t enter the sweatpants/hoodie only land either...by following my makes during this month you can probably already see that my style is super casual and I actually don’t own any fancy clothes. That said, for me it’s important to put “real” clothes on even when I don’t / can’t go out. Especially during this lockdown when maintaining a healthy daily routine was one of my main goals to keep on functioning as well as I could. I know, you are at home, maybe even on the sofa a lot (or not, if you have kids, haha)...but I couldn’t live in PJs for two months, it’s just depressing in my opinion. Putting on my normal clothes, the ones I would use when I’d go to work, helps me to actually feel like working from home and getting things done (something that has been “very interesting” to make happen when trying to do it while homeschooling). So yeah, I’m of course not saying anything if you’re into lounging around your house with leggings on all the time, I’m just saying that for my mental health, I couldn’t do this (go figure, haha…). 

How does all of this affect this year's Me Made May for me and how did I feel participating in the “challenge” this year? Well, it has been easier and for various reasons:

• I wasn’t in a rush to go out in the morning which means I had more time to see what I’d like to wear. 

• As another year has passed by I actually have more memades to put on! Especially sweaters as you’ll see below...I’m super proud of my handknit sweater collection, I really do wear them a lot and they bring me so much joy (and turns out that May is a sweater month which means I wear wool sweaters more than 6 months a year, haha!).

• I had more time to take photos and document the month. Yes, this part is the worst, it’s my 5th year and I’m very aware of how I really don’t want to take selfies after the first week or so. The good thing was that this year I had more time to actually document my makes which made the whole process better.

• I knew I wasn’t going to post a photo on my feed every day which meant that I didn’t stress about participating. I think that many people haven’t really understood the event in that sense: this event does not require you to post a picture of you EVERY DAY. You can do it if you feel like it but you can also do just one day, once a week or whatever feels right to you. I’ve been reading comments like “I’m not participating in Me Made May this year as I can’t/don’t want to post pictures of myself every day” or “I don’t have enough clothes to participate”. But this is not at all the point of it all! For me the point is to see inspiring makes through the hashtag, no one is going to count your photos! Have you sewn one garment and you’re wearing it and you actually feel like posting a photo? Well, do it! That’s the magic of this community event...sharing what you have made, one, two or thirty times. If you’re new to sewing you can’t possibly have a different memade garment for every day but that’s totally OK, you should be comparing your sewing practice with people who have been doing this for years, maybe even decades! Anyway...sorry about the rant but I just wanted to write about it to express my opinion. I also think that many people “burn out” after the first week because they set really high standards and this really isn’t a race. It’s just an opportunity to share with your community and get inspired! I just find it sad that people think that if they don’t participate every day they shouldn’t participate at all...we will miss your cool makes (or your one, first make) that way!

So, all in all, this year the documenting part has been quite easy for me. But the past ones I guess weren’t because I searched through my blog archives and I’ve only written one other recap post and it was in May 2016, my first year doing it, haha. So let’s see what I wore, which patterns were used and all that stuff.

Otro año de Me Made May está acabando y quería escribir un post de recopilación aquí en el blog para juntar todas las fotos + añadir enlaces a patrones que he usado. Primero decir que la situación era muy diferente este año...el confinamiento estricto por la pandemia era lo que más afectaba a todo, claro. Por suerte mi salud y la salud de mis familiares está bien y lo que más afectó a mi vida era quedarse en casa casi todo me les, solo hace poco que podemos salir poco a poco y ahora he podido ya venir a la academia para trabajar con mis proyectos (no hay clases todavía pero mi cerebro aprecia bastante el hecho de poder cambiar de ambiente de trabajo para variar de nuevo).

El tema de ropa era muy diferente también porque en mi vida normal suelo salir temprano de mi casa, dejar la niña en el cole, ir a trabajar, recogerla, parque/actividades y normalmente llego a casa tarde. Eso significa que siempre tenía que llevar diferentes capas de ropa ya que el mes de mayo es un poco loco aquí en Madrid hablando del tiempo...hace fresco pro la mañana y normalmente hace muy buen tiempo (o directamente hace un calor que flipas en el final del mes) por la tarde, así que siempre voy con la mochila puesta para llevar todo lo necesario conmigo. Así Que desde luego esto era muy diferente este me...y la verdad que yo me alegro. Últimamente mis días estaban llenos de prisas, me sentía que nunca estaba en casa, que solo íbamos a dormir allí...hasta que la vida cambió muchísimo. Son contrastes muy grandes, lo sé, me encantaría simplemente que todo vaya un poco más lento, no vivir en un confinamiento obviamente pero lo dejo allí...en mi caso fue bueno poder parar un poco, en este sentido. Por supuesto ha sido un tiempo muy difícil en el mundo, no quiero quitarle importancia a ese hecho!

Así que no había que llevar varias capas pero tampoco entré en el mundo de solo llevar chándal/sudadera tampoco...si me has seguido durante este mes habrás visto que la ropa que llevo es super informal y realmente no es que tenga tanta ropa. Dicho eso, para mí es importante vestirse “normal” aunque no quiero/puedo salir de casa. Especialmente durante el confinamiento necesitaba mantener una rutina diaria saludable para poder seguir funcionando lo mejor que podía. Ya sé, estás en casa, quizás incluso pasas más tiempo en el sofá (o no, si tienes niños, jaja)...pero yo no podría vivir en pijama dos meses, para mí personalmente es deprimente. Llevando mi ropa normal, lo mismo que me pongo cuando voy a currar, me hace sentir que estoy preparada para currar en casa y realmente conseguir adelantar cosas (algo que ha sido “muy interesante” cuando lo juntas con las tareas de cole en casa). Así que sí, no digo nada si estás por casa en leggings, todo bien, pero para mi salud mental yo no podría hacerlo (todo normal no, jaja…).

Cómo afectó todo eso a Me Made May de este año para mí y cómo me sentí al participar en “el reto” este año? Pues ha sido más fácil por varias razones:

• No tenía prisa por las mañanas, cosa que hacía más fácil el proceso de elegir la ropa que me ponía.

• Como ha pasado otro año, tengo más ropa que he hecho para ponerme! Especialmente los jerseys como verás más abajo...estoy super orgullosa de mi colección de jerseys tejidos a mano, me los pongo un montón y me hacen muy feliz (y resulta que el mes de mayo sí que es un mes de jerseys así que yo me pongo jerseys de lana durante más de 6 meses al año, jaja).

• Tenía más tiempo de sacar fotos y documentar el mes. Sí, esta parte es la peor, es mi quinto año y entiendo totalmente como no apetece sacarte más selfies después de la primera semana o así. Lo bueno de este año ha sido que tenía más tiempo para sacar las fotos que hizo todo el proceso más fácil.

• Sabía que no iba a publicar una foto cada día en mi feed así que no me estresé por participar. Creo que mucha gente no ha entendido bien de qué va este evento en este sentido: el evento/reto no consiste en subir una foto de ti CADA DÍA. Lo puedes hacer si te apetece pero también lo puedes hacer solo un día, una semana o lo que sea que te venga bien. He leído comentarios como “ no participo este año porque no quiero/puedo subir fotos de mí todos los días” o “no tengo suficientes prendas hechas por mí para participar”. Pero si no va de esto el Me Made May! Para mí el sentido de todo esto es ver fotos de ropa que te inspiran a través de este hashtag, nadie va a contar cuántas fotos has subido! Has cosido una prenda, lo estás llevando un día y te apetece subirlo a tu cuenta? Pues hazlo! Allí está la magia de este evento en nuestra comunidad de costura...compartir lo que has hecho, una, dos o treinta veces. Si acabas de empezar a coser no es realista que tengas una prenda diferente para cada día del mes y eso está bien, no deberías comparar tu hobby con el hobby de la gente que lleva años, incluso décadas, haciéndolo! De todas maneras...perdonad por la chapa pero quería escribir sobre mi opinión. Creo que mucha gente “se quema después de la primera semana porque se ponen un nivel muy alto y esto no es una carrera para nada. Solo es una oportunidad para compartir cosas con tu comunidad e inspirarte. Me parece muy triste que por pensar que si no participas todos los días, no lo haces ningún día, y no vamos a ver tus prendas (o esa primera prenda) nunca!

Así que este año no me costó mucho. Pero en los últimos años parece que sí porque rebusqué en los archivos del blog y solo he hecho la recopilación una vez, en el 2016 que fue mi primer año, jaja. Así que vamos a ver qué ropa me ponía y qué patrones he usado.

First, the sweaters. May is a super weird month here in Madrid because it’s kind of nice already outside but it can be cold too and the houses are not warmed up yet but you don’t really want to pay for the heating anymore...so the first weeks are definitely still sweater friendly if you ask me, hehe. Again, as I stayed inside I could wear my sweaters just like that...if I knew I had to pick up my kid at school I would have probably changed into something less warm as once you go out at 4 o’clock in the afternoon it’s really warm. All my sweaters are up on Raverly if you want to see the details, I’ll be naming the patterns and designers separately here.

Primero los jerseys. El mes de mayo es super raro en Madrid porque hace bueno fuera pero puede hacer frío también (cuarenta de mayo) y las casas todavía se mantienen frescas pèro no quieres poner la calefacción...así que para mí las primeras semanas desde luego son de jerseys todavía. De nuevo, como estuve en casa me ponía mis jerseys, si hubiera tenido que salir a por mi hija al cole por la tarde no hubiera podido ir así porque hace más calor según qué hora. Todos mis jerseys están en Raverly si queréis ver los detalles, pongo aquí los nombres de los patrones y los diseñadores.

Stonecrop Pullover by Andrea Mowry // Aldous by Isabell Kraemer.

No Frills Sweater by Petite Knit // Balloon Cardigan by Petite Knit.

Pink Velvet by Andrea Mowry // My own invented pattern.

Long sleeve t-shirts: striped viscose French terry with a pattern from Ottobre Design and some weird blend French terry with the Mandy Boat Tee free pattern by Tessuti Patterns. I really like these two and I don’t wear them too much actually because there’s no time for mild weather here where I live, you’re either wearing a wool sweater or a t-shirt, haha. But….now that I actually made a cardigan (the Balloon Cardigan is a recent make) I figured these types of t-shirts can be layered under a wool cardigan and then I could wear them a lot more (I know, genius right, haha?). But I do always take them with me when I go to Estonia, they are perfect for the summer in the North. 

Camisetas de manga larga: viscosa de rayas tipo French terry con el patrón de Ottobre Design y una mezcla rara de tejido, también tipo French terry con el patrón gratis de Mandy Boat Tee, de Tessuti Patterns. Me encantan estas dos camisetas pero no me las pongo mucho porque no hay casi entretiempo donde vivo yo, o me pongo un jersey de lana o tirantes, jaja. Pero...ahora que he hecho mi primer cardigan (el Balloon Cardigan lo terminé hace poco) he visto que este tipo de camisetas van muy bien para poner debajo de los cardigans (ya sé, qué idea genial de mi parte, no, jaja). Pero eso sí, siempre las llevo a Estonia porque para el verano del norte van genial.

Short sleeves. First up one of my most worn garments ever, the Donna blouse by La Maison Victor. Pair it with a geometric viscose print and you’ve got me hooked. It’s a couple of years old and I wear it like once a week during the summer. The black viscose sleeveless top is from Ottobre Design and it’s  a great basic (should make it in every color).

Manga corta: Primero una de mis blusas que más me he puesto en todos los tiempos, la blusa Donna de La Maison Victor. Combinalo con un estampado geométrico de viscosa y me tienes ganada. Ya tiene un par de años y me lo pongo mínimo una vez a la semana en el verano. El top sin mangas en viscosa negra es de Ottobre Design y es un buen básico (que debería hacer cada color).

Not a good photo but a cute one of me and my kid on one of our first walks outside after two months! This wrap top is one of my favourites, I made it last summer out of a ribbed knit and I really like it (better photo here). Next up is another work horse from my summer wardrobe, the Ogden cami by True Bias in floral viscose print (+ now obligatory mask). I have four Ogdens and two Ogden dresses so I guess you can say that I like the pattern, haha. 

No es una foto muy buena pero me gusta mucho porque es del primer paseo que di con mi hija después de dos meses! Este top cruzado es uno de mis favoritos, lo hice el verano pasado con un punto de canalé y me encanta (aquí se ve mejor). Lo siguiente es uno de mis básicos de verano, el top Ogden de True Bias en viscosa floral (+ la mascarilla ahora obligatoria). Tengo cuatro Ogdens y dos vestidos con el mismo patrón así que se puede decir que me gusta bastante el patrón, jaja.

Another Donna blouse, another lovely viscose print. And the black woven t-shirt is made using a knit pattern, I wrote about the difference between knits and wovens in this post. Also wearing the Moss skirt by Grainline Studio in black stretch corduroy. This is the ONLY skirt that actually fits me in my wardrobe (my wardrobe is small, haha) and sadly the color has worn out a bit in the sun...but I’m still wearing it, you can’t see the color problem from far away, haha. I really need to make another because this style (sitting just below my natural waist) together with a slightly stretchy fabric is a life saver, it’s both comfortable and forgiving when you lose/gain (:D) a bit of weight.

Otra blusa Donna, otro estampado bonito de viscosa. Y la camiseta negra está hecha con una tela plana también pero el patrón es de tela de punto. Escribí sobre las diferencias de punto y tela plana en este post. También allí va la falda Moss de Grainline Studio en micropana elástica negra. Esta es la ÚNICA falda que me cabe en todo mi armario (que es pequeño, jaja) y por desgracia el color ya se está yendo un poco por el sol...pero yo me lo pongo igual, que de lejos no se ve el problema de color, jaja. Necesito hacerme otra porque este estilo (que se queda justo debajo de mi cintura) junto a la tela ligeramente elástica es un salvavidas, es igual de cómodo si pierdes/ganas (:D) un poco de peso.

And this t-shirt with viscose bananas, another basic Ottobre Design pattern. I made a matching one for my kid back when I sewed this one but she has already outgrown hers I think. But yeah, can’t leave a banana print at the fabric shop, am I right?

Y esta camiseta de punto de plátanos en viscosa, otra camiseta básica de Ottobre Design. Hice otra a juego a mi hija pero la suya ya le va pequeña creo. Pero sí, quién puede no llevar a casa un estampado de plátanos cuando lo ve en la tienda, verdad?

Jackets. Another department that wasn’t really shown during this month because I mainly went out during the day and I didn't need a jacket! But I did get two photos. This Nenuphar kimono style jacket by Deer and Doe Patterns is a really cute one. I made it in linen and the fabric really shows well the design elements like the cut out details on the collar and the pockets (I’ve also made it in viscose and loved the completely different flowy result).

Now there are two things with this jacket. First of all I really like how it looks because it gives me the Elizabeth Suzann vibe which I really like and the color and the shape are very pretty in my opinion (the fabric actually has tiny stripes in two neutral tones, it’s a real winner). Then again I love seeing linen on Instagram photos worn by other people but I can’t really fit it into my own wardrobe!!! Because it wrinkles like hell...maybe?! Because the shapes are too structured...something I love seeing on the photos but can’t really see on myself...maybe?!

Anyway, I like this jacket, but I don’t wear it a lot, apart from the linen thing I’ve mentioned, there’s the weather issue too. There are like two days in a year when I’d wear it here in Madrid, it’s either too cold or too hot. I think it is a good garment to have when you work in an office with lots of AC so you can throw it over a sleeveless garment while you’re sitting at your desk in summer. But in my reality where this is not happening (keeping that AC on the minimum to not waste energy over at the academy, read: to not waste money, haha)...so sadly I don’t wear this jacket a lot. I’m telling you all this just to mention that it’s something to think about before making a garment. It might look cute, you might make a great job at sewing it, the drape is right, the fabric is right...but is your life right for the garment, haha?! I wrote about this topic in these two posts about choosing fabrics, fabric composition and drape, if you’re into reading more about how to make good choices fabric and lifestyle wise.

The only real outerwear piece that made its way to Me Made May is my softshell jacket, the Serra jacket by Pauline Alice. I wear it a lot during fall and spring, you can read more about it in this post. I actually hoped to finish and photograph another jacket during this month but I didn’t make it happen (probably because I wasn’t wearing any jackets…), this improvised canvas jacket only needs buttonholes!!!

Chaquetas. Otra “sección” que no salió mucho durante este mes porque como solo salía de día no solía ponerme chaquetas. Pero saqué dos fotos. Esta chaqueta tipo kimono es el Nenuphar de Deer and Doe Patterns y me gusta mucho. Lo hice en lino y esta tela realmente resalta bien los detalles del diseño como los cortes triangulares en la solapa y en los bolsillos (también lo tengo en viscosa y queda muy diferente con una tela que tiene mucha caída).

Pasan dos cosas con esta chaqueta. Primero me gusta mucho cómo queda porque me recuerda a Elizabeth Suzann y el color y la forma son muy bonitos en mi opinión (la tela hasta tiene unas mini rayas en dos colores complementarias, es ideal!). Me encanta ver prendas de lino en las fotos de otra gente en Instagram pero no consigo adaptarlo a mi armario!!!Quizás porque se arruga mucho? Puede ser… Porque tiene una forma muy definida...algoq ue me encanta en las fotos pero cuando me la pongo simplemente “no me veo” con ella?

O sea me gusta mucho la chaqueta pero la verdad es que no me lo pongo mucho, está allí el tema de lino pero también cuestión de tiempo. De nuevo, en Madrid hay como dos días al año cuando me lo puedo poner, luego o hace demasiado frío o demasiado calor. Creo que podría molar mucho si trabajas en el verano en una oficina con mucho aire acondicionado y te lo pones encima de un top y así vas bien. Pero en mi vida eso ahora mismo no está pasando (en la academia está el aire bajito para no gastar energía...bueno y el dinero, jaja)...así que al final no me la pongo mucho. Os cuento todo eso porque quiero decir que es importante pensar en cosas así antes de hacerte una prenda. Puede que sea bonito, lo hayas cosido bien, la caída va bien, es la tela correcta...pero va bien con tu vida, jaja? He escrito sobre este tema en los dos posts sobre cómo elegir telas, composición de tela y la caída, si os interesa leer más sobre cómo elegir bien las telas que también vayan acorde con tu vida diaria.

La única chaqueta de primavera que sale en mis fotos de Me MAde May es esta chaqueta de softshell, la Serra de Pauline Alice. Me lo pongo mucho en la primavera y en el otoño, puedes leer más sobre ella en este post. Quería también terminar y fotografiar otra chaqueta este mes pero no lo conseguí (probablemente porque ya hace calor…), esta chaqueta de lona con el patrón improvisado necesita solo los ojales!!!

Dresses. I don’t have many dresses in my wardrobe...I have made quite a lot of dresses but none of them fit me anymore, haha. But I made two Ogden cami dresses (pattern by True Bias) last summer and I was living in them so I think I’m getting back to the dresses again! I love how this shape is perfect for hot summers around here, it feels like nothing on. Basically it’s the top but shorter (mine measures about 20 cm from the V neck on the front if I remember correctly) with a gathered rectangle for the skirt (the width of the rectangle is the width of the fabric, I found that this is the exact amount of volume I like for the skirts). Both versions are made in viscose.

Vestidos. No tengo muchos vestidos en mi armario...he hecho bastantes vestidos pero ninguno me queda bien ya, jaja. Pero el verano pasado hice dos vestidos de Ogden cami (patrón de True Bias) y vivía en ellos así qeu creo que estoy volviendo a los vestidos! Me gusta mucho su forma, es perfecto para los veranos calurosos de aquí, es como llevar nada. Básicamente es como el top pero más corto (si no recuerdo mal, mide 20 cm desde el pico de escote en el delantero) con un rectángulo fruncido para la falda (el ancho de tela es el ancho de rectángulo, es justo la cantidad de vuelo que necesito para mi gusto). Las dos versiones están hechas con viscosas.

And my latest make here and also the only thing I’ve sewn for myself during the last months!), which actually is not finished yet, haha, is the Jessica dress by Mimi G. I had been seeing this dress around the web and a couple of students from the academy had been sewing them too so I gave in and made myself one. I was a bit concerned that the gathers exactly on my waistline wouldn’t be something I like but the result is cute! Again I used the width of the fabric for the width of the skirt and this is the amount I feel comfortable with. I really love this floral viscose print!

For the last dress make here’s the Roberts Collection dungaree dress by Marilla Walker. I can’t believe I haven’t worn this dress already this season, it’s 100% me style wise. Well, actually I know why I didn’t, I was too lazy to iron it, haha. The fabric I used is a super soft tencel twill and I love this fabric as it has nice drape but it also has a nice body which means you can make patterns with straight lines like this one beautifully.

Y aquí mi más reciente costura (y también lo único que he cosido para mí en los últimos meses!), que realmente no está terminado todavía, jaja, el vestido Jessica de Mimi G. Había visto este vestido en las redes y un par de chicas de la academia también lo habían cosido así que decidí también hacerme uno. Estaba un poco indecisa ya que nos uelo llevar frunces justo en la cintura pero el resultado ha quedado guay! De nuevo usé el ancho de tela para el rectángulo de la falda, así se crea la cantidad de frunce que me gusta a mí. Me encanta este estampado floral!

Para lo último aquí está el vestido peto de Roberts Collection, patrón de Marilla Walker. Me cuesta creer que es la primera vez que me lo pongo en este mes porque es 100% mi estilo. Bueno, realmente sé por qué...que me daba pereza planchar la falda, jaja. La tela que usé es una sarga de tencel super suave y me encanta esa tela ya que tiene una caída muy buena pero también tiene cuerpo así que va bien para líneas rectas como en este patrón.

Loungewear and lingerie. It’s kind of weird that lingerie didn’t pop up on my feed more as I am sewing a lot of it as you can imagine but there’s the modelling question of course, haha. Also there’s something weird for me about showing my underwear out in public in daily basis, don’t ask, haha. I did wear my Suki robe by Helen’s Closet every day, it’s such a nice piece and I’m so glad I have it in my wardrobe (you can read about this make in this post). Underneath I’m also wearing my summer lux PJs: a silk Ogden cami and silk PJ shorts (long story, I don’t usually wear fancy silk PJs but this is a happy exception, haha)!

I only posted one lingerie pic as I accidentally took a shot of this set the day I put it on, it’s a self drafted foam cup bra with no underiwires (a pattern I’ll try to publish soonish...I really want to make a bra specifically for small cup sizes) and Stella panties with a lace hack (this tutorial is available in my e-book about sewing panties, get it for free when you subscribe to my newsletter). I didn’t post any other lingerie makes but you can be sure I was wearing something memade every day obviously, haha.

Ropa de estar por casa y lencería. Es un poco raro quizás que lencería no ha salido más en mis fotos ya que coso mucho de eso pero claro, quién iba a ser la modelo, jaja. También me parece algo raro enseñar las bragas que me pongo a diario, jaja. La bata Suki de Helen’s Closet me lo he puesto todos los días, es una prenda muy guay y estoy feliz por poder tenerlo en mi armario (puedes leer más sobre ella en este post). Debajo también llevo mi pijama de verano de seda, puro lujo: Ogden cami de seda junto a un pantalón corto en la misma tela (una historia larga, normalmente no tengo pijamas de seda pero es una excepción muy buena, jaja).

Solo subí una foto de lencería ya que por casualidad le saqué la foto un día antes de vestirme, es el sujetador con un patrón propio, sin aros pero con foam ( un patrón que me gustaría publicar en el futuro, especialmente pensado para copas pequeñas) y las braguitas Stella con la modificación de encaje (el tutorial viene en el libro electrónico sobre coser braguitas que es gratis si te apuntas a mi newsletter). No subí más fotos de lencería pero algo de lo mío me lo llevo todos los días, jaja.

---

@slipslipkate

@maloriemakes

@jasikaistrycurious

@wellfibre

@endearingeveryday

@heyjunehandmade

@threadsnips

@maider_masustak

@lieslgibson

@katehuntermakes

And that’s it for this years Me Made May for me. As I mentioned earlier, it was easier this year so I might be motivated for documenting for the next year too, haha. I definitely had a lot of fun seeing other peoples makes and they have been very inspiring. I already wrote a post about seamstresses who inspire me with their projects this spring but I’ll add some more photos here specifically about Me Made May so you can take a look too!

In case you haven’t seen I’m running a sale during this weekend over at Studio Costura Shop so if you’ve been inspired to make yourself some lingerie you can check my patterns out!

Y ya está para este año de Me Made May para mí. Como dije antes, este año ha sido más fácil así que igual me animo documentarlo bien el año que viene también, jaja. Me encantó ver lo que subía otra gente, me he inspirado mucho al ver sus prendas. Ya escribí hace poco el post sobre las costureras que me inspiran esta primavera pero voy a añadir por aquí también más fotos específicamente de Me Made May que podéis ver!

Si no lo habéis visto todavía, en Studio Costura Shop tenemos ahora el descuento en todos los patrones por si os habéis inspirado para coser algo de lencería!