What I'm Listening To: Blackpink- How You Like That

Saturday, August 8, 2020
Hi all! Are you, like me, missing seeing all of the Spring 2021 runway fashion shows? Well, let me point you in the direction of the Blackpink video for the song How You Like That. Not only with the song get you dancing around in your pandemic pajamas, but the fashion is superb and may be as close to an actual couture runway show as we're going to get. 

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August Plans

Monday, August 3, 2020
This month I'm feeling the need to complete some challenges, squeeze out the last few drops of summer, and prepare for Halloween. Here are my plans for August 2020:

 Mannequin with red measuring tape around shoulders and handbrushed lettering overlayed reading Sew My Style 2020 Patterns & Sponsors#SMS20

I've fallen behind on my plans to participate in the Sew My Style Challenge and I want to catch-up. These are the ones I plan to make:


We had a few hot summer days in July and I really wanted to waft around the house with a cocktail and a caftan. This month I'm hoping to sew up at least 1 Closet Core Pattern's Charlie Caftan.


Amy from @PoisonGrrls is hosting the 4th Annual Summer Knit A Long featuring her newest pattern, The Joanie Boatneck. The KAL goes from July 27-September 28, but I'm hoping to finish mine this month.

Finally, are any of you feeling spooky?🎃 This month I'm hoping to knit up a pair of Halloween socks and maybe start on a Halloween sweater. Bring on the pumpkin spice!

That's all that I'm planning on making this month. Do you have any end-of-summer makes planned? Let me know in the comments below.
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What I'm Listening To: Hydelic- Connected from Tetris Effect PS4

Saturday, August 1, 2020
Hello! It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, but honestly, I haven't been listening to a lot of new music lately. However, I've recently gotten into playing the new Tetris Effect game on PS4. The combination of dreamy music and gameplay is almost...dare I say it...Mindful! Have a listen to one of my favorite tunes from the game, Connected (Yours Forever) by Hydelic.


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May Makes

Friday, June 26, 2020


May was a very productive month for me. I think I was feeling very inspired by having some unexpected time off and seeing all of the lovely Me Made May posts. I ended up making 7 new items (not counting the headband and the Lander shorts alteration)! Here's a run-down of my makes:

  1. I knit an all-white Jailbird Blouse pattern by PoisonGrrls knit in CoBaSi DK yarn. I knit up the size Medium but probably could have gotten away with the Small.
  2. A Friday Patterns Wilder Top in a light blue linen fabric. I sewed a size Large with no alterations.
  3. The Sew My Style pattern pick for May was the True Bias Rio Ringer Tee. I decided to make two versions. For both the long and short-sleeved tees, I stitched up a size 14 at the bust and graded to a size 16 at the hips. I used a stripey cotton jersey knit fabric from Sewing Studio for the short-sleeved version, some deep-stash stripey knit fabric for the long-sleeved version, and ribbing from Blackbird Fabrics on both.
  4. So many people have made the Mandy Boat Tee from Tessuti Patterns, and this month I gave it a go. I used some deep stash fuschia striped fabric (probably from Girl Charlie) and sewed up a size 2 and shortened it by 1 inch. If I make it again, I'd either try the size 3 or find a way to widen the armcye a bit. 
  5. I was inspired by designer brand, Lena Hoschek, to knit the PoisonGrrls Boardwalk Blouse. I knit up the size Small in CoBaSi fingering weight.

  6. I'd been wanting to make a funnel neck Tilly and the Buttons Coco for ages and when I saw this gray polka dot sweater knit from Sewing Studio, I decided to make it happen, even though it's not really seasonally appropriate. I even made a matching headband to go with it.

  
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Me Made May 2020 Review

Friday, June 12, 2020
Me Made May: Quarantine Edition has concluded. This year's Me Made May was meant to be a gentler version of the challenge and participants were encouraged to go easy on themselves. I am an "essential worker", so my routine didn't change all that much during quarantine so I chose to make the same pledge I made last year and wear at least 1 me-made item everyday. I seemed to be mostly successful at my challenge since I only missed 1 day (sometimes we need an all-day pajama day!). Let's take a look at my outfits:

  1. Tilly & the Buttons Agnes Top in fabric from Joann's
  2. Tilly & the Buttons Marigold Pants 
  3. Abbey Knits Party Sweater top in yarn from House of al la mode
  4. Style Arc Estelle Cardigan
  5. Sunset Highway Sweater by Caitlin Hunter
  6. Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan 

My favorite outfits this week were the Agnes top and the Sunset Highway Sweater and these were the same outfits that got the most response. 

  • 7.   Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter in yarn from Primrose 
  • 8.   Friday Pattern Co Wilder Top
  • 9.   Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans
  • 10. Closet Case Patterns Kalle Shirt
  • 11.  Tecumseh Sweater by Caitlin Hunter in yarn from House of al la Mode

I'd wanted to add a bit more color to my outfits this week. I felt the most ho-hum about these outfits overall, but these outfits generated the most response overall. People really enjoy my Tecumseh sweater!
    • 12. Boardwalk Blouse by Poison Grrls 
    • 13. Charcoal dot headband in fabric from PDX Sewing Studio
    • 14. Closet Case Patterns Kalle Shirt
    • 15. Blank Slate Patterns Forsythe Trousers
    • 16. Spector Sweater by Joji Locatelli in yarn from Wichita Wools
    • 17. Tilly and the Buttons Coco Top
    • 18. Caitlin Hunter Whitehorse Sweater in yarn from Three Fates
    • 19. Sew DIY Lou Box Top

    This week I pulled out more of my favorite pieces like my floral Kalle and my Whitehorse sweater. I got the least amount of feedback on these outfits, but people really responded well to my new Coco Shirt.

    • 20. Megan Nielson Patterns Tania Culottes
    • 21. Tilly and the Buttons Frankie Tee
    • 22. Made by Rae Luna Pants
    • 23. Untangling Knots Waters Tee
    • 24. Helen's Closet Suki Robe and True Bias Lander Shorts
    • 25. Butterick 6563 sleeveless shirt.

    I really enjoyed swanning around in my Tania Culottes and need to make some more! I also tailored my Lander shorts which got the most feedback this week.

      • 26. Chalk & Notch Fringe Dress (worn as a top).
      • 27. Vest/ Waistcoat sewn up more than 10 years ago with my mother-in-law. The pattern is possibly Simplicity 3921
      • 28. Poison Grrls Boardwalk Blouse knit in Skacel CoBaSi yarn
      • 29. Kimono/ Haori style jacket sewn up ages ago with instructions from a Pinterest tutorial
      • 30. True Bias Rio Tee
      • 31. True Bias Ogden Cami

      This week I experimented with some of my lesser worn makes like wearing my dress as a top. I got a lot of nice feedback on these looks overall and people really seemed to enjoy the waistcoat/vest, the kimono jacket, and my Ogden cami the most.

      Reflections:
      • I feel like parts of my me-made wardrobe weren't as colorful as I would have liked it to be. 
      • I need to add more "work appropriate" business casual items into my me-made wardrobe. Especially pants.
      • I really enjoyed wearing my Tania Culottes to work & I got several compliments. I'd like to add more drapey pants to my closet.
      • I wished I had a few more cardigans in my closet to dress up some of my more casual/ warm weather items.

        What do you think about my makes overall? Do you have a favorite? Have you made any of the patterns that I've made? Did you participate in Me Made May this year? Let me know in the comments below!
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        2020 Social Media Crafting Challenge Plans

        Thursday, January 2, 2020
        With 2019 quickly coming to a close and 2020 on the horizon, it's that weird time of year between Christmas/ Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa and New Year's when people start making plans for the future. One of the things that I'm looking forward to in the new year is participating in crafting challenges on Instagram, Ravelry, blogs, and YouTube because it keeps me connected with the crafting community and helps motivate me to get craftin'. Here are a few of the challenges I'm looking forward to taking part in:

             

        I don't know about you, but I've accumulated a huge stash of yarn and fabric over the years and am in desperate need of a de-stash. Thankfully, Amanda, aka @browngyrlknits on Instagram has created the Stash Down challenge. The rules are:

        1. Inventory your yarn by January 1
        2. Pick patterns to go with your yarn and make a list
        3. Knit from that list all year
        4. You get $30/month for new yarn.
        5. You get 2 "deal breakers" per year.

        For my sewing stash, the Sewjourners have created an Excel spreadsheet called the Stash Shrinker to motivate us to use our fabric stash.






        Project Sew My Style is back in 2020 with a new hashtag ( #sms20) and a new end of the month deadline. Participating in the project helped jump-start my sewing mojo in 2018 and I'm hoping to jump back in in 2020. A few of the pattern's I'm excited to make are:
             
             January: #Sew Twists and Ties


        I am a sucker for Instagram challenges, and in January @CookinandCraftin is bringing back the sewing twists and ties challenge. To participate, all you need to do is sew a garment that has twists or ties involved and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #SewTwistsandTies. Some ideas I'm kicking around are:
            
             May: #MeMadeMay

        While it's too early to predict what I'm going to wear in May, I do have plans to spend some time in warmer climates that month and I look forward to documenting my makes in a new setting.

        Do you know of any crafting challenges that I haven't mentioned? Will you be participating in any crafting challenges this year, or will you be doing your own thing? Let me know in the comments below.

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