Truth Time! Just how many of my makes have I never worn?!

Since I started sewing back in 2009 I've made A LOT of clothes. My obsessive personality mixed with the awesomeness of being able to create your own clothes meant that a warehouse of fabric has been pushed through my sewing machine.

I've spent countless hours fantasising about what I want to make for my next zillion projects and how exactly I was going to make them happen. There's been a lot of failed projects that have never made it to this blog, and a lot victory's too.

But here's the thing, in my obsession to make everything that comes into my head, practical or not, I've ended up creating a cupboard full of garments that I have hardly worn or have NEVER worn!

I think we all have this idea of our own personal style and what we fancy we would wear on an everyday basis, but when that cheeky little thing called 'practicality' comes into the picture, we end up dragging the old basic out of our cupboard.

How I think I'm going to wear Vs what I actually end up wearing

So I thought I would go through my old projects and actually look at what I wear regularly as opposed to what I hardly wear or have never worn.

Maybe I'll even learn something ... bahaha ... so hard to type that with a straight face ...

Surprisingly some of my favourite dresses that I have made are in my 'never worn' pile. Admittedly I do have an affinity for evening wear so a lot of dresses I've hardly worn simply because I haven't had opportunities to wear them.

So here are my blogged projects listed into three categories:

1. Worn 5+ times
2. Worn less than 5 times
3. Never worn

Click on the pictures below to view the original blog post:

WORN 5+ TIMES

'

I think the above shows how inconsistent my style is, but that's what I love about fashion: the ability to change up your looks every day to suit your mood. Most of these garments are pretty comfortable and practical, even if some of them are little on the fancy side.

WORN LESS THAN 5 TIMES

Most of the garments in this pile would get more wear but just haven't yet had the opportunity. For example it's summer in Australia at the moment so my sweaters are not currently in rotation. Also a few of these garments are maternity dresses and there aint no human camping out in there at the moment.

NEVER WORN

Most of the stuff in my 'never worn' pile has made it there because it was either a little bit too dressy for a normal outing, or by the time I had an event to wear it to I already had an idea in my head for a new dress. #sewingproblems

QUICK STATS

36% of my garments I wear regularly

38% of my garments I've only worn a handful of times, and

26% of my garments I've never worn. Yikes!

Regardless of how much or how little I've worn my handmade clothes I love them all.

Thoughts? Which one of my 'never worn' garment should I wear immediately?

So what about you? Do you have an outfit that you wear over and over and one that you hardly ever wear? Am I the only one? Let me know!

A Tale Of Two Cabled Sweaters (And One Pair of Socks)

There is something so theruptic about knitting. AmIright?!

When I sew a garment I usually have a deadline in mind and I sew like a madwoman until it's done. The great thing about knitting is it's a slow paced project. Once you accept that, you surrender to the fact that it will take a while and enjoy the slow rhythm. That is of course unless you make a mistake and have to undo (tink) your stitches and then you are consumed with burning, burning rage. Just another reminder that I'm not quite evolved yet as a peaceful human.

These two projects are the result of many couch sessions with a cup of tea and a napping baby. It was great to have a creative project in the early days of newborn-ness to distract my brain from how sleep deprived I was.

Asleep with my eyes open

Cabled Sweater #1

Pattern:

This awesome pattern is called 'Julissa' and it's by Vanessa Smith whose babe-ness is off the CHARTS!

This pattern has two versions and the one I made is the scoop neck version. You can check out the high neck version here.

I fell in love with this pattern because the shape was modern and flattering, and I LOVED the detailing of the cable pattern down the front.

Yarn:
The pattern calls for a 10ply/worsted weight yarn. I made mine with Milamia's new aran yarn in the colour 'Magenta'.

The yarn is 100% merino wool and the yarn is so soft, the twist so glossy and tight and the colour so saturated that I just don't even know how to DEAL! It's just a dream yarn. I WANTS ALL THE COLOURS!

I purchased my yarn from the fabulous gals at Woolarium who know everything there is to know about knitting and yarn and are extremely helpful.

Cable-ey goodness

Method:
This pattern is knit in the round which at the moment has to be one of my favourite ways to knit. It makes it so much easier for beginner knitters like me to finish a garment neatly because there are no pieces that you have to sew together.

Fit and Size:
It is knit from top down which is also a great advantage for beginner knitters trying to get the fit right as you can try it on as you go and see if any changes need to be made.

The sweater has waste shaping for a flattering fit and sits low on the hips which is great for all body types. The sizes range from 2X-small to 3X-large. I made my version in a small.

Changes:
I added a few more waist decreases than the pattern called for (one of the benefits of being able to try it on as you go!) and made the bodice slightly longer.

I also shortened the ribbing along the waist band slightly as I didn't want the long top to overwhelm my short torso.

As I was one ball of yarn short of what the patten called for, I decided to save yarn by making the sleeves in a straight stockinette stitch instead of the cable pattern. This is also a good call for ladies who are slightly self conscious of their arms as the cable stitch will add bulk.

Verdict:
I'm so happy with how this turned out. It was fun and fast, is a flattering fit and looks great in the yarn that I chose. The scoop neck is very flattering for a fuller bust, as a lot of the higher neck projects that I love make me look like a milk maid. I love this pattern and I highly recommend :)

Cabled Sweater #2

Pattern:

This pattern is called 'Shifting' by Justyna Lorkowska and it's another beautifully knit pattern.

It is another seamlessly knit sweater knit in the round from the top down and features a repeated cable pattern down the front  of the bodice.

Yarn:
This top is also made with beautiful Millamia yarn but in their original sport weight/5ply yarn and made in the colour 'snow' which is an off white.

It is 100% merino wool and it is so soft and luscious that you just know you're knitting with superior quality. It's one of those yarns that you can't help but rub your face into.

Fit and Size:

The bodice also has waist shaping and is knit from the top down.

The sizes range from XS to XXL and I made mine in the small.

Changes:
The instructions for this pattern are wonderful! I did a full bust adjustment and the instructions included the method on how to do this.

I made the bodice shorter than the pattern called for and it could have done with the extra length, but it is nice to have a shorter top to go with some of my fuller skirts.

Verdict:

I really enjoyed making this pattern and learning some new techniques. I'd love to make this again in another colour and I'll make it longer in the bodice. 

And One More ...

I have to quickly share a speedy little project I made recently too ... these gorgeous socks!

The pattern is called 'Vanilla Latte Socks' by Virginia Rose-Jeanes and they were ridiculously fun to make! 

I knit them in the round using the magic-loop method (so much magic!) from top to toe. I was absolutely fascinated with the engineering of these socks. How you can get your needles and yarn to make a heel and a foot with just simple stitches; so clever! I'm officially a sock knitting convert!

I made them using Opal sock yarn in Sweet and Spicy 2 - 8613 Zuckerstreussel because there is NOTHING more gorgeous than this pattern combination. Whenever I put on these socks I sit and have to will myself not to take a zillion photos of my feet and send them to my friends because they are just so cheery and playful.

And that concludes this epic long knitting post with three different makes! Phew! If you like to knit you can find me on Ravelry here

Clearly I like knitting cables and now socks! What about you? What's your favourite thing to knit?

Next up on my needles is this gorgeous sweater cape - in-between sewing projects of course!

A (comfy) GLAMOUR Dress

Oh HAI!

Excuse me while I blow the cobwebs off 'ye olden blog'; it has been a while ...

... so let me quickly side track you with my latest creation. Look, it's a dress!

I also recently made an insanely loveable little (huge) baby boy. Scroll down to the bottom of this post if you want to make your ovaries ache.

Back in August Kat from All The Whimsical Things hosted another Frocktails in Melbourne, which gave me the motivation to get out the sewing machine and transform myself from milk machine (do you know how much a 9 pounder DRINKS??!!!!) to glamour puss. Goals.

Because having a toddler and a newborn gives me heaps of spare time *cough* I decided to draft my own dress and make it the day before the event. Why do people let me make decisions for myself? Don't they see that crazed sleep-deprived look in my eye?

Luckily, it worked out! It was a pretty simple dress after all, but it's always the simple ones that end up messing you up! AmIright?!!

DETAILS:

Fabric

I made this out of a cheap stretch that I bought from Spotlight. Ashley was less than 3 months old at the time and I was still in that crazy period where I couldn't bear to drive more than 5 minutes to get to a decent fabric store.

It's not perfect but it still worked, though next time I make this I'll use a fabric with a bit more stretch.

Pattern

Self drafted. I wanted a long skirt with a wide neck and I wanted it in a comfortable stretch. Plus stretch is so much faster to sew. No darts, lots of room for error and finishing seams is optional.

The skirt is split at the front with rushing near the waistline.

The pattern making took the bulk of the time, but once I had cut out the fabric it only took a few hours to put together. It felt so good to get behind the machine again!

Extra Bits

I completely faced the bodice in the same fabric to give extra support.

I also attached a strip of thin elastic along the entire width of the neck to stop it from gaping or moving. I made the length of the elastic shorter than the circumference of the neck so that it pulled in a little.

I can pretend that I dress fancy all the time, but a sports bra tan line doesn't lie ...

I had a lovely night chatting with like-minded seamstresses, some people I had met before and some for the first time. It was so nice to get dressed up and talk about sewing!

And now if you'll indulge me, here's my latest human creation:

Meet Ashley Michelangelo, my little angel baby born May 11.  Ashley is named after my father, Michelangelo.
This little beach ball of cuteness was born 13 days over due and within 30 minutes of me arriving at the hospital! All 9 lbs of him! It was an incredible, beautiful birth experience and I still get goose bumps thinking about it. My mum, who drove me to the hospital thinks she is suffering post traumatic stress at the thought that we almost had a 'side of the road' birth.

It's good to be back guys! I've got some great projects lined up and I can't wait to get stuck into them!

Also excuse me dear internet, BUT WHY IS THERE NO SEWING MACHINE EMOJI?!!! I cannot adequately convey my sewing emotions without a cute little picture of a sewing machine. Who do I need to contact to make this happen?

Hope you are all having a lovely fabric filled week :)