me-made-may: week 4

Me-made-stuff: Tailored Jacket

Day 21: The week begins with a bit of photo-fail, and a bit of outfit-fail too (except I still think it’s cute!). I really loved this outfit as a concept, but 1. It was warm, and this jacket didn’t stay on half-way to work, and 2. Without the jacket I felt like a major kick-back to 90s babydoll-dresses and canvas combat boots, and 3. Something is off with the proportions of this jacket on me, and needs a little Fix-it-Friday-love. Except it will be a little tedious because of the tailoring on the inside. And again – this felt a little out of season, but that just means I have a go-to outfit for the fall!

Me-made stuff: Refashioned skirt

Day 22: I’ve worn pretty much exactly this outfit during my SSS challenge, especially if you consider that I didn’t wear the cardigan most of the day. I didn’t even make it to the bus-stop before it came off!

Me-made stuff: Patterned tiny pocket tank

Day 17: Sometimes I get this really strong urge for preppy dressing. So out comes cropped (well, cuffed) pants, oxfords, seersucker-like jackets, and.. a tribal printed tank to shake things up. I liked this outfit, except the pants went straight back to the get-rid-of-pile for the same reason as last time; baggy knees and stretched out bum – guilty as charged.

Me-made stuff: Bayview Street Cardigan

Day 25: I really like the top picture, I look very impish, drinking my wine, all grandmother-vintage-like with leather shoes and a knit cardigan. Ok – confession: This was not my outfit most of the day. Most of the day I wore a different cardigan, and I didn’t change until we were waterside to take pictures of the sunset and it got chilly and I pulled out this to stay warm. But then John was there with a fancy camera, and I was indeed wearing something I made, so you get pretty sunset pictures. You’re welcome.

Me-made stuff: patterned tiny pocket tank, refashioned skirt

Day 26: This Saturday was just so delightfully warm that I spent the entire day working at home in this outfit, windows open, taking breaks from my sewing to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner outside. Just perfect.

Me-made stuff: near-zero-waste yoga pants

Day 27: Sunday saw us going for a 5-hour hike, that wasn’t really supposed to be 5 hours, except we lost our trail on the way down, and decided we could just wing it. Hmm.. not the best idea. You can’t see the cuts and scratches or ticks or mud all over my butt from sliding in moss and battling underbrush, but you can see my fancy new shoes! They’re New Balance Minimus Trail WT20, if anyone is interested. And I approve of them! That’s a really short version of it, but I’m really excited – these are my first ever serious running shoes, and so far I’m pretty pleased!

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me-made-may: week 1
me-made-may: week 2
me-made-may: week 3
me-made-may: week 4
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~ Zoe’s original sign-up post | facebook page | flickr group ~

me-made-may: week 3

Me-made-stuff: Valentine’s day skirt

Day 14: I’m a lumberjackjane and I’m okay, I sleep all night and work all day – you know, the usual stuff according to the world of Monty Python. Well, if you count out the cross-dressing since I’m apt to borrow John’s sweater that I made him. Back to the outfit: this is actually a dress layered with my pencil-skirt, and it’s a nice way to get more uses out of dresses and longer shirts! I can’t get over how versatile this skirt is, and how well it pairs with pretty much anything. The plaid dress seems very fall-like to me, and it feels a little drab for the season.

Me-made stuff: Tiny pocket tank (currently missing the tiny pocket part)

Day 15: I met John at his work after we both had put in long days, and he brought me hot chocolate from the vending machine and took my picture in the sunset light (I know, he’s a keeper!). After months of starting, but not completing any for-me sewing projects, I really really needed to sew something quick. I’d been meaning to whip up one of Jen’s Tiny pocket tanks for a long time, and it didn’t disappoint! I added a skinny belt to not totally lose my waist, and also a cardigan that happens to match the bias binding on the inside of the tank (I’ll take picture of the beautifulness soon!). I graciously spared you my footwear today – which was clunky hiking shoes to go with my serious rain gear I donned earlier, since it rained very seriously on my way to work this day.

Me-made stuff: “Traces of Thread” collection coat.

Day 17: Today was Norway’s Independence Day, and you get to see lots of pictures of me in my coat, showing off my mad flag-waiving skills! It was a cold, foggy, and rainy day, so the outside festivities didn’t really happen for us. But we did spend the afternoon dressed up and in the company of good friends, drink, and food, and what more can you ask than that?

Me-made stuff: “Traces of Thread” collection skirt, tiny pocket tank.

Day 18: Oh dear, not the best picture today due to some camera-issues, plus it was quite grey outside! I’ve been eyeing different me-made things in my wardrobe, trying to come up with ways to wear them. This skirt was from my senior thesis collection, and it’s sort of dramatic. I first thought something slim-fitting would be the best combination, but for some reason I like what the crazy-print tank does to the skirt. Then came the necklace to add some color, then the cardigan for warmth, then the belt for waist-definition, and bam! I’m rocking a Frida Kahlo-vibe. I also wore my fancy new running shoes to test them out, but they were too sporty looking for the photo, and I usually don’t wear shoes at work anyways.

Me-made stuff: patterned tiny pocket tank, mustard shorts.

Day 20: The return of the patterned tiny pocket tank! That makes thrice worn in one week, and perhaps I’m just experiencing some new-garment-love (much like I am with the striped dress that’s shown up twice in MMM so far), but I really think it’s also filling a gap in my wardrobe, and that, as well as the crazy print, makes me happy. Also happiness-inducing: first sunny, summer-spring like day this year; seeing dear friends from out of town; and being able to finally use the fully bloomed cherry-blossom tree as a backdrop.

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me-made-may: week 1
me-made-may: week 2
me-made-may: week 3
***

~ Zoe’s original sign-up post | facebook page | flickr group ~

cherry blossom tree cowl

Some of you might have noticed this cowl in my me-made-may posts, and I’ve been meaning to show it off. Here it is:

I am a sucker for cowls I think. Three of them in four years isn’t really excessive I guess, but the last three scarves I’ve made, and really – about the only ones I use, are of the loopy variety. (here is a red cowl, which was the first one, and then a yellow one from this winter.) It’s just so lovely to not have any ends to tuck in, or to not have re-wrap while fighting blistering winds!

A funny thing with all these cowls is how the yarn has dictated the outcome. With the red one, I choose garter stitch to show off the changing colors, and tried intentional pooling for the first time. With the yellow cowl, I went with subtle and simple stitch patterns so the yarn is showcased in all its fluffy glory.

For this cowl, it was the colors. While I love tweedy, heathery color variations in yarn (like what I used for my Bayview Street cardigan), I usually don’t go for variageted yarn simply because I really don’t know what to do with the pooling that happens. This was a gifted yarn, and much like my yarn that did not want to be knit, I absolutely adored the colors and the skein, but was stumped by what to make with it. I tried a pair of mittens first, thinking I’d like the striping effect, but I actually hated it (my ravelry project page has a picture of the fated mittens).

So, another cowl came to life. It’s the honey cowl pattern, which has a pretty simple slipped stitch pattern repeat. I wanted something that would break up the pooling, and this did (with some additional coaxing to get the repeating of the colors to alternate and stagger instead of stacking). As I was knitting I kept thinking the one side looked like morse code! I view this scarf as patterned, and it’s quite honestly a little outside my comfort-zone and I’m having a bit of a challenge incorporating this cowl easily into outfits. I actually had more patterns as a goal in my (sort of failed, kind of still being worked on) fall palette challenge, so this is a wee attempt to do just that!

I also thought the colors were like the Japanese cherry blossom trees that have been coming in to bloom downtown. It does actually look like bark and buds to me, but I think it might be a good thing the cherry blossoms were still in hiding when we took these pictures, because they would have put my scarf to shame and made it look like a pile of mud! But it’s a funky pile of mud that keeps my neck warm, so it’s all good.

Photos by John B.

me-made-may: week 2

Me-made-stuff:  Geithus lace knit top, refashioned skirt.

Day 7: So far May has been a chilly month, and I’ve been reaching for any warm woolen piece I have. Here, it’s the knit top from my final project at school, in combination with this icky-colored cardigan I think goes with just about everything. I even matched my tights to my belt today!

Me-made stuff: Seamless hybrid sweater (again), mustard shorts.

Day 11: A rainy day, so today’s outfit needed to be warm and also fit underneath some serious raingear. I layered the shirt with the sweater to break up the mass of dark wool against my face, added the shorts for the quasi-newsboy vibe emerging, then put on the necklace to soften things a little. Also, I got a haircut.

    
Me-made stuff: refashioned thrifted skirt.

Day 12: John and I had a date this Saturday, and this is from our little smartphone photoshoot in front of the theater, before heading to a Persian dinner and then an Indian movie (well, set in India at least). It’s colder than it looks. I was (am) getting fed up by the lack of spring, so I felt the need to compensate for the tights by wearing some clunky  sandals. Also, I’m wearing my cardigan backwards to cover a gap I’m discovering in my wardrobe: sweaters.

Me-made stuff: Bayview Street Cardigan.

Day 13: More rain. And chilliness. Surprised? I spent most of this rainy day at a friend’s house, cutting fabric for a project we’re working on, so warm wool and wellies was the ticket.

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me-made-may: week 1
me-made-may: week 2
***

~ Zoe’s original sign-up post | facebook page | flickr group ~

me-made-may: week 1

Me-made-stuff: Seamless hybrid sweater (I should probably make myself one instead of borrowing John’s all the time!), and a cowl that has its own post coming up: here.

Day 1: May 1st is a Labor Day and a public holiday here in Norway, so John and I biked downtown, took pictures of my newly made scarf while sitting in the sun, and managed to catch the parade while eating ice cream.

Me-made stuff: Valentine’s day skirt, knit top sewn by me, designed by Elmidae, refashioned silk tank that I’m so impressed is still going strong 8 years after I thrifted and remade it. Wow.

Day 2: An almost entirely me-made outfit! I’ve been wearing this pencil skirt with blousier tops, but I like the slim silhouette with fitted top better I think. Last time I wore this with a turquoise necklace, and that made it a little more fun and casual.

Me-made stuff: Refashioned skirt

Day 3: Feeling the need to be casual and comfy, so grey skirt, grey tank, grey cardigan. Since the top half is so loose and kind of hidden, I decided to highlight my legs by layering some patterned tights over maroon tights, and bring some color into the mix. The tights didn’t like to stay up during the day, and the skirt was hard to bike in. I felt casual, though a little frumpy. The cardigan is hard to style. But I did feel pretty comfy.

     Me-made stuff: Refashioned trench, knitted cowl.

Day 4: John came and met me at my work to bike home together, so I had him take my outfit picture there instead of doing the tripod-thing in the kitchen. I just got this dress, and while I’ve been lusting after some striped things for a while now, and I’m really pleased with how this has pale peach and midnight blue stripes instead of the traditional black and while ones, softening the look a bit.

Me-made stuff: Blush silk top, skirt sewn by me, designed by Elmidae.

Day 5: Let’s just ignore the dishes and dance to Modest Mouse and go to a birthday party, ok? Ok then.

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me-made-may: week 1
me-made-may: week 2
***

~ Zoe’s original sign-up post | facebook page | flickr group ~