Self-Stitched-September Summary

I have been participating in Self-Stitched-September last month, but neglecting the photography and documentation. To be honest, September was quite a crazy month and I don’t really remember precisely what I wore everyday, but I promise I did complete the challenge. My official reason for not documenting the challenge is that it is no longer a novelty to wear handmade garments and there were only a few days when I had to remember I was doing the challenge.

So here is the summary of my Self-Stitched September…

Self-Stitched-September 2011

(Apologies for the bad camera-phone quality, SLR battery needs charging)

1. Purple darted t-shirt with button flower details (Vogue 8451)
2. White and grey spotty 3/4 length t-shirt (adapted BurdaStyle 6019 – Sadie)
3. Red and white polka dot cowl vest (BurdaStyle 6019 – Sadie)
4. Black and white long sleeved t-shirt (adapted BurdaStyle 6019 – Sadie)
5. Red and white floral sorbetto (Collette patterns 0003)
6. Black and white star sorbetto (Collette patterns 0003)
7. Fuscia floral sorbetto (Collette patterns 0003)
8. Black and pink floral maxi-dress (self-drafted)
9. Grey and white striped kimono tee (BurdaStyle)
10. Black and white graphic floral kimono tee (BurdaStyle)
11. Blue and white floral summer dress (adapted BurdaStyle 6019 – Sadie)
12. Blue and white polka dot twist dress (Simplicity 6802)
13. Birdie skirt (Vogue V8560)
14. White and navy maxi-skirt (refashioned)
15. Blue dotty-leaf skirt (Vogue 8560)
16. Navy side-zip wool trousers (self-drafted using Simplicity 2700 as basic block)
17. Rainbow stripe silk necklace
18. Grey star 3/4 length t-shirt (adapted BurdaStyle 6019 – Sadie)
19. Leopard pyjama bottoms (self-drafted)
20. Green birdie pyjama bottoms (self-drafted)
21. Blue and white floral pants (self-drafted)
22. Black and white pants (self-drafted)

Hmm.. laying this out like this makes it seem like I have a lot of handmade items, but thanks to the sudden heatwave I got to carry on wearing my summer dresses, instead of getting the winter clothes out.

Self-Stitched-September Stars (ie. what I liked wearing)

1. My first ever pair of trousers (16) because I thought they were going to be a huge challenge to make, but went more smoothly than I anticipated. The fit is pretty good and they are really comfy, however they didn’t get much wear as they are a cashmere blend (note to self, check fibre quality before buying expensive fabric) and probably not the best for a day in a reception classroom! I have some cheaper £10/metre black wool to make some more for winter.
2. Black and white stripy top (4) goes with everything, fits well and gets positive comments from people, allowing me to smugly say “well actually, I made it..” I saw the fabric in a shop last week and was tempted to buy some more to make a duplicate, but resisted the temptation!
3. Pyjama bottoms (19 & 20). I used a well loved pair of M&S pjs to create the pattern. They are really comfy and a great way to introduce crazy fabrics (hello leopard print!) into my otherwise quite safe wardrobe. The only downside to the patten is that pieces can’t be cut out very economically, so I may have to add side seams next time to reduce wastage.
4. After a couple of attempts at making the famous sorbetto, I finally got the position of the bust darts right (well almost) on the fuscia floral sorbetto (7) – I’m not sure if the colour is actually fuscia, but I like the alliteration. Also I made a feature of sewing down the front pleat so it lies flat and looks better than the previous attempt.
5. Pants (21 & 22 plus others in the wash) – super quick and easy to rustle up (once I finally tracked down some fold-over elastic)

Self-Stitched-September Spoils (ie. what wasn’t so great)

1. White and grey spotty top (2). I’m not sure what it is about this top, but I’m not a fan. It is exactly the same pattern as the stripy top, but there is something not quite right about the way it sits and the colour doesn’t really suit me.
2. Starry Sorbetto (6). After spending so long carefully making my cashmere trousers I wanted to make something stress-free. I made this sorbetto using some cheap fabric from Walthamstow Market, and cheap is definitely the right word – the black has lost its colour in a few weeks and is starting to look sad already. I wasn’t expecting haute couture, but this top probably wont see next spring (fear not, it will be recycled into something else if possible)

Self-Stitched-September Ponderings

1. It was definitely much easier to do the challenge this time, as I knew what gaps there were in my wardrobe and what I needed to make (hello trousers and sorbettos)
2. Looking at everything laid out on my bed was a bit odd, especially seeing how many times I have made some patterns. This isn’t everything I have made, as some things didn’t get worn due to the weather/lack of posh parties.
3. I wear lots of pink and purple but this is really missing from the handmade section of my wardrobe, but there is a lot of blue here and I didn’t think I wore much blue..
4. I want to try and crochet or knit a garment. I first started crafted when I learned to knit and made a couple of jumpers as a teenager, but have given it up for sewing as it is so much quicker to see results.

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