Complete: Bandwagon Pants and Tammy Top...and MMM '15

Well, I'm not quite sure where March went, but here we are well into April and well overdue on the posting front. For some reason - and I can't pinpoint anything specific - I've been finding it really hard to sit down and write a post lately. Happily this hasn't been the case with actual sewing time - I'm pretty happy with what I've achieved over the summer. So to get started on the backlog of the unblogged, here are my Bandwagon Pants and Tammy Top.

On the whole, I think I'm pretty good at not getting sucked into trends. I'm not sure whether it stems from a preference for clothes that aren't dateable to a specific year's season, a general lack of ready cash to waste, or a deep-seated aversion to being told what to wear (does anyone else detest that phrase "this season's must-have??); probably all three equally. But every so often some style will happen along, and suddenly it won't matter that every second person on the street is sporting it - I want in too.

In Australia this past summer it's been voluminous printed pants. (Sorry, can't call them trousers. Trousers are tailored.) At first I thought they looked like clown pants - especially the elasticated cuff versions. To be honest, I still do a bit...

But, oh! I know now why everyone wears them - they're as sublimely comfy as pj's, but with the benefit of being acceptable in public. So onto the bandwagon I cheerfully hopped.

My local fabric store outdid itself in terms of printed rayons this spring/summer, and I couldn't resist this one. (I forgot to take a proper close up of the fabric, so this zoomed in enlargement will have to do, I'm afraid.) The pattern is Simplicity 1887, shown below:

               

Just a quick query - does anyone else find that Simplicity patterns seem to have an awfully generous amount of ease?? I know ease preference is a personal thing, but I made up a couple of S. patterns this summer, and each time there was a massive amount of excess fabric to take out. I like to be a bit more scientific and considered when it comes to fitting, but am starting to think "just make the smallest size regardless" might be the S rule of thumb...

I didn't bother making a muslin, because these a) are meant to be voluminous and b) have elastic at the back waist, so I figured any problems would be easily remedied. If I had made a muslin, I would have gone down two sizes, because the sides of the front waistband sit nearly 2" past where they should. Ah, the blessings of a busy print!

I'll come back to the pants in a moment; here's the top I made to go with them:

This is Style Arc's Tammy Top, from their very versatile (eight in one!) dress/top pattern, made up in a black modal jersey. (Hadn't worked with this fabric before: a delight to sew, drapey without being flimsy or diva-ish, and to my lasting regret completely sold out.)

The pattern itself was a bit of a surprise. My experience of SA patterns has been that the size 8s, tops and bottoms, fit without too many adjustments needed at all. But this one didn't turn out at all as I expected. This is the tank/singlet sans overlay, but on me the shoulder width became almost a cap sleeve. The neckline is less of a tank style and more aspiring to be bateau. Also, the line drawing suggested it was much more fitted than it turned out to be. If I ever sew up the dress, there'll be some serious fitting work to do; even the back seam which should add shaping patently fails to do so on me.

Lack of shape evident in the side view. I do like the scooped back neck though.

If I'd had my heart set on a simple tank I would have been disappointed. As it is, I'm not sure I'll wear this out over skirts/pants/etc - it's not fitted enough for sleek and too fitted for slouchy. But as a "tuckable in" (tuck-inable?) top, I actually like it a lot! And unintended though it was, I do like me a cap sleeve :). Here are the two together:

I admit, I do still think "clown pants" when I look at these photos. But I truly don't care! This has been one of the comfiest, most effortless, go-anywhere summer outfits I've ever owned, me-made or RTW.

And when they do become seriously passe in public, they shall still have pride of place as summer pj's ;)

In other news, Me Made May '15 is fast approaching, and I'm in! I'm not panic sewing - honestly! - but I am hoping to get a couple of things finished before it starts. I seem to be having some trouble signing up officially - I'll blame it on the internet connection - so will record my pledge here first.

I want to use MMM this year like I did last year; as a way of gauging how cohesive the wardrobe I'm sewing actually is. But in order to up the challenge a bit more:

"I, Danielle of One Small Stitch, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '15. I endeavour to wear a me-made outfit (sewn, knitted, refashioned) for ten of the days, at least two me-made garments for ten more, and at least one for the remaining days,"

I'll define outfit as "everything you see", barring shoes/tights/jewellery. (Depending on how desperate I get, a dress may fall into this category at some point...) I'll try not to repeat outfits, but will see how I go...

How about you? Are you signing up this year?