Lose a lot, win some

So Me Made May was an absolute failure- the very next day after my last post I was in my ratty RTW sweatpants and nursing a fever. Was it outfit induced?? Maybe. I valiantly tried to make a pinafore before my sewing machine broke and I went back to bed at 2pm. 

I realised how much pressure I was putting on myself with this challenge, considering that a lot of my handmade items were left behind when I left home and that really, it was only a little instagram challenge. 

Instead, I put my hideous, sweatpants-y failures behind me and devoted my attention to putting together the Zsalya dress by Kate & Rose Patterns. This pattern also comes in a blouse variation which is really gorgeous and gives a lot of options for contrasting fabrics on the yoke and cuffs. 

It was the sample from Indiesew that convinced me to give this a go- just look at it! If you've never heard of Indiesew, definitely have a look. There are heaps of digital PDF patterns from different independent designers that cater for all sizes and tastes. I find independent patterns to always be a little bit more interesting than the bigger companies as far as style goes- often the instructions are a bit clearer and easier to understand as well!

So, on to the PDF. Can we talk about this for a second? There are 48 pages. Forty-eight! You can print out certain sections if you only want to make one of the variations, but I knew that I was going to have a go at both, so I did the whole lot. I spaced out all of the cutting and taping over about 2 days, which wasn't too bad, really. Normally I get PDF pattern regret when I realise how much assembly they require (note: once I've already printed and have scissors in hand), but not this time! 

I don't have a lot of photos of the sewing process, mostly because this project went so quickly that I didn't really think to document it. The instructions are a gift from the diagram gods. The yokes at the front and back are faced and at times there is some serious confusion when trying to figure out which yoke/facing goes where, but this was almost always fixed by reading the instructions a few times over. You're also given clean and fancy or "quick and dirty" methods for attaching the bodice. As much as I wanted to go down the quick and dirty route, I used the clean and fancy method, which was a total breeze if you're an intermediate sewer.  

I've been sewing on an old Frister and Rossmann machine that is inching towards death with every wobbly stitch, and at times I was concerned that I wouldn't get this project done in time. Topstitching was pretty difficult and I had to unpick and re-sew about four times, but other than that, this dress was a relatively quick and easy make. For the dress and sleeves, I used an old length of soft cotton with a subtle check pattern woven into it (from my grandma's fabric stash) and some dog-printed fabric from Spotlight that I bought 3 years ago. Good one, past me!

 It is a lovely dress- my only issue is that I would size down next time. I cut out a size Small to suit my bust measurement but I will definitely go with an X-Small for the blouse, there is a lot of room around the chest and shoulders. I also took a few inches off the hem to compensate for the looseness of the skirt. I could easily wear this in summer as well as layering it up in winter, which I did today. I give this pattern a big tick of approval and I am excited to try the blouse in some different fabric!

Apologies for shitty photos and general lack of organisation

Me Made May - Week 1

Hey everyone, 
this month is Me Made May and I made a flaky pledge to wear at least one handmade item every day for the month. Here is the first week of my crumbling descent into outfit-induced insanity: 

DAY 1: 
Starting strong, I am wearing a self drafted Nani Iro top, some Esther shorts (from Tessuti patterns) and a velvet Pavot jacket (Deer & Doe patterns).

 All me-made!! A lady at the newsagent commented on my jacket which was really nice and I think the outfit goes well together. Room is relatively clean and I am feeling good about this challenge.

DAY 2: 
I'm wearing a dress that I made 5 years ago out of upholstery linen. I went to a dog show and a lady complimented my dress- two in a row! Room still clean and feeling overconfident about challenge.

DAY 3: 
I had a casual interview for a new internship at a local clothing label and I wanted to wear something cool and similar to the style of the label. Self drafted gingham crop top made by me, pants and scarf from op-shop. Room is getting messy because of uni projects and general laziness.

DAY 4: 
I work at another internship on Mondays. Normally I wear clothes made by the label, but in the name of good handmade fashion I put on a pair of black Esther shorts and went to work. Getting sick of selfies and my room is beginning a steady descent into squalor. 

DAY 5: Wearing same Nani Iro top as day 1. Knitted items made by my lovely granny which I am going to claim as me-made by extension as I made her knit them for me. Go team! 

DAY 6: Forgot to document this one. Same gingham top as Day 3 and a different pair of Op shop pants. Starting to become a serial outfit repeater. Room is too messy for full-length selfie so it's probably best that I stop doing those.

DAY 7: Same linen dress as Day 2 but with a top underneath for an exciting twist. Sick of selfies. Friend from uni says she has a cushion made out of the same fabric. I cry myself to sleep and am plagued with thoughts of Esther shorts and shittier me-made items that I don't really want to wear but may be forced to. Still, I refuse to bow down to this challenge. 

 I'll be doing some winter-friendly sewing this weekend to try and resurrect my handmade wardrobe- stay tuned for next week's update. Will I be a thriving handmade goddess or a broken woman in RTW threads? Who knows! See you on the other side.

Welcome! My 2014 school formal dress

Hello and welcome to my very first blog! My name is Tessa (if you know me off instagram, @russellandbear) and I am here to share my sewing projects and other things that I find interesting, like food and textile-related items and artwork. I hope you enjoy my posts, 2015 should be a whirlwind year for me, and I'll try to keep you along for the ride! 

Now, on to my formal dress: 

In July 2014 I had my senior formal (or prom). I picked out the pattern the year before during a huge spotlight sale, Vintage Vogue V1094. It is an original 1955 design, and that called out to the huge vintage nerd within me. I decided to go with the knee-length version for wearability (and dance-ability!). 

For fabric, I went with a french navy dupion silk from Rathdowne Fabric and Remnants in Brunswick, VIC. Of course, I ordered way more than I needed, but it felt good to leave a bit of room for error during the cutting process. The silk quality was excellent and I cannot recommend them enough. 

Striking a dramatic pose

The construction process was simple enough, it's a lined bodice with darts and a few bands around the neckline. There's a side zip and a very, very full skirt (also lined) constructed out of 6 large panels. Do not attempt this dress if you are not prepared to spend hour upon hour at the machine hemming and hemming and hemming. The instructions call for horse hair braid around the hem to create stiffness and flare, but the silk I used had a nice amount of hold so I left it out. I needed to tweak the fit a little to accommodate for my small bust but aside from that, it was good straight out of the packet. 

Details

With some leftover fabric, my grandmother made a bow tie for my partner Billy. I wore my great-grandmother's brooch and matching earrings and some $30 Miu Miu rip-off shoes from Urban Outfitters. I made the feather headband while I ate breakfast that morning so the whole affair was very relaxed compared to other girls who messed about with tans and lash extensions. Billy brought me the biggest corsage I have EVER seen and it was just wonderful. I had the most flowers out of anyone else there! 

Milton the fox terrier and my shoes

The only issue I had was unexpected weight loss in the weeks leading up to formal, so it was a bit too loose for my liking in the bodice, despite my packet-of-biscuits-a-day effort to fill in a bit. The dress was good on the D-floor and the silk photographed beautifully under the light, and if you're looking for a simple vintage pattern, this one is great! 

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. I post on instagram often and will keep followers updated on blog posts, so if you're interested please follow! I have a lot of projects to post about so I will get straight onto them. Thanks and happy new year! 

Tessa x 

All photo credits to Billy Price