Dispatches From Whitcomb Street

SSS day 30

Self-Stitched September, day 30. We did it, through four cities, a photo shoot, a season’s TV taping, and two mini vacations. Today I’m wearing a wool dress I made a long time ago from Simplicity 3673—it was the second thing I made after my Burda shirtdress, and probably the first thing I made that I really loved. It fulfilled the promise of making my own clothes for me—I know I could not buy the same dress for anything close to the raw cost of the materials. The material is beautiful, I fitted it carefully, I sewed it slowly and without shortcuts (and added a full lining), and I feel like a million bucks in it. Win!

I have loved this experiment. I’d never really sat down and thought about my me-made wardrobe before—I just sort of made things willy-nilly as they caught my interest. But this month has taught me to be more intentional about what I make, own, and wear—I don’t need to have lots of clothes, just enough clothes that I feel good in and find beautiful, ethical, well-meant and well-made. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about what is flattering on me and what shapes make me look like a potato sack. And I’m more determined than ever to bring some color into my wardrobe. 

This challenge has been so inspiring: I love seeing how people are wearing their self-stitched items, and thinking about how to translate my own pile of me-made things into an actual living closet. Self-stitched daily, anyone?

sss day 29

Self-Stitched September, day 29. One more time on the gingham shorts! Man, I wear these all the time. 

We went to the Beirut show down in Denver last night (fantastic!) and stayed in the city overnight and today for the micro-est of micro vacations. I felt marginally less silly wearing shorts and tights in the city than I would have in our little town.

SSS day 28

Self-Stitched September, day 28. One of my favorite things about this challenge has been all the styling and sewing inspiration I’ve gleaned from the SSS Flickr group—things I never would have thought to make are rapidly hopping up my queue. In particular, I’ve been super-inspired by items with interesting shapes, sometimes much squarer than I’d think to make for myself. 

I don’t have many pieces like that, though I’m itching to make some now for Fall. In the meantime, I’m wearing one of Terry’s shirts. This is one of what feels like millions of Colette Negroni shirts I’ve made for him—this one is in a mid-weight chambray that is fading prettily with washing. I’ve made one in a heavy plaid shirting, too; one in black cotton voile; one in striped linen; and one in seersucker. It’s a great casual men’s shirt pattern.

Sweet divot pockets:

All that said, I don’t really know how I feel about this outfit on me. I thought it would be hip and cute, but I sort of just feel like I didn’t make it home last night. Maybe I should sling the belt looser?

sss day 27

Self-Stitched September, day 27. My drapey silk blouse and ancient pants from J. Crew, pegged because…well, I don’t know why they are pegged. I think I felt really frumpy with them all straight and creased and stiff. 

I haven’t worn these pants in years—they’re at least 11 or 12 years old, and I know I haven’t worn them since at least 2006. I wonder why? I really, really like the fabric; I wish I knew what it was (it’s just marked as 100% cotton—but it has a pronounced tabby weave that is too marked to be a sateen, and smooth, crisp body that is too polished to be a twill). I might cut them down to have a narrower leg so I can wear them more.  

SSS days 24, 25, and 26

Self-Stitched September, day 24—I wore my Drape Drape dress over jeans and about a million layers on top. The Santa Cruz foothills have weather just as variable and as crazy as the Colorado ones. 

Day 25—my little entrelac shrug. I want to make another one of these, maybe in laceweight mohair/silk—I’m finding it super-versatile.

(photos for days 24 and 25 from Terry)

Day 26—back at home and work. I’m wearing my gingham skirt to soften the blow.

SSS day 23

Self-stitched September, day 23.

I can never remember if the autumn equinox means the last day of summer or the first day of fall. I’m wearing linen pants regardless. 

I made these pants a few months ago, using the pattern and fitting tips from Sunni’s Trouser Sewalong archives. They’re in a heavy, slightly slubby linen bought at Elfriede’s when I was feeling flush, with a silk organza underlining.

I was mostly interested in making pants just to see what the experience was like. I went through four—four!—muslins to try to get the fit right. Pants fittings always seem like some kind of mysterious alchemy to me; one change can have a cascading affect on the fit, and none of it seems terribly intuitive to me. You change one thing and it all goes to hell, or everything suddenly lines up, and you have no idea why.

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SSS day 22

Self-Stitched September, day 22. My shoot is done, done, done, and I’m going away for the weekend for fun, not for work. Huzzah, but damn, I’m tired. 

Self-knitted skirt made back in 2007 (I think?) and self-stitched scarf. This scarf rolls like crazy; I might back it with fabric one of these days to help it behave better. 

SSS day 21

Self-Stitched September, day 21. I’m shooting today and tomorrow, which ordinarily means I’m lucky if I manage to put on a matched pair of shoes. 

I’m wearing a very simple one-piece raglan sweater with a boatneck and hemmed edges that I made ages ago. It’s very, very comfortable.

It’s so odd, the things that sewing your own clothes makes you notice—the jeans are way too long, but I still debated cuffing them because they have cheapo serged and topstitched inseams and outseams instead of flat-felled ones. 

SSS day 20

UPDATE: I totally changed halfway through the day; the sweater was just TOO small and made me feel overstuffed and awkward, not at all cute. I gave it to Sharon and put on this entrelac shrug instead. MUCH better.

Self-Stitched September, day 20! I have been really liking this experiment so far; it forces me to really think about my clothes and how/why I wear them. I’m going to keep it going as long as I can. 

Today, I’m wearing my crazy half pants and a lace sweater I knitted a long, long time ago. It’s a little too tight; I think this one needs to be given away.

SSS day 19

Self-Stitched September, day 19. It’s hot and sunny again here, though the nights are dipping into the 40s. Virginia is for lovers, Colorado is for layers.

I wore my Macaron dress and an old cardigan from TJ Maxx or Nordstrom Rack or the like. 

I think this dress was the first thing I ever made that sort of challenged my established ideas about clothes—gingham is definitely NOT something I would have worn during my decade long black-gray-white period. 

(yes, the gingham is black and white and gray. Baby steps, baby steps.)