Me Made May 2020

Can you believe it? It's May, again, already. The months seem to fly by quickly as I age. 

You know the drill, #MeMadeMay is all about wearing something you made every day in May. Read my post I wrote from last year if you are wondering what the heck I'm talking about. You pledge to yourself and others to wear your me mades (handmade items). I played along last year and found that I didn't like it. Gasp! I know! 

Gertie Popover Dress

I did not like how it made me feel about my handmade garments. And, not in the way, you might think. 

I usually get excited when I wear anything I make. Hair flowers, a purse, dresses, jumpers, rompers or pants, even my bras! I love it when someone asks if I made it and I get to scream "YES!" with a huge smile. It's exciting for me to wear my stuff and show it off.

During 2019's #MeMadeMay, I didn't get excited while getting dressed. It was more of a "have to" feeling. Not gonna lie, I wear something I make almost every day. I always have a flower in my hair- that I've made. My purses are made by me too. Oh and the days I don't leave my house, do not count. LOL 

I'm a rebel in a sense I don't like being told what to do. And, the May challenge wasn't fun for me, because I had to wear my garments. Make sense? 

Now with everything that is happening, I've been living in cozy clothes almost every day. I like being comfortable when I'm slinging string a.k.a. sewing. I've been sewing every day, so cozy clothes it is! 

I feel happier about the challenge this year though because we're all homebound. We don't leave our house unless it's a run to the post office or get groceries. In which, I put actual pants on. Haha

I plan on playing along this year and have a new perspective. I'll be more inclined to wear my fancy dresses just because I can. They might not be the best to sew masks in, but... I'll wear them. It's almost a challenge for me to get dressed in real clothes every day. Amiright? LOL  

And heck, if I don't wear a garment I've made, there's always a Me Made mask. 

So, will you be participating this year? What do you think about ME MADE MAY? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Be sure to follow me on social media as well.

Stay safe and sane,

Annette

Face Mask Patterns

Face masks. Are you wearing one? Have you made them for friends and family or to donate? I've donated more than I can count. Sent masks to friends and family. And I've made them for my own family. We are now required to wear them when we leave our house.

What a world we are living in right now. 

I have made masks using a few different patterns and wanted to share with you, some on my favorites. 

They don't require a ton of time or materials. 

Materials Needed

• Cotton fabrics

• Interfacing- I used lightweight or sheer

• Thread

• Elastic- FOE, 1/8"-1/4", 3/8"

• Bias tape, purchased or handmade

• Ribbon, knit fabric straps, etc.

• Floral wire & a pair of wire pliers

• Sewing machine and notions

• Seam ripper, because... sewing

Pinup cat masks

1.  Sweet Red Poppy bias tape Face mask. This tutorial is easy and my favorite mask to wear. The mask is comfortable and forms to the face. It is not, however, a quick sew. If you want to batch-sew these, you deserve a trophy. These babies are no joke. Easy enough to make 3 or 4, but not so easy if you're making 50.

2. Made Everyday by Dana fabric face mask. Her pattern is super easy and makes for a quick sew! I've made tons of these for donations. I also used ribbons in place of the knit fabric ties. Check below for an altered option I used, to make these.

3. Melanie Ham 10-minute face mask. These are perfect for sewing tons. They're quick and easy. I personally have not made this exact pattern. I did, however, make one similar and used 9x7 measurements for the fabric. I also did 3 pleats. But, this is similar in construction.

4. Mask Video I found on Pinterest. This one is nice, it has elastic ears, nose wire, and a filter pocket. NOTE: can only be made with multi-directional fabric. I mostly buy one directional fabric, but I made one of these. It looks nice and fits well too. It has a very professional finish in my opinion.

5. Check Pinterest and YouTube for other patterns and versions. There are hundreds to choose from.

These are the exact ones I've tried, so I wanted to share. If you have questions, shoot me an email. 

Sweet Red Poppy mask

Mask maker, mask maker, make me a mask. Is anyone else singing this song while making these things? Anyone? Please tell me I'm not the only Fiddler on the Roof fan. :D

Below, is my Made by Dana pattern that I've hacked. When the pandemic first started, the elastic was gone, sold out, and nowhere to be found. So, I improvised. I used FOE, fold over elastic. This is usually used for cloth diapers, headbands for babies, and other crafts. I used it to make the full-head masks. They are more comfortable to wear all day too. I cut 13" just like Dana says in her pattern. Easy peasy! 

After you pin or clip the FOE in place, put on the top layer, RST. Sew around and leave a gap for turning. This is the easiest pattern for making batch face masks.

This is 50 masks in 4 hours. We (my husband, oldest daughter, and I ) made over 50 masks in 4 hours to deliver to his work the next morning. That was a crazy night. Once we found our groove, we worked flawlessly. These were all made with the FOE I was telling you about earlier.

Ignore the bad lighting, these were made at night.

Another early morning make masks to send to friends and family. What a time to be alive.

These masks were made following Sweet Red Poppy's tutorial. I love this style the best, but they are time-consuming.

Tiger King was a definite moment in our house. I had to make a face mask to honor his legacy. Free Joe Exotic!!

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So, are you ready to make masks or are you burnt out like most of the sewing community? I gifted myself a new sewing machine, so I got a second wind of mask making. Stay tuned for my post on the new machine... she's fabulous!!!

Please share in the comments some mask patterns that have or haven't worked for you. Also, if you have places that are in need of donations, share those too.

Stay safe and healthy.

Warm virtual hugs,

Annette

Laundry Day Dress

This dress is perfect for lounging around the house or doing laundry. It's the Laundry Day Tee dress. Simple to sew and comfy for a laid-back Sunday.

Are you ready for Spring? I've been playing (cleaning) in the yard lately. We planted 5 new rose bushes, hydrangeas, and various berry bushes. Ahh, it feels so good to be outdoors after the long winter we've had. The daytime temps in my corner of Southern California are rising and the weather got me thinking about all the outfits and bags I plan to make for summer. 

Cue the Laundry day tee dress by Love Notions. The dress comes in a great size range XS-5X. Yay! I snatched up the pattern for $5. What a steal!! I had never heard of this pattern company until I went to the Arizona Sewcial. Boy, I was excited when I went to their website. Give me all the knit patterns. I bought the Sabrina Slims pants pattern as well. Stay tuned for that review. 

This post isn't a sewing tutorial so much as it's more of a pattern review. So, here ya go.

PROS 

This pattern can be made in many variations. I loved the dress version most. I have a few lightweight dresses I constantly reach for during summer. Flouncy and bouncy without zippers or waistbands to contend with. They keep me happy and comfy during the humid months. So, I knew I wanted to make an easy knit dress for Summer.

The pattern lets you choose from long sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, short sleeves, or a tank style. You can make a top or dress, long, short, tunic whatever you fancy. Oh, and it has an optional cowl neckline too. Whew! So many options.

I chose the dress length, short sleeves, and the V-neckline.

The pattern calls for stretch knit fabric and was a quick project on the serger. Cut to finish took 2 hours, minus the V-neck insertion of doom.

CONS

In choosing the V-neck, I was surprised as to how confusing that whole ordeal was. I've made a handful of V-neck tops and they've been easy as pie. This one was not. Maybe it was a combo of the fabric and my sewing brain, but I won't follow that insertion again. I had to make it twice and it still isn't centered into the V. Ugh

I printed and cut the full bust front piece. I usually do an FBA on all my dresses and tops, so I thought this was a neat option. However, in trying the dress on, it looked frumpy. Maternity-like if you will. My husband and 2 older kids said it looked frumpy too and I didn't like how I looked in the dress. Frumpy is a four-letter word to me. Ha! 

So, I added a cinch belt, a cute sweater, matching flats, and jewelry to turn the dress into a casual pinup look. Yay! Almost similar to the Popover dress I made. Almost.

I want to print out the regular front piece and see how that fits. I think it might fit a tad better. And, I want to size down next time as well.

Frumpiness aside, it's comfortable and easy to throw on. I see a few of these becoming Summer wardrobe staples. Heck, I might make a nightgown too, with some added length.

Frumpiness at it's finest.

No shapes given.

Added a cinch belt and bolero sweater.

Now it's wearable in public.

This pattern is perfect for beginners.

Print, cut, and tape the PDF pieces together. It has very few pieces; one front and one back, a neckline piece, and sleeves or armband facings if you choose the tank version. Oh and that cowl piece too.

SEWING STEPS

Sew the shoulder seams, making sure to use clear elastic to support those seams.

Attach the sleeves, easy enough making sure to match the notches.

2 notches for the back, 1 notch for the front of the armscye.

Attach the neckline, hem the sleeves, and bottom hem and you're done. So easy!!

So what do you think? Have you ever wanted to make a T-shirt dress?

As always, thanks for hanging out. Please share this post and blog with your friends and family and follow me on Instagram @sewingtothemoon.

Leave a comment below if you plan on making this pattern or have already made it.

XO,

Annette