I made the straps about an inch too short initially. I thought I could get away with it, but noticed I wasn’t wearing them. I had plenty of leftover fabric. It was simple to cut new straps, remove the old ones, and sew on the new ones. Extending the straps by an inch makes them more comfortable, which means I will get more use out of them.
My other alteration was going to be for the lavender linen Barcelona dress. While making the dress, I had visions of bicycling through ancient cobblestone streets, the dress billowing loosely with matching espadrilles, a bouquet of wildflowers resting inside my bicycle basket. Instead, well… not my best look. I hope to be able to wear this dress someday. I think refitting the bodice would be a start.
There was a fourth garment, but it is not in my sewing basket, so I must have reclaimed it as is. I’ll take that as a win!
Did you participate in Me Made May this year? If so, how did it go?
Happy May Day! I hope you are dancing around a maypole or at least enjoying some spring flowers today. We are having thunderstorms, so I will likely be spending most of the day indoors.
Sewing
For Me Made May, my goal is to alter four handmade garments this month to get more wear out of them. I’m starting with something easy.
Before shot with long pants.
I made these Pietra pants last year. They fit great but are voluminous on my short frame. I’ve decided to hem them into culottes. The fabric is lightweight, so it’s not like I wear them in any other season except spring and summer.
After shot with shortened pants.
I’ve paired them here with an a-line tee made in deep stash quilting cotton and my Hitofude cardigan. I love the yellow dots in the top fabric. It makes me want to wear more yellow, and buy some yellow clogs.
I’ve enjoyed wearing my Melba dress, and have decided to make a black one. I don’t have enough fabric for facings, so I will bind the neckline and armholes instead.
Pattern pieces and brown floral fabric on a background of teal lining fabric with a Holly Hobby pincushion.
I’m also sewing a Felix dress in this floral cotton voile. It’s semi sheer, so I’ll be lining it in teal Bemberg. I need a nice dress for spring events. I really love the feel of this Bemberg lining fabric, which is made from viscose.
Knitting
I’ve only been working on the Ocean Moon mystery knitalong. I’m frustrated with how slow I am at knitting intarsia, though I love the result. I am hoping to catch up this week on the clues.
Gardening
Kale, broccolini, and lettuce growing in a pop up greenhouse.
I’m really pleased with all the greens that overwintered in my pop up greenhouse. This kale is ready to harvest. We’ve already eaten all the arugula and some of the lettuce. I have high hopes for the broccolini, kale, and cabbage starts that will be protected from moths under the greenhouse covered in netting. I’ve also planted some ginger root here. It’s my first time growing ginger.
We’re coming up on the July 1 renewal for Year of Projects. I’m trying to decide if I want to continue to list my projects in a blog post, or share a spreadsheet with links to the completed project pages. I’ve started tracking my knitting projects and stash in a spreadsheet in Google Drive, and I like organizing my lists that way. What is easier for the reader? Do you ever reference the list of completed projects? Does it matter? Please let me know your preference, if you have one, in the comments. Thank you!
Bob and Alissa in front of the kraken from a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie poster.
In personal news, Bob and I went to see the film Everything Everwhere All at Once for Saturdate yesterday. This movie was wack but also amazeballs. I laughed and cried at the same time. It also manages to be sentimental. Highly recommend if, like me, your brain likes a little exercise while being entertained. Two thumbs up. Thanks to Mackenzie for recommending it.
Cryptid soap from Tuft
I also wore my Born to Knit Melba dress to one of my local yarn shops for Local Yarn Shop Day. I purchased this Mothman soap, some lavender apple soap, and some stickers. Because cryptid soap makes me happy. I exercised extreme restraint and self control. I’m proud that I walked out without purchasing yarn. I really have to be careful with my purchasing now that I’m semi-retired.
Did you visit your local yarn shop for Local Yarn Shop Day? Did you make any lovely yarn purchases? I would love to live vicariously through you! 😊
headknits 