May 10

Staying up insanely late last night in my sweatshop of love to make these shorts was so worth it.

The pockets on the bias are definitely my favorite touch.  I used the pocket from this apron as a guide.    Unfortunately the other pairs won't have them, but in future I'll force myself to take the extra time.

I assembly-lined the other three pairs and they are very close to being finished.  Alas, I've run out of elastic.  We might just dash out for some tonight if I feel crazy enough.  It can be Sebastian's Mother's Day gift to me.

 He knows which side his bread is buttered on.

May 9

Another day of repeats, with one notable exception:

At last, Sebastian has something other than a bib to share!

I woke up and immediately set to work making these shorts while listening to my beloved A Room with a View audiobook.  I cut them out of a large scrap of corduroy I have had in my stash for years, which I purchased at Mood.  By the afternoon, I popped Sebastian in them.  They're wonky, but wearable.

We took a quick trip to town today and I had a chance to run into the local Goodwill.  It is usually slim pickings there, especially as far as kids' clothing goes.  But I found some fantastic plaid shirts in the men's section.  They've already been cut up and will become three cheerful pairs of shorts before too long.

 I can't express how satisfying it is to scrounge around and make do like this.  I've been browsing some truly gorgeous fabrics online lately that inspired me to start this project.  They would have been worth the money and a joy to work with, no doubt.  And yet...

 There is something in my DNA, probably from my Grandma Judy, that makes me want to find another way.  Taking these $2 castoff shirts and turning them into something useful is so gratifying.  It also helps that the salvaged fabric is so interesting.

 And in this case, shopping at a brick and mortar shop made more sense, since these shorts will be assembled faster than even Amazon could manage to get a package to me.  I fully intend to indulge in some yardage at some point.  But for now, I'm gonna pop some tags. 

May 8

Thankfully, Lucy is finally on the mend.  That's some classic Me Made May sickroom humor right there.

This is the only handmade item from today that you haven't heard about yet.  I cut down an old shirt of mine for Lucy and sewed it up by hand with Alabama Chanin techniques.  No pattern--I just used a  little tunic of hers that I liked the look of.  The extra length has guaranteed she has gotten a ton of use out of it.  I also made a pair of ill-fitting shorts that used to go with it, thinking it would make a good summer pajama set.  These leggings from Thredup look so much better.

While assembling it, I lost one of the sleeves and had to do a little creative piecing out of scraps.  I'd love to make more of these for both kids, if I can find some good secondhand shirts.  Cross your fingers!

May 7

Another sick day, I'm afraid.  Lucy's handspun sweater kept her toasty in the early morning.  I'm grateful she got to wear it one last time, especially when she wasn't feeling well.  When she shed it, I made a mental note to wash it and put it away for Sebastian to grow into.

He's got yet another white bib to show you today.  What an exciting life we lead....Thanks to pinterest, I now want to make him some plaid shorts and a few bucket hats for this summer.

I wore my black spiral skirt again today, but by the time I'd thought to take pictures, I was already in pajamas, bicycles this time.  Infinitely more interesting than a certain person's bibs, I daresay.

Yarn Along: Actual Yarn

After finishing up my L'Arbre hat last week, I put my knitting aside and got out my spinning wheel.

 It's been far too long since I sat down for a spin.

At first it was rough going, but everything started to come back.

 Once plied, the inconsistencies were not as obvious.

 This pound of wool/mohair blend is from Rhinebeck a couple of years ago.

 I'm already trying to dream up what it should become.

 As for Me Made May, we are having a cozy day here.  Lucy came down with something, so she's snuggled in the quilt I made her before she was born.  We are reading all of our favorites.

 I'm wearing my favorite pajama pants, which make the rough night we had more bearable.

 And Sebastian is rocking his pants from yesterday like a champ.  If we can manage to wear handmade under these circumstances, we've got this challenge in the bag.

***edited to add: we eventually got dressed in repeats, and suddenly we all felt better.***

May 5

Here I am 3 years ago with a baby Lucy, stitching away on the skirt I decided to wear today.

Since then, I've added some stenciling (June's Spring) in black to the bottom.  I finished it up just last week, after it sat for months untouched with only one or two more panels left to paint.  After heat curing the paint, I threw it in the wash without thinking.  Only after it was already too late did I remember that the books advise waiting at least 2 weeks after painting before washing.  As a result, the more recent panels have faded badly.  I plan to add appliqué and beading to give it dimension and blend in the inconsistency.

 It was definitely a challenge to stencil on an existing garment.  In future, I think I'll stick to doing that before a garment is assembled or not at all.  Since I can only use the airbrush tool outdoors, I'd like to think a few projects ahead and get some stenciling done this summer.

 Lucy's wearing another patch job and Sebastian's sporting upcycled leggings again.

I'd love to come up with a slightly more grownup version of this flower appliqué for something of mine.  One of my white shirts recently succumbed to a stubborn ketchup stain.  I'm mulling over just how to save it....

May 4

Yet another Alabama skirt--this time a mid-length version from the third book.  This skirt represents a turning point for me.  I finally took the plunge and bought one yard of this organic cotton jersey on a trip to A Verb for Keeping Warm.  Since it seemed so expensive to me, I was determined to eek out as much as I could from it.  As a result, the length is a bit awkward and could stand to lose a couple of inches.  I also made the mistake of attempting to economize on the elastic ribbon and lining.  I found cheap elastic at Hobby Lobby, meant for making cloth diapers.  It has not aged gracefully.  I've often thought about getting a length of better quality grosgrain elastic ribbon and redoing it.  If I ever do, I would also scrap the $2/yard polyester jersey I used to line it.  Since making this skirt, I have realized that the initial expense for better materials is more than worth it, since they can stand the test of time and truly do justice to the amount of work involved with hand stitching.

Lucy still wears her ratty tiny tea leaves sweater, which I knit over two years ago.  The proportions have always been out of whack, but she keeps reaching for it.  I have learned a lot about making a successful, long-lasting top-down sweater since then.  Another simple bib kept Sebastian in the running today.  Any ideas for other items I can whip up for my boy?