Monetas, Mabels, Cocos . . . Knits on the Half Shell

Because summer left before it really came, and now fall is here . . .

Back in May I made a knit dress, from viscose and donned it nearly all summer.

May, from May Me Made in my NYC park.  That Moneta is what I still call my Parisian Dreamer.  A nary month later I made a maxi version on a smaller pattern.  Yup.  

I was very excited to get my bourbon tee, can't ya tell? June . . . in Louisville.  

That bourbon trail: you can get a passport at the visitor's center or (and AND) use the app on your phone.  The passport is stamped, and it is pretty nifty.  You know you want one . . .  

Le sigh, of all the travels this year me and my Parisian Dreamer did not make it to Paris.  In two years I turn 40.  I'm going to India that year, and on the way back I think I will stop in Paris for a few days  . . . Perhaps.  India when I am 40, for certain though.  

Another one . . . I wore this one so much that, well, I'm not sure it will live to next year.  Of course, a great billow effect with a contorted facial expression . . . c'est la vie.  This shot was July . . . and while I can certainly tell, that is also a Lupusy bloat.  Rah rah rah.  To make the maxi all I did was lengthen from the hem line.  . . though, on the construction, I did hijack a little.  I used the front skirt piece for the front and back, as it is slightly smaller.  It reduced some of the waste gather, and facilitated the lazy way to extend my hem.  Is also allowed for the minor billow effect I wanted.  

Camel wool, crowd sourcing won the white buttons.  Brown boots and a cream Archer or cream sweater  . . . yea, this may end up being a fall wear weekly.  

And, in case you are wondering, this is the pencil and wedges that got me gawked from the train of many movie sets around here.  

That one . . . the view C on Colette's well used pattern . . . Here, no changes as I just sew the skirt at a large anymore (as the first couple were an XL . . . as my sizing said XXL, that was too loose, so I went to an XL which fit . . . now, I took the XLs in . . . it's more toning and the Lupus meds regulating me again that actual loss.  If you want to know.  ;)).  Funny aside, when Heather was in town I left my confidence in her for one camel and one pink wool knit.  She certainly did not let down.  I've been having a bit of crap luck with knits, from Mood or anywhere, as of late . . . this stuff I would certainly buy again.  I do love it.  

And I made a black one too . . . since ya know, I've only made like ten or so pencils in the past year and not a damned black one.  

This one is a Calvin Klein wool . . . not as stiff as the pink, but worth it.  

That hounds-tooth is from Paron (looks like a fuzzy gray here), as Lauren and I both bought some . . . I made a comment on matching and her and Nettie nearly died from my crazy.  In short, they told me no one need to be that matchy matchy, so  . . . I did not attempt to loose my mind on this skirt.  For the record, I'm wearing it now.  Though, I did lengthen it to the knees and then put four inch slits on the sides.  Cha cha.   Lauren and I have been in each other's closets again, as we both made a grey one and a striped one . . . mine I did over the summer, left them short(ish) as I only lengthened them by three inches . . . I wore the grey one so much I'm fairly certain other dog owners in the park thought I only owned one skirt last summer (and a maxi dress or two).  

Excessive wearing is true sign of a good pattern (and, ahem good fabric choice).  Excessive making, ahem abusing, of the pattern is an even better sign of a good one.  I should also take photos in the am, before I have lecture hall wrinkles, commute wrinkles, and don't look too close . . . a smear from my oats in a jar on my shirt.  I own stock in OxiClean sticks . . . 

Coco one, from Tilly's Coco pattern, in Louisville last summer.  Whit's gonna kill me.  Ha ha.  And that is what one looks like after a day, or several, of grading AP exams.  And . . . Why are all of my friends taller than me? 

She drives in, every year, to have dinner with me.  Sometimes we are alone, sometimes I drop her into my crew of friends.  In the end, it all works out.  

Coco two, back home on my stoop.  October. Have I made ya dizzy yet?  There are no alterations on this one . . . The first version is the mini dress, and too pattern.  

I had to add four inches to the length so I could teach in it . . . this one I love.  And I took the shoulders in by a quarter of an inch. Though, I need to take it in a size I think. That's me after a long, and productive, day.   Made this right after the August meet up . . . yea, I'm late to the posting party.  Though, if you look close you can tell I've worn this one a gazillion times since making it.  Score.  

Look away from my bruised and puffy legs.  I have Lupus.  One of the many side effects . . . 

 Muttly says, "Screw you and that camera.  Here't my skinny tail.  Feed me.  She starves me because she says we have to be active more and be healthy. Healthy? I want bacon! She doesn't eat bacon.  Feed me bacon.  Oh, is that a treat I smell? She feeds me organic ostrich from that green market.  Ok.  I eat.  I just want pizza.  And bacon."

Don't let her fool ya.  That mutt runs the show.

And ignore my flat hair.  Apparently my hair decided to not join the party here.

Another one . . . Blended Ponte de Roma, and do you really need to see another pic of me? This one: black boots and tights.  Go-go me as I run all day.  

So, yea, there was a summer of stripes . . . and now I'm in a fall of knits.  I made three maxi dresses too, also of stripes, and in case you missed it . . . I did a mini review on Jamie Christina's Mission Maxi for the Curvy Collective. You should go run and READ it.  And then fall down the rabbit hole and read the other posts there.  Cashmerette just did her own Wrap Dress Along, for which I hijacked and altered a pattern to make my own DVF.  

Though, as IG showed next up:

I have a sleeve adjustment, which is fairly minor, and  . . . 

Oh, that's a bed sheet that became muslin and lining for like five projects . . . that orange is pretty sexy on me, I must say.  That's McCall's 5188 if you are wondering.  

And so now that the summer of stripes is over, and now the fall is upon us . . . two blazers and a coat make this the fall of outerwear.  

Indeed.