I’ve decided to tie my MMM14 week one
round up in with my Lola Dress post. Week one of May has been a short one and
um, I wore my Lola dresses every day....
I had been dying to make up the Lola
since I first started stocking Victory Patterns in my little store. It looked
so comfy and cozy and I have seen some great versions getting around blogland, like
this one from The Perfect Nose blog. So far I have made two, a cream one and a
grey one but that is only because my local fabric store was all out of black
fleece. Expect a black one soon.
I have worn them for the first 4 days
of May. I have only taken 1 me-made-may outfit pic so far. I forgot to take one
from the 2nd to the 4th. On the 2nd Wal and I
caught the train to Melbourne to see the Jezabels play at the Palais. It was
sooo good. I was way too excited about going on a date with my man to remember
to take a picture so you’ll just have to visualize- Cream Lola, mauve tights,
brown ankle boots and the stripy scarf. On the 3rd and 4th
it was the grey Lola with black tights and Ugg Boots. I spent the weekend
watching River Cottage on my iPad and knitting my Chuck Sweater. The Chuck Sweater is one of Andi Satterlund’s unbelievably cute knitting patterns.
I was a little worried about how to fit
the pattern to start off with because I was over 3 different sizes (as usual)
and I really wasn’t sure how I was going to grade it. I decided to just make it
up in the largest of the sizes and go from there. Turns out there was no
grading required at all and I ended up sewing the smallest of the 3 sizes (size
8). I prefer it a little more fitted than perhaps the pattern is supposed to be
so the 8 worked out fine. I borrowed my Ma’s new overlocker, it’s so lovely to
use. I have her old one and it works fine but the new ones are much easier to
get the tension right on, not to mention the ease of threading it. Not that I
am complaining about the old one at all! I know how lucky I am to be gifted an
overlocker.
I decided to make both versions long
sleeved instead of 3 1/4 and I used the same fleece as the body for the
ribbing. My local fabric store doesn’t sell cream ribbing so I tried with the
fleece and like it so much that I did the same with the grey even though they
did have that in store. I left off the little triangle detail because I was
using white cotton in the overlocker and I think it would have looked funny
with the cream Lola. I don’t miss it though so I am glad I left it off. Perhaps
I’ll give it a go with the black one.
Once I figured out the correct fit,
sewing her up was a breeze. It took no time at all to cut out and sewing with
an overlocker is super fast though it’s also very unforgiving. I made a bit of
a boo boo on the seam join ups on the grey Lola at the back and on the cuffs.
They slid across a little while I was sewing them. Nothing major but I couldn’t
really unpick it and do it again, which is what I would do with a normal
machine. I was tired, it was late and I was rushing to get it finished. Not
sure why I was rushing as I was under no deadline obligations. Does anyone else
do this when they are almost finished a project? The excitement takes over and
I just want to get it done. Oh well, just another reminder to myself to slow
down and enjoy the process more.
 |
| This pic was taken on May 1st for the first day of MMM'14 |
I will absolutely be making more Lola
dresses. I have no idea how I have survived previous winters without them. I
love making them and wearing them so much I have actually been texting my
girlfriends saying “Oh my goodness, you NEED one of these dresses. Come try
mine on so I can work out what size you are and I’ll make one for you!” You
know that feeling when something is so good you desperately want the people you
love to experience the goodness too... this is how the Lola dress makes you
feel.
Caitlan x
*The above pictures (except for the very last one) were styled for this post and were not worn on consecutive days as part of MMM'14.
