Our staff was busy with some super fun sewing projects during this Me Made May! You may be familiar with our Stonemountain Spotlight features; this May we started a new staff challenge called Me Made May Project Grants to inspire the team to try out some of our unique fabrics from the shop.
About Me Made May
Me Made May is a month-long handmade wardrobe challenge that was started by Zoe of the blog So, Zo… What Do You Know? For over a decade, it’s been a yearly tradition for sewists around the world! In Zoe’s own words, “Me-Made-May is a challenge designed to encourage people who make their own clothes to develop a better relationship with their handmade wardrobe. You set the specifics of your own challenge to make it suitable and useful for YOU.”
Since everyone at Stonemountain & Daughter loves to sew, Me Made May is a great opportunity for us to take a look at our own handmade wardrobes, to figure out what’s working for us, and to think about what we might like to make in the future. We take the opportunity to put a special focus on the staff’s favorite fabrics, patterns, and creations all month long.
About the Me Made May Project Grants
While our Stonemountain Spotlight features require participants to use a specific pattern or fabric from the shop (or both!), we were excited to make the Me Made May projects totally open-ended! We gave the staff a budget and invited them to make anything they wanted using fabric from the shop. While all of the fabric comes from Stonemountain & Daughter, the staff selected garment patterns from any source they desired (and some even drafted their own!). If a sewist used a pattern that we stock, we have linked to our shop in the description. We are completely blown away by this group’s creativity all year long, and we’re sew excited to share their gorgeous Me Made May creations with you!
Alex wears a dress made with Rayon Poplin – Fractured Flora – Aqua. She used Marc Jacobs Vogue Pattern #1965 and made several changes to the pattern: First, she decided to sew the garment out of a woven fabric rather than the recommended knit. Alex lengthened the garment and the shoulder strap, added a bodice facing, and hand-stitched an invisible hem facing. Of her process, Alex said, “I learned a lot about how to work with rayon. Cutting out the pattern was the hardest part of the process because I don’t have a large space to work and had to move my cutting mat around a lot. I’m so happy I made a muslin of this garment. I wish I would have added an invisible side zipper, but there is no going back now!” Alex doesn’t typically wear dresses and had never worked with rayon or made something this formal before. She says, “I will wear it to a friend’s wedding. It was a fun challenge, and I can’t wait to make more!”
Amy wears Vogue #8788, a Vintage Vogue reprint of a 1954 Walk-Away dress, in a half-price quilting cotton. She modified the princess-seamed bodice for a full bust adjustment, and matched some of the scrap fabric to the front skirt to make patch pockets. Amy says, “Quilting cotton is a great weight for dresses. It’s an easy fabric to work with, and makes a great muslin to test this pattern for more expensive fabrics. It’s not slippery, and when I had to take apart a seam to fit things better it didn’t fray apart into a disaster.” While this 1950s dress isn’t Amy’s usual style, she does enjoy working with vintage patterns and is pleased with the result. She says, “I like the way it came out, and I think I will make it again in linen or linen-rayon.”
Ashlee wears a self-drafted gown in European Designer Deadstock Cotton Voile. When we announced the Me Made May Project grants, Ashlee knew she wanted to make something inspired by a Chemise a la Reine (think Marie Antioinette’s white dresses) and planned to self-draft and drape it. Ashlee said, “Ever since Bernadette Banner made a version of this dress, I’ve wanted a goth version. And when this fabric came in, I thought it would be perfect for it.” She was right—the sheerness was perfect for her project, and made it so easy to do a rolled hem! Ashlee’s process involved some experimentation—she consulted some Chemise a la Reine tutorials online, and originally included one more panel in the dress, but found that it made the skirt too voluminous. She says, “I really enjoy playing with some history bounding pieces, and this will be a fun addition to my wardrobe! I’m excited to try styling it in different ways. I want to try wearing it open as a duster, or layering a skirt over it.”
Caroline wears the Whitlam Skirt by Muna and Broad in Wide Bamboo/Spandex Rib Knit – Fuchsia. “This skirt was inspired by a wool rib knit column skirt in my wardrobe. I wore it so much over the winter that I knew I needed a hot-weather version. I’m going to wear it with all of my wild me-made tops! The Whitlam Skirt is an excellent pattern; I love that there are two options for the back panel to get the best fit for your body. And they will grade the pattern if you’re outside the size range—mind blown! This fabric was a dream to work with—it’s a rib knit, so there was no rolling or issues cutting like with jersey. The bamboo is super soft and feels very cool, perfect for summer!” Caroline used Mettler Seraflex stretch thread for the first time in this project, and said, “It was amazing! I feel a lot more confident in my seams knowing the thread has some give.”
Craig wears a self-drafted set in European Designer Deadstock Cotton Voile . The set consists of an apron wrap and a slip dress, which Craig has layered over pants and a t-shirt in the photos. At the start of the project Craig said, “My inspiration draws from shadows being cast from the blinds or curtains of a window. Making use of layering and playing with the opacity of the fabric will hopefully add dimension and lightness reminiscent of those shadows you’d see around the time of early dusk.” Craig used three yards of 60-inch-wide cotton voile that he cut on the bias for added movement. He found that the cotton voile “had a nice structured weave and opacity to it. The hand was a bit coarse, but the drape was quite fluid and crisp. It didn’t wrinkle easily and the sheerness wasn’t too sheer.” He also used the Clover bias tape maker and bra rings to create adjustable straps. Of the final piece, Craig said, “This set maintains its minimalistic nature while also being functional in its versatility. Wear the pieces together, individually, or layer with other pieces as an extra element or as undergarments.”
Diana wears a wrap skirt in a dark navy blue European Designer Deadstock cotton twill. She felt that this was the perfect fabric for the project: “It has both structure and drape, which was perfect for an A-line skirt with the midcentury vibe I was hoping for. Also, it has a clear correct side, which is not often the case with solid canvases or twills.” Diana crafted her custom skirt using inspiration from workwear, published patterns, and online tutorials, as well as her own drafting. She used the front panels of the Closet Core Fiore Skirt, view C, omitting the button bands, creating a center front seam, and drafting the back wrap based on the Fiore. She faced the hem and wrap back pieces, and drafted the waistband with guidance of In the Folds Patterns’ excellent tutorials. Diana says, “I cannot recommend her website’s skirt series too highly, she is so generous with her knowledge.” Diana spent a lot of time drafting and perfecting the button tabs, a detail that she will use on several sewing projects this summer. Finally, she incorporated the front pockets from the True Bias Lander Pant pattern: “What can I say, these are my platonic ideal pockets and I will use them as a jumping off point on every garment that gives me an opportunity!” Diana says, “This is very much my style—I’m a separates and especially a skirts person, and I was really missing an everyday navy skirt in my wardrobe. I was hoping for a basic, with a twist, that I will wear every week, at least, like jeans but a skirt. I do think I will make this style again, after I redraft the back facings, as on my first go the back panels were about 5″ too long and wrapped fully around the side seams. I think my next try with this will be a fun African print from my stash, lined and with welt pockets.”
Edgar wears a custom corset top in our designer deadstock windowpane linen. Their inspiration for the garment was drag queens and the designs of Jean-Paul Gaultier. Edgar used the corset top pattern from Eddy’s Online and graded it to fit their measurements—they created a muslin to achieve a perfect fit. For the final garment, Edgar worked with the windowpane linen and used boning, grommets, and cord to give the garment structure and a custom fit. One of the hallmarks of Edgar’s work is the inclusion of tiny, embellished details to make a piece truly their own. For this piece, Edgar applied a fabric patch and hand-sewed glass beads to the bodice for a touch of color. Edgar says, “This is not my usual style but I’ve been wanting to try new silhouettes.”
Gillian wears a matched set in Anthology – Cotton Batik – Fireflies – Purple . She says, “I chose this fabric partly because the firefly motif reminds me of summers in Texas where I grew up. Making this outfit felt like a great way to kick off the summer!” Gillian found that the cotton batik fabric was crisp, pressed well, and was easy to sew. For patterns, she used Merchant and Mills’ The Factory for the top and the True Bias Mave for the skirt. Gillian chose the version of the Mave without ruffles for a sleeker look. She omitted the drawstring, substituting Fantastic Elastic for the waistband (this is Gillian’s favorite elastic for skirts and pants, because it’s soft but holds its shape well). She says, “The skirt is a style that I wear often, though I branched out a bit by choosing a shorter length, which I think will work well for wearing out and about in summer! I don’t wear collared shirts a lot, but I love that this shirt looks a little bit polished while still being loose and comfortable. I’ll probably wear both pieces together sometimes, but I also think the shirt will look great with linen pants and can imagine pairing the skirt with a simple t-shirt.”
Hulda wears the Ilford Jacket in Warp & Weft Cotton Wovens. Hulda chose the heavier weight Chore Coat in Wolf for the body of the jacket, and the lighter-weight Palazzo for contrasting accents at the cuff and under-collar. She also used the Chore Coat’s cool, chartreuse selvedge for a dramatic pop of color at the cuffs and the front placket. Hulda also added Merchant & Mills Mr. Citrus cotton buttons, which match the chartreuse details perfectly and bring the piece together. In the photos, you can see that Hulda has even included a special pocket for her trusty Blackwing pencil! Of her amazing garment, she says, “Somebody commented that it was ‘me.’ I agree. My chore coat is bold, graphic, and utilitarian. I’ll wear it to work and beyond.”
Keyana wears a vintage Issey Miyake x Vogue shirt in Japanese Designer Deadstock Cupro. Keyana says, “I am sorry to report that I did not enjoy working with this fabric at all. I DO enjoy wearing my finished garment but sewing with the cupro was a nightmare. It wouldn’t hold a press from the iron when I needed to sew a seam, yet somehow got wrinkled if I looked at it the wrong way??? Had a bad attitude. Now, could I have chosen an ‘easier’ fabric to work with for my first time making this pattern? Yes. Probably. Would it have been as cool? No. Probably.” All of that said, Keyana reports that the finished shirt feels like wearing an airy cloud, which sounds like a successful result. Keyana found out about Issey Miyake’s 80s collaboration with Vogue Patterns around the same time that we got a big batch of Japanese Designer Deadstock fabrics in the store, and became obsessed with the idea of making an Issey Miyake pattern using Japanese designer deadstock. They selected pattern Vogue #1476 from 1985, which includes three garments designed by Miyake: the shirt, a coat, and a pair of pants. Before sewing, Keyana took several inches out of the height and took one inch out of the width. If they made this again, they would also shorten the sleeves a bit, since they have to wear them rolled. While the pattern includes instructions for an internal pocket with a welt opening, Keyana chose to omit it because “the idea of making a welt pocket in cupro rayon frankly terrified me.” Keyana plans to eventually make all three pieces from the pattern set, all out of Japanese Designer Deadstock (well… maybe not the coat, it takes 5 yards), so they can wear them together. “It’s a very interesting pattern and there are a lot of possibilities to use it as a base for playing with and showcasing lots of different kinds of fabric. I also think it could make an interesting dress if lengthened. The little details are what really make it interesting, though—the angled hem, the visible seam lines, the big collar. I am looking forward to experimenting with it!”
Kristen wears a Closet Core Nicks Blouse in Lady McElroy cotton lawn and a Closet Core Fiore Skirt in Kobe Twill–Olive. Of the fabrics, Kristen says, “Kobe has a nice firm hand without being too stiff, it’s perfect for a skirt with some body! I loved being able to get a nice crisp press with the McElroy lawn; it stitched up so easily, too.” Both patterns are drafted with center seams down the fronts of the garments, which Kristen decided to remove: “I don’t like keeping style lines down the center front if I don’t need to. It’s particularly troublesome when using larger prints like I did with the McElroy lawn. I was fortunately able to cut the front pieces on the fold without any trouble, which eased my pattern matching fears on the Nicks blouse.” She added some hand-stitched embellishment to her skirt: “I love hand stitching and decided to add some decorative stitching by marking off a couple of areas with different line patterns. I used DMC Pearl 8 cotton thread and I like using that type because I can trust it to be colorfast and it comes in tons of great colors. I debated the best time to add the hand stitching—I decided after construction, which was a good choice. Next time I also need to stay-stitch the skirt hem to prevent stretching on the bias.” Of her finished garments, Kristen says, “I hope to incorporate both pieces into a capsule wardrobe I am building with some additional basics. The skirt will be great with some striped tees and a cardigan, and the Nicks top looks great paired with jeans or khakis. Can’t wait to put them both into rotation!”
Linda wears a Tilly & the Buttons Lotta Dress in a pretty floral quilting cotton from the shop’s half-price fabric section. Linda said, “Since I’m busy, I don’t always have time to make myself new clothes. I’m inspired by all the beautiful fabric in the store and would like a new dress for spring.” Linda chose the Lotta Dress pattern for easy sewing and selected a large-scale floral directional print to make the project a bit more challenging. She made no modifications to the pattern as written, but later drafted a matching belt for the dress. Of the finished garment, Linda says, “I don’t wear a lot of dresses in my private life. I made it to wear on hot days to keep cool and look dressed up. It will be good for parties.”
Liz wears the Celeste Dress from Dressmaking Amore in Rayon Matte Jersey–Cobalt She says, “This was a very simple, straightforward design, so it was easy to modify to accommodate my shape. I’ve been wanting to work with matte jersey since I started working at the store two years ago, and I’m so glad I finally got my chance!” Sewing knit fabrics is Liz’s specialty, and she found this jersey especially easy to work with—the fabric lay very flat, so only a small amount of ironing was needed, and Liz sewed the entire garment on her serger for a professional finish. Could this dress be a new favorite for work and play? We think so! Liz says, “I love wearing knits and I love wearing the color blue. I also love that I can dress it up or dress it down. I’ll probably wear it with a tee shirt and sneakers, but I could also see myself wearing it to a more formal event with heels!”
Marissa wears a Friday Pattern Company Donny Shirt/Davenport Dress hack in Log Tavern Road – Mill Town quilting cotton. Marissa says, “I grew up in a part of New England with lots of old factories and textile mills—I don’t think I’ve ever seen that particular aesthetic represented in a fabric print, so this was a must-have for me. I love the vibrancy of the colors in the cotton! I want to make a dress loosely inspired by shirt dresses worn by factory workers in the early 20th century to bring the mill theme full circle.” When she saw the Donny/Davenport hack on Instagram, Marissa knew it was the perfect pattern combination for her dress! She followed Friday Pattern Company’s tutorial, cropping the Donny shirt at her natural waist and preserving the pockets in the Davenport. She omitted the ruffle from the skirt, instead adding six inches to the skirt length, bringing the hem to knee length. Marissa says, “This dress is crisp and comfortable with a cheery, vintage-inspired look that I’ll enjoy wearing this summer on its own and with leggings and a sweater in the fall!”
Molly wears a self-drafted wrap skirt in Mind The Maker Viscose Crepe. Molly was inspired to create a skirt for summer, and we think this cool, floaty viscose crepe is the perfect fabric choice! We love the rosewood color, the added dimension created by the ruffle, and the cute bow closure. It’s a great skirt for casual, everyday wear or dressing up this summer!
Olivia wears a matching set in Yarn Dyed Linen – Gingham – Lime. Olivia says, “Because it’s yarn dyed, I was always sure about my fabric being on grain. And I love how summery it looks!” Olivia used the Clo Bias Skirt pattern by Soften Studio and the Dream Frock Top pattern by Lydia Naomi, modifying each one slightly: “I lengthened the skirt by four inches, and did not use the waistband piece—instead, I folded the top edge down twice and used 3/4″ elastic. I hacked the top to have skinny straps instead of sleeves, and I made elastic channels on the back panels instead of inserting a zipper for ultimate comfiness! I also omitted the gathered peplum and instead lengthened the bodice by two inches.” Of the finished garments, Olivia says, “I plan on wearing the two pieces together when I’m feeling like dressing up. But mostly I am excited to mix these two garments with the rest of my wardrobe. I don’t have that many clothing items that are this bright and fun!”
Priya made a pair of Pants No. 1 using a yarn-dyed grey linen with herringbone stripes. Priya has made this pattern several times before; she likes that it’s a quick, simple sew that results in a comfortable garment for everyday wear (it’s a fantastic pattern for beginners and for seasoned sewists looking for a quick project). For this iteration, Priya created pockets based on those from the Sew House 7 Free Range Slacks and added a separate waistband in a contrasting quilting cotton, giving the pants a unique look. Priya said, “I liked that the fabric was pretty and soft. I would wear it to work or around the house.”
Sab wears self-drafted pants in Monaco Linen–French Rose. Sab’s pink pants were inspired by 70s wide-leg trousers. She says, “I was drawn to this fabric because of the vibrant color and knew it would be perfect for keeping cool in the summer!” Sab used her pattern-drafting knowledge to create her own pants pattern—she needed to make multiple test fits to make sure all the details were perfect. Once she was satisfied with the pattern, Sab cut into her linen. Of the finished pants, Sab says, “This garment is very different from my current style, but feels like the start of a new era! I love how versatile and comfortable these pants can be—I can dress them up for brunch or wear them with a t-shirt to run errands.”
Shannon wears the Arthur Pants by Sew Liberated in Kobe Cotton Twill–White. Since she has been gravitating towards bright reds lately, Shannon decided to add a pop of red to her project by creating a printed surface design. She says, “I wanted to challenge myself by putting a block print on a textile, and it was simple and fun.” Shannon thought a lobster image would be easy to carve and perfect for summertime, so she created a large-scale lobster design and carved it out of rubber block-printing material with a basic block-carving tool set. Shannon stamped her design on prewashed Kobe Twill using Speedball textile silkscreening ink, and set the dry ink with an iron so that it can be laundered. She also added a butter graphic to the back pocket, embroidering it with a free-motion foot. Shannon seems pleased with her pants, calling them “super comfortable, easy-breezy summer wear.”
Sicilia made the Chandler Pants by Untitled Thoughts in a gorgeous Lady McElroy – Antique Linen – Sapphire Blue. Sicilia says, “I like that this fabric is lightweight but has just enough structure to it that it doesn’t move around tons when sewing. It was honestly really easy to work with. I also didn’t do anything too fancy to pre-treat it (just washed and dried) and it doesn’t wrinkle much at all when I wear it!!” They needed to make just a few modifications to the Chandler Pants pattern to achieve a great fit: “I had to grade in from the thigh to the waist by quite a bit to fit my body, but no other mods! I’ve been wanting trousers like these for so long and am stoked to finally have them! It’s been hard for me to find pants besides jeans that I feel comfy wearing everyday, but I think these are gonna be a staple in my wardrobe. I’ve been wearing them with tank tops and sneakers at work, but plan on dressing them up with a matching linen shirt to wear to a casual wedding this summer.”
Sew Inspiring
A huge thank you to the Stonemountain & Daughter staff for participating in the challenge, sewing some amazing garments, and sharing the stories behind their creations! Did you make something you’re super proud of in May (or any other month of the year)? We’d love to see it! Email us [email protected] or tag us #stonemountainfabric on Instagram to share!