As chance would have it, both Tasia and I created red dresses recently. Hers turned out splendidly and she’s using it as a bargaining chip to get her husband to take her out to a fancy restaurant.

My red dress is not getting me a gourmet meal and a night out on the town. Instead, I’m eating frozen pizza and watching TV with the family.

This is my second attempt at Butterick 5315 and it is certainly better than the prototype, which inspired a vituperative review on PR. The pattern isn’t the creation of the devil, as I might have implied in that review. I suspect my disappointment was the result of user error, rather than bad pattern design. I’ve learned a thing or two since then, i.e. I need a FBA in 99.9999% of the patterns I encounter and it’s ok to change things like where the waist seam falls. I moved mine down by about 1/2″ and it feels much more comfortable than where the pattern would have put it.

I like the pleats, the Peter Pan collar and the short and flirty length. It’s cute, but not too demure due to the racy color–wait, I take that back. Robert just said I look like Little Red Riding Hood.

What I do not like–in addition to critical commentary from Robert–is how the vertical darts look. I’ve adjusted them a couple of times, and no matter what I seem to do, I can’t get rid of the “puffiness” at the top of the darts. Well, if I’ve managed to learn enough to make this dress wearable, I’ll eventually learn to make those sorts of darts right.

I’m done with this particular pattern, though. It won’t be the go-to dress pattern I had envisioned it becoming. What I think I need to do is copy someone, like Tasia, who has better fashion sense. I don’t think her husband called her “Little Red Riding Hood!”

It was raining and pouring much of the day, so I reverted to jeans, a t-shirt and a handknit cardigan.

The rain was actually a good thing. Not only did it water my garden, it also gave me a good reason to put off the yard work one more day. I got to stay in and sew. I’m working on a top, which I hope to have done tomorrow or the day after. It’d be nice to have something new to show off before Me-Made-May comes to an end.

Other than sewing, I’ve been doing “mommy” things, like making paper airplanes with my son and practicing the piano with my daughter. She’s getting ready to perform in her first recital. I’m so proud of how much she’s learned this year!

I’m not feeling particularly chatty today, but thought I better post a “Me-Made-May” update before I get too far behind.

Day 24:

Everything, including the bag & bracelet is "Me-Made."

I made the bracelet on Sunday, when Robert and the kids were out watching a movie. It’s GREAT to get a little quiet time.

I followed the instructions in Creative Kismet’s tutorial for making the bracelet. I like it and even got some compliments on it yesterday, but do have to admit it looks a little like something I made at summer camp when I was twelve. Stop me from checking out library books on macrame! LOL

And, here I am today (Day 25):

My outfit is a repeat of what I wore on Day 18, with the exception of the necklace I assembled this morning. It’s big and gaudy and totally fun to wear! I’m proud of it, especially since I had to master the crimping tool in order to attach the clasp. I love learning new things.

Jewelry making has been the perfect quick fix for some tired outfits. I’ll have to try my hand at again soon…perhaps earrings or a memory wire bracelet…