Moneta for my Momma

This is my third Moneta.  My previous versions (see here and here) were also black and white, but this one isn't for me.  I made it as a birthday present for my mom! I was fortunate enough to see my mom the weekend after her birthday and conned her into taking pictures in her new dress, with a pair of heels I brought just for the occasion. 

Sleeveless Striped Moneta

At the same time that I bought the fabric for my fourth and fifth plantain tees, I also bought some striped fabric with the idea of making another Moneta. When I bought this fabric, I thought that it was navy blue and white.  It turns out that it's black and white.  I have a ton of black and white dresses already (see my other Moneta here and my b/w Coco here, plus a bunch of other pre-blog or RTW dresses), but what's the harm in one more?

Saying goodbye to some me-made makes

At the end of Me Made May, I confessed that there were some makes that never made it into my outfits throughout the month.  In packing up to move, I decided that it really was time to donate some of them.   I really appreciate it when bloggers show their failures as well as their successes, so here goes...

Me Made May 2014: Week 4

Another week of Me Made May is in the books.  Just one week of daily selfies left to go.  Phewf. Here's the round-up for this week.

Monday: Work

Dress: Moneta by Colette Patterns
Belt: Banana Republic

Cardigan: JCrew

Tuesday: Work

Dress: Floral NewLook 0180

Jacket: The Limited

Wednesday: Work

Shirt: Express

Cardigan: Old Navy

Scarf: Gift from the Gap

Skirt: Miette by Tilly and the Buttons (pre-blog) 

Shoes: Nine West

Thursday: Work

Jacket: Banana Republic

Shirt: McCall's6604 (pre-blog)

Skirt: The Limited

Friday: Work and sewing

Shirt: Blue striped Plantain by Doe and Deer

Capris: Loft

Belt: Banana Republic

Saturday: Bike ride

Shirt: Floral teal Plantain by Doe and Deer

Shorts: American Eagle

Shoes: Keds

Sunday: Brunch and BBQ

Shirt: Camaieu

Skirt: Simplicity 2226 (pre-blog)

Belt: Banana Republic

It looks like this was another week of me-made knits.  Four out of 7 me-made items worn this week were knits. The pattern of wearing my newer makes has continued. Check out how many of the items I've worn this week that are on my blog, a.k.a made this year.  It's great to see that my most recent makes are getting more wear. I'm especially excited about my last two dresses--worn on Monday and Tuesday. 

So far I've been able to not have any complete outfit repeats.  With just a week left, I think that I can keep that up for the rest of the month. 

Me Made May 2014: Week 3

Another week down! This week I wore one me-made make each day: 3 black and white dresses, 2 colorful skirts, and 2 patterned shirts. About half are repeats from earlier in the month. Here they are:

Monday, May 12: Work

Dress: McCall's 5972 (pre-blog)
Belt: Banana Republic

Tuesday, May 13: Work

Dress: Moneta by Colette Patterns
Belt: Banana Republic

Wednesday, May 14: Work

Shirt: Banana Republic
Cardigan: JCrew
Belt: Banana Republic
Skirt: NewLook 0116 (pre-blog)
Shoes: Nine West

Thursday, May 15: Work and happy hour

Shirt: Express

Cardigan: Old Navy

Skirt: Hacked version of McCall's 6503 (not yet blogged)

Friday, May 16: Work

Shirt: Blue and white plantain

Cardigan: Thrifted Jones New York

Pants: Banana Republic

Belt: Banana Republic

Shoes: Keds

Saturday, May 17: Chilly barbecue with friends

Shirt: McCall's 6613

Sunday, May 18: Lunch and shopping

Dress: McCall's 6609 (pre-blog)

Jacket: North Face

Taking pictures of my outfit every day is getting pretty old, so I'm glad that this month is over halfway over. I'm finding that, even though I have more clothes that I've made in the closet, I keep reaching for the same pieces over and over. I think that I may donate the clothes that I still haven't worn by the of the month.  Fortunately, my mom and I are the same size, so she'll get first dibs.

The next week of Me-Made-May will feature at least one new make that I'm pretty excited about, so stay tuned!

Black and White Moneta

There are two different types of sewing pattern companies out there: large commercial companies, including the big 4 (Simplicity, Vogue, Butterick, and McCall's) and independent, or indie companies.  Colette Patterns and Sewaholic Patterns were the first two independent pattern companies I was discovered when I started following sewing blogs about a year ago.  I feel like sewing bloggers fall into two camps: the Sewaholic camp and the Colette camp. A few bloggers make clothes from both lines, but it feels like there is a divide. I started out in the Sewaholic camp, but just made my first Colette pattern: the Moneta dress. 

It's described as a simple knit dress that works for any occasion in every season. The dress has a wide neckline, is gathered at the waist with clear elastic, and has pockets. It has sleeve options (sleeveless, short sleeves, and 3/4 length sleeves), collar options, and an option to line the bodice. I opted for the unlined version with 3/4 length sleeves.

The directions were super easy to follow and the dress came together in just a few days of sewing after work.  It did involve two new techniques for me.  The first was using a twin needle.  My sewing machine came with a twin needle, but I had never bothered to figure out how to use it before.  It turns out to be quite simple, and results in a nice professional finish.  I used the twin needle on the neckline and the hem.  

The other new technique was gathering with clear elastic.  You can see the resulting gathers in the first flat picture.  This step was a little tricky, but once I got comfortable stretching the elastic while sewing, I think it gave a nice result.  The gathers are uneven in one location, but it's my fault.  I got distracted while sewing the elastic to the skirt and forgot to stretch for about an inch long section.  I don't think anyone will ever notice. 

As expected from a knit dress, this dress is very comfortable.  I've already worn it to work and predict that it will make a regular appearance in my wardrobe. I think I will make another Moneta this summer.  I want to try out some of the collar options that are available (for free) online. I'm excited to add another independent designer to my collection!

Abstract

Pattern: Moneta by Colette Patterns

Fabric: Black and white stretch polyester?

Cost: $12 fabric + $2 clear elastic = $14 ($28 if you count the cost of the pattern)

Time: 4 days after work = 8 hours