(relatively on time) capsule

This outfit is pretty much the culmination of two Monthly Stitch challenges that I just couldn’t quite manage to finish in the allotted months. Finding hands-free sewing time has been a challenge since my baby was born, as I’m sure all of you who are moms can attest to! But I did finish this one on December 1, so I’m going to go ahead and post it as a slightly belated November challenge anyway.

All three of the clothing pieces here were me-made. The skirt, pictured here in a different outfit, is a Sewaholic Rae, which I tried (and failed) to finish in time for TMS’s second birthday challenge. I didn’t get it done until well into September, but thought it would be a good piece to use as my starter for this particular capsule. I do have a fondness for geeky fashion, and honestly didn’t have too many options to wear with this great exploding TARDIS print!

My second piece is barely visible in the feature picture, thanks to the boots. But it’s a black pair of Cake Patterns’ Espresso Leggings, which I’m pretty much only ever going to wear as tights. The knit is a bit sheer, and I’m firmly in the camp of not liking leggings as pants on me! Again, I’m showing this in a different outfit, because I initially made this as part of a Fall Essentials Sew-Along, and finished this last piece in the early days of November. I know, the boots make it hard to see here, too. But it’s hopefully a little better.

To tie these two things together into a new outfit, I used some mystery blue knit and some blue lace mesh, both of which were recently passed on to me from people getting rid of their fabric stashes, to make a Sewaholic Renfrew. I used the knit plain for the binding edges, and then layered the mesh over the front, back, and sleeves. The main reason this took me so long to finish was that I added some extra width to the front to give it a looser fit (I’m breastfeeding, so easy access is a must!), and forgot that I didn’t need to add to the neck binding! So there was much unpicking and gathering and restitching. I’m overall happy with the result, though. Especially since the fabric was all free!

I only had enough of the knit to make short sleeves, but I think that will make this top more versatile for other seasons. But since it’s basically winter in the States, this old me-made jacket is sure to be part of this outfit for awhile!

Between this and the Fall Essentials, I’ve really enjoyed making these little mini-capsules, and I’m looking forward to mixing and matching all three of these pieces with other things in my wardrobe! Thanks for reading!