Letters
The Joy of Crossover Crafting
Dear Ann,
I watch Me-Made May unfold on Instagram each year with admiration, but I don’t participate in any special way. I do keep me-making stuff as per usual, of course, but I’m not sure I’ll ever have enough me-mades in my closet to post a daily outfit photo. And oh yeah, I hate taking selfies.
But this year, I inadvertently made a whole new outfit, in May.
Ta-da!
Disco Birkenstocks not included.
This is my long-awaited Log Cabin Pullover, which I completed for Me-Made The Last Year and a Half. Plus, a bonus garment that isn’t even knitted: an Alabama Chanin pencil skirt that I started a week ago on a train trip to Washington, DC. Hand-embroidered and hand-sewn, every stitch, by me.
Good news for pencil skirt lovers: Alabama Chanin is releasing it as a single pattern later this year.
On the left: my first pencil skirt, which I made in 2016 at a weeklong workshop retreat that is one of the high points of my time on earth. The Magdalena stencil is fun and pretty fast to stitch, but it took every available minute of that week to get it done, even in relatively speedy reverse appliqué. I wear it a lot. The pencil skirt is my skirt shape. It looks fab with a big sweater on top and ankle boots or brogues on the feet. Comfy and easy, but looks like I’m trying.
Trying to demonstrate the kick pleat.
And here’s my new pencil skirt, in the Abstract stencil, using the negative reverse appliqué technique and backstitch. Whoa—this stencil stitches up fast. No itty-bitty shapes to slow down a stitcher. I was clocking a panel a day during my daily British TV Time, without even trying. (Estimate: 3 or 4 hours of stitching per panel.)
I’m going to get a lot of wear out of this skirt for the next rest of my life. In warm weather, it’s a perfect match for my Log Cabin Pullover in Sylph (shade: Eddy). In even-warmer weather, a T-shirt or linen schmatta will do fine. And in winter, it’s going to be my Bottom Line Pullover in Dark Roast, every time. This skirt is washable, it’s durable, and it’s held together with the world’s strongest thread.
A fave outfit that you wear all the time: isn’t that the point of making stuff?
Love,
Kay
They are lovely. Some friends and I are doing an AC project over the summer. Can’t wait!
Wow, so beautiful! I’v never done appliqué so I have to ask: what is reverse appliqué? Then I hit negative reverse appliqué!! Can someone briefly explain these to me? Thanks!
Instead of sewing a piece of fabric (such as a shape) on top of another piece of fabric, the shape is revealed from underneath by cutting away the fabric which is on top.
I first became aware of reverse applique when attending quilt shows and seeing the beautiful and traditional work of reverse applique which is done by the Hmong people, who are from Asia (I think).
It looks amazing! And I can’t believe you Stitched the skirt in a week! I am currently working on the Magdalena myself and gave myself one month per panel and one month to stitch and finish all details before I need to wear it to a country wedding. I have kept up with my deadline and well on my way to finish by end of month. Seems that design is much more beginner friendly than yes all these little tiny details in the Magdalena.
I love your outfit! Thank you for show and tell. I will have to look up the skirt company as quilting (appliqué is part of quilting) is my close second love to knitting.
I love to embroider. Your skirts are works of art. Sweater is nice, too. I have embroidered on hand knit items for years. Vogue knitting just had an article about it’s current popularity, who knew.
People say I have a good eye for color. So, a suggestion, I would wear your beautiful skirt with a color that’s more intense
Such as black or forest green, the stitching would really pop more.
What a gorgeous outfit your sweater and skirt make. Pat yourself on the back!
Gobsmacked!
I’d say one of the best things about this lovely outfit is you look great in it!
Ditto!! You are rockin’ this me-made May outfit!
Y’all are too nice! I am pleased with this one.
Love the sweater, love the skirt! Together, they make a really pulled-together look. Well done!
You look fabulous!
So beautiful!
Wow. I love that kick pleat. And the Abstract stencil may finally get me to try an Alabama Chanin project, although it might take me longer to complete the skirt than it did for you. But the small piece projects that I really admire look like they would be a lifetime project for me, and the Abstract stencil really seems like something I could actually complete in a season (or two!).
It goes really fast, and even faster if you totally lose your mind with love for doing it. I could not stop until it was done.
Beautiful work! I was a seamstress long before I was a knitter but my sewing machine has been gathering dust lately. I just bought some lovely linen to make some drawstring pants for the summer. Machine sewn, though.
Great Look!! Great Job!!!
So did you handsew the skirt itself? Or is that part machine-sewn? Either way you are dangerously close to giving me another obsession I mean wonderful creative outlet. I LOVE THIS LOOK!! Fabulous!!!
Beautiful skirts!!! And the Log Cabin sweater is great, too!
This combo looks sensational! I always loved that kick pleat skirt and am so happy to hear it’s coming out as an AC pattern soon. Thanks for the styling inspiration too.
I am inspired!
Thank you.
Lovely makes, even lovelier model
Great job, Kay! I especially love the sleeves on your top (“no sleeve” sleeves, right?), and how the thread on your skirt changes color. The drape if your top is lovely, no bunching around the log cabin part. That kick pleat is snazzy, too!
Kay, you look fantastic in that outfit. Hand sewing is not my favorite thing, but I am very inspired by your skirt. Will you be publishing the pattern for your sweater? It is a winner!
The closest I’ll come to a pattern is probably this post: https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/construct-log-cabin-pullover/.
Too much to do, too little time!
Congratulations! Also, I have those Birks too – I’ve been wanting to leave that comment for a while. ❤️
I haven’t worn a pencil skirt in ages but yours are an inspiration! Fabulous outfit. Thanks for another introduction to a different designer. I always enjoy your emails. Many thanks.
This looks *fabulous* and now I await the design’ release as a single pattern with baited breath.
Love your model shots.This looks perfect on you. I’m afraid you may have hooked me into the addition of a new craft. Must find more time.
You are so adorable!!! And your new creations aren’t too shabby either! What is ‘the world’s strongest thread’???
Button & Craft Thread. Made by Coats, I believe. It has a core of polyester, wrapped with cotton.
you look so comfortable. Way to go. Terrific colors
Beautiful outfit, Kay. I especially love the sweater.
I just love everything about this story…including your modeling.
Oooohhhh! This is so fantastic!! It’s so great, Kay. I can’t wait to make one of my own when that pattern is released! (Hm. Maybe even that stencil!)
It’s the speed stencil! Go go go!
Beautiful results! Thanks for sharing.
Oh, YES! D-I-V-I-N-E! (And I can’t wait for the pencil skirt pattern to come out! YIPPEE!!!!)
The whole shebang looks lovely, and so versatile, going with so much in your closet. I have also admired Me Made May from afar, and more often, the Summer of Basics. You would easily qualify for the latter–you have two out three right now!
Umm, might be a stupid question, but, did you sew this all by hand? No sewing machine involved? I never got along with sewing machines, so this intrigues me that you could make such a beautiful skirt entirely by hand!
I love the texture of the painted shapes and stitched outlines! I’m not a skirt person, but I know I’ve seen examples of these techniques on tops… and it would be amazing on a swingy jacket.
And for those who, like me, were confused about “negative reverse applique”… I found an excellent site explaining the AC techniques… https://gatherandmake.blogspot.com/2019/02/applique-reverse-applique-negative.html She has some absolutely GORGEOUS examples!
So basically negative reverse applique is similar to regular applique in that the fabric is placed on top and the negative space is cut away (not the shapes). But as with reverse applique you stitch within the shape leaving the edges free to roll.
OMG, that site is gorgeous! Scroll all the way down to see an entire dress and also a multi-colored skirt. SO BEAUTIFUL!
Thanks for finding that, Kathleen. That’s exactly right, and I could look at Gather and Make’s work all day. The negative reverse method cuts away a lot more fabric, typically, so the garment ends up lighter and also a bit stretchier. Reverse appliqué creates a truly double-layer fabric that stretches less.
Fab!!!
i love that skirt! i have been very slowly easing into machine sewing – i actually think hand sewing seems a lot less scary….. very tempting….. also – love the kick pleat!
Wait, what? You made the first skirt at a studio week. How did you get the kit for the second one? It’s not listed in the DIY-kit stuff.
I am thinking of you as I work on the second panel of my skirt, because I am here stitching in good faith that it will all work out because you said it would. Your encouragement is on repeat in my brain.
Love your outfit! Love the sandals? Are those Birkenstocks? The color is gorgeous!
Wait….you sewed the appliqué and the side seams by hand?? I need to know more! Eons ago I used to crochet my summer gauze blouse seams together and also crocheted around the necks and hems to prevent ravelling (and to prevent my toddler from waking up to watch the sewing machine), but it was the 70’s and we were all crazy anyway!
A selfie reccy: Try chatting with yourself or the photographer when the photo is snapped. No need for it to make sense — you can recite the alphabet or the 23rd Psalm or the lyrics to your favorite White Stripes song. As long as your facial muscles and your brain are engaged, it’s all good. This tip courtesy of my younger son, the closet artiste.
Thank you so much for posting this. I wanted to see how some of these garments look on someone more my age and size, not the models in most of the pictures I’ve seen. I’ve ordered for Alabama Chanin books and am excited to get started on a project.