Me Made May - May 15: P4P Cocoon Cardigan, Halla's Elora Dress, & Wardrobe By Me's Love Yourself Hipsters

Today is gloomy and doomy in the skies and my mind. 

I've been working from home full time for almost 2 months. And pretty isolated. 

Thank you Vestibular Migraine. I would rather a "Regular" migraine that goes away after 1 to 7 days. This has been non stop since December. 

I will be meeting one of two of my assigned neurologists next week - thank goodness!  Living like this is frustrating, depressing, and I'm just spinning all the time. 

But because I'm me, I keep going. I keep working. I keep doing what I can do around the house. I walk the dogs (one at a time). I cry (a lot). I feel alone. I sew to find my happy and sparkle again. 

I really want my sparkle back. 

I want my life back. 

I thought dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 14 years was bad. I never wished that on anyone else. Now I'd wish CFS on someone over Vestibular Migraines any day. 

And anyone who says, "It's just a headache," I want them to FEEL what I feel just for a week. Good luck dealing with that. Then they'd NEVER say it's just a headache ever again.

Just because I may not visibly look like I'm suffering, I'm great at putting on a smile, give a laugh, and try to mask my pain and isolation.

 It's unbearable most of the time. I'm fortunate to have drive and will to keep going. 

What do my daily symptoms entail?
- Dizziness
- Full blown vertigo when exposed directly to LED and Fluorescent lights
- Swaying (like I actually sway due to the dizziness)
- Derealization (I feel like I'm here...but not really)
- I see flashes in my vision
- Eyes can't always focus
- Muscle weakness - especially my legs
- Rotating numbness of my arms, legs, and face (I thought when my face started going numb that I was having a stroke - my General Doctor thought I had Multiple Sclerosis)
- Sometimes my legs go numb from my feet to knees and I need a cane to walk (waddle)
- Slurring of words
- Brain fog (forgetting words, where I am, where I am going - like driving somewhere and having no idea where I'm driving to!)
- Lack of focus
- Photophobia (light is not my friend - hence working from home - our office put me into 2 months of full blown vertigo, tears, and nausea every single day)
- Misophonia (I had this before - but sounds can make me angry)
- Lack of Balance (I can't Downward Dog or do Warrior 3 at the moment)
- Neck is so sore - no matter how many times a day I do my stretches
- Other symptoms that I've written down (As my memory is shot)

And that's daily.

Every 3-4 days I get the lovely head pounding that people associate with Migraines. These last 2 to 7 days along with the above symptoms. Sometimes it's all pressure in the front of my face, but the last week, I've had two migraine episodes that felt like a clamp on my head - like a REALLY tight headband that I can't take off.

It's exhausting.  Some days I want to give in and just lay in bed and not get up. 

But I can't let my brain win.

I think.

So behind the camera, I'm just a girl waiting for help, alone in my own mind. 

At least today's outfit makes up for it?

Today I'm sporting my Elora Dress and Cocoon Cardigan. 

Halla's Elora Convertible Dress

I modified this strapless dress to have straps, as I fear strapless dresses will fall down, and I prefer straps. 

The bodice is made from some knit fabric I won with my first sew along - it's Sew Cute!

The skirt is one of many sarongs I've collected on my journeys to Mexico.  It made the perfect Elora Skirt!

I have two Eloras, and I love wearing them in the warm weather. It also covers my knees, which is a must! 

And look at the bust ruching - isn't it pretty? 

Patterns for Pirates Cocoon Cardigan

I've made 3 of these. 

Two for myself, and one for Mom.

This one has MINIMAL stretch, so the arms were tight for a bit, but my second one has stretchier fabric, thus a looser fit that doesn't cut off my circulation. But it's lightweight, so perfect for warmer weather. 

I'm always cold, so always need some sort of cardigan or hoodie. 

It has pockets, and covers my hips and behind, so I find it flattering - and I can get away with wearing it in the office (when I go in - I'm a bit scared of my work from home accommodation ending, and having my head go back into photophobia hell). 

Both of these were easy sews and great staples for anyone's wardrobes. 

I'm also sporting the comfy Wardrobe By Me Love Yourself Hipsters....soooo comfy and I forget I'm wearing underwear. 

I'm wearing underwear!  

I'll show you my good undies pics with my head chopped off!

Sew On!

Me Made May - Day 9 - Halla's Hey Babie and Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs

Today it's a bit chilly, so that warrants a hood. And full coverage for me Me Made May rotation. 

So out come a few of the first garments I sewed up last year when I started Sewing My Wardrobe.

Halla Patterns Hey Babie Top

This is one of the first tops I made - and I guess I started colour blocking here, as I used 4 different fabrics (and fabric types).

- Some flowery sort of stretchy fabric for the sleeves
- Black Rabbit custom Geeky Math print for the front - More Black Rabbit Cotton Lycra (sporty as it's sleek feeling) for part o the back
- Random Fabricland thin not so stretchy fabric for the hood, ties, and part of the back blocking

I LOVE ruching - it's flattering, and leaves any lumps and bumps of the body behind. 

And I LOVE hoods, hence the hood - it also keeps my neck warm. 

Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs

These were my first leggings - the reason I started sewing my wardrobe.

They have since added an "add on" to this FREE pattern, which includes side ruching (I have a pair with mario and sparkly fabric - awesome!), colour blocking, pockets, and then some. 

But for a beginner, normal leggings were what I was looking for, and they're still going strong after over a year! 

Comfy style today, and I even matched pants and top. 

Life Goals. 

Arrrr, Me Mateys! Patterns for Pirates - my Intro to Moderm Day Sewing Patterns

So (or Sew - ha ha!). January 2017, I was tired of my nylons tearing after half a use, and tights are difficult to find that:

a) Don't cost an arm and a leg for what they are

b) Don't cause extreme Muffin Top

I decided leggings would be a long lasting option.

But apparently in the middle of the Winter in Canada, Leggings aren't available in 12 of the zillion stores I looked in during a few lunch hours.

That on top of not being able to find more than 2 plain tunics to wear underneath work and t-shirts that have shrunk up over the last years, shopping for any kind of clothing was proving to be futile.

Pants shopping alone is the most depressing thing I do - and I only do it when I've worn through all but one or two pairs of wearable pants. I have very little choice, and only the Rickis' ridiculous priced pants and the Gap's Curvy jeans fit me without making my legs look like squished sausages, or like the waist band needs its own postal code it's so darn big!

So. 

I started looking at those online leggings shops - Sweet Legs, Mayberrys, Lotus Leggings, and more. the pricing was pretty much the same for all these companies, and what I was taken with were the patterns!

SO MANY PATTERNS!

Then I thought..."Hey Crystal, you should make leggings - you have a good sewing machine."

And that was the beginning of the end.

I discovered Facebook groups for patterns & fabrics, and that was that.

The first Facebook Group I joined was Patterns for Pirates where I discovered Peglegs!.

I love pirates, and Peglegs is a cool name, so I decided that would be my first pair of leggings. 

I had some stretchy thin fabric of sorts I bought a boatload of when Fabricland in town closed down, so tested out my first leggings with that, so I didn't screw up with the beautiful Black Rabbit fabric I ordered from British Columbia.

Black Rabbit Fabrics - I used the two bottom left Black & Teal striped fabrics for leggings!

First step was printing out the pattern - patterns these days all seem to be PDF's, and you print them out at home (or any printing place), stick them together with tape like a puzzle, and cut out the pattern! 　

There is a layout on one of the instruction pages, so you don't have to be good at puzzles - just matching numbers. If you can't match numbers, go back to school and try again.　

The Peglegs pattern has a sizing guide, and I fit between two sizes, thus I created a gentle line from one size to the next to make it look natural, hoping I measured right and that they would fit without giving me camel toe or have any unsightly bulges. 　

The pattern also indicates the most suitable fabrics - and the Facebook Group has a lot of support and help from the pattern maker and those of us who love P4P patterns and have flubbed so future people don't have to!　

It took me less than two hours to cut the fabric and finish my first pair of leggings. They were slightly snug at the waist, I had to redo the waistband twice before I got it right. I ended up switching the waistband fabric to my newly arrived Black Rabbit 95% Cotton/5% Lycra fabric, and it gave the stretch and support the band required. 　

Due to the thin fabric, these are perfect for underneath dresses and skirts - I wouldn't wear them out as leggings pants, even with a tunic length top.　

 

Ta da!

 

 

So, learning from me:　

a) Follow the directions. Don't deviate unless you have experience with the pattern and are good at knowing how things will fit together. 　

b) Have the right fabric for the right fit and piece you are sewing. 　

c) Leggings are freaking simple to make! And SO comfortable. I now live in them outside of work. I have been assimilated.　

Thank goodness I work from home Fridays now, as I can now wear leggings instead of Jeans, which are not leggings. 　

I had NO idea how many variations of fabrics there were beyond 100% cotton. 　

I never really cared before. 　


Despite some roller coasting with my first real-live wardrobe piece, it began my disdain for unfit store-bought clothing, and love for fabrics and unique patterns that I could MAKE fit my body in a good way. 　

My enjoyment for the pattern, the ease to which it was written, and being jealous of the nice Cocoon Cardigan - SO me, and so pretty. 　

That's another day and another blog!