mabel – The Geeky Seamstress

mabel front — Man, I am rocking the resting bitch face.

Say hello to Mabel #2!

The Basics:

Fabric: Approximately 1 yd. of navy ponte de roma leftover from my first Lady Skater.

Alterations: Added 1″ length

Notions: Thread and Wundertape.

Make it again?: Definitely. I’d like to make 1-2 more of these for work and the mini version for fun at some point. Maybe out of mermaid spandex?

Favorite parts: Same as last time. Comfort and how quickly I was able to finish it.

Other thoughts: I completed this project during a mini-stay/sewcation I took last week. It was a palate cleanser of sorts. I’ve been in a massive funk over the last few weeks, so I wanted something quick and easy to recalibrate myself. This project definitely fits the bill. Since I’d already cut the pattern for Mabel #1, it didn’t take much time at all to cut the pieces for this version. I think it took 3 episodes of Archer from cutting to hemming.

mabel back — Hello ridiculous booty pop. I swear, I thought I had another back view photo, but I could not find it.

There’s really not a lot to say about this. My first Mabel is a regular wardrobe staple, and hopefully this one will be as well. The ponte de roma is a little lighter than my first one, so I do have to be careful about undergarment lumps and bumps. With fall coming on, I think it’ll be perfect with thick tights and cardigans. It’s nice to have another Mabel in rotation!

Since November is also Nerdvember, I decided to style this ensemble with one of my favorite nerdy pieces: my House Targeryan cardigan! Unfortunately, I can’t find it on the HBO site anymore. I swear, I wear this thing at least once a week. It pretty much goes with my entire wardrobe.

Do you watch Game of Thrones? Which house is your favorite?

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Remember back in March/April when Colette announced they were releasing knit patterns? I squealed with joy. I was looking for an excuse to play with knits more. This is partly out of a desire to build a more functional wardrobe, but also so that I could practice using my serger for something other than finishing seams.

When the patterns came out, I was a little… underwhelmed, especially since I dropped $50 for the pre-packaged order of Mabel, Moneta, and the new book. Mabel just seemed so simple (that’s the main reason I went with version 3, since it looked more interesting). Silly me. I should have known that Mabel would quickly become a favorite.

The Basics:

Pattern: Colette Mabel, version 3.

Fabric: Approximately 1 yd. of leftover grey mid-weight mystery knit from the stash.

Alterations: Added 1″ length

Notions: Thread. I did have to spring for a twin needle since I didn’t have one on hand.

Make it again?: Definitely. I’d love to make another version for work in the near future.

Favorite parts: Comfort and how quickly I was able to finish it.

mabel rear — Not going to lie, I kind of love how this skirt makes my rear look. Definitely go for a thicker knit with this pattern! This is the lightest I think I’d go.

Other thoughts: A bit of back story for Mabel. I started working on this last Tuesday. I was at a weird mid-point with some of my other projects and costumes. I needed to make a store run for more supplies, but it was the end of the month and I didn’t want to spend money on more stuff until payday. Still, I had a creative itch and wanted make something. I dug around in my stash and found this fabric leftover from my first set of Lilith leggings. It took some clever folding and cutting, but I managed to cut this in a large (perfectly matched up with my measurements) and add an extra inch of length.

The overall construction of this skirt is ridiculously simple. So much so that I kept referring to the instructions thinking that I had missed a vital step. The only time I deviated from the instructions was in the construction of the waistband. I don’t have quite enough space to work with my serger and my sewing machine at the same time, so I nixed the stitch in the ditch and just serged all of it together at once. Yay laziness.

Mabel took 2 1-hour sessions to complete. I did the cutting and the bulk of the construction on Tuesday evening and then finished the kick pleat and the hem on Thursday after picking up a twin needle. My original plan was just to hem it with a zig-zag stitch, but I’m glad I picked up the twin needle. It’s a great technique to know for mimicking RTW clothes!

I really like Mable. She’s super comfy, versatile, and a perfect length to wear to work! I’ve worn her twice so far (once casually and once to work) and will probably keep her in my regular rotation over the summer. I just hope I love Moneta this much!

mabel skirt — Casual Mabel ensemble for a fabric shopping excursion last week.

Have you made Mabel or Moneta yet?

Tag: mabel

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