ColorJoy By LynnH, art as an everyday attitude.

[colorjoylynn]

Stinky says it’s too hot to go outside. Lynn says please understand this weather as the dangerous experience that it can be. Please find shelter and drink much more than usual. Two years ago, during weather like this, my most constant buddy, Tony, became devastatingly dehydrated. After a three month stint in health care settings, he died from complications. Please, please, please! If your home is not a safe shelter in heat like this, find a public shelter or a member of your community where you can be safe... and live through the experience. Thank you for hearing me. The world needs you. #heatwave #avoidDehydration #drinkWater #stayAlive #keepCool #takeTheHeatSeriously #PleaseTakeThisSeriously #theWorldNeedsYou #loveLansing #pureMichiganp https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce1pNj4pHrR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

I have worn MeMades every day this May. It’s the first year I have stuck to it all month! I got photos every day but am weeks behind on posts. Expect too many starting now! (My postings stalled when Insta thought I had posted inappropriately. That’s fixed now.) This purple linen came from @seamsfabric in East Lansing. It was deadstock and it’s an incredible fabric with amazing weight/drape. The pattern was from a tracing I made of a dress I purchased. The jacket is the same weight linen... a vintage 1960’s/70’s find from Etsy. Earrings from my Sis in Love @otterwise; the necklace I assembled myself. #madeWithSeams #SewOver50 #meMadeMay2022 #IMakeMyOwnClothes #FBA #FullBustAdjustment #IAddedDarts #ProudGarmentRepeater #ProudOutfitRepeater #sewistsOfInstagram #FavoriteMakes #quiltingCottonGarment #TnTPattern #triedAndTruePattern #usedGarmentAfficionado https://www.instagram.com/p/CeP8DvrtiRl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

This is actually a test... IG misinterpreted (and deleted) a comment I made last Sunday, because algorithms don’t understand figures of speech. My next Me Made May post after that got stuck, I couldn’t post it for five days and then it disappeared from my drafts. Testing, 1-2-3... https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd2OgUUN6T-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

This is another #MeMadeMay dress made from the tracing of a favorite dress made in Africa (I asked what country... they didn’t know). This one is made from 100% cotton twill (like jeans but not blue). It was intended as home decor fabric, but I pre-washed/dried it on hot/hot and went for it. (The texture is not perfectly smooth but I enjoy the very-slightly nubby texture.) I used a somewhat squared neckline that’s relatively small, to hide bra straps and potentially show off a special necklace. I wore it with a 3/4 sleeved collared shirt given to me by my friend Helen. It’s a luxurious 70% silk/30% linen, so it holds a crease, has a bit of body, and is buttery soft without that annoying catches-on-my-skin feature of some “china” lightweight plain-weave silks. The earrings I made about 20 years ago at a polymer clay workshop with Pier Voulkos. The wires (except the earwires) are colored standard telephone wire. Cool, huh? (Also: The white clay I used in these earrings actually glows in the dark. Just because I could.) #SewOver50 #meMadeMay2022 #IMakeMyOwnClothes #FBA #FullBustAdjustment #IAddedDarts #ProudGarmentRepeater #ProudOutfitRepeater #sewistsOfInstagram #FavoriteMakes #quiltingCottonGarment #TnTPattern #triedAndTruePattern #usedGarmentAfficionado https://www.instagram.com/p/CdoswKLpm8g/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

This day in #MeMadeMay I wore another version of @100actsofsewing ‘s #DressNo1 (in a quilting cotton I bought the fist time I worked at @joann_stores ). I embellished it with a vertical column of hot green buttons which pop even on this busy, electric print. I wore it inside an air-conditioned space with a thrifted linen shirt that I’ve had for many years. Oversized shirts are great as an extra layer in the summer, both against air conditioning and against sunshine. In this version I made the front neckline the same as the back. However, I added darts in the front to help it fit my curves better. The a-line shape isn’t quite roomy enough to really fit well without that additional space. The hair scarf was a vintage thrift find many years ago. The crazy plastic earrings? They’re only a few years old though they look late ‘60’s; I found them at a dollar store, of all places. I also wore a fast-fashion thrifted snug tee shirt underneath it, in turquoise. I also bought that at resale fairly recently. I buy very few things brand new anymore. Shoes, undergarments, jewelry and tights are the notable exceptions. I honestly gave up because the quality at resale is significantly better much of the time. Also, resale shops carry clothes from many decades, so it’s really a great way to try on different styles that you’ve never tried. It’s not like the stores at the mall where every store has the same dress shape in different fabrics. Note: Please understand that the third photo goes with a different outfit this week. It’s not for this dress. I did make those beaded earrings. I just can’t seem to delete it after saving as a draft. #SewOver50 #meMadeMay2022 #IMakeMyOwnClothes #FBA #FullBustAdjustment #IAddedDarts #ProudGarmentRepeater #ProudOutfitRepeater #sewistsOfInstagram #FavoriteMakes #quiltingCottonGarment #TnTPattern #triedAndTruePattern #usedGarmentAfficionado https://www.instagram.com/p/CdmlrAaIwrd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

It got warm this week. I got out my first version (wearable muslin/toile) of the @100actsofsewing #DressNo1 which is so comfy and so me, despite not being a favorite fabric. I love my semi-mini dresses, but there is a danger of a peek a boo if I lean over wrong or if I lift my arms too high. I have fortunately made a couple of sets of stretch choli (no need for a bra in hot weather) and “dance pants” to wear as a layer over my underpants in case someone could get a look that I didn’t intend. On these hot days, I can wear that matching set under the light cotton tunic/dress and get out of the house quickly. On my second photo I’m wearing the set alone, and I have added my measurements to add to the transparency I believe is essential these photoshopped/filtered social media days. (These two items were traced from commercially-purchased pieces that I wore a lot.) The third photo is me wearing the same dress in a previous #MeMadeMay #SewOver50 #meMadeMay2022 #IMakeMyOwnClothes #ProudGarmentRepeater #ProudOutfitRepeater #sewistsOfInstagram #FavoriteMakes #quiltingCottonGarment https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdkck4wOZEI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

My friend Sharon found this fabric and saved it out for me. It’s a fine lightweight wax print (Looks the same on both sides of the fabric, unlike standard printed fabrics). I have a purple batik caftan dress that came from somewhere in Africa (the storekeeper was not sure where). It’s so comfortable that I wanted another. I traced the measurement of the side seams and reproduced them on this garment. I re-used a neckline i’d used on another self-drafted dress. It is so light and airy to wear! Perfect for summer. There’s only one photo today. That’s how it worked out. #IMakeMyOwnClothes #curvySewingCollective #AnkaraFabric #waxPrintFabric #MendMay @mendingMayhem #SewOver50 #sewistsOfInstagram #MendersOfInstagram #ProudOutfitRepeater #ProudGarmentRepeater #FixThatGarmentDontTossIt https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdhm-QkNjNq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

Another #MeMadeMay #MeMadeMay2022 outfit. I made this dress in 2019 (I think?) for the Black History Month Pattern Designer challenge. The pattern is called the Erin dress by # StyleSewMePatterns, view A. Lots of sewists made view B but apparently very few fell as hard for the curved pocket panels in view 1 as I did. I have difficult to fit shoulders and in the end I didn’t like how the funnel neck/sleeves worked on me. Instead, I unpicked the sleeve seams and recut the neckline to make the dress into a jumper/pinafore. I made bias tape with the sleeve fabric to bind the edges. I love it! The first two photos were from this week. The final 2 show the neck/sleeves before I removed them, and me wearing the jumper just after the restyle. #IMakeMyOwnClothes #curvySewingCollective #BHMPatternDesigners #MendMay @mendingMayhem #SewOver50 #sewistsOfInstagram #MendersOfInstagram #ProudOutfitRepeater #ProudGarmentRepeater #FixThatGarmentDontTossIt https://www.instagram.com/p/CdfS7ZLO01A/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

Another #MeMadeMay #MeMadeMay2022 post... Lite version. I used the skirt from the previous post (see for more details). The top is an Unstoppable Cowl from Unleashed Patterns. Unleashed has patterns to fit hips from 28” - 65” which is amazing. @JoHassler will appreciate this. This top is the most satisfying top pattern I have ever made since I learned to sew in 1965. The shoulders are not too big and the arms are not baggy in the underarm. This means that it fits well under my jumpers/pinafores. I adore the sleeves. I was short on fabric, so I made it pretty short compared to my normal tunic length and the pattern standards. If I didn’t need to wear it under other garments, I could really enjoy using the optional decorative buttons. Images: full image, closeup of sleeve cuff and fabric detail. Images from @UnleashedPatterns webpage for this pattern. Measurement grid for Unleashed Patterns. #curvySewingCollective #curvySewing #SewingTops #SewistsOfInstagram #BHMPatternDesigners #SewOver50 #SewOver60 #ProudGarmentRepeater #ProudGarmentRepeater https://www.instagram.com/p/CdaH1zkOzLt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

What day is it, anyway? I’m posting from several days ago for #MeMadeMay #MeMadeMay2022 - This vest is maybe the most fun thing I have made as an adult. It was intended to be a Halloween costume, but it’s so fun I wear it regularly. The front and back panels are printed with black cats (I had one for 17 years) and the side panels have smallish black dots that coordinated. They were Halloween fabric from @joann_stores when I worked there. I made a short purple batik circle skirt the year before, that is perfect with it (see final image). I couldn’t find it the day of this photo, despite it being hanging in the closet in it’s proper place that evening. Go figure! The top was thrifted years ago. The skirt I also thrifted around that time. It is knit, but not top down in a circle. It was knit from the back seam around to the back again, and then beginning/end sewn together. I needed it to be about 2-3 inches larger just at the top. I unpicked the seam at the top, inserted two layers of cotton-lycra/spandex black stretch knit as a triangle gusset and sewed it into the opening. It works GREAT! Since I don’t ever tuck things in, nobody ever could see anyway. Photos include the whole outfit this week, a close up of the restructured waistband, a look at the too-wide neckline which I’ll trim down next time, the vest laid flat on my cutting table, the pattern envelope and fabric samples, and a photo of me wearing it the first time, with the batik skirt. #MendMay @mendingMayhem #SewOver50 #sewistsOfInstagram #MendersOfInstagram #ProudOutfitRepeater #ProudGarmentRepeater #FixThatGarmentDontTossIt https://www.instagram.com/p/CdaAFZyu7Oq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

On Friday/ day six of #MeMadeMay #MemeMadeMay2022 I wore comfort clothes. My sweater started out as a Nashua Yarn store sample for @extravayarnza ‘s former shop. The yarn is an Aran/heavy sweater weight of Alpaca and wool. I loved how it felt. It had a “sproing” to it and yet was very soft. This sweater had challenges. It was ballet pink and shorter than I like sweaters. It had bobbles at the hip and wrists, it had a too-high neck. BUT: it fit and was already knitted. I took it home, and I unraveled the neck, cuffs, and hem. I knit a collar I would find comfortable. I made the sleeves short enough to fit me and eliminated the bobbles. I inserted invisible triangular godets at the hips on both sides. I added knitting at the hem until it was long enough for me to feel comfortable wearing it. (I wear leggings under long sweaters most of the winter.) And then I overdyed the whole ballet pink sweater with a bright blue-purple wool dye. Unfortunately, the overdye has faded over many years but it’s still one of my most comfy sweaters. Oh! And the pants? I sewed them from a self – and drafted leggings pattern and 3X men’s cotton waffle knit sweater left behind by my dear beloved late friend Tony. He would be thrilled to know I had not wasted the good fabric. Ir had enough small flaws in it that I couldn’t give it to charity, but I cut around them. In the second image, I didn’t make anything extra there, but I had such fun once I added both a thrifted scarf and raincoat. Those colors just pulled it all together and made me smile. #MeMadeMay #MeMadeMay2022 #ProudOutfitRepeater #clothesAreNotDisposable #SewOver50 #RemakeClothing #MeMendedMay #KnittersOfInstagram #SewistsOfInstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CdSRfosO2D6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

Day 5 of #MeMadeMay #MeMadeMay2022 was 60F, which is chilly to me. I took the chance to wear these thigh-high legwarmers. I hand spun the yarn from a bag of turquoise and hot green wool roving... (that optically blended into a vibrant green). Ironically, the legwarmers turned out to match this favorite sweater that I thrifted many years before, both in texture and color. The legwarmers were the first draft of what became my Tall and Toasty Stay-Up Legwarmers knitting pattern. I also made the leggings... yes, leggings are pants. (And yes, I cover my “good parts” to make them family friendly. Thin rayon jersey/self-drafted legging pattern. #iMakeMyOwnClothes #IKnitMyOwnClothes #sewOver50 #SpinnersOfInstagram #WoolFanatic #knittersOfInstagram #sewistsOfInstagram #proudOutfitRepeater https://www.instagram.com/p/CdNBpwbOeQr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

Today, the fourth day of #MeMadeMay #MeMadeMay2022 - It was chilly so I wore the pullover version I made of @LucyKnits ‘ Equilateral Vest. I got distracted from making it many times, so I started it in 2005 and finished it in 2012. #NeverGiveUp The yarn is discontinued from Noro. I knit the #BloomShawl designed by my friend @Trish Bloom, published by @knittymag in its early days. I have knit this design many times. It stays on the shoulders and is a pleasant knit. Yarn also discontinued by Noro. I have mentioned my self-dyed/self-machine-knit hat recently. I made the glass bead necklace and glass/wool felt earrings as well. #SewOver50 #I MakeMyOwnClothes #KnittersOfInstagram #SewistsOfInstagram #WoolFanatic https://www.instagram.com/p/CdKe7RaOeS_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

The pure joy of a new rotary blade!!! (Singing!!!) I finally cut out a test mock turtle. I got this fabric so many years ago. It’s organic 100% cotton which may stretch out a bit but it is less likely to bind my neck. — Did I mention how wonderful it is to get a new blade??? Like butter. Happy sigh... #ISewMyOwnClothes #sewOver50 #TryTryAgain #newRotaryBlade https://www.instagram.com/p/CdINZEuuRBn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

Day 3 of #MeMadeMay #MeMadeMay22 - a jumper made from vintage coat-weight wool. Started with @100actsofsewing ‘s #dressno1 pattern. I opened up the armholes, made button flaps on the straps, and lined it. The buttons were from the stash of @otterwise ‘s grandma. — My top was a thrifted Ralph Lauren turtleneck that was too tight in the neck. I cut the neck off and hand-rolled the edge. The hose are teal wool blend, a delight!!! — Second photo, I got chilly and plunked on a huge jacket I bought at Sears maybe a decade ago, and a cowl/shawlette I knit years ago. — The cowl is Zuzu’s Petals by @carinaspencer in @malabrigoyarn @malabrigoyarns Silky Wool. — #SewOver50 #IMakeMyOwnClothes #sewistsOfInstagram #meMadeMayMending #woolFanatic https://www.instagram.com/p/CdH9nLrOAMr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

I just spent a few minutes scrolling through Instagram and I am just done with the posed and curated videos. Talking about being a strong woman or any other aspirational concept, while drinking tea on a patio at sunset on a beach? I’m done with it. The truth is, when I look at still photos from the people I know/follow, I see all sorts of realness. The minute I click on something with sound and video, I end up being shown all sorts of content from people I’ve never heard of before, and they’re all pretending to be rich... and they show a different “outfit” every day, a ridiculous and earth-damaging waste. Some people take pictures of themselves in new clothes at stores so they don’t have to buy them, while pretending they own them). So they’re being ultimately fake and pretending that it’s normal to have disposable clothes. This is what I looked like this morning before I had my 1st cup of tea. I am every bit as strong a woman as I need to be. I’m not curated. I am equally creative, loving and distractible. I have a messy head and I am wearing a shirt I have owned for at least a decade and worn dozens and dozens of times. It’s fraying at the edges and it still does the job. #ProudOutfitRepeater #LetsBeReal #NoFaking #ThisIsWhatMorningLooksLike #NoFilters #NoMakeUp #IAmOver60 #RealnessMatters #AuthenticityForTheWin https://www.instagram.com/p/CdG7YmYpmJs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colorjoylynn]

Day 2 of #meMadeMay #MeMadeMay22 - top down, a hat I machine knit about 2002 with yarn I dyed the first or second time I ever dyed. The vest I knit based on a sweater pattern and then duplicate-stitched/Swiss darned a Charlie Brown zigzag stripe on it. I thrifted the skirt but it was twice the length, so I cut the top off and re-attached the elastic. The cashmere sweater was also thrifted. I wore it a few times and that revealed moth holes. By the time I fixed the first holes I found, I looked and found a total of 32! Most were tiny, but one required an actual darn. I like invisible mends. Thanks to the magnifying glasses I inherited from my FIL and excellent lighting, I accomplished a 1/2” diameter plain weave patch using black (so hard) sewing thread. Mommy taught me to darn in the early 1960’s. She was proud of me. So was I. #meMadeMending #SewOver50 https://www.instagram.com/p/CdFaxdBu9jy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=