Jan 22, 2013

Finished: Lauren Moffat top (And how NOT to take photos of yourself!)


I finished my Lauren Moffat knock-off top before the holidays but have yet to blog it because I haven't made the time to take proper photos. (This past weekend I was planning on having my husband shoot me in this chartreuse silk top, but he was in a foul mood that didn't break until late Monday night. Even watching Obama's incredible speech at the inauguration couldn't cheer him. It was Blue Monday after all. At the best of times our photoshoots end in a squabble).  

Last weekend when I met up with Gingermakes, Oonabaloona, Nettie, and Peter, we talked about the challenges of self-shooting. I have a Canon digital SLR, which takes really amazing photos — except when I am trying to get off a few solo shots of myself. 

IN the mirror worked best for me this morning:

Rosy skintone!


The necklace I am wearing is by Native Clutter, Stephanie of Makesthethings.com handmade jewelry co. Before Christmas she sent it to me as a gift with a sweet note saying she thought my blog was funny. It made more than my day: I've worn it so much since then, it's amazing that I don't have a triangle-shaped indentation on my chest. I've been meaning to write about it and link to her — just as I've been meaning to blog about this top.

Sigh. This top:


Behold, the lovely back detail

I blame the lack of photos for not posting, but I've also been putting off writing about it because it was a bit of a failure. A particularly disheartening failure given how much time I put into making this. I made the pattern myself, ripping off the design of this top, a Lauren Moffat black silk tunic top I've had for years:  



 I muslined it, made changes, and was pretty happy with how it was turning out. But then, sweet heavenly grainlines, I forgot to cut the back pattern piece on the fold — a tragic error because I had just enough of this chartreuse silk left to eke out the pieces for this hip-skimming top. And because the back piece had some flare in it, having a seam run down the center back makes it look odd from behind. It just doesn't hang right. Of course I realized my fatal flaw immediately, but proceeded to sew it anyway in the hopes it would still be wearable:


Sigh. I haven't worn it. And here are a few more self-shot photos just to illustrate why it's worth testing the strength of your marriage to get quality pics of your bloggable garments:

Overexposed (and cut off at the shins)

Underexposed and badly composed
No head!

I need someone to tell me, "Stop doing that weird thing with your mouth!" 
So that's my confessional for today (and a reminder not to listen to particularly captivating episodes of "This American Life" while you are cutting your fabric. Double-tasking is asking for trouble when you have a pair of sharp scissors in hand).

Anybody have tips for successful self-shooting with a DSLR?

20 comments:

  1. When I take self photos, I end up doing the same pose and weird thing with my mouth over and over. When my man takes the photos, he ends up focusing on my ass and cutting off my head. Can't win.

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    1. Aw, your man loves your ass. That's sweet. Not like "The Notebook" sweet, but sweet nonetheless.

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  2. Ugh, I hate when I make a silly mistake. It really doesn't look bad, though. Maybe you'll feel better wearing it with a cardigan on top.

    Maybe MY husband can take photos for you! He will be SURE to ask "what's going on with your face?" Or "Is that a smile?" Or "Putting your hands on your hips is, like, a thing?". HA.

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    1. Sounds like my husband...but I'm not married to him so I can't flip out. Good idea! Husband swap!

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  3. I would never had guessed that the back panel wasn't as designed. The colour is gorgeous on you- love it! And photos are the bane of my blogging existence. Poor old husband gets dragged out to the front, take a bunch on iPhone and then wait while I go through them all then ask for just a few more- translation 50- because they are wonky. Patience of a grumpy saint, that man.

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    1. Your funny mugging must make him happy to have that job, no? Your photos are always great!

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  4. I am in your boat!!!! Haven't been able to blog because I lent my newly-facebook-photo-upload-obsessed-dad my camera and he's had it since NY!!
    I'm going to take some selfies in with my iphone tonight cos I really need to blog! :)

    Love the back of this top. PS. You look gorgeous with glasses!

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  5. I think I have the same camera (450D?)I have beautiful pictures of all my family - but any I've taken of myself have been less than flattering!! I have a tripod, but pressing the button and running back to pose just made for some weird pictures. Eventually I gave up and I asked for a remote as my xmas present last year - and with the tripod, it seems to do the trick. Except now I cant find the thingy that holds the camera on the tripod.... one of these days I'll get it together ...

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  6. Such a lovely top. I love the color and design. Too bad it didn't work out as you hoped. I still think its too good not to wear.

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  7. HA HA HA! Yes! Photo shoots with my husband end in a full-blown melt-downs. It's all my fault too. "Eric, I'M the focus! Quit trying to do artsy shit!"

    Your top looks great - I really like the back. You should wear it out. No one will notice the little flaws that are driving you crazy.

    Thanks for the shout-out. You really didn't have to do that! I'm glad you like the necklace.

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    1. Was I clear enough about how much I love this necklace? Because I really love it. It looks great with so many things.

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  8. Love the top and the necklace. The color is stunning on you and love the glasses! g

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  9. I love it, and I kind of like the way it flips out at the back, I think it makes it more playful... I also think it would look gorgeous if you stuffed it into a cute high waisted pencil skirt (or high waisted skirt of any description really....)

    Ans, seriously, props for the self drafted pattern, I've never been brave enough to try to draft a pattern that complicated!

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  10. A lovely top! The colour and shine is great and I love the buttons in the neck. For taking pictures of myself (just my point & shoot camera) I put it on a stable underground (tripod would even be better), and to check what part of the room I'm exactly taking a picture of I use a small mirror if I cannot get behind the camera (holding that behind the camera so I can see what is on the display). My pictures are not as good as yours though, I'm having problems with the light.

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  11. I'm pretty sure I already told you this before on the progress post but I seriously LOVE this top. Like every single thing about it, the cut-out back detail, the buttons, the silk, even the seam down the back (which really doesn't look bad at all, I promise). Seriously though, excellent job! I totally made that same mistake on the last few aprons I made though. I was watching The Bachelor (ha) and completely forgot to cut the pattern on the fold. Gahh, luckily they still ended up working out but STILL. I just hate making silly mistakes like that.

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  12. That color kicks ass on you!!

    Also, I do a weird thing with my mouth/teeth in photos, too. It is SO annoying! These pics look pretty great to me. You don't want to see a photo in my bedroom. Trust me. It looks like our hamper exploded, lol

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  13. My husband is a foot taller than me, so any photos he takes have a really odd perspective and he usually cuts most of my body out of the shot. Seriously, even simple things like holiday shots - In Paris, I asked him to take a photo of me in front of the Eiffel tower. It took about 6 shouts before he even got one that had both me and the Eiffel tower in the frame at the same time. I think he does it on purpose so that I won't ask any more.

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  14. Ah, the photo shoots with hubby. Challenging, indeed. But they always come out sooo much better than anything I try to take myself that I brave it! (And I think that top looks fab, but I understand the heartbreak...)

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  15. Love, love, love this! It's so beautiful!

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  16. I pretty much only self-shoot (my husband is either not home or not awake during the prime sunshine hours), and I have to say the remote control is the only thing that makes it possible. Using the self timer would drive me batty. They're pricey, but worth it. (Check ebay for deals!) I wish I had a tripod, but I just end up standing the camera up on either the bbq or on a stool on a table, propping the lens up with the strap (I really must make one of those beanbag camera supports...)
    I'm also totally with you about TAL being bad for concentration while cutting... I've made many a stupid cutting error while listening to podcasts - but what else am I going to do while cutting, right? I still think your top turned out beautiful. Maybe put it away for a month and see if the imperfections bug you less after a break!

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