Blog
Both of our dresses are self drafted
fabric: double brushed poly knit from Cali Fabrics
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Not much to say here. Just had this striped fabric sitting in my stash for awhile, and really wanted to do some directional play with the stripes, just wasn’t sure what to make. Comfy secret-pajama dresses seemed like the right answer for these days.
But really, I just wanted to show you this pretty flowery photo spot.
Pattern: Lara Sanner Truffle coat
fabric: water repellent raincoat fabric from Fabric Godmother UK (no longer available) Lining is just a black rayon I had in my stash
tee: older handmade Megan Nielsen Patterns Rowan bodysuit
skirt: H&M
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I made a raincoat! I made a raincoat! I don’t know why I was so nervous about this one. Ive made a cold-weather coat before (for Miverva Crafts that hasn’t been posted yet) in cotton and sherpa, using the same pattern. So I knew what I was doing. But I think something about this slippery, almost plastic-y water repellent fabric kind of scared me. That, and I’d never applied snaps like these before. But the fabric was actually a breeze to sew and the snaps were easy to install. So there was nothing to be worried about.
We’ve had so many rainy days lately, so this is perfect timing getting this done. For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to hold off finishing it until mid-May! I had ordered the wrong zipper, and by the time I realized and went to re-order one, the shipping was saying it wouldn’t arrive to the second week in May. Cue tears, because I already had the coat started and I hate leaving projects half done. But then by some magical mystery, the zipper ended up showing up on my doorstep only a few days later anyway. A miracle! (the zipper was just ordered from Amazon, btw. And the snaps are just basic ones from Joanns).
dress pattern: McCalls 8036
mask pattern: by Craft Passion
fabric: scribble dot by Erin Kendal on silky faille from Spoonflower
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Today’s my birthday, and obviously, it looks a little different this year. Some birthday stand out more than others, year to year. For example - I’ll always remember my 30th birthday because we got to spend it in Maui. And now I’m sure I’ll always remember my 33rd as the one where we had to stay home all the time and where face masks to go outside at all. But I was still determined to make myself a pretty dress and take pictures in front of this mural. So I whipped up a face mask to match and off we went.
I’ve been dreaming of a white with black dot wrap dress for awhile now, but I was pretty determined to find a specific dot print. I wanted black dots on white, but not white white. I wanted off-white/ivory/cream. And I wanted tiny dots, not big polka dots. And I wanted them to be scattered, and slightly farther a part, not uniform and close together. I told you - specific. And I was having trouble finding exactly what I wanted. I'd fond a fabric that was the right color and dot size, but uniform and close together. Or I would find one that actually had everything I wanted, but it was in a sheer chiffon, which I didn’t want. So I turned to Spoonflower, because you can find anything on Spoonflower. It’s not the most exciting print to have custom printed on fabric, but it’s finally what I wanted! I went with the silky faille, because I’ve worked in that substrate twice before and I was familiar with it and it was close to the weight I wanted (although I almost went with double gauze!).
I decided to go with McCall’s Sasha dress for the pattern, and went with the shorter, ruffled hem view. I didn’t alter anything, so this is pattern as-is. I only have two complaints: 1. it is shoooort. Or atleast for me. Maybe I’m just not used to wearing this length. But where it wraps in the front does make me feel like the slightest breeze will cause a wardrobe malfunction. and 2. I don’t think I love the shoulder pleats on the front bodice. I think I would definitely prefer for it to be laying flat there. Especially with the poof in the sleeves, the extra poof at the front feels a tad excessive. But I l do ove the big poofy sleeves! And all the ruffles! And overall its a very wearable and cute dress and turned out really well!
my top: Friday Pattern Company Adrienne blouse in a cotton modal jersey and embroidered cotton eyelet, both from Style Maker Fabrics
my jeans: Megan Nielsen Patterns Dawn jeans in bleached non-stretch denim from Sew Me Sunshine
Penny’s top: self drafted in same fabrics
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Weeeeell, I think its safe to say that I’ve been pretty productive during this pandemic/time at home. I have now finished another pair of Dawn jeans (my fourth pair!), and another Adrienne blouse (also my fourth!).
Even though this is my fourth version of this knit top, it is my first time using a woven for the sleeves. The color of this embroidered cotton matched perfectly with the coordinating knit, so it was a perfect opportunity! I also created this look with the sleeves by simply creating the elastic casing a couple inches above the hem, using bias tape, instead of the casing right at the hem. I love how extra poofy it makes them! And of course, I used the leftover of the embroidered cotton to make this cute little top for P. It’s made the same way a basic elastic skirt is made - two rectangles sewn at the side seams, and an elastic casing along the top edge. I just simply added some tie straps to make t a top instead of a skirt!
Now, these jeans. Do they look a little tight? Because they’re a little tight, ha. My other three pairs were also tight to start, but broke in eventually after a few wears. So hopefully the same happens here. But these are a fun denim! Its not actually a white, even if it appears to be in the photos. Its more of a really really really bleached blue. Barely blue/grey-ish tint. It’s something different , and I love it. I stuck with the gold topstitching and hardware for contrast (although I haven’t added rivets yet. or even ordered them yet, whoops).
P.S for anyone that might be wondering - We take these photos in a spot close to our house where its quiet and there are no other people. If we expect to pass by or even see other people when we are outside, we wear our masks.
fabric: floral jersey french terry from Style Maker Fabrics (old, no longer available)
hoodie: Style Arc Fitzroy hoodie
pants: Style Arc Como pants
Penny’s jumpsuit: Lowland Kids overalls
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this set is probably one of the most realistic of all my makes right now, haha. LEt’s be realistic - I’m still making all the pretty dresses and jeans, but all I’m really wearing during this pandemic is loungewear. Sweatpants. Sweatshirts. Hoodies. All day every day. And you know I loooooove a good matching set. A matching loungewear set is no different. I feel like a matching set elevates it and makes it feel like you actually got dressed in an actual outfit, instead of pajamas haha.
But anyway - this is my second pair of como pants. I’m usually a jogger type of girl, but I’ve really been feelin the cropped wide leg sweats look lately. I do feel like this pattern runs a bit small. I want to go up a size next time. Even though its a stretchy knit, it does feel a bit tight around the hips, and pulls the pockets open. Nothing too horrible, but I do want to address it for pair number 3.
on the other hand, this is my first Fitzroy hoodie! Loooove the fit. The only change I made is switch out the sewn in pockets for a self-drafted kangaroo type pocket instead. Nothing much to say, just super comfy, and I’m super happy with it.
Same goes for P’s matching outfit - I could not get over how cute this jumpsuit was on her as she was running around playing. I can only imagine how comfy it was, too!
fabric: Piccadilly rayon designed by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics
my skirt: SewDIY Lela skirt
Penny’s skirt: self drafted
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Hey everyone! Today, I am the next stop in the Mayfair Showcase! Amy Sinibaldi is one Art Gallery Fabrics talented designers, and her latest collection is called Mayfair. It is a collection reminiscent of flower filled neighborhoods around London, and it is gooooorgeous.
I got the chance to sew up these skirts using the rayon option in the collection - the Picadilly in sunset rayon. The coloring definitely comes across as more of a brighter orange-red in the photos, but IRL, its more rust-y, and a tiny bit more muted than in the photos. The print is so delicate and elegant and so pretty. I wanted to let the print shine, without to much frill, so I went with a simple skirt for my look. The pattern is the Lela skirt by SewDIY with the knee length curved hem, angled pocket, and a widened waistband so I could add a little paperbag waist ruffle detail. Pretty simple overall, but oh so cute. Now, the rayon fabric is opaque enough, but it is very lightweight. I didn’t add a lining because I have a few slips that I usually wear under skirts. But you may want a lining, depending on what you’re making and your comfort level.
Penny’s skirt is a quick DIY skirt - just a a rectangular piece with an elastic casing for the waist, and an added second rectangular piece that has been gathered for the bottom ruffle. I love how my skirt has a little ruffle at the top, and hers has one on the bottom. Oh, and I did line hers with a lightweight white lining.
That’s it! Hope you enjoy them. Make sure you check out Amy’s instagram to see the other makers participating in the showcase. There are some super talented quilters using all of the pretty cottons in the collection!
fabrics: mocha gauze sweater knit and blue floral rayon crepe, both c/o Stylemaker Fabrics
sweater: Megan Nielsen Jarrah sweater
skirt: Tessuti patterns Evie bias skirt
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I had so much fun the last time I participated in the Stylemaker Fabrics style tour, so I was excited when Michelle asked me to participate again! This time its the spring style tour, which is my faaaaaaavorite. Coming out of that winter haze to some sunshine and color is the best, you know? And with all of the covid-19 craziness going on right now, It’s nice to have something pretty to look forward to.
So, I started out by picking out this lightweight floral crepe, because - florals for spring, duh. Ha. It’s very light and drapey , but pretty opaque (except when held right up to light. depending on the application, you may want a lining. I didn’t, though). But really, this floral was kinda giving me some 90’s vibe, so I decided to go with a 90’s style slip skirt - which also happens to be very “in” right now. It’s seriously one of the easiest skirts to make, once you master cutting on the bias. And also, just a note if you’ve never cut in the bias before - it will change the direction of a pattern. But since this floral is more of a all-over multi-directional pattern, it didn’t really matter. Bt yes, easy -just a couple of side seams and then elastic at the waist, and DONE. I love it. I can see me wearing it with a basic tee, knotted, with a denim jacket thrown over top. Or even a nice woven cami and some heels for a dressier look. For this outfit, I chose to make a boxy, cropped, sweater for a casual in-between season look.
The sweater knit is a very lightweight gauzy knit, and it comes in a few different colors! It is gauze-like, so slightly sheer, but not completely. I used my go-to sweater pattern- the Jarrah sweater, which has many view options. For this one, I wanted a boxy cropped look. So I went with the banded hem view, but left off the band and just turned under the fabric instead. For the sleeves, I went with the vented sleeve hem option instead of cuffs, to give it the same vibe as the hem. This helped give it a loose, lightweight sweater feel, and less sweatshirt-y. I actually had just made another Jarrah sweater in a similar color, but with a heavier fabric and in the tie view. So I felt a bit silly making another Jarrah in the same color. Buuuuut this one is a lot more lighter-weight and will be worn in a completely different way, so thats how I justify it, ha. It’s the perfect warmer-weather sweater, for cool spring days or cool summer nights.
And thats it! I hope you like it! Make sure you check out all the other stops on the tour. Follow along with @stylemakerfabrics on Instagram to keep up to date on everyone. Girls In The Garden is up next! And if you haven’t checked out Stylemaker fabrics before, do it! Michelle carries some of the nicest and best quality fabrics, both woven and knit.
Fabric : pucker gingham from Joann
my dress: Megan Nielsen Darling Ranges dress lengthened and with added ruffle hem, buttons by Tabitha Sewer
Penny’s dress: Oh Oh My Sewing Sunflower dress
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We may be living in a crazy time right now - self isolating, staying at home, etc, but I can’t stop making pretty things. Sewing keeps me occupied and sane. So while we technically don’t have anywhere to wear these pretty dresses right now, it makes me pretty happy to have them made and in our closets.
My dress is an old tried and true for me - the Darling Ranges dress. I made it maxi length by simply extending the skirt pattern (its a rectangle, so easy to do), and adding an additional rectangular piece ruffle on the bottom. I also brought the neckline up by 1”, and made it sleeveless by just leaving the sleeves off and finishing the raw edges with bias facings instead. I probably should have brought the armscye and shoulder seam in a little bit, so that the shoulders are not so wide. Bt alas, I forgot to.
I was so excited to use these Tabitha Sewer buttons with this fabric! They are called the ‘macaroni’ wood buttons, but I actually see little rainbow shapes. My only regret is not purchasing just one more pack of them to use on P’s dress too. I actually didn’t realize I would have enough fabric left to make anything for P, so that’s why I didn’t. But I suppose that’s an easy thing to swap out if I decided to go back and purchase more later! For now, I’ve used some vintage mix-and-match white buttons from my my grandma’s old stash for hers. Still cute!
dress: M7947 in a viscose linen slub from Blackbird Fabrics
buttons: Tabitha Sewer rose gold buttons
shoes: Old Navy
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All of our St. Paddy’s day plans have been cancelled due to Covid-19 (rightfully so, they definitely should be), but that doesn’t mean I can’t still wear and show you the cute dress I made, right?
I actually had an inspo photo of a green dress just like this saved in my photo album for quite awhile now, and it turns out that this pattern is an exact match for that look. Like, EXACTLY. Lucky lucky! I made the midi length view with the shorter elastic sleeves. I also added a sash belt, which is not included in the pattern. The only alteration had to make is shortening the length of the front elastics. With the elastic length provided by the pattern, it was too wide and gaping up front. But it was an easy fix!
And these mirrored rose gold buttons are the perfect accent for this lucky little dress! Have you seen Tabitha’s button collection yet? They are soooo perfect and modern and cool. I snagged a few different ones and I can’t wait to use them.
fabric: bamboo cotton french terry from La Mercerie
my top: Megan Nielsen Jarrah sweater
my leggings: Megan Nielsen Virginia leggings with optional cuffs
Penny’s top: Megan Nielsen mini Briar tee with straightened hem
Penny’s leggings: Megan Nielsen mini Virginia leggings with optional cuffs
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Nothing crazy to see here, just some simple matching cozy jammies for doing what we do best - lounging all day long, haha.
Just one note about using these leggings for pajamas - If you’re going to use a french terry like this, even lightweight, definitely go up a size! Fabric like this doesnt stretch quite as much as a jersey knit or activewear knit, so it’s best to size up. But otherwise, I like it as an option!
