handmade wardrobe // StyleMaker Fabrics spring style tour 2020

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.

Handmade Wardrobe // first of spring

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!

handmade wardrobe // lucky green and (rose) gold

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.

Handmade wardrobe // pajama day

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!

Handmade wardrobe // cat lace

coral fabric: cat print by Mirabel Print on silky faille c/o Spoonflower

blue mesh fabric: old, been in my stash forever

my dress: New Look 6616

Penny’s dress: Jilly Atlanta Rosie dress

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I made these matching dresses for us to wear to my brother’s wedding! You may recognize this print if you follow me on Instagram. I had the black and white version printed on cotton knit and made it into some undies and lounge bra back in January. But I loved it so much that I needed it in coral, too! It was perfect for their wedding, because they are cat lovers AND coral was one of their wedding colors. Perfect!

This is my second time making this New Look dress. I think it is my favorite big-4 pattern ever. Like, my perfect style dress, hands down. The pattern also has a jumpsuit version that I want to make, too. I found that it ran really big in the bust/underarm though. I simply took it in a bit at the side seam/underarm and it took car of it.

I only had a little bit of fabric left when I was done, only enough for half a mini dress, so I knew Penny’s dress was going to have to include another fabric. I pulled a handful of options from my stash and let her choose, and she had her heart set on these blue dots as soon as she saw it! I simply lined it with a solid baby pink knit underneath and also used it for the straps. I love how it turned out!