Jalie Rose top

Have you seen the recent new Jalies?  This one, with all the cute makes, caught my eye!

This, as you can see, is a classic button down with modern styling.  

I used a telio woven from my stash.  I really love the colors and the floral pattern of this.  The collar is a lightweight denim from my stash.

This pattern is exceptionally well-drafted (as usual for Jalie).  The directions are fantastic (as usual for Jalie).

Directions have you use your full-bust for the size you choose.  I made a W.

The fit is spot on, at least I think it is!

I lowered the bust dart by almost an inch.  I deviated the hem line a bit as it is written.  

I added a pocket but it's hard to see on this busy print.  I even cut it on the bias but it's still somewhat camouflaged.  I can see making many more of these and especially if I lengthen this to a dress length and add pockets!

I hope you are making some great summer garments!

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Papercut Moana top

Surfing the web one night and on the hunt for something 'different' for summer, I came across the pattern company Papercut based out of New Zealand.  One of the fun things about the internet is that you can have instant gratification with sewing patterns that are offered as PDFs.  Am I right?  

I came across this top/dress and was quite smitten.  Here is the description from the site: 

Meaning “sea” in Maori, our relax-fit dress or top features a ruffle waist that dips slightly at the back with gentle shaping though the body. The Moana dress includes bust darts, exposed back zip, back darts and optional gathered skirt.  

I made the top.  

This gorgeous fabric is from fabricdotcom.  It's a poly crepe.  It is so much prettier in person than in the photos.

Since I am much too old for a cropped top, I lengthened this 1.5" both front and back.

The armscyes are finished off so beautifully in this pattern.  You basically 'burrito' each side and end up with a beautifully finished bodice.

I am very proud of my rolled hem.  I'll make a tute on this soon as I found the technique outlined in several Craftsy classes and it works slick!  

I changed the exposed back zipper to a button and loop.  I try to use elastic hair bands that coordinate/match my fabric when possible.

I have a few tweaks to make for my next version including lowering the bust dart, widening the hips a bit and also the back upper back slightly.  Anyhoo, I really like my new top and I will be purchasing more Papercut patterns!

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Bondi Woven top

Do you yearn for a woven tee like I do?  There are some out there but I haven't been enchanted with a pattern prior to this point.  Here is my latest crush:

This pattern is perfect if you are new to sewing garments.  This is super forgiving fit wise, and it will  use a quilting cotton, perfect for if you are a quilter or have a stash of relatively smaller pieces of fabric you really want to create something wearable out of. 

I purchased this fabric for a dress and then had some left over.  I thought this top would use it up well and guess what, I was right! 

Instructions are really good for this.  They practically hold your hand as you sew this together.  So if this is a new venture for you, you can easily pick this up and create a relaxed fit top. 

Just to have some fun, I ice-dyed this fabric using blue, silver, and magenta.  It's very subtle, and I simply love it.  I also used a hemstitching needle at the neckline to give it just a little pizzazz.

I highly recommend this pattern if you are new to sewing, if you love the idea of a woven tee, or if you have lots of fabric pieces that aren't enough to create an entire garment from but you want to do something with. 

I hope you are all enjoying your summer!
Sue

Dress drama! Vogue 9268

Once again, my stash is getting a bit out of hand.   I wanted a few sews that would use an entire piece of fabric I have instead of most or two-thirds of it.  This dress came to mind. 

I simply love the drama of this skirt and the neckline.  I simply had to make it. 

A dress, with this type of skirt, just make you want to twirl!

It was a bit breezy out and keeping everything in check was a bit difficult.  

I don't think my fabric has quite as much structure as the designer.  You can see on the pattern envelope how her skirt hangs at the sides.  Mine is much softer.

But I still love it.  I made just a few minor alterations. One was a swayback and the other was to add a band at the neckline.  Oh and I almost forgot that I eliminated the front and back center seams.  I think that by doing this and adding the neckband, it made the neckline higher.  Just to compare, look at the envelope, the neckline is much lower.  

This is just a luscious knit I purchased from a somewhat recent trip to Baton Rouge.  I had 3.5 yards of it, the perfect amount for this dress.  I have a wee little scrap of it left that I really need to donate.  Someone will hopefully snatch it up and make something super creative out of it with some additional fabrics.

Look how awesomely full that skirt is!  I love my new dress!  

Sue 

April Rhodes Staple dress

Hello all!  Are you enjoying summer?  I needed a few fast sews that I knew would have great results and this dress didn't disappoint.  Here is the pattern:



Super simple and very cute, right? 

This is an easy fit dress and that shirring at the waist is very cute.  If only my machine could have handled that elastic thread <insert grrrr... here!> 

This was a kit I purchased from Fabric Mart.  It had the pattern and fabric included.  The fabric, btw, stated April Rhodes design....hmmm....seems like a perfect match!

As I said before, the elastic thread in my bobin case didn't work.  I also tried zigzagging over the thread but hated how it looked on the dress front and back.  I carefully removed it all and just belted this and am very happy with the 'look' and fit.

This is an easy-peasy dress that's a fast sew, seems well drafted and is a blank canvas to let your imagination run wild.  I can totally see making this again and again given the right fabrics and the right inspiration.

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

What to make when you dye your own fabric

I recently needed a mo-jo boost and saw some cute fabric and pattern kits on Fabric Mart's site.  This little simple dress was one of the patterns and I liked the fabric that was in the kit with it.

This dress has lots of images online of people who've used the pattern.  Every version I saw was very cute!  So, I thought I would purchase this kit and give it a whirl.

I however decided to use my recently dyed lightweight denim from my stash.  I thought this fabric screamed summer and I wanted a simple dress pattern to pair it with.

I spent a lot of time fitting this pattern to me and is still needs tweaking, but I really like this dress and will wear it anyway.  

You can see at the bust line it is pulling.  I will have to continue to fit that area.  It probably didn't help that my denim also has some stretch to it.  When you mix that with the fact that the dress is cut on the bias, that could be a recipe for disaster.

Most of my fitting issues were in the back.  I made a HUGE swayback adjustment and still needed to pull it up at the neckline.  Sorry for not showing you back photos!  I also moved the zipper to the side seam.  That requires a modification at the back facing, but it wasn't a big deal at all.  

I wore this dress to work and received so many compliments on it!  Now that I've figured out how to fit this pattern to me, I will make it again.  

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Polka-dots for summer! McCall's 7242

I love dresses, summer, and polka-dots!  How fun is this dress?

This dress was made for my June Fabric Mart post.  I immediately fell in love with the cotton sateen and knew exactly what I was going to make from it.  That hardly ever happens!  Typically I hem and haw over what pattern to use but I've had this McCall's pattern on my sights for a while and when this fabric was online, I knew it would be perfect for what I had in mind.

  

I love how this dress fits.  I only made an FBA after I tissue-fitted the front bodice.  However, this dress was LONG!  I am 5'7" and I chopped at least 2 inches off the bottom.  The skirt is that long!

How adorable is this pattern?  It is designed as a loose-fitting dress with a mandarin collar, hem and sleeve variations, and an elasticized waist.  It also has a back that is pleated onto a self-lined yoke.  

If I was 20 years younger, I would have left this longer and worn higher heals with it.  

This fabric washed and dried like a dream.  It required very little pressing straight from the dryer.  Don't you just love that?

This dress was super simple to put together.  The pattern is well-drafted and I am positive I'll use it again.  

So little gapsosis at the armscye.  What a win!  I really love this dress!  

Thanks for reading!

Sue