I LOVE this dress! It’s feminine without being frilly or fussy. It’s also surprisingly easy to make. This is one of those patterns that I bought because I really liked the style, but then put off actually making. I thought it would be far more complicated than it was.
I used a linen blend fabric (washable) that I’ve had for a while and a solid purple lining. The only change I made to the pattern was to raise the neckline about 2″. After making the muslin, I decided that that would be a more comfortable neckline for me personally. Originally, the front and back neck are (I believe) about the same depth.
This is not only a great summer dress pattern, but has enough variations (including long sleeves) that it can be made all year.
Until next time… Happy sewing!
I recently had to attend a memorial service and I needed something to wear. Fortunately, I tried on some clothes the day before the event and realized that what I had just wouldn’t do. The dress and skirt were too small. Luckily, I had a piece of black fabric in my stash and this pattern:
I decided on View A because I had just enough fabric to make it (less than a yard). I used a polyester crepe material for this. The lines in this pattern make a simple fitted skirt much more interesting.
The back yoke makes fitting the skirt much easier. While this pattern looks complicated, I assure you it’s not. I finished this is about 4 hours. The skirt is unlined and I think that the next time, I will draft a lining pattern for it.
I didn’t add any design changes or alterations to this since I was in a time crunch. I also don’t think it needs anything (except the lining). The skirt fit perfectly just making it out of the envelope.
Simple, easy, comfortable and quick are the keys to this Vogue Options pattern!
We have ALL struggled from time to time with putting out creative content. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a blog post, sewing project, or whatever the case may be. So, here are a 5 simple ways to get yourself out of that creative slump.
1. Magazines. Whether its fashion, lifestyle or home decor, read whatever inspires you and gets you excited to try something new. I would suggest not limiting yourself to the current crop of magazines. Look at some vintage (or just old) magazines for ideas. You never know what might ignite that creative spark.
2. Reading other blogs. Seeing what others have made is a great way to get inspired.
3. Periscope. If you haven’t gotten into Periscope, you should. There is an entire crafting and sewing community there whose member life stream daily/weekly. I find that I’m always getting ideas, learning new techniques, and finding out about patterns I want to try.
4. Brain dump. Whatever method you want to use, it’s always a good idea to get rid of the mental clutter.
5. Re-organize and clean the sewing room/creative space. Cleaning my sewing area and getting things re-organized always helps me. Just like brain dumping gets rid of the mental clutter, cleaning my sewing room helps get rid of the physical clutter. I have a hard time working in a disorganized space (visual clutter=mental clutter).
Until next time…
