Mother’s Day Maxi With Simplicity 1537

This year I decided to participate in the #sewmaxiformothersday challenge. I purchased this stretch cotton sateen from fabric.com. The bold print of this fabric is perfect for creating the look I want. While I don’t see anything like this fabric available now, here is something you can check out. I went through my pattern stash and found this OOP pattern. So I decided to make my Mother’s Day maxi with Simplicity 1537. It’s one of their “amazing fit” patterns that has separate patten pieces for different cup sizes. And with the princess seams, it’s a great way to get a terrific fit in your garment.

Woman wearing S1537 floral print maxi dress

I really like the design of this pattern. As a result of the princess seams, you can create the illusion of a defined waist. I only made one change to the pattern. The pattern calls for a 22″ zipper. Since I didn’t have that, I used a 16″ zipper. The shorter zipper causes no problems getting in and out of the dress. I changed the zipper application to centered rather than lapped. Initially I had done an incorrect lapped application and wanted this easy to install.

You could make the dress longer if you like.

It seems that many people like their maxi dresses to skim the floor. I don’t really like that because it can ruin the hemline of your dress. This way, I don’t have to worry about tripping over it either. This classically designed pattern came out in 2013. One of the reasons I rarely get rid of my old patterns is because I might find that perfect match of pattern and fabric. I think I did that with this particular maxi dress.

This fabric, with its light stretch, has good movement. It washes well and sews up very easily. The stretch just makes it comfortable to wear and move in. If any of you have this pattern, I would give it a go. It has other options for length and sleeves as well.

Conclusion

I’m so glad I finally made my Mother’s Day maxi with Simplicity 1537. This can be a pattern I’ll use again!

Separates Made With Minerva

I was gifted this fabric from Minerva.com recently. It’s a stretch cotton sateen. It washes and dries well and is super easy to sew. I enjoy using fabric like this for outfits like what you’ll see below, because it’s a medium weight that makes garments look fantastic! The patterns used for this outfit are out-of-print (OOP), but you can easily achieve a similar look with a button up shirt and a skirt. So, this post is about my separates made with Minerva.

Top: McCall's 2094
Skirt: Vogue 8295
Separates made with Minerva fabric

What I wanted was the look of a dress, but achieved with separates. Although I do plan to make a shirtdress (and I considered it for this fabric), I wanted more options. With a print this bold, I figure I will give myself the opportunity to break this up.

Top: McCall's 2094
Skirt: Vogue 8295
Belted separates Minerva fabrics

In the photo above I am wearing this belted. That’s a good way to break up the print and add some visual interest to the outfit.

M2092, V8295 top and skirt belted (wide), minerva fabrics separates

In the photo above, I’m wearing this with a wide belt. It’s just a different look rather than the other leather belt.

If you’ve never used this type of fabric, it has a bit of stretch but I think it stitches up beautifully. It’s great for things like this because it allows the garments to have some structure.

McCall's 2094 top made with Minerva fabrics

This shirt pattern is pretty much my go to for this style of top. It has 8 variations, including sleeveless.

Vogue 8295 skirt made with Minerva fabrics

I love the wide band on this skirt pattern. It has some length variations as well. There are also options that are more decorative. Here is a previous time I sewed up this pattern (you might need to scroll down to get to the picture of the skirt). Overall I’m very happy with how this turned out. I love the versatility of this outfit. I can wear it belted or unbelted, tucked in or out, and split the whole thing up! If you want to add some options to your outfits, especially if you want the most from your sewing time, you might want to consider sewing this way. I hope you enjoyed this post on separates with Minerva fabrics. I’ll leave another link below if you want to look at this fabric (or any others they have).

Minerva Jardin Cotton Sateen — https://www.minerva.com/mp/1247273/jardin-stretch-cotton-sateen-fabric-blue&variant=1247262

End of Summer Yellow Dress

Sewing Vogue 8985

There are times when I buy fabric with a plan in mind.. This rayon challis in yellow and white polka dot was one of those. It just SCREAMS summer. This pattern (V8985) is one I’ve had for a few years. I knew that I wanted a simple style that wouldn’t take away from the fun of the fabric. As a result, this is the perfect combination for an end of summer yellow dress!

Yellow and white polka dot rayon challis
V8985

*For more information on sewing with rayon challis, you can check out this post here.

Changes I made to the pattern

I made changes to the pattern to get a look I love. Summers here are hot and humid, staying cool is imperative. It can be too hot to wear a tank top underneath another top or dress. That’s why I added a panel made from white rib knit. The direction of greatest stretch goes across the body. I had to make sure I could pull it over my head since I didn’t add buttons. I did something similar here in this dress.

Vogue 8985 Front view with modesty panel, end of summer yellow dress

You can often add a “modesty” panel to the front of a dress or top.

The skirt lining is sewn together as one with the fashion fabric. I put these with WRONG sides together. This result is the right side of the lining is next to the body which allows for a nicer look. Consequently, this made assembling the in-seam pockets a breeze!

Vogue 8985 Back view with skirt lining, end of summer yellow dress

Those are all the changes for this dress. The changes were easy to make and didn’t change the look or style of the dress. For Fall weather, this pattern can be made from a heavier fabric (something like a poly/wool blend) and can be worn with a long sleeve t-shirt underneath.

Fall plans

Speaking of cooler weather, I am in the process of deciding what I’m making for Fall. That decision is generally based on what I want and could really use.

Vogue 8985 front view with modesty panel and skirt lining, end of summer yellow dress

Until next time… I’ll just keep sewing!