Category: Dress

The Olivia Dress - A Dress for Summer to Fall

9/14/2017

There has been so much going on over here, getting back to school, a new pattern in the works and lots of sewing. I've made loads of samples for the new pattern (I can't wait to share it!), new fall samples for my current patterns and some new transitional and fall pieces for my wardrobe. I'm still busy putting the finishing touches on the new pattern but I thought I'd take a moment to share a quick dress I made to take me from summer to fall.

This is the Olivia Dress from StyleArc patterns. Although this is my first time using a StyleArc pattern, I have a student that's been using them and has had great success. This dress couldn't be easier, 5 pieces in total including the facings which is perfect for me when I want a quick dress that's as easy to pull on as shorts but looks cute enough for dinner. I've been saving some patterns ideas for a dress like this on my Pattern Box Pinterest board and now I finally added it to my closet. The fabric is a medium weight brushed chambray with a white pinstripe from The Fabric Store in LA. This dress is cute with sandals right now but it'll also be great with a darker belt and boots as it gets cooler. For sure I'll be using this pattern again and next time I'm going to add pockets to the sides.

The Olivia dress is easy enough for a beginning sewist but keep in mind StyleArc patterns have minimal instructions with few drawings so some garment construction experience would be helpful.

I'll be sharing more makes and a new pattern soon! Be sure to follow me on Instagram as I share more about what's going on in the studio there.

Keep sewing my friends! Diane

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"I Had To Have That Fabric" Dress - McCall's 7381

6/1/2017

5 Comments

One of my students brought this fabric into class and I immediately fell in love! Not with my student (although she's wonderful and has amazing taste) but with the fabric. I thought about sliding it into my work bag when she wasn't looking or offering to buy it from her but instead she told me she got it from Craftsy and I was giddy to discover it was still available! Yay! For those of you that haven't purchased fabric from Craftsy, all of the their fabrics either come in kits or in precut lengths. I purchased a 4 yard cut so I still have enough for a blouse or shell.

I made McCall's 7381 View A in a size 12 straight out of the envelope but ended up making quite a few changes after I wore it the first time. This is a polyester/spandex knit and although I usually sew with natural fibers, I love the way this dress looks, feels and washes (which is a good thing since I purchased another knit just like it.) The dress calls for a woven fabric and has quite a bit of ease built in, so sizing down to a 10 would've minimized the alterations I needed (and the amount of time it took to take it apart!).

Here are the changes I made:

Made the shoulders 1" narrower (more flattering for me).
Took the sides in 1" on both sides.
Stitched the elastic casing to the dress instead of having it feed through in the seam allowance. A stitched down casing looked less bulky.
Fused knit interfacing to the front neck so it would hold it's shape.

I'm happy I took the time to make the changes even though it took me almost as long to make the changes as it took to make the dress. Every time I need to make changes that require a lot of ripping out I spend days deciding if I should do it or not. I'm always happy when I take the time. "Unsewing" can be very discouraging but I highly recommend taking the chance sometimes.

I've been sewing faster than I've been blogging so I have more to share with you. Summer sewing is in full swing and I couldn't be happier.

5 Comments

Pink Pocket Dress - Simplicity 8258

2/13/2017

11 Comments

One word friends...pockets! What's better than a dress with pockets? And a pink dress just in time for Valentine's Day with pockets that can hold Reese's peanut butter hearts (in case you want to buy me some uh-hem!) This is Simplicity 8258 and I picked this pattern up the minute it came out. I've been looking for a good basic dress pattern and here it is with pockets as a bonus. I sewed it up in a pretty pink and white 100% cotton suiting that was easy to sew. Now I have simple, classic and comfortable dress to add to my wardrobe that lends itself to some great accessories or a cute jacket.

I've made quite a few of these Amazing Fit patterns and find they're easy to work with and since they come with cup size options and offer slim, average and curvy fit it's easier to get a good fit right out of the envelope. That said, here are the small changes I did make:

Removed the center front seam (it's a straight seam so it didn't change the shape at all).
Made the front 1" narrower from apex to apex (this is something I always do and it's particularly important on a princess seam dress. Simplicity drafts an 8" apex to apex and I'm 7". This is an adjustment that's often overlooked but really simple to change).

Lowered the bust dart 1". The placement of the bust dart in the drawing made me a little nervous because there's nothing more unflattering than a dart that lands too close to the apex unless of course you're channeling Madonna in "Truth or Dare". I'm staying out of that movie so you can see in the photo I added a new dart point 1" below the original and redrew the dart legs. Easy and I'm so glad I did it.
I made the pockets deeper so my phone would fit.

I will definitely be using this pattern again. It'd be cute in a cotton print or even a lightweight denim. So many possibilities...never enough time.

I must have pink on the brain because I just finished this denim bag with pink stitching. A happy accident!

Happy Valentine's Day! Diane

11 Comments

Green With Envy Dress - McCall's 7534

1/31/2017

2 Comments

This is a brand new pattern from McCall's that I picked up at the, you guessed it, pattern sale. When I walk outta the store with a new stack of patterns in hand I feel like I just made money and that feels great! Especially when I pick up one I can use over and over like this one.

It's McCall's 7534 and although I was thinking ahead to spring when I made this it is truly a seasonless dress. A simple cardigan would make this great in the fall. The pattern in suitable for woven fabrics although I chose an ITY knit. It's not a fabric I choose very often even though there are plenty of them out there but it turned out to be a perfect choice for this dress. It's comfortable, flows nicely and washable.

The pattern is really simple and goes together quickly. The most time consuming part of putting it together was matching the graphic design before I cut it out. I added 4 inches to the length as I'm a knee length gal but other than that I made it just like the pattern.

I can certainly add this to my TNT pattern list. I'm excited to make it again. Wouldn't it be cute in one of those drapey linen/rayon blends in a pretty color?

Happy Sewing Friends!

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The Olivia Dress - A Dress for Summer to Fall

"I Had To Have That Fabric" Dress - McCall's 7381

Pink Pocket Dress - Simplicity 8258

Green With Envy Dress - McCall's 7534

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The Olivia Dress - A Dress for Summer to Fall

"I Had To Have That Fabric" Dress - McCall's 7381

Pink Pocket Dress - Simplicity 8258

Green With Envy Dress - McCall's 7534

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