Pattern: Chloe Dress without the cold-shoulder sleeves. Sewn up in a size 12, graded to a 10 thorugh the bottom half. I added a silk panel at the bottom.
Fabric: Rayon crepe and silk CDC from The Fabric Store.
Pattern: Lois Dress from Tessuti Fabrics. I sewed a size 12 through the top bodice and graded down to an 8 through the hips, according to my body measurements. The pattern itself is precise. My grading estimates were not. I started sizing down a little high up in the dress and the result is it fits too tight through my rib cage where the seam is. I added two back wedges to help out a bit. The fit is pretty snug but too difficult to get on and off. I’d love to sew this dress up again but will add some more width and length to it next time.
Fabric: A beautiful silk crepe de chine from The Fabric Store. It is lightweight but not see-through, making this the perfect Summer fabric.
Top Pattern: Blend of Papercut Rise and Fall Turtleneck and Thread Theory’s Strathcona Henley. I posted more details on the modifications here. In this version, I shortened and flared the sleeves. I also shortened the body and added a waistband.
Fabric: Premium merino knits (195gsm) from The Fabric Store. Ivory sandwashed silk for the sleeves in version two, also from The Fabric Store.
Pattern: Japanese Pattern Book by Asuka Hamada / ISBN978-4-579-11642-3
Modifications: Top skirt panel lengthened by 2-3 inches.
Fabric: Heavyweight linen in Cream, cotton blend jacquard. Both from The Fabric Store.
Fabric: Part diamond viscose crepe from The Fabric Store
Patterns:
Evie bias skirt by Tessuti Fabrics
Sewn in a straight size 8. No modifications other than I used 2cm elastic and folded the edge. Elastic waist view.
Ogden Cami by True Bias
Sewn in a straight size 8. Lengthened by 1 inch.
White linen top previously made here.
Here is another little scrapbust that I finished up the other day. It’s so very satisfying to use up the pretty little pieces leftover from past projects. It seems that I like blue a lot.
You’ve seen the striped linen before here. The gingham here. And I made the plaid up as a short sleeve button up for my husband years ago!
The pattern I used is from a Japanese Pattern Book. The ISBN is 978-4-579-11300-2. I sewed up style L in size 13. I found the sizing to be a little larger in this style than I expected. The neckline is especially wide. I can make a style like this work in linen though.
A short while ago, I made a long, linen dress using V9186. I love it a lot. I especially like the shape of the sleeves and collar. I like it so much that I decided to have a go turning it into a little top.
I had to modify the pattern a bit. The original pattern is asymmetrical in design so the pattern pieces are all cut flat. I simply traced one side of the pattern front and back and used those pieces to cut on the fold. I cut it to a top length and left everything else pretty much the same. The top is slightly flared and there’s plenty of ease so no bust darts were required.
It’s a very simple, cotton top. The fabric is a Mini Big Cat printed cotton from The Fabric Store. It’s a lovely lightweight cotton and easy to work with. I’ve got a little extra left over which I hope to make into a Summer frock for Miss Eight. I’m just hesitant to cut into it quite yet, given Miss Eight’s tendency to grow like a weed. I can’t find my particular print on their site anymore, but I think this option would also make a super cute top.
I like this top with jeans. It’s a simple, fresh look that I love. However, I have bigger plans for the top and you will be updated soon (unless you follow me on IG of course!).
In what may become one of my most worn Summer staples, I have made myself a Lou Box Top. It’s such a quick and easy sew.
I used white linen for the front of the top and lovely, cotton jersey for the back and neck binding. Both fabrics are from The Fabric Store. The linen is lightweight. I love the weight of this linen for a blouse. It’s not really sheer at all, but it does have a lightness about it. It would probably need a lining if I was making a skirt or dress. The cotton jersey is a pure cotton, and so soft. I really like the way the two different fibres and textiles pair together; cotton, linen, knit and woven.
I made a minor change to the pattern, simply lowering the armscye about 1.5 inches. Next time, I may add a little more to the shoulde seams at the neckline. It feels borderline too wide and I think I can still get away with making the top as a pullover if I shrink the neck a little. I have one other idea that I plan to try out on my next batch of delicious linen. Oh, did I not tell you, this is going to be my Summer of Linen…
I made a bunch of drop waist dresses several years ago. I absolutely loved them. Two are still in very good condition. They just feel a bit outdated to me, so they have been packed away for another time (or for when my girls become teenagers and want to explore all the old clothes I used to make and wear).
I used the old pattern that I drafted for myself years ago. Sorry, there isn’t a pattern for this, but it is far from complicated. I used French darts and a slightly A-line shape to the dress bodice. I like French darts for this style as then blend in nicely with the A-line shape. The bodice has a hi-lo curve to it, and the gathered skirt is a little longer than I’ve used in the past. I also modified the shoulders to create ties instead of fixed seams.
The linen fabric is from The Fabric Store. It’s such a lovely, fresh print. And for those of you who like to wear linen, but have trouble with the delicious crinkles, I’d suggest you try a printed linen like this. It still wrinkles like linen, but the print kind of disguises them.
This will be such a cool and comfy dress to slip on during hot, summer days. I’ll probably wear it most over bathers, on trips to the pool, or outdoor swim meets.
When I started making this dress, I had an idea of what I wanted, but I was also pretty sure it would not work out. I was dreaming of a maxi knit dress with thin straps, despite the fact that the cotton knit I was working with was probably a little heavy to accomodate it. Nevertheless, I was determined to give it a try, but not without coming up with a three step back up plan first!
The fabric is a deliciously spongy, cotton knit from O’Jolly knits. I’ve used a similar fabric before to make a Megan Longline Cardigan. I know I could have easily made another beautiful cardigan, but I wanted to try something different. What is life without a challenge or two!
I really love this fabric. It’s a pretty knit, a natural fibre, and a delight to wear in Spring and Fall (or Winter in certain parts of Australia). It also launders really well. The cardigan I made in cream a few seasons ago is still going strong, and I wear it frequently.
To start with, I used the Poppy Dress pattern to make a midi version of the dress. I chickened out of the maxi verison, because I knew in my heart that the fabric wasn’t meant for a maxi. Even so, I still wanted to see what I could do with this fabric. I only overlocked the hem, because I knew it was in for the chop.
The only modification I made to the dress pattern was to remove the sleeve pleats. Such a pretty fabric needs no other details. I especially love the matching ribbing that I was able to use for the neckline and sleeves.
The second version of this dress was produced by chopping off the hem to create a mini. I actually think this version is super cute. If I was 15 years younger, I’d wear it in a heart beat. In fact, I’m pretty sure I had a this exact same dress in 1996. And I know, I know… I could still wear it now if I really wanted to. I just don’t feel like this is my style any more.
Which brings us to my third and final version. I lopped off another chunk of the dress to just below the hip level. To the bottom of this, I added a double layer of beautiful, duck egg linen from The Fabric Store. I think the double layer adds enough interest to balance the texture of the knit up top. I used a single layer of linen for the skirt initially and it just looked a bit plain.
I actually love this third version a LOT and have worn it quite a bit already. I like that it is dressy enough for (my) work, but also easy enough to run errands in with a little pair of sneakers. This is my kind of Spring dress.
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