Welcome to Chambray Week on the Cali & Co blog! I'm thrilled to be kicking off the week, particularly because I am really happy with how my project turned out! Most chambray is pretty lightweight, which makes it great for tops and dresses, but not the best for pants. So when I saw that Ron had stocked this bottomweight chambray in the perfect shade of chambray blue, I snapped up a couple of ...
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The time between March and May is difficult dressing season. Waking up in the morning, it's freezing but by lunchtime you feel ready to don a summer dress! A shirt dress is the perfect solution - easy to throw a cardigan over but still cool and casual. You may remember this isn't my first love affair with a shirtdress; last year I made the Alex Shirt dress from orange chambray. Though I ...
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Are you ever surprised by a fabric crush? While scrolling through the CaliFabrics new fabric selection, I came across this Earth Floral London Calling Cotton Lawn by Robert Kaufman, and somehow it just spoke to me! What did it say, you ask? “Buy me and use me everywhere!” Who am I to disobey the siren song of fabric? For my older daughter, I sewed the Apple Picking Dress pattern by Oliver ...
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Isn't this bicycle print lawn just the cutest? I love everything bicycle so I had to have some. Turns out that after moving to my new house in Austin, I also needed a shower curtain for my tub-style shower. This was a quick and simple sewing project that takes only a couple of hours, but made a huge difference to my bathroom. I paired the bicycles with a white lawn to ...
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Hello readers! I'm very happy to share this project! It's one that's been in my dreams for a while and now, it's finally become a reality. I love to take plain fabrics and transform them into something unique. This blouse was just a simple white cotton lawn before I embroidered it. Now, it's a bespoke beauty showcasing my love of our state flower -- the California Poppy. For this project, I used a ...
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Hello readers! I've been doing some historical sewing lately and I'm happy to share this late-Victorian lace blouse. It was an easy project and a versatile piece for my growing historical wardrobe. As I mentioned in my last post, I made this blouse (plus underpinnings and skirt) along with an outfit for my husband. It was quite an undertaking sewing all of that in a short period of time and I definitely ...
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I have finally reached a point where instead of making the latest, greatest, shiniest thing, I'm making wardrobe staples to replace the ill-fitting RTW (Ready-To-Wear) clothes in my closet. It might sound boring to some but I find some of the greatest satisfaction in making clothes I will wear the heck out of and not just for special occasions. Enter the Sewaholic Granville Shirt: I LOVE this pattern to make shirts ...
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I'm a bit of a rebel when it comes to seasons and fabric. I probably should start sewing with all the heavier-weight fabrics that keep us warm as the weather cools down, but right now I find myself gravitating towards gorgeous, breezy cotton lawns and bright, candy colored spandex knits. Cali & Co. does not disappoint with their selection either! I had some pretty tough choices to make, but I'm ...
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Hey, Sewists! Now that I knocked the last bit of summer sewing off my list, I am ready for fall. Fall is my absolute favorite season because of the wool textures. Plaids, houndstooth, herringbone, you name it when it comes to wool and I want it. It is still a bit too warm around here for wool just yet, so I am easing into it by making some pieces that will ...
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Okay, so this post may be a little misleading because you can't actually buy this exact fabric from Cali Fabrics. But you can make it yourself, just like I did! This Willow tank started out life as this yummy double gauze that you can get from Cali Fabrics. And guys, I am not joking when I say this is yummy. It is soft and fluffy and everything double gauze should be. I wanted to ...
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Look who's breaking all the fashion rules...wearing white after Labour Day! That's not really a rule anymore is it? I love a white and grey color palette and I plan to wear it through the fall as long as I can baring I have no major coffee or red wine mishaps while wearing these jeans. Cali Fabrics seems to carry lots of lovely knits that I am always drawn to. So ...
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Can you believe these four cute looks are really only three garments? This mini "buh-bye-summer-hello-fall" capsule wardrobe is made with versatile fabrics and fun reversible patterns. The tee is one I made earlier, so by sewing only two more items - the Reversible Hoodie Vest Pattern and the So Flippin' Cute Skirt from Tie Dye Diva Patterns, I got multiple kid-approved looks while only sewing two things. Mom for the ...
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I was so indecisive on what to make with this lovely dark gray cotton chambray! I was going to make shorts, but then realized that shorts weather was quickly leaving us here in the US. Then I thought about a fitted button up, and then a casual button up before finally deciding on this simple shift dress: The great thing about chambray is that it makes the perfect styling base for ...
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Hi Readers! I absolutely LOVE using heirloom techniques to add interesting details to everyday clothing. Yes, they take extra time, but they really add that extra little bit of casual couture that makes your clothing stand out. For this dress, I used my TNT pattern -- the Decades of Style ESP Dress and some lovely cotton eyelet (or broderie anglaise). The fabric for this dress started out white. I chose this lovely ...
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Look, friends! Color! Haha Contrary to what one might think scrolling through my past posts for Cali Fabrics, I love color and am a particular sucker for blue and white prints. For me, it’s a combination that’s easily wearable year-round, can be dressed up or down, and evokes memories of east-coast summers. So, I’m sure it’s not hard to imagine how quickly this print jumped in my cart! Isn’t it amazing?! ...
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Happy first weeks of Summer, Cali&Co Readers! Time to stock your wardrobe with garments to help you beat the heat in style. And this year, I'm all about the wovens! Here's a sampling of what I'm sewing with, and my takeaways. Enjoy! Tencel Chambray What is it? It's a stable, lightweight fabric that sews up as easily as standard chambray, but added Tencel fibers adds drape, wrinkle resistance, and a softer hand. ...
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The weather is turning hot, hot, hot and my wardrobe needed some serious help! I've been wanting to make the Oceanside Pants from Blank Slate Patterns for ages. They are a breezy, relaxed fit drawstring waist pant or short that look amazing in lightweight fabrics such as linen or chambray. I snatched up this perfect lightweight indigo tencel denim and it was exactly the look I wanted. Several of us Cali ...
Read MoreThis summer, I'm determined to experiment with fun trousers styles. There has to be more to life than skinny jeans, right? First and foremost, I needed a good flowy fabric that was also robust enough for pants. I was so happy to find this tencel denim on the Cali Fabrics site! (It's sold out right now, but I hope there will be more stock soon!) Tencel is a really trendy fabric right ...
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Hi, readers! I've been a fan of 1920's fashion nearly my entire life, but it's only been the last five or six years that I have really gotten into actually sewing and wearing styles from that era. All of my 20's garments thus far have been essentially costumes for themed events, but this time, I've made one that I'll actually wear in everyday life! In walks the Decades of Style 1920's Isabella ...
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After a little break in which I had a baby, I'm excited to be back to talk about sewing for tweens! I have 2 kids in this age category, and 3 that have gone through it, so you might say I have a little experience! In this post I'm going to share with you my experience on fabric to use in sewing for tweens. Choosing fabric for tweens boils down to what ...
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