Welcome back to part two of my coat making journey. Today, I am going to share how I dip dyed the two-tone ombre hem. It is important to note that I did not dye the finished coat. I constructed the sleeves and the main body and dyed each of the two separately before finishing construction. I am not a dyeing expert by any means but I do feel pretty strongly about ...
Read More
Today's dose of happy is brought to you by the most fantastic parade of fabrics from CaliFabrics! Recently I sewed up the entire Project Street Style collection of 7 patterns, all using gorgeous fabrics from CaliFabrics. If you haven't seen the incredible, inspirational content coming out of Project Run & Play, you really must head over and check out Project Street Style...you won't regret it! First up, here's a look at ...
Read More
The weather is finally cooling here in Atlanta and I’m reminded that I don’t actually have a lot of cool weather running gear. Obviously, as someone who sews, this was something I knew I could, and should, rectify immediately. So, I pulled out my go-to sweatshirt pattern, Hey June’s Tallinn Sweater and set to work designing what I think may be a new favorite sweatshirt. You may notice that I’ve already ...
Read More
For a couple months now I have been working on a pretty time-consuming project that I have been dying to share (pun intended). I have a great big love for coat making and I believe this one makes number 10! After that many coats, I have picked up a few best practices that ensure I get consistent results with each coat and I want to share them with you. But first, ...
Read More
Every holiday I stand in my closet and look for something that is both dressy and comfortable and this year I’m going to have some lovelies to choose from! We usually do quite a bit of entertaining at our place this time of year and with that, quite a bit of cooking so comfort is key. But as hostess, I want to look festive and feel pretty. You’re probably thinking "I ...
Read More
You know that drawer you have in the kitchen with all the random stuff in it? Rubber bands, pens, stamps, coupons, playing cards ... ours also has a plastic baby from a King cake and a ball that looks like a bloodshot eye. Well this post is the kitchen drawer of the Cali blog today, a random assortment of goodies connected by nothing but the fact I made them recently ...
Read More
Soooo...I did a thing. I broke the rules. I took a pattern that called for wovens and made it out of a knit instead. Cue the chiding and scoffing now. But you know what? My rulebreaking worked! Can you guess which pattern this is? It's the Zadie Jumpsuit from Paper Theory! It's official, I jumped on board the Zadie train and let me tell you that the view is nice on here. ...
Read More
Apparently, this is what it looks like when dreams come true. The other day my daughter told me she was shopping and saw a chiffon maxi circle skirt that she fell in love with. I asked her why she didn’t buy it? Because she sews also she had found a few deficits in the skirt that she just couldn’t live with. 1 - It wasn’t long enough (she’s 6’ tall ...
Read More
When I received an invitation to a company "Day at the Races" I knew just where to go for the perfect fabrics to whip up a winning outfit! I am a huge fan of cotton lawn and had spotted this Robert Kaufman London Calling horses print a while back. Kelly green, navy, and white, what is more perfect for race track attire? Into the cart it went, along with a ...
Read More
Ah, pregnancy. It's that magical time in a woman's life where everything is uncomfortable and nothing fits. But in truth there's a lot to be excited about and thankful for - including spandex! Califabric's double brushed knits are truly a gift from the fabric gods and not just for those who are expecting. They are incredibly stretchy, so buttery soft, plus there are tons colors and prints to choose from. I ...
Read More
Back to school means back to ALL the activities and crazy nights of shuttling kids to and from each lesson and practice. This girl is a die-hard dancer and loves getting back into the studio. She spends a couple of nights each week with her dance company and is one of those kids that just dances through life. Her studio requires black leotards so of course, she needed a ...
Read More
Earlier this year I tried my hand at sewing a new (new to me) kind of fabric called Plisse. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen it around as the texture is very similar to seersucker. Plisse is a woven type fabric and is characterized by its crinkled appearance that is a result of the application of a caustic solution that causes the fabric to shrink and pucker. It’s lightweight in texture ...
Read More
I've mentioned before how much I love sewing the designer fabrics I find at Cali Fabrics, and how I like to see if I can sleuth out how the designer originally used it. The Tori Richard designer shirtings were easy – anyone who loves Aloha shirts the way my husband does is familiar with the brand, which has been making quality Hawaiian-style shirts in Honolulu since the 1950's. So, on my ...
Read More
Friends, I have a game changer to share today! I have leveled up my summer sleepwear and I am here to share how you can do it too! Flannel pajama pants and random non-matching t-shirt have been my sleepwear staples for long as I can remember. Don't mistake me, I love my crazy print flannel pj pants in the fall and winter but it has never been my thing during ...
Read More
If you follow indie patterns, then I'm sure you couldn't miss the Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory Patterns bursting onto the scenes this spring. It's one of those magical patterns that seems to look good on everyone - and I mean everyone, because it's available up to size 28! You you know me - why sew a woven when I could make it in a knit? Once again, my trust ...
Read More
I recently received a copy of the new extended size range of the Liesl & Co Rush Hour dress for review on the Curvy Sewing Collective. It's a classic princess-seamed sheath dress or peplum top which is just perfect for a business look. That's one of my favourite silhouettes, but I prefer it in a knit! Luckily, I'd just received my order from Cali Fabrics (Oh happy day!), and I ...
Read MoreHave you heard the rule going around that if you wore a trend the first time, you shouldn't wear it when it comes back in style? Well, I'm tossing out that fashion rule, just like "horizontal stripes make you look fat" and "no white after Labor Day". Let's wear whatever we want! I just couldn't resist this neon pink Liverpool knit from Cali Fabrics! I'm an 80's baby, so neon ...
Read More
You guys, I did it! I sewed the perfect shirt!!! It's pretty, comfortable, not too difficult to sew, and looks so professional! The fabric I used is some very awesome shirting from CaliFabrics. It’s super soft shirting, lightweight but not transparent, so no undershirt required. The particular koi shirting fabric I used can be found here, and they have a whole bunch more shirtings in stock, from more by “Tori Richards” like ...
Read More
You need rainbow arms and I'm here to help you get them! Here's a step-by-step tutorial for making some awesome armwarmers with knit fabric. OK, you don't actually have to use rainbow fabric but it's really cool if you do and Cali has the fabric pictured in this tutorial available here: Rainbow Stripe Jersey Knit. You really just need any knit fabric with at least 25% stretch and some measurements. To create ...
Read More
The modal jersey stripe fabric excels above all other stripe fabric, or so you might think if you saw my family! But it's true that this fabric is one of the best quality fabrics we've ever found, sewn with, and worn. Let me show you how I used this fabric for the whole family! For myself, I sewed a t-shirt using the navy on off-white horizontal pencil stripe stretch modal jersey. ...
Read More