It's always hard to find a good dress for the holidays. You want it to be stylish, but not too avant garde. Comfortable but not frumpy. This year I took matters into my own hands and made the best holiday dress ever. Okay, so maybe it's not the best ever but I still think it is pretty darn great. I used Vogue 9253 - a kimono sleeve dress with a deep V-neck. ...
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Despite loving the style of sheath dresses, I tend to wear them only on business formal days because they’re so uncomfortable. Enter the Lodo dress - comfortable enough to wear any time of the day or night. The Lodo is a sheath dress made from a stable knit. It features subtle sleeves, a v-neck, and two length options. The best thing about this dress - other than its ease of wear- ...
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Comfortable work wear is something that I always struggle with. I want to look polished and put together, but still be able to shelve books, sit down, and not want to change half way through a shift. A few months ago I tried on a ponte pencil skirt from a ready-to-wear shop and thought -- this is it! Ponte pencil skirts look just as polished as other pencil skirts but have ...
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As I mentioned in my last post, I have decided to focus on sewing some more me-made basics. In my mind, there is nothing more basic than a striped tshirt so that is what I set out to make! My style tends toward the vintage; I prefer longer skirts, cinched in waists, and 50s silhouettes. All of this meant that finding a tshirt pattern I liked was a challenge. I considered ...
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I don't know about you but I really enjoy sewing for special occasions. Give me a dress pattern, a complicated pants pattern - I'm there! Unfortunately, sewing only fancy outfits leaves me all dressed up with no place to go. I decided it was time to sew some practical outfits, starting with some loungewear. For my top, I made the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater much loved around these parts (check ...
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When setting out to make a costume for an event, be sure to plan your entire design around a tiny piece a fabric that you found in your grandmother’s stash. Bonus points if it is falling apart and tremendously difficult to sew with. Don’t even think about using a ready-made pattern! Why make it easy on yourself?! If you want to make harem pants, it is logical to start ...
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I've always love the look of suede skirts for fall, but haven't ever found one that suited me. I like skirts that are full and long, not tight, short, and covered with buttons. I love circle skirts and ever since I started sewing last year, I've had this skirt in mind. I read a lot of tutorials and none of them made sense to me. In case circle skirts confuse you ...
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Do you remember when you were a kid and you got a new toy that you’d wanted for ages? Once you got it you were too scared to play with it, right? You were afraid of messing it up. Well folks, that is EXACTLY how I felt about my new serger. When I got my sewing machine I said, “If I stay with this sewing thing for longer than six months, I’ll ...
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For my first Cali Fabrics project, I chose a gorgeous orange embroidered eyelet. I immediately gravitated toward this fabric because of its gorgeous color, but once I received it, I became even more enamored with its overall design. I like that the eyelet openings are relatively small, meaning that I didn’t have to worry as much about underlining. Plus, the embroidery ensures that the design is visually interesting! Since the fabric ...
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