Body Confidence

Let me tell you, there is nothing that makes you feel like a million bucks more than a great bodycon dress! I've used the heavyweight 4-way stretch knit before and it is still one of my favorite fabrics from Cali Fabrics.  This time I went with the black and tan colorway and I couldn't be happier with my dress! This fabric is pretty much perfect for a form-fitting knit dress.  It's nice ...

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Blank Canvas

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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A little chambray dress

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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Handmade and distressed Morgan Jeans

Not Your Boyfriend’s Jeans: Distressing Denim

Ah jeans...one of the most ubiquitous articles of clothing in modern American culture, yet one that makes most sewists break out in a cold sweat.  After all, jeans are HARD, right? Well, I'm here to tell you that no, jeans are not hard and they may be one of the most satisfying things you ever make! I was among the large majority of sewists who are scared to death of jeans until the ...

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Sweater knit for cold winter days

While most of the Cali Fabrics staff may be pretty comfortable with their warm California winters, the rest of us have been suffering through an insanely cold winter!  But luckily, our Cali Fabrics friends haven't forgotten us tundra-dwellers -- they still have a great stock of heavy sweater knit fabrics for all the cozy sweaters we could need. Take Exhibit 1 -- this lovely and cozy Named Talvikki Sweater! I used this ...

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Katie KC Suiting

Another look at suiting

I think many apparel sewists (including me until recently), tend to overlook suiting fabric because we're not actually making a suit.  But suiting fabric can be so much more! As my projects have started to branch out, I find myself frequently looking for fabrics that (1) have the weight and opacity of bottomweights, (2) have more drape and fluidity than your typical twill or denim, (3) come in a variety of solid ...

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Katie KC Camo

Army Inspired — My Camo Pants

Almost as soon as I finished my first pair of Pattern Emporium Ladies Harem Pants (for which I happened to use a rayon crepe from Cali Fabrics), I knew that I needed a second pair, this time in camo.  Camo fabric, combined with this pattern, would make my ultimate pair of army-inspired casual comfy pants. And sure enough, Cali Fabrics had just what I needed!  For these pants, I passed by the ...

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Katie Lee: Penny Raglan

Penny Raglan in Bamboo Jersey

If you've ever read my blog, it should be no surprise that I love bamboo jersey.  In fact, it's probably my favorite knit fabric to work with.  And that means I'm always on the lookout for good quality bamboo jersey at reasonable prices because let me tell you, that stuff can get expensive! I've purchased bamboo jersey from a number of places at varying prices, but I never thought to look for it ...

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Hey, I’m Katie!

Hi, I'm Katie from the Creative Counselor, and I'm very pleased to meet you all and be part of this great blogging team! I'm a mom of three wonderful kiddos and a lawyer and corporate litigator at a Midwestern firm.  That's what I do for my day job -- in my free time (ha! what mom really has any "free" time?) I like to sew, knit and be crafty. I've embraced a ...

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