Recent Sketches

Monday, June 19, 2017

Its pretty unreal how busy motherhood keeps me. My days are spent with my happy, energetic, chubby baby and I rarely get a chance to sew. Any free moment I get is spent eating a quick meal or taking a shower. The other day, Peter took a glorious two and a half hour nap (so rare) and I spent all of that free time organizing my self-drafted patterns in a file box and jotting down some fashion sketches I've had in my head for a while.

Some of my sketches are original ideas, but often my inspiration comes from clothing I see on people around me. Either way, they are usually very simple pieces that I could see myself making someday.

A skirt I saw on a blogger, a top I found online, and a full (circle or semi-circle) ankle-length skirt I've been dying to make
Lately I have been daydreaming of skirts because I am nursing, so most dresses don't work for me. This summer I plan to wear skirts every day and I have so many ideas for skirts I plan to make myself.

A pleated skirt, a wrap dress that would make nursing easy, and a loose-fitting bell sleeve top I saw online
Sometimes I sketch things I know I will never make, but they are just too beautiful not to document! Like this sketch of my best friend's wedding dress:

Just for fun, I sketched my best friend's wedding dress! She is getting married in October and I can't wait to see her in it!

Tie Front Top

Friday, June 16, 2017

One style that I have been eager to try this summer is the tie front top. I have seen so many cute ones around. My sister in law made this one and I love it. 
Recently I came across this picture and I'm obsessed! I love that top! That picture was my inspiration for this top.
After a few failed attempts at finding it, I finally did!

The top from ASOS
I got it for myself (obviously) and I made a pattern from it so I can recreate it for myself over and over again.


The pattern pieces
I used a forrest green jersey knit fabric that I've had for a while. I love it because its super soft fabric and really heavy. Plus, the dark green color is one of my favorites.

Assembly was super simple. There were a few minor adjustments I had to make to the pattern as I was sewing the top together. One thing that needed tweaking was the bodice front. I'm not sure if it was a drafting mistake or if the fabric was weighing it down, but the bodice front was too long, making the tie too low for my liking. I shortened it two inches and it was perfect!






I love the diagonal seam details of this top. It is hardly noticeable (especially in the dark green fabric), but it makes a big difference in the drape of the fabric and the overall appearance of the top. I feel really good in this top! I think it is really flattering and comfortable. I like wearing things that are in style but I am not a risk taker. The tie front top is a popular style lately, but this will serve as a staple item because of its simplicity.
This was one of my planned projects from this post

Nursing Friendly with Bell Sleeves Update

Friday, June 2, 2017



Here are some pictures of me wearing the dress I recently made.


The trim detail and subtle color contrast turned out even better than I expected! The front zipper makes nursing easy and discreet.

If I were to remake this dress, I would add some length and I would add even more fullness to the bell sleeves.

Close up of some of the details (and of Peter!) 



Dresses for Weddings

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Wedding season approaches!
Here is a throwback to a few dresses I made myself for weddings over the years.


My good friend Madeleine got married in 2011. Her official bridesmaids were her five sisters, but she told a few friends to wear green so that we could still coordinate. I loved how the different shades of green looked together. 
This isn't a great shot of the dress I made, but I used a pattern from a Built by Wendy Dresses book I had. For years, the patterns from that book were all I used when sewing for myself. I modified the skirt to be a circle skirt rather than A-line and the bodice was pretty basic with a scoop neck and short sleeves. 


In 2012, our friend Rachel got married. Her bridesmaids were her four sisters and her best friend and they wore mint green. The four of us pictured coincidentally all showed up wearing shades of blue. It was unintentional, but it resulted in a cute picture with the bride! 
The dress I'm wearing here is a navy knit dress with puff sleeves. I made it in my pattern making class. 

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