Naturally Dyed Knit Dress

My most recent make is a simple, fitted knit dress, perfect for spring time! 

As I mentioned in this Instagram post, I love having the ability to make clothes custom fit to my body and my style. This dress is a comfortable length (not too short for chasing a toddler around) and its fitted but not too tight. This thick ponte knit fabric from Joann is very forgiving, also not at all see through! 

One night I was itching to sew something, but I had no project in mind. I started digging through my stash, hoping to use up something that I already have, and I stumbled across this white ponte knit from Joann. 

I knew right away that I wanted to make another knit dress (my last one gets worn all the time!), however I didn't want it to be stark white. 

Luckily I've been saving onion skins and avocado pits to naturally dye fabric, so I pulled my red onion skin stash from the freezer! 

I boiled the onion skins in a big pot of water for over an hour. I then got the fabric wet with hot water and put it in the dye bath (I used my sink since my pot was not big enough for that much fabric). 

The fabric soaked overnight and the result was this beautiful blush shade! It was just what I wanted, something light and breezy other than stark white. 

Such a beautiful subtle pink color!

I am so inspired by the beautiful colors that Sara from Farm & Folk achieves from natural dyes and the beautiful quilts that she makes. 

I plan on doing a lot more research and learning all I can about natural dyes.

I got started right away with turning it into a dress! I used the same self drafted pattern I used for my last dress, serged it all together, and used a double needle for the hems. It all came together (cut out and sewn) in less than two hours! 

I am so happy with how it turned out! It will be a staple in my spring/summer wardrobe, and I might need to make a few more. 

For my body type, I have to lengthen dresses to avoid them being too short, and I often have to drop the waist (my torso is very long). I love the freedom that comes with sewing my own clothes. I get to make whatever works best for me and as a result I have a closet full of clothes I feel so great in!

My husband coaching me on how to pose

Me Made May 2018

I survived my first Me Made May! 

I thought it would be a breeze because 99% of what I make is for myself. 

I quickly realized, however, that I only had about 15 items that would work. Some of my me-made items only work in the fall and winter due to material or color. I was much more limited than I thought, so first thing I did the night before May 1st was make a new top. 

Here are the photos I got each day of my me-made items, from the 1st to the 31st: 

I had a lot of repeats, and five of the items were made during the month of May. 

My goal for the month was to wear one me-made item each day.

Im really glad I followed through with it because it pushed me to get creative some days and it motivated me to make more.

I've come away from this experience with a new goal (one I've never considered before): I want to have a 100% handmade wardrobe someday soon.

Tiered Ruffle Sleeves

My last trip to the fabric district began, of course, with a stop at Michael Levine Loft! 

My sister-in-law Rachel and I both left with a matching white and orange striped knit. 

I knew right away that I wanted to make a comfortable summer dress. 

The next morning, my son took a long nap and I was able to start and finish the dress in one sitting!

The pattern was simple. I grabbed a shirt and a pencil skirt from my closet that fit me well and I laid them out on the fabric and cut around them, adding some room for seam allowance. 

I did the same thing for the sleeve.  

I was inspired by this top, so I measured the circumference of the sleeve hem and I cut two strips of fabric that were one and a half times longer than the circumference, one strip wider than the other. 

Trying it on to check the fit! 

I used a double needle for all of the hems and it created such a clean finish! 

I wore this dress multiple times that first week! It is my favorite me-made item so far, but I've said that about each item I make... 

I am really loving the sleeve detail! I will probably be adding the same tiered ruffle to more things I make this summer. 

Pleated White Skirt

A couple of years ago I made my sister in law a pleated skirt for Christmas. 

It was inspired by this skirt. I love it because it is such a classic style and a simple to make. 

On my last trip to the LA Fabric District, I found a heavy ribbed knit in white that I knew right away would have to be used for a pleated skirt. 

All I had to do was measure my waist and create these even box pleats. I chose to make pleats that were 3 inches wide because I wanted them to be even, including the zipper addition, and my waist measurement was easy to divide by 3.

The first row of stitching to secure the pleats in just the right places

I stitched across the skirt at the waistline once the pleats were all pinned in place. After that I stitched again next to the first stitch to ensure the pleats were perfect and secure. After that, I attached the waistband to the front of the skirt. 

I took advantage of the stretch in the fabric when making the waistband. I often make waistbands that are too big, and I didn't want that to happen again, so I made sure to measure the waistband with the perfect amount of stretch. 

After attaching the zipper, I stitched in the ditch to secure the inside of the waistband down. 

I used my sewing machine's blind hem stitch and foot for the hem. It is one of my favorite tricks with sewing hems on dress pants, skirts, anything! 

I wore my new pleated skirt with the pom pom sleeve tee I made recently. I loved the white on white with a small pop of color. It is one of my favorite handmade outfits so far.

Close up of the ribbing detail in the skirt fabric

I love the way the skirt fits! I am so glad I measured the waistband a little smaller than I normally do. I made all the difference. 

My Favorite Skirt

My favorite skirt has been my favorite since 2012 when I made it. 

It is a simple circle skirt made from a heavy textured fabric I found at a thrift store during my college days. It is the perfect weight for a flowy circle skirt and has the most beautiful drape. 

The pattern for a circle skirt is so simple. A true circle skirt would not have any seams or closures and would probably have an elastic waist. I made mine with a waistband and an invisible zipper at center back. It has side seams and a center back seam.

I took my waist measurement and used one fourth of that measurement as the width on the back and front pattern pieces. The skirt front piece was cut on the fold and the center back had some extra seam allowance for a center back seam. 

I wear this skirt on a regular basis and have yet to find a skirt I love more, store-bought or handmade. I do, however, need to replace the zipper sometime soon. When I do that, I will also let the waist out a little bit. It was always a tad bit too tight..

When I hold the skirt out, it shows how full it really is. I love the fullness!

My parents' yard was the perfect dreamland to take a few pictures after church. My husband was so sweet to take these pictures for me. 

Also, I had to get a few twirling shots to demonstrate the beauty of this skirt.

Linen Wrap Dress

My best friend is getting married in less than two weeks and I wanted to make the perfect dress to wear to her wedding. I've also been so excited for fall fashion and the colors that come along with that. I'm most excited about reds!

I found this pattern on sale (for $1!) and fell in love! I've been dreaming of wrap dresses lately for nursing convenience.
However, when I finally got the perfect orange-red linen/rayon fabric and had time to cut out the pattern, I noticed I got the larger sizes. Dang it! There was no way I would be able to grade the pattern to my size.
Since the pattern is normally $20, I figured I was better off just making my own similar pattern than buying a smaller size. I was looking forward to using a store-bought pattern (mostly just to see if I have the skills to follow a pattern, because I'm not so sure...), but self drafting is my jam and I am alway down to create a pattern!

A simple sketch I did a few months back of a wrap dress

I got started right away on making the perfect wrap dress pattern inspired by the one I bought. It took me ALL DAY to make it! My poor baby was crawling around trying to eat the tissue paper as I was drawing and tracing and calculating.
After cutting out the pattern, pinning it to the fabric, and cutting out the fabric, I spent a couple hours assembling the pieces. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the assembly was. I think this particular pattern might have been my most well made one to date!

This particular wrap dress has a full skirt, bodice princess seams, and a beautiful tie around the waist.

 

I made sure all of the darts matched up at the waist.

At the neckline, I used bias tape to finish off the edge. It gave it such a nice, smooth finish that I wouldn't have gotten if I simply turned under the linen fabric and sewed it down.



To finish off the raw edges, I used a zig zag stitch on my sewing machine. None of my serger thread colors came anywhere close to matching the color, so this was the best option.



After making the dress and finishing off all edges other than the hem, I attached the tie and created a hole under the left arm for the tie to pass through.





Once I tried the dress on for the first time, it felt a little casual for a wedding. The linen fabric is very soft and has a cozy vibe to it (plus, it wrinkles easily), but once I dressed it up with heels and jewelry, it looked perfect for the wedding! I tested it out and wore it to church this weekend and I love the way it turned out!

Nursing Friendly with Bell Sleeves Update

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

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. 

Clayton Clothing

My brother Lane is a very talented seamster (male form of seamstress? Maybe correct?). In his free time, he makes ties for himself, stuffed animals for his nephews, and beautiful custom pieces for friends. He is also an entrepreneur and is always coming up with business ideas and putting them to the test. 

He and his good friend started a business called Clayton Clothing. They sell handmade, stylish ties and have managed to keep very busy doing so. They even do custom orders for wedding parties.
I know from experience that ties are not easy to make. The pattern, cut, and assembly have to be perfect to get a symmetrical and straight tie.
I'm really proud of them and very impressed with all of their hard work.

Jesse sporting his handmade Clayton Clothing tie on Easter Sunday

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Unforgiving Corduroy

I love being pregnant and couldn't be more thrilled to become a mom soon, but I am also excited to have a waist again!

So here I am reminiscing about projects past. 

This is a skirt I made three years ago. 

This corduroy fabric I found at DI and its a gorgeous bright blue/green color.

As part of an assignment one semester, I had to create a clothing line, complete with sketches, fabric swatches, inspiration, and a title. The idea for this skirt stemmed from one of my sketches. 

My storyboard. I had imagined a line that was simple, yet beautiful that would effortlessly make any woman the best-dressed one in the room. 

The issue with the fabric is that it has ZERO stretch. 

I used my sloper pattern to create a simple pencil skirt pattern with darts at the waist. Sadly, it may not fit me well post-pregnancy. The fabric has no stretch. 

Hopefully I will be able to adjust the darts and side seams if needed to get a little more use out of this pretty skirt. 

Cape Verde Tie

A couple of years ago my brother, Lane, went on a service trip to Cape Verde for two weeks. When he came back he brought a strip of brown and white fabric and a yard of fabric for me. I made a baby quilt with my yard and Lane requested I make him a tie with his small strip of fabric (not sure why, because he also sews and the ties he makes are flawless!). 

I recreated the same pattern that I used for Jesse's tie. In my opinion, it is the perfect width!

One trick I've used a few times is using the lining and structural reinforcement from an old tie for my new ones. I go to thrift stores and buy a few ties for dirt cheap and then take them apart.

The old tie I took apart next to the new fabric

Here is the project almost completed with maroon lining. 

One huge mistake I made with this project was not leaving enough fabric as seam allowance in the back. If I had left it as it originally was, It would have been a much thinner tie, but I didn't want that. I added a strip of fabric and tacked it onto the back to cover both raw edges. 

It made the tie a little bulkier and I bet my brother kind of regretted asking me to make it after seeing the outcome!

Baby Blessing Dress

In my children's clothing class in college, one of the assignments was a baby blessing dress. I won't get any use out of it any time soon, but I am saving it for my baby girl some day!

I used two types of white tricot fabric: sheer and opaque. The bodice, sleeves, and both skirt layers all have sheer tricot laying over opaque tricot. The two layers gives the fabric a really pretty sheen. 

Tricot is perfect for a blessing dress because it is super soft and stretchy.

The two long skirt layers. Each layer is finished off with thick satin ribbon. 

I wasn't sure what embellishments/trim to add to the dress at the time. I'm glad I kept it simple because my style is always evolving and my options are endless! I can always add lace or more ribbon later. 

Wrap Dress with Flutter Sleeves

Last week I went into LA with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law to do some fabric shopping. I only had $40 with me, so I was nervous I wouldn't be able to get much. To my surprise, I got all the fabric I wanted for less than $6! Michael Levine Loft is the best. You really have to search and dig, but it is totally worth it!

I got white chiffon and two matching red and black floral print chiffon. I love the alternating colors, and I immediately knew I would make a dress with flutter sleeves. 

My sloper pattern pieces! I use these for every project! They match my (old) measurements perfectly

I decided to make a wrap dress! 

I wanted it to be a true wrap dress with flutter sleeves and a circle skirt.

The bodice front required some adjustments once the dress was all put together. The waist line sloped downward way too much, so I adjusted it so the neckline would lay flat and not gape open. 

Close up of the flutter sleeves, the alternating colors of the fabrics, and the skirt. 

Don't mind our dead garden.. The wind blows so hard here, our sunflowers stand at a 45 degree angle!

I've been wanting to sew something with flutter sleeves for a long time. I've been wanting to make a true wrap dress for an even longer time! I'm so happy with how it turned out. If I were to make it again, I would make the skirt about 3" longer, and I would adjust the neckline so I wouldn't have to wear an undershirt with it every time. 

I still have a large piece of white chiffon from the LA trip, and I am definitely making something else with flutter sleeves.