Day and Night Dress Challenge hosted By Elizabeth Made This

Are you looking for a new sewing challenge to begin 2017? How about adding two new dresses to your wardrobe. Elizabeth at Elizabeth Made This is hosting a two part challenge to encourage you along. I will summarize it here, but you can read all the details and inspiration are on her blog.

"The idea is to make 2 dresses--1 with a day look, and 1 with more of a night look. For your day dress, think bold color and vibrant prints. What shows off your personality best? What kinds of styles get you through your day? For your night look, think fancy and black. Where will your little black dress go? To the opera? To a night on the town? To a swanky cocktail party?"

The first part of the challenge is a blog tour that I will be participating in along with several other bloggers. We will be showing our looks and inspiration from January 8-14, 2017. The challenge then opens to community contestants from January 8- 28th, 2017. After that, there will be a voting period where a first and second place winner will be chosen.

Elizabeth has partnered with several great sponsors to build impressive prize packages  for the winners. If I wasn't a part of the tour, I would certainly enter for a chance to win. In addition to the prize package, several of the sponsors are also offering fabric and pattern discounts to participants. Join the challenge and Facebook group for the coupon codes.

I am not sure what I will make for either dress, but I have few options. I am torn between making something that is wearable and "me" or something dramatic, but less practical. I will be posting my pattern and fabric considerations on Instagram. Be sure to pop over there if you want to follow along. 

I hope you will join us!
Happy Sewing,
Bianca

Btw: Thank you for your votes in the Make the Fabric Your Own Contest. My skirt won!

Delving into Art Design Fabric

I really enjoyed my time at The Houston International Quilt Festival and Market last month. If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen some of my exploits. I really enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes workings while helping my friend Cheryl of Paradiso Designs. While not helping, I was walking the floor meeting new-to-me fabric designers and companies. 

One of the companies I discovered is Frond Design Studios and their retail store  Delve MIY. Their fabric is made by transferring artwork to textiles! Their catalog is extensive and beautiful, be sure to pop over to the site and drool. I met the owner, Stephanie Brandenburg, and was given an opportunity to play with some of her fabric. 

 

I love the large scale print of this Weeds design. I took several weeks considering a pattern to showcase the details of the art without breaking it up too much with the seaming. The tunic on Simplicity 8138 felt like a perfect combination .the simple silhouette is a great canvas to showcase the beauty of the dandelions in this print. 

I liked that the back is sectioned into three pieces. It adds interest to the back rather than being cut on the fold. 

Because this was a fast and easy sew, I also felled the seams and stitched them down. 

I found the pattern had excessive ease below the bust. With a cotton fabric, the tunic stood away from my body in an unflattering way; it made me feel boxy. That and the high side slits, I had concerns about my modesty on a windy day. to remedy this, I added two vertical darts to the front reducing the width by about 4-inches.

I like this a lot. I enjoy clothes that make me feel provocative, without looking like it.

I love this tunic. It works for my lifestyle and aesthetic  At its’ base, I am wearing a t-shirt and leggings! This easy topper implies a greater level of style consciousness than my daily kid wrangling knows to be true. Additionally, the fact that the fabric is awesome artwork takes some of the creative pressure off of me. I can be a stylish, and comfortable walking canvas.

I am excited to get stitching on my other Delve/Frond fabrics. Here are swatches of other fabrics I got. I have a definite plan for making some of these into dresses, yoked tunics, and wishy skirts for me and Little Miss. I also have the overly optimistic idea that I might try my hand at quilting...

Genesis from Rosewood Organics

Plaster of Paris in Fennel

                              

Painting Dandelions Linear Mod Petite

Painting Dandelions Panel

Barnboard Whitewash

Painting Dandelions: Wish Petite

Medusa

Painting Dandelions: Grand Linear

I got a bit carried away with the "Dandelions" line huh? I have those in mind for the quilt and maybe coordinating pillows. I love them all and cannot wait to make them up once the Christmas holidays end freeing my time up again. 

Which of these are your favorites and what would you make?

Happy Sewing,

Bianca