I Love A Little Bit of Sparkle to Glam Up My Pilvi Coat

I love rich florals, earth tones neutrals and muted palettes. They are my go-to favorites. This year however, the metallic fabrics from Riley Blake Designs have made me rethink adding a little shimmer and sparkle to my wardrobe. The Glam Girl collection is a fun and feminine collection featuring ultra trendy rose gold metallic accents.

 

My immediate thought upon perusing this collection was fun and fancy Christmas ensembles for our family. When I suggested it to Little Miss, she had other ideas. She thought the fabrics were beautiful and needed to be made into something that would get regular use. She encouraged me to think about something I've been reluctant to make, but for whatever reason hadn't yet. She suggested I use the fabric as the motivation to get cracking!

I love sewing books but I'm not a fan of tracing patterns. I bought the book Everyday Style by Lotta Jansdotter when it was first released. I made a few projects from the book and I really enjoy them. The Pilvi coat is a project I  have long wanted, but never made. I delayed in part because of the joys tracing patterns, but also because of the Texas weather. As we are beginning to transition into cooler temperatures, I thought now would be the perfect time to make it.

I used the Black Dots Sparkle to make this unlined raglan sleeve coat. 

Once traced, the construction of this project was a breeze. It does not have set in sleeves or a lining making it a good starter coat project.

I omitted the suggested button in favor of making a pressed and tacked lapel from the facing.

To add a bit of interest, I added the Main Black Sparkle as an accent to the underside of the sleeve. It gives me the option to flip it up for fun contrast. 

There is so much shine to this fabric. It is saturated, intense and holds up well to washing. It gives a simple jeans and tank outfit an extra kick. 

Have you procrastinated on a sewing project because of a tedious part? I encourage you to do like I did, get over it! Make it! Love it!

Happy Sewing,

Bianca 

Late Summer Means There is Still Time for a Wildflower Boutique

Earlier this year, Little Miss completely hijacked my Blooms and Bobbins fabric for a tiered maxi dress. She has been out of the "dress phase" for a while and I was thrilled when she asked for a dress for twirling. Her dress was perfect and we loved it. I loved it so much I was envious that she got it and I didn't! That's what good moms do right? We sacrifice for our kids to have the best.

I knew my sacrifice would pay off because there is always more beautiful fabric on the horizon. Enter Wildflower Boutique by Riley Blake Designs. This collection called my name and the blue colorway of the main fabric was just what I was waiting for.

It was time to get the maxi dress of my dreams. This year, tiered maxi dresses are in all of the pattern catalogs. I have bought a few, but none of the current patterns gave me the "umph" I was looking for. I did a deep dive into my stash to find Butterick 5637. 

This pattern has been in my stash since it was released in 2011. I have reached for it many times, but the fabric contemplations never felt right until now. This pattern and this fabric seemed made for each other.

The construction of this dress was easy, with little to challenge an experienced beginner. I made the size medium and used the B-cup bodice. I measure at the C-cup, but based on reviews on Pattern Review, I decided to it scale down. This was a wise decision because the fit is perfect! My favorite feature of this dress is the gathered neck band.

As I said, it is an easy dress to make. I was however surprised at how long it took to come together. Gathering those tiers took a lot of time, but was completely worth it. 

It goes without saying, but I love a dress with pockets. It is especially true of those I don't have to draft myself. I used another print from the collection for fun contrast. 

The back of the dress has interest with the cut of the neckline and shoulders. It requires a racerback or strapless bra and closes with a standard zipper. I am 5 ft. 8 in. and wearing 3-in heels here. The hem length recommended by the pattern is the perfect length for me. 

This is exactly the dress I wanted to make and I feel exactly the way I wanted to feel wearing it! I feel like I'm wrapped in a garden bringing beauty with me with every step.

This pattern is out of print, but is available on Amazon, Etsy and Ebay. The fabric collection is current and arriving in stores now.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca