Redefining Selfless Sewing With Glam Girl Knit Fabric

I really enjoy sewing for myself and my family. Coordinating with my children is fun for us as we choose patterns and fabrics. They enjoy getting goofy in photos and ask, "will this be on your blog, or in one of the magazines." My husband is a great sport often participating in coordinating family outfits for holidays and photos. I have often asked him what I can make for him offering him his pick of patterns and fabrics. He has little interest in fashion so he usually declines. He prefers I use my time and talent on the kids and me.

When fabric arrives, no matter the print, color or substrate, I jokingly offer to use it for a project for him. With the arrival of Stretch Jersey Knit Glam Girl Black Sparkle from Riley Blake, I knew I wouldn't make him anything, but would make something with him in mind.

This jersey knit with its metallic rose gold sparkle felt like a romantic night out. I decided to make a bodycon date night dress that my hubby could appreciate.

Mccalls 7531 is a fast and easy dress to make with just 3 pattern pieces. I chose to make view D for the neckline with the full sleeve length of view C. Based on my measurements, I made the size medium with no alterations.

The fit and feel of this dress is spot on, but I may lower that back slit just a bit. With movement, knit fabrics migrate upwards causing that opening to travel as well. This dress is a treat for hubby beside me not everyone behind me.

  

This is a comfortable dress to wear and the quality of the metallics is spectacular. It is saturated and bold while being smooth to the touch. 

If I begin to feel self-conscious in this curve accentuating dress, it coordinates perfectly with my Pilvi Coat  for extra coverage. 

For now though, let me set aside the coat, arrange child-care and make a reservation...

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

Chasing Waterfalls

The weather in Texas is finally changing and I am completely here for it! After living in the Midwest for my undergraduate education, I gained an appreciation for changing seasons and the clothes it ushers in. I do not have a need for a full Winter wardrobe, but I love being able to wear light layering garments. 

The window for cold weather clothes here is narrow, so versatile dual duty pieces are a must. When I saw the new Double-Sided Merino Wool Jersey at Nature's Fabric I was excited to add a reversible cardigan to my closet.

 

I have had the Butterick 6244 Pattern in my stash for some time waiting for the perfect fabric to make it up. It is a popular pattern that has gotten rave reviews.

I love the cascading waterfall front that showcases the front and back side of the fabric. 

I made the size 10, based on measurements, and sewed it with no modifications. This is a great fabric and pattern for anyone who is knit phobic. It can be sewn successfully with a standard sewing machine using a zigzag stitch. 

The pattern was fast to sew and and constructed with flat-felled seams. This detail makes it attractive to wear on both sides. 

I considered adding a pleather trim to the edge of the cardigan like Carolyn did here. I had a hard time finding a trim of similar weight to the fabric. The sample I made proved to be too heavy and I decided to forgo it. Instead, I hemmed it the traditional way with the black side toward the brown.  

This fabric feels nice to the touch and has lovely drape. 

I have an extensive pattern stash with vintage and current patterns. I am diligently sewing through them before adding more. I didn't get to this one before it was out of print. If you are looking for an alternative pattern choice, consider the Madison Cardigan by Style Sew Me.  It is longer and cascades along the hem instead of the neckline. It is a favorite among those who have made it and would have been my choice for this if my stash was lacking.

I love this one and know I will get much wear from it this season. Little Miss loves it too and has submitted her Fall sewing wishlist, a cardigan is on it. 

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

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 

If I Sew For Fall, Will That Speed Up It's Arrival?

School is back in session so, for all intents and purposes, Summer is over and I have Fall on my mind. The temperatures are in the 90's and it feels like 100's. I am retouching blog photos to remove sweat drops and shine from my skin. When that fails, I am doing double shoots at different times of day for usable photos. I am so over this season and I am ignoring all of the environmental evidence and shifting my sewing gears.

Seasonal projects that I worked on many months ago with Autumn debuts, are now being released. My Emerson Tote Bag which is a part of the Sew News Capsule Studio: Well Traveled Pattern Collection is live and available for download. The fabric choices, the layers and the transitional pieces of all of the items in the collection hint of cozy, relaxing and comfy times.

In addition to the capsule wardrobe pattern release, I have a cutwork embroidery project in the Fall 2019 edition of Creative Machine Embroidery. Everything about this issue is a far stretch from Summer creating it is a clear shift toward Halloween decorations and preparations. 

 

Looking at the forecast, I have no confidence that the weather will cool down significantly anytime soon. Despite that, my mind has made the shift Fall making. The new arrivals of fabrics at Nature's Fabric has me really excited and I chose a couple of the new prints to add to my stash. The first one I want to share with you is Fall Red Berries. It is a lusciously soft and cozy bamboo/spandex jersey with soft peach, cream and red tones. This is the first time I have sewn with this type of fabric and I love the way it feels. 

I had many pattern choices to consider. Some were exactly my style and others were a slight departure from my go-to. In the end, I decided to go with Mccalls 7973 in view B.

This dress is a bit different from my usual style, but I find the ruffle neckline and gathered sleeves so charming.

I considered making this dress in my favorite maxi length. In the end however, I decided against it thinking it may make me look too matronly. I used my sashiko inspired pattern weights and rotary cutter for fast cutting of the pattern and fabric. The construction was done on my sewing machine and serger.

It came together with ease with the exception  of the sleeve instructions. I initially had trouble understanding, seeing and differentiating the stitching and gathering lines of the illustration. These eyes aren't what they used to be! Eventually, I took a photo and zoomed in to see what I needed to do. Anyone else need to do this?

 

After completing the sleeves, I wasn't pleased with the light density of the gathers I got by following the pattern. I decided to make them more prominent with narrow elastic. After sewing the elastic in place at the top of the seam, I pulled it taut while sewing it down with a zig-zag stitch along the seam.

At the end of the seam, when the elastic is released, the fabric gathers perfectly. 

I love the sweet details of this dress.

I like how the neckline ruffles with cord tie ends frame my face. 

I can't resist a dress that has side seam pockets and I was happy to not have to draft them for this. Now that it is made, I am pleased with decision to keep the length as is.  I am on the fence about how I feel about the width of the side ties. I generally like them wider to cinch in the volume of fabric at the waistline. Considering that this dress is meant to be loose fitting and not cinched, I think I am okay with them as is. 

I am loving this transitional dress! The color of the print, the feel of the fabric and overall style came together as I hoped. 

Stay cool friends and happy sewing,

Bianca