Making Lemonade with Liberty Emporium

Have you had a project that does not go right from the beginning? I've been sewing for quite a while. I don't very often have sewing mishaps with commercial patterns. I know what size to cut and any adjustments I need to make it right before I sew. When I saw the Liberty Emporium fabric collection by Riley Blake Designs, I immediately had a plan in mind for the two fabrics I chose. I was planned to make a mixed print tiered dress. 

I loved the dress I previously made with Liberty cottons and had planned to make a new version with a different pattern. When the fabrics arrived, side by side, I didn't think they would work like wanted. I was slightly disappointed and decided to change my plan. I switched it to make a pattern that has been in my stash waiting for the perfect fabric match.

I absolutely love the sleeves of view A of this dress! I immediately planned to use the Melton Rose F print to make it. I thought the quilting cotton weight would define the sleeves very well giving some drama to the fairly simple dress.

I made it up in my usual size and was surprised to find it was a complete disaster! The bodice was too big and where it met the skirt, stood away for my body in a very unflattering way. I showed my honest, supportive family and they unanimously decided it was an epic fail. They determined that and I looked like a pregnant mushroom! I was disappointed, but knew they were correct. 

I wanted it to work and I did not want to waste this fabric. I put the dress in timeout for a moment and decided to make a dress with the Merchant's Tree print. 

After reading Pattern Review opinions of the Cynthia Rowley, Simplicity 8264 mini dress, I thought I would have success with this fun minidress. 

I love the ruffled neckline and details on the sleeves.

My knee surgeries of the last year have finally healed. I no longer need to wear support braces that require the camouflage of maxi dresses and long skirts. My recent makes have been a celebration of that fact.

I made this dress straight from the package with the only adjustment being adding some back darts to pull in the fullness as one reviewer recommended.

I love this fun and flighty dress. The time away from the failed dress was just what I needed to rethink that garment. The sleeves are the best feature of that pattern and I wanted to preserve them. I reworked the upper bodice and took away some of the fullness of the skirt. When that still failed to satisfy as a dress, I cut the front open, finished the seams, and added some buttons to close it. These few changes allowed me to convert the abysmal dress into a coordinating topper for the dress. 

I got to salvage the sleeves I loved and make something wearable. 

I would not have conceived this combination from the beginning of this project. Now they are paired together, I like it a lot.

The work and success of the sleeve construction made it worthwhile for me to attempt to save this dress. I am glad I decided to not call it quits with this seemingly failed project. 

When you have an apparent sewing fail, what helps you decide if you will keep going or throw in the towel?

Bianca

Pieced Chevron Erin Dress

The turning of vintage quilts into wearable coats is a growing trend in the maker community. I love the idea have a few candidates under consideration. Until I can make a final decision I decided to add some quilt blocks to a new dress. 

A friend gave me the Erin Dress pattern by Style Sew Me a few months ago. I loved the oversized t-shirt style, the pockets and adorable side ties. I have seen a few versions of this dress in fun prints and bold colors. I decided to put my creative spin on it with a mash up of quilt blocks and cotton jersey hand-sewing. 

I chose organic cotton jersey from Nature's Fabric in Brick, White and Beige. This knit fabric has a nice weight, but on its' own would not hold up to the rigors of the manipulation required for piecing. It needed to be stabilized so it would hold its shape and not get wavy.

I will walk you through the steps I took to make this dress. Cut two 12in.x12in. squares of the beige and the white jersey fabrics. Place them in a gallon size freezer bag, saturate them with Terial Magic, squish around to absorb the product. Once you are confident they were covered and damp to the touch, pressed them dry with a dry iron.

The product changes the hand of the fabric allowing it to behave as a starched woven fabric. To make the blocks, pin one white, to one beige fabric, right sides together, raw edges. Draw diagonal lines from corner to corner.

Using a walking foot, stitch 1/4in. on either side of the drawn line. (My disappearing marker works fast!)

Cut the blocks along the drawn lines to form 4 triangles, then again down the centers to get 8 triangles.

Press the block open, fold the seam allowances toward the darker fabric. Trim the dog ears from the corners.

Audition potential layout options and choose the one you like best. Each one has it's own appeal and I figured I could not go wrong whichever choice I made. If you use 4 different colors of squares, you will have more design options from which to choose.

 

Stitch two squares together at the center in a 1/4in. seam allowance. Stitch two pairs together along the long edges. 

Repeat until the panel is complete and is as long as the dress. If it is longer, trim it down to match or fold the pattern up a bit to shorten the pattern, like I did.

Add enough fabric on either side of the pieced panel to fit the width of the dress, cut and stitch to complete dress front. Follow the pattern instructions to complete the dress.

I originally cut the medium size in this pattern. When I factored in the the knit fabric and structure of the panel, I decided to size down. I folded down 1in. on the center front and center back reducing the circumference by 4in. I also made this adjustment to the facing pieces.

When I conceived this dress idea, I knew I wanted to add hand sewn accents, but I wanted to see it before decided on the placement.

I decided to use button and craft thread in the color Natural, to stitch the seam allowances down on the Brick and Beige.

I love the texture it adds to the shapes. I washed the dress to remove the Terial Magic and return the jersey to its normal hand.

I considered a panel on the back as well, but thought the front only was more striking.

I love this fun and sassy mini dress!

With all the possible panel choices and my stash of cotton jersey, I am pretty sure I will be making more versions of this dress. My hubby's reaction to the slight opening at the thigh, all but confirms it.

Happy sewing,

Bianca

Holiday Time is the Perfect Time for Cozy Sparkle

I am so happy it is Winter holiday time! We have been teaching our third and sixth graders  virtually while we work from home since the start of the pandemic. We did not opt for the on-campus learning option for our school district thinking it was the safer choice. Throughout the semester, there have been weekly notifications of new Covid-19 cases among students and staff in both of their schools. It is unfortunate, but reinforced our decision to teach them at home. We are grateful for the opportunity to have them at home and keep them kids safe. That being said, since Spring, it has been a lot! 

We are all at home on Christmas vacation relishing the opportunity to spend good time together. We are enjoying holiday fun, activities and relaxing. For me, relaxing self-care includes taking advantage of every opportunity to sleep in. I love a cute pair of pajama shorts and needed to make a few new pair. This wonderful Sparkle Basics from Riley Blake was a perfect opportunity to come up with a new sleep ensemble.

I chose the Drawstring Lounge Shorts from the Sew Quick + Easy pattern collection I edited for Sew News. It is a fast and easy pattern with an elastic waist and drawstring casing. It is perfect for beginners but also great for a quick and easy project for someone with more advanced skills.

I whipped up a pair in the Text Rose Gold  and the Small Stripe Rose Gold prints. I layered both fabrics for fast and easy batch cutting and sewing. I was delighted to see how the fabric matched my Strong Women Pattern Weights.

I topped them both with ready to wear tops already in my wardrobe. I added a cute pocket to the tank top version and left the V-neck, as is.

I added a cute self-drafted sleep mask to trick my body and kids, into maybe, one more hour of sleep.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I hope you find time to rest, recharge and relax in a way that brings you joy and peace.

Bianca

The Season for Plaid

Fall and Winter are the seasons for plaid and I wanted to add some, in the form of pants, to my wardrobe.

When I was deciding on my plaid choice for those available from Riley Blake Designs, my heart was drawn to the All About Plaids Tartan Blue Green. I had nostalgic feelings reminding me of my childhood days. This print is similar to my grammar and high school uniforms. Girls were required to wear dresses and skirts, but much to my chagrin, never pants. This was my chance to rebel. 

Plaid matching requires a bit of time, concentration and extra yardage to get it right. When done correctly, it is always worth the effort to me. With this fabric, I did not want to make a complicated project, just an everyday pair of pants.

The no-side seam pants by McCalls is a great no fuss pattern. It consists of two pant legs and waistband facings, that is all.

The simplicity of the pattern means the plaid only needs to be matched at the inner leg. It's a great pattern for those hesitant  to try plaids for fear of getting it wrong.

The fit is easy and relaxed and the fabric is comfortable. The cotton is slightly lighter weight than standard quilting cotton so it falls nicely without being stiff. 

   

These pants fill a hole in my wardrobe and I love that they pair easily with my other memades.

If you have been reluctant to sew plaids because of the complexity of matching, don't be. Start with a simple pattern, fabric you love and go for it.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

Liberty Florence Palazzo Pant Suit in Solstice

 

If you have been here before, you know I love a bold print and love to use them in fabulous maxi dresses. Dresses for me are an easy go-to choice for no-fuss dressing. They are usually my default choice when deciding what to sew. When I deviate to separates, it is usually toward pants with my favorite style being the wide-leg variety. 

I discovered Austin-based Morris Textiles at QuiltCon in March. I was delighted to find a relatively local source for Liberty of London fabrics and patterns. The Liberty Florence Palazzo Pant Suit immediately excited me and was added to my sewing queue.

View B, with the long sleeve wrap top and yoked wide-leg pants was just my style.   

I had plans to make this set with an upcoming Liberty  of London print. While I waited for it's release, Leisa shared the new Sally Kelly Fabrics that she was stocking. The prints in the new collection are fabulous and I knew I wanted to use one of them for this project.

 I chose the Prince Paisley lightweight canvas from the Solstice line.

The first time I made a Liberty of London pattern was the Beatrix dress I made earlier this year. The construction of that dress was straight forward and the sizing corresponded to that of commercial patterns. I found that to be true for this pattern as well. I made the wrap top straight except where I doubled the length of the ties because I thought they were too short. If I make it again, I will lengthen the bodice for a bit more coverage at the waistline.

I made the pants with no modifications. I love the fit, length and fact that they have side seam pockets. This pattern will be making an appearance again; I think this is my new go-to pants pattern.

I love this set. I am however, on the fence about whether wearing both pieces together is too much of a good thing. I like that it is separates so I can mix and match each for a more subdued ensemble. 

I found very few projects made using this pattern on social media or review sites. I think in part due to the fact that the pattern is not size inclusive. The largest bust measurement for this is 44in. and the widest hip measurement is 46in. If you need to make fit adjustments, the simple lines of each makes it a good candidate.

I am glad I waited on this fabric for this pattern. It is just the look and feel I was hoping to achieve.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca