Ladies, winter in Washington is no joke. Except today. Today, we were lucky. My husband and I caught the last rays of sunshine before darkness fell in front of a local mural. He always has the best photo spots. 

I'm super excited about today's post because it is extra special. Not only did I sew a tried and true, but it's my first sew from Simply By Ti Fabrics! I have worked with Ti on several occasions and was so excited when she started a fabric shop. She focuses on quality fabrics and is big on education. Just message her and she's happy to recommend fabrics based on your project. Perfect for the beginner sewest or someone trying out a new fabric. 

I sewed up the Papercut Patterns Coppelia Cardigan (for the millionth time) and used a drapey rayon spandex from Simply by Ti fabric shop and it's lovely. It's still very drape-able and flow-y but it's not see-through!

This is definitely a new favorite of mine. So far, I've worn it on two dates, on a mini vacation, and to work several, several times. It's cozy and I just adore this pattern so much! I do believe next time I make it I'll blend the waist to the next size up, I think my hips are expanding and the bottom of the shirt rolls a bit. It does the same on my sweater knit version, too. Guess that means my hips are... widening. Haha 

Did you see that stripe matching?! I was pretty excited, too. lol I don't know exactly what size I sewed, I printed this a long while ago and can't be bothered to go find it now. I SHOULD sew XXS for the bust and XS for the waist and hip which is what I will do next time. :)

Be sure to check out the Simply By Ti Facebook Page and Facebook Group. Tibeca goes "live" every Thursday to teach us about sewing related things. Some awesome tips I've picked up is which direction to use a criscross thread cone vs. a straight thread cone, what the best types of seam rippers are, and a lot of info on different types of fabrics! She also posts in her group and page when she's having a sale. :) 

 Details

Fabric: Simply By Ti Rayon Spandex

Pattern: Coppelia Cardigan by Papercut Patterns

There are no affiliate links in this post, however, I did receive my fabric at a discount from Simply By Ti.

Fabric and pattern for this post purchased by me. Though, this blog post does contain affiliate links so I can sew warm clothes. ;)

It's November already, and it's freezing already in Washington and obviously I decide to make a summer dress. Obviously. 

For this month as part of the Striped Swallow Designs promotional team I bring to you the Summer Dawn Wrap Dress. This one was a favorite of mine since it's release. I actually planned to sew this dress for the wedding I attended in August but Jupiter and Mars didn't align with the sacrificial goat ceremony on the full moon. (The fabric shipment and sew time didn't want to cooperate with my work schedule.) So I put it off until now! Anyhow, the pattern + my doting husband makes me feel like a total fox.

The wrap dress comes in sizes XS to XXXL and is a really flattering shape on many body types. It sure makes me look shapelier than I feel... Ahhemmm... boobs...  

In fact, the Summer Dawn has been gorgeous in every picture I've seen!

Best of all, the PDF has layers so you can print only your size. God send.

We went to a local college campus for pictures and it was approximately freezing. Does anyone else feel super awkward posing for pictures in front of people? I want to make my husband a shirt that says, "It's okay, she sews." Or "This is a work project." ... maybe those would be too weird. Haha
Being on a college campus reminded me how bad parking sucks. Stop encouraging people to go to college, there are no parking spaces left! I'm so glad I have already graduated. My feet were falling off after all the walking we had to do to get to different locations. Totally worth it though.

Here is a slightly blurry pic of the flutter sleeve. This just so happens to be my favorite sleeve type. Delicate, feminine, and so cute. 

This wrap dress is a  little different in two ways. 1. the wrap at the bottom is angled and 2. the front of the skirt actually attaches to part of the tie. This is important to me because it creates a smoother cross over on the bust. Each bodice piece doesn't have to stretch all the way to the waist seam and it creates a more flattering fit than other wrap dresses I've sewn. It also comes with mini and maxi lengths so you can create a formal dress, too!

FYI, when a pattern says they draft for 5'5" and you happen to be 5'7" don't try to squeeze a mini dress into the same length. I didn't hem the bottom because it would be far too short for my comfort if I did! Had I added the extra two inches like I was supposed to, I'd have plenty of room to hem. 

I sewed the XS for the bodice and the S for the hips and I think from printing the pattern to ... not hemming ... was about 4 hours with breaks. Probably two hours of actually sewing time not counting the cutting out. I cut so slow, it's absolutely my least favorite sewing job.

The fabric I used is from CaliFabrics and it's the ever popular DBP. I loved the fabric on the website, I ordered it and it arrived and I suddenly didn't love it and then I sewed it into this gorgeous dress and now I can't think of a better print to have used. It absolutely screams, "TAKE ME ON A DATE!" I love using DPB for wrap dresses because you'll know if you've ever used this type of material that the brushing kind of acts like a gentle Velcro which is really nice when you're worried about the wind blowing your dress flap open. Haha

My husband actually did take me on an impromptu date after the photo. Grabbed some delicious calzones, had some awesome Moscow Mules. (Omg, are those to die for, or what?) and then he kicked my ass in ping pong after which we went to go see Thor. Now that I think about it, who was this date really for? Haha

This dress is perfect for all the holiday parties we have coming up. I'm planning on wearing mine to the friends-giving that we host every year as well as the surprise date I have planned for my husband coming up in December. The long version would be great for family photos for Christmas or family gatherings and the short version would be perfect paired with tights and boots for your holiDates coming up, or even Valentine's!

Details
Pattern: Summer Dawn Wrap Dress $9
Fabric: CaliFabrics Roses on Wine $6.74/y for 2y = $13.48
Thread: $.50

Aproximate Cost $24

This post contains affiliate links to help me heat the new house in this freezing winter. :)

Winter. It's coming. For me that means freezing from about September until May and for some reason I've never taken warm clothes into consideration. It's just not cohesive to my lifestyle... whatever tf that is. Being cold is as much a part of me as putting on chapstick for excessive amounts of time, complaining about not feeling well only to remember I haven't eaten in 48 hours, or awkward dancing. (Ask my friends, it's not pretty.) It's a part of my blood. However, I'm tired of it! So, this year I've set out to sew clothing that will be stylish AND keep me warm. What a novel idea, huh?

So I present to you my first sew as part of the Striped Swallow Designs Promotional Team! (Super excited about being part of the team, too! I love Mandalynn's trendy and free spirited designs. So you can look forward to a monthly SSD sew from me. :) ) *Drum Roll* I present the Women's Rhapsody Joggers!

Oh, side note. My husband and I just bought a home. So these are all taken in our living room. The lifestyle pictures will get better as we actually get the space decorated!

On to the Rhapsody Joggers! This is easily the most comfortable thing I've ever sewn for myself. The Joggers are a loose harem style around the hips and thighs and tapered into ankle cuffs and they have the most fun and sizable pockets ever. I actually can carry my phone around the house with me while not in my hand.

The pattern fits hips sizes from 34.5" to 47" so lots of options for different body types.  

The process to sew the Rhapsody Joggers is easy as I have always found with Striped Swallow Designs patterns. The instructions are clear and there are only 3 printed pattern pieces. Front, back, and pockets! Then a cut chart helps you cut the waistband and ankle cuffs. I sewed the XS based on my measurements though I guess I could have added about 2 inches to the legs to get a more scrunched look. 

I used the most comfy fabric, too. I picked up some of Darcey's Heathered DBP while she was having a $5/yd sale on solids and it's light, drapy, and cozy af. Can all my clothes be DBP? I pretty sure you already know, but if you don't, Darcey runs a fabric shop Sincerely Rylee that carries a ton of florals and bohemian prints.... and lovely solids, too. 

The waistband features 3 sets of elastic, 3/8", 1/2", and 3/8" again. I do really love how it makes the waist a little more flexible and comfy instead of one stiff piece of elastic trying to flex around my curved waist. I also like the way the waist looks, it adds to the bohemian feel. I had pants like this as a child and they were plaid and hideous and I absolutely loved them. I chose not to use plaid for these so they are MUCH cuter, however, they'll definitely be indoor pants. :P

 I love the overall feel of this style, it's extremely relaxed and fun and just perfect for snuggling up on the couch to watch The Office reruns. My husband is a huge fan... he definitely keeps petting my leg. We need a dog, stat.  

Details

Pattern: Striped Swallow Designs Women's Rhapsody Joggers $9

Fabric: DBP from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics $5/yard

Notions: 3/8" and 1/2" elastic, thread

Size: XS

Yardage: 1 5/8th yard

Hey there, lovelies! Welcome to day 3 of the Sew, What Do I Wear? Vacation Edition tour! Made for Mermaids and Patterns for Pirates have been hosting these tours for a little while now and they're so fun to read, I'm excited to finally be a part of one. :D

It's almost Summer time! Is anyone traveling anywhere fun this Summer with their family? My husband and I are headed to Alaska for a quick trip to visit my sister and her boyfriend. They work in a tiny town named Talkeetna. I've spend a couple of Summers up there over the years but this time i'm excited to do touristy things and show Devin the town and Denali. We'll spend most of our time in little local breweries, by the river, and a few short hikes. The question always comes up, "What do I wear?" So, I sewed a few pieces to help get me started! 

First, I sewed up the Mama Isabel from Made for Mermaids. 

This is a simple wrap dress that sews up so quick! I mean quick. Like two-hours-from-printing-to-modeling quick. 

I sewed a combo of sizes Pink and Purple. (No I'm not having a stroke.) M4M does body positive sizing so they're all colors! Pink is a little smaller so the bust is pink, the waist / hips are purple. Honestly, because I used such a stretchy knit, I could have used all pink and have been just fine. :)

I chose a casual and cute bohemian feel, as we're just going to be doing "outdoor" events while we're vacationing. I wanted to blend in to the boho eclectic vibe that is Talkeetna.

This is just a close up to show off my new coverstitch serger combo! When my husband heard I wanted a new toy he said "why don't we go buy it?" So, that's the story of how I adopted a brand new Babylock Evolution! I'm a lucky lady. <3

  

For my final piece I sewed the Cross My Heart Cami from Patterns for Pirates. I've had my eye on this one for awhile. It's so Kyema and it's so trendy. I own several tanks that have this style so it's awesome that I can sew my own! I love P4P for that reason, Judy makes patterns that are in the stores NOW. 

I sewed a combo of the S and XS. Same as M4M, XS on the top and S on the waist. I should have sized up because I used my knit in the wrong direction. I just couldn't pass up that boarder print! It looks too cute. My intention was to wear the "V" in the front with the low cross, but I'll have to extend the "X" straps a little if I want to do that next time. Guess the "boobs" stretch a little more than the fabric. ;)

Washington weather is nothing if not predictably freezing and cold. Hence, the goosebumps. I really just wanted to show off my coverstitch ... and my new necklace from Katy at Thread & Grain! I love this thing to pieces! I wear it almost everyday and get asked about it all the time!

Everything sews up so smooth on a coverstitch! I am so in love!

If you're wondering where I got these cute fabrics, please check out Sincerely Rylee Fabrics. She carries gorgeous florals and most recently, trendy bohemian prints.

Both of these patterns will be sewed again! I hope you enjoy and please check out the Made for Mermaids blog to keep up with all the other gorgeous ladies' blogs who are sewing their vacation wear, too. :)

*This post contains affiliate links to help fund my wine and whine obsession*

***Greenstyle patterns are 25% off right now through 5/31 for memorial day with code CELEBRATEGS.***

The craziness is over! My wedding was wonderful, thank you for asking. I'd love to say I'm basking in sunny Cabo right now, but really I'm sitting in a freezing building in Gig Harbor Washington looking longingly at the bright sun rays shining outside wishing I was hiking Mt. Rainier or lounging on the beach. Family has come and gone, and now it's (as Rhianna so eloquently put it.) Work, work, work for the holiday weekend. Speaking of the weekend and sunny, sunny Summer, if you aren't workout ready, or activity ready, you should definitely check out the new workout pattern from Greenstyle Creations. Angelynn has been leading the pack with awesome active wear patterns that have quickly become my favorite.

Let me introduce you to your new Summer crush, the Greenstyle Creations Moxi Shorts. 

The Moxi Shorts Feature

-Sizes 0-18 (hips size from 31" - 52")

-Waistband Zipper Pocket

-Briefs or Thong option

-Add-on Compression shorts

-Layered Printing (Also A4)

-No Trim Pages

-Sew with knit or stretch woven

I wore these for a quick jont in the park. Ghaa. It's so awkward to have someone take pictures as you run by them ... regardless. Here's how these shorts look while in motion. :P I used clear elastic in the waistband as recommended in the pattern and they hug tight enough to stay up while running but not so tight that they're uncomfortable. The fit is pure Goldilocks. 

The pattern is designed with bias trim to outline and give that true ready to wear look that you'd get from Nike or Underarmor. Honestly, they fit and feel just like my other running shorts if not a tad more comfortable because the waist is smooth rather than scrunched with elastic. I chose to sew the Moxi's in the recommended stretch woven and I attempted to do the bias the same, however stretch woven does not want to press without starch. (Lesson Learned, Starch Purchased) so I got creative and used the same nylon lycra for the bias trim as I used on the waistband. It actually sewed very smoothly when I did a single fold on the bias. 

I sewed the size 6 and I may try the size 4 next. (I'm sewing a pair for my sister who's a tad smaller than I.) So it will be a great opportunity to see which size I like better. My legs feel rather tiny in these, but I did discover that Angelynn made a "skinny leg" section to help you modify these shorts if you have "skinny legs." (This is news to me.) 

I think my favorite part of this pattern is the amount of time that Angelynn put into making the pattern perfect. Revision after revision she worked to create a pair of amazing running, beach, workout, hiking, lounging, active wearing shorts that look like the $60 kind you'd buy at some sporting goods store. No thanks. I'll make my own. ;)

Details

Pattern - Greenstyle Creations Moxi Shorts $10

Fabric - 1yd stretch woven from Fabric Fairy $9.99

Nylon Lycra I had on hand

Shipping - ....6.50?

Notions - Clear elastic, thread $.50

Estimated Total Cost $26.99 less the pattern, 16.99. Not bad for active wear. :D

*I received this pattern for free for testing it before it's release.*

I have two more pair cut that will definitely see some Washington hiking trails this Summer... if I ever get a day off. :D

Rusty. Rusty is the word of the day. I'm blogging rusty, I'm fabric rusty. At least I'm not sewing rusty. You know the age old saying. "Like in sewing, once you learn to ride a bike, you always need to wear a helmet." That's how it goes, right? Close enough.

So I was gone. No one probably cares and that's legit. So here's the quickest recap I can muster.

Twitter style: I moved 2.4k miles, started a career in sales, left a 9 yr relationship, fell in love, and am getting married May 20th! #JerrySpringer

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Nothing motivates me more than a deadline... so Blam-o I saw one of my favorite designers put out a testing call for a cute dress and that was it. So here I am.

Let me introduce you to the Harbor Knot Tee's sexy sister, the Harbor Knot Dress from Striped Swallow Designs. :)

If you can't already see, let me tell you why this is an awesome dress. It is form fitting, curve hugging, leg showing, awesomeness. It can be dressed up with some statement jewelry and a blazer for a night out or thrown over a bathing suit and worn to the beach with flip flops. (Also, I received no less than 7 "wow" comments from my fiance... that's a winner to me.)

The Harbor Knot Dress features

-Long sleeves

-3/4 length sleeves

-Short sleeves

-Layered printing

-Sizes XS to XXXL 

-Video tutorial on knot

It comes with sleeve options, too. Short, 3/4 length, and long. If the knot looks intimidating, it kind of is before you do it once! However, Mandalynn makes it really simple by including a video tutorial linked directly through the pattern and voila! Suddenly it's as simple as pi.  

The Harbor Knot Dress was a very quick sew. It took maybe 1.5hrs after it was cut. (I sew slowly, especially because I haven't sewn in awhile. I'm extraterrestrial careful.) I could probably sew a second one in 50 minutes if I had a place to hook up my serger. Damn you, small apartments.

Something I love about all Striped Swallow Designs is that Mandalynn includes layers. So that means I only had the print and cut the XS size. Thank you lawt.  

It always helps that I had one hell of a photographer. Thank you, lover. :) He was all "stand up straight, look that way, POSTUREEEE, SMILEEEEE. It was really cute and obviously effective. :) One last thing you'll love to know, this dress is running around safe! I could bend over and the wind was blowing but there was no butt cheeks to speak of. It's so form fitting, the dress gives your booty a nice little all-day-long hug and doesn't let go. It's a simple design with a twist! I love patterns like these because I could make a million of them and they're not so "distinct" that everyone knows I have 4 of the same dress. 

Details

Pattern Striped Swallow Designs Harbor Knot Dress = $9 

Poly blend knit from Joann's - $12.99 @ 40% off - $7.80 / yard for 1.5 yards = $11.70

Notions

Thread = $.50

Estimated total cost = $21.20 less the pattern = $12.20
I received this pattern for free in exchange for testing before it's release.

This dress is one sale for $7 for it's release!

I included this picture because I feel like storm and like I'm going to smite people. Pretty rad. 

And this one, obviously, because I like to complain about being cold, or being embarrassed while having my photo taken. Isn't taking pictures in public while people walk by the worst? Also, Washington is still really cold in March, folks. I didn't sign up for this s***.

So glad to be back sewing! Also, very glad to see some new, sexy patterns coming out. Moar sexy dresses, please. I love to sew what I'd already buy. ^^