I hadn't noticed it much before, but this year there was no escaping The Refashioners! There was denim allllll up in my Instagram feed. For weeks. I loved it. 

 I had done another denim refashion a while ago (oh boy, this post is SO OLD - I may regret this link), so I could obviously get on board with it. There's always learning in taking apart RTW, so no matter how the refashion ended up, there was still something to gain!

I decided right away to comb my closet, not second hand stores for denim, as I love making what I own last. These jeans were on their very last leg. I bought them my junior year of university, which I realized was about 8 years ago now (yikes). I had hemmed them a couple of times and by estimation, probably darned/repaired the crotch/thigh area 10-12 times over the years.

I copied the basic pieces of a favorite denim jacket of mine to keep it classic. Then I cropped it, altered the hem band length so I could use the waistband of the jeans, and lowered the armscyes for range of movement and so I can wear a variety of tops under it. 

To me, the best part of refashioning is that you can make a plan, but new ideas always come up once the original garment is taken apart. Here, I didn't know how much I'd like the dark areas under the back pockets, but once I removed the pockets, I knew they were meant for a contrast yoke!

Railroad stripe scraps and copper jeans buttons to finish!

It's an everyday kind of piece for me, and I'm super happy to continue to get use out of these jeans.

/flowy floral tunic dress

Well, hello there! It has certainly been a while since I last felt the urge to post- probably mainly because of the loss of my one plain wall to a giant couch. But I'm back, super excited to show off the neglected part of the garden bed!

Also, this comfy dress I made:

The pattern is McCall's 6987, and man is it a TENT. Just my style. I did check the finished garment measurements before cutting, and approved. A 55 inch bust? Don't mind if I do. 57 inches at the hipline? IT SHALL BE MINE. Absolutely no fitting required, would look excellent on anyone!

Though I'd been planning this dress for a while to wear to a friend's wedding and it's quite simple, it was a giant feat to make. My doctor banned me from sewing for 3 weeks after I had been in a car accident (I'm totally ok now!), but if I didn't make a dress I would have had nothing to wear! You know, "nothing". Obviously, I made the dress. In very short spurts. Over a few days.

I'm not usually a floral girl, but I absolutely love this one and the colors in it. It's a viscose twill that I picked up on fabric.com, but it seems to have gone out of stock for the last time. I think this fabric went in and out of stock three or four times before I actually bit the bullet and added it to an order of necessities- it was inevitable!

The neckline is finished with self bias tape that I handstitched down. I used the invisible hem stitch on my machine to finish the sleeves and hem; keeping the fancy-factor up so it could be worn day or night, dressy or casual.

see?! TENT!

I was super excited about the prospect of wearing bell sleeves, even with the added complication of fitting them under coat sleeves. I'm happy to report that I wore this to another event last weekend and these giant, drapey viscose sleeves slithered right into the silk lining of my "dressy trench". It was glorious! Added bonus: this works well as a long tunic worn with leggings... maybe even jeans, too (GASP!).

/striped sweatshirt tee

Just checking in to make sure everyone knows I'm still sewing almost exclusively with striped fabric. (Har har.) I feel like I've been seeing this sort of short sleeved sweatshirt style around everywhere (probably just Madewell... I always have their clothes on my mind!) so this striped sweatshirt tee was pretty much destined to pop out of the serger.

To get a little stripe-blocking going on, I changed up my raglan sweatshirt pattern. I created side panels and closed up the neckline a bit to be more of a crew. It's pretty boxy because I'm all about keeping the lines at right and 45 degree angles. The top is drafted so that stripes can match on the top of the raglan seam; it needed to be as close as possible to a 45 degree angle but still somewhat shaped under the armpit.

This tee is made with a really nice sweatshirt terry from Mood; you can see from the link that the reverse side is sooooo soft! To me, it was obvious that the non-fuzzy side was meant to be the right side, because after a few washes the fuzzy side is still blissfully soft but a little too pill-y and linty to be facing outward.

Even though I've had a lot of experience sewing with knits, this project wasn't without its road blocks. I had to baste in and trim the collar ribbing three or four times before I got it to lay flat! The neckline is so closed in and I wanted the ribbing to be somewhat wide, so I couldn't just wing it like usual. Also, the side panels meant that I couldn't follow my usual order of operations (1. attach raglan seams to back and front 2. sew SS + sleeve) but had to do it in reverse and sort of set in the sleeves, which felt weird but turned out alright. As always, I matched the stripes using this method.

The hem isn't turned up because long torso and I forgot I wouldn't be adding 2 inches of ribbing to the bottom to compensate for this. I will likely just hem it and only wear it with high-waisted bottoms, but for now it's finished with just overlock stitches and constantly curls up at the CF and CB (as evidenced in the photo on the right). I guess as with any sewing project, there's always that one thing you've just gotta let go!

/plain & purple

 This winter, I've been laying back with some simple, useful projects that I've been wanting to put together for a while. There is a good amount of random yarn and not-so-random fabric in my sewing room, neglected and crying out to be used. So loudly. So, while I wait for clients' fabric and apron materials (SO MUCH WAITING!) to arrive, I'm slowly crossing things off that list.

Let's get this out of the way: I'm way into making pom poms. Check out this wreath I made a couple months ago! You can crank out hoards of poms while catching up on TV shows, and trimming them is almost as satisfying as shaping overgrown hedges. They're just fun. And they make make even the most plain hats happy and jaunty! Case in point: The Purl Bee's Classic Cuffed Hat. 

I bought this yarn (Cascade 220 wool in mystic purple) on sale a couple years ago, because the color was so irresistibly pretty- these photos don't do it justice! It needed a plain pattern to showcase the color, so I think this pairing worked. Obviously, the kicker was that it wouldn't be complete without a pom!

Here's the Ravelry project page if you're interested, I'd love it if you'd be my Ravelry bud!

Yeah, so I know my outfit can't make up its mind here- bare ankles and a winter hat? Spring-y stripes and a sweater knit (but cotton) sweatshirt? Such is the weather in northwest right now, which seriously cannot make up its mind. But I love a simple two-piece outfit just as much as crazy layering, so I think I live in the right temperate place!

How's everyone else coming along on their to-make lists? I've noticed a lot of new year, refreshed productivity with many of you sewing & knitting ladies. Totally inspiring. I'd better get back to it while I still have time!

/giving handmade

Hi guys, it's been a while! It seems like every time I'd sit down with the intention of putting a blog blurb together over the last couple months, there wasn't really that thing that would warrant an entire post. No super stunner sewing projects or especially exciting life changes to note. BUT, I recently realized that I totally did make stuff- but they were all gifts so out of sight and mind! I've corralled some photos I was able to snap before gifting, but unfortunately didn't end up getting photos of everything.

As soon as I got my cousin Sarah for our family gift exchange, I knew I wanted to sew her something special. She's a kindergarten teacher, so it had to be professional but wearable and easy to care for. Also something easy to fit, because I didn't want to ruin the surprise by asking for her measurements! I decided on the Grainline Scout tee, and it fitting and looking great. I totally regret not having any photos of her modelling! I had ordered a good amount of the coordinating poly challis (was skeptical about the poly, but it's beautiful and soft enough) specifically for her before deciding what to make, so I have some bonus yardage to play with!

For my brothers-in-law (there are two of them), I was about to buy ready made dopp kits when I realized how easy it would be to make them myself. Though I really didn't need to add to the list of Christmas stuff to do, they were fun to make and finished in no time. I even made little mesh pockets inside with fold over elastic that ended up looking pretty professional!

On the other side of the family, I drew the most coveted name... the only kid! He's two, and I got a tip from his mom that his favorite things are trains and doggies. He was SO excited to find this pup in his gift that he pretty much ignored the other store-bought stuff! The pattern is the Purl Soho Pup, which you can get for free by signing up for the Purl Soho newsletter- even if you're already on the list! I had never made a stuffed animal before, and this was really enjoyable with easy to follow instructions.

Not all of these were Christmas gifts. I made this pillow with scraps leftover from an emergency Thanksgiving napkin operation my sister had me undertake in 2013. Since she bought the fabric, I thought it'd be fun to make her a pillow with the scraps and to practice making a quilt square at the same time! It was the first real quilt square I'd made, with free indispensable instruction from Craftsy. This was the LeMoyne Star from the Block of the Month 2013 class. Now that I received an invisible zip foot for Christmas, I'm sure there will be many more pillow covers to come before I tackle a big quilt.

This hat is battling the puppy for cutest gift of the year... I think it's a draw. It's another iteration of the baby aviator, but this time in infant size and with a pom pom! It's seriously about the size of my hand (see Ravelry project page). Ahhh! I really can't get over the cuteness.

 So there's a bit of a look into what I've been up to, even though there are a few substantial things I never took photos of. I'd say a six-of-nine record on gifts is pretty excellent considering all the clothes I never blogged! Hoping to get to those in the next few months... and hoping I'm not the only one with this backlog problem!

/how-to: match stripes without using pins

Ok, so calling this a full-on legit sewing method would be a bit of a stretch- it's just a really useful shortcut I've found for sewing stripes together (for matching when cutting, here's a helpful tip). This post may very well have TMI, but I guess the more you know...?

I first bought Steam-a-Seam lite 2 because it was recommended to finish knit hems before I bought a coverstitch machine. That worked very well, and I've found many more uses for the stuff. It's great for placing pockets, appliques, sleeve cuffs- anything you want to stay perfectly put while sewing. There are some jobs pins are just not great at. I prefer Steam-a-Seam to using a fabric glue stick now, because it is easier to apply without shifting threads around.

This technique is especially helpful with matching stripes, plaids or prints on stretchy knits or when working along a bias cut or curved seamline.

With backing still on, sticky side down, place the Steam-a-Seam along your seam line so that the outer edge is at the seam allowance. My seam allowance for this sample was 1/2". Press the tape in place, making sure it's even all the way down the seam.

Peel off the backing, making sure the tape doesn't shift around. Now the top is sticky as well.

 Match each stripe and press down separately.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you are matching the stripes on the seamline, not the in the seam allowance. You will need to flip up the entire top pattern piece to see it is matched as perfectly as possible along the seamline.
Press the seam in place with your hand first- straight up and down.

 Press again to fuse with a dry iron. The Steam-a-Seam fuses like an interfacing, but on both sides. Be sure to lift and press the iron down along the seam; gliding may shift the fabric, and therefore the stripes. After this step you won't be able to re-align the stripes, so double check that they're flush before fusing.

This is the best part! Stitch using whichever machine you are sewing with. No stopping to take out pins or check on those stripes!

Note: I've never tried using Stitch Witchery or any other kind of fusible web for this purpose (and they may work), but I know that the Steam-a-Seam has yet to gum up any of my machines or needles. No $$ endorsement here, just truth.

 Turn seam right side out and get that satisfaction that only comes from nicely matched stripes!

/experimental tritik tee

This tee was a total accident that started when I was overdyeing some black linen pants for a client. Yep, it was the perfect time to try out a tye-dye technique from Tie-Dye: Dye it, Wear it, Share it by Shabd Simon-Alexander! I am always poring over this gorgeous book and I want to try all the projects in it. So, I unearthed a small piece of what I think is cotton/modal and went to town. I decided on a stitch-resist method called tritik, where you fold the fabric like an accordion and stitch through all the layers with a thick thread. I used pearl cotton embroidery thread, which worked very well to define the design, and a large needle which did not work so well and resulted in more than a few giant holes in my final shirt. Live and learn.

The thing I like most about dyeing is that it's always really obvious what you should/could do differently next time.

I could

• leave it in the dye bath longer
• agitate it more to get the dye in the inside sections
• make sure to smooth out weird folds and scrunches when folding (see just below neckline)
• use a smaller needle, appropriate for the fabric

There's something really satisfying about trial and error with dyeing projects, because most of the time even the error is beautiful and potentially useful.  Enter: the Sewaholic Renfrew tee pattern. The resulting shirt is not on grain at all, I just cut according to the dye design, which I hadn't bothered to line up properly. As long as I was experimenting new techniques, why not add to the fun? I sewed twill tape to the outside shoulder seams instead of the inside, and to finish the neckline I cut a thin strip from the crossgrain and pulled it so it curled under, then applied it just on one side. The hem is pretty insane, but I decided I really liked the length and somewhat disheveled look.

I really love making total design-as-you-go projects, such a different process than planning every detail from the start. It makes me excited to think what potential still lurks in my fabric drawers! Have you ever tried switching up your process or sewing without expectations? Was it a success?

/blog hop

I have no idea about its origins, but this hop has been appearing on my blogroll for a while now and I have enjoyed every last post I've read so far! I was so excited to be asked by one of my favorite makers, Marie of Imaginary Animal to join in on the blog hop. She is an immensely talented artist, textile designer, sewer, the list goes on! When I finally order some yardage from Spoonflower, it'll definitely be one of Marie's designs. 

On with the questions. 

Why do you write?
I started this blog way back in 2009 (I had to go and look that up) as a way to document what I’d made and write about whatever. It was mostly just so that I'd have one spot to archive all the things I was making (but actually really far from all), mostly for myself to look back on. I had no idea how much the online sewing community would grow in just a few years! One thing that makes me feel good about the blog in its current state is how terrible those beginning posts were- I've definitely tweaked it over time.
Now, I'd like to start including more instructional posts and tips. I'll be the first to admit I don't know it all, but I've picked up a few tricks over the years (I started sewing as a wee one and have a B.A. in apparel design) and would love for that to be a bigger part of the blog.
 
What are you working on?
I am actually so excited to say what I’ve been working on- I’ve decided to put my top two (synonym for “passions” here) together and create a small line of aprons! I’ve been sewing and baking since I was little, so this is basically the most natural and practical thing for me to be making. I'm also working on some changes to this space, so stay tuned! 
With all of those projects, everything I've been planning to sew for myself has been put aside for a little while, but it's all right there waiting! Unfortunately, the mountain of alterations I need to tear through first is getting a little unwieldy.

How does your blog differ from others of its genre?
Well, I could honestly be doing better in this department! At the moment it's really sporadic project posts only, but I would like for this to be a more helpful and informative place, as I mentioned. 
I suppose the thing that differentiates any blog is the personal style element. By nature, sewing blogs up the personal in personal style, since we're all making custom clothes for ourselves. To me, that makes every one different and interesting!

How does your writing process work?
My process is usually just to sit down and write stream-of-consciousness style. When some are editing, I've already bitten the proverbial bullet and pressed 'publish'. I've always really enjoyed writing but don't tend to spend much time on it here- the time is definitely in the sewing!




Next up: Stephanie from Makes the Things and Bella from Bellbird.

Stephanie makes all the things I want (seriously); knits, lingerie, and lots of Grainline patterns. She also makes and sells the best jewelry at Native Clutter and I can attest to its real-life amazingness. 

Bella's blog is pretty new, but she has already made so many awesome things! Her style is smart and uncomplicated and she's got a penchant for really good details. Like, she makes the insides of t-shirts amazing.

Looking forward to reading more about these ladies!

/railroad pants

These began with this pair of pants from Madewell that I'd saved to my sewing idea pinterest board. I needed a pair of striped, elastic-waisted pants (because, who doesn't?), but something I could wear through fall and not freeze the second I stepped out the door.

I bought the fabric at a local quilt shop that was sadly going out of business, but that did mean it was on a hefty discount- sad yet happy! It's Robert Kaufman railroad denim, and at 6.8 oz it's a really nice and sturdy weight for these pants, yet not too heavy- it still gathers nicely at the WB. It would work well for a pair of jeans, jacket or vest too! I still have a bit of it, so one of those is definitely in my future.

As for the pattern, I made that myself. It had been way too long since I had drafted a pair of pants, so why not spend a little extra time getting the fit just how I wanted? Thankfully, it only took one muslin and the confidence that the changes needed would work well in my fashion fabric. I think it worked out! I used the fail-safe Patternmaking for Fashion Design - I love that most of my required texts from fashion classes are still super useful.

I decided against adding the horizontal panel at the waist a la Madwell because I wanted a more streamlined look, but had a little patchwork-y fun with the back pockets to add a little interest. Added some roomy side pockets, and called it a day!

These things almost qualify as secret pajamas, and I think they're my first non-solid pant since my elementary school printed legging days!

SUMMARY:
fabric: Robert Kaufman railroad denim
pattern: made by me

ps: Still having problems getting my photos to look their best on the blog. Followed all of these tips to a T (resize, save as jpeg in sRGB, etc.). Does anyone have tips? This usually doesn't bother me too much, but hoooey those stripes are not reading well! They look so much better in person, I promise. :)

/two scouts and a moss, a.k.a. grainline staple party

I'm usually a one project per post kinda gal, but things are piling up.
And I'll be honest, those things aren't all that interesting. Staple-y stuff. But if it goes unblogged, was it really sewn? Well, yes- I'll always have that super tight shoulder muscle letting me know I've been at the sewing table too long.

Firstly wanted to post my denim Moss skirt, since I made it a while ago. It's the best.
Then I wore this Scout tee with it in the photos, so a two garment post was obligatory.
After that, I realized I had yet another knit Scout from eons ago so... tacking that one on too.
It's just a Grainline Studio staple party!

I had this Moss skirt all cut out and ready to go when my old serger decided to get something stuck in it and multiple mechanisms were bent every which way. (I've since bought a new serger, since it would have cost as much fixing the old one.) Hesitant, I used the faux serge stitch on my sewing machine to finish the insides. It was agonizingly slow, even with a swift and powerful Bernina motor and it didn't contain the fray too well.
But the outside looks decent and it's held up so far!
I also decided to embrace the denim and made some jean pockets.

I've made three iterations of the Scout pattern so far (all knit; one here & two seen in this post), and each time I think I've chosen a different size. Sometimes you want a super loose tee, sometimes with just a bit of ease. Then of course you have to take stretch content into consideration, too. This knit doesn't have any stretch in the way of fiber content, so I figured I wanted around 1/2" to 1" of ease at the bust. I find it easiest to choose my fit and just measure the pattern pieces directly to find the coordinating size (front and back times two minus seam allowances). For this particular tee, I went down 4 sizes from what the pattern listed me at for the original woven version. It is a little snug under the arm, but still comfy enough.

This is a knit from Drygoods Design which I believe is cotton with some linen in it.
Linen in it.
Heh, I just tried to say that super fast five times, failed, and laughed at myself.
If you're by yourself right now you have no excuses.
I believe this fabric is out of stock, but they always have so many good ones to choose from. Go there.

MOVING ON. This striped Scout is more than a year old, but a total workhorse. I wear it on the days I'm not wearing my striped raglan sweatshirt, because I must be wearing stripes at all times. If I remember correctly, this one was cut two sizes smaller than the pattern-prescribed woven size.

Only a slight variant here, I extended the back hemline a little and added a baby slit- very fancy. Even when I'm making multiples of a pattern I love, I can't stand to make the same exact style twice!

Patterns: Grainline Studio Scout Tee and Moss Skirt.

Fabrics: For the tees, Drygoods & Mood, respectively. Both tee fabrics are gone but the denim is still in stock at Mood!

/sweatshirt season

Here we are, another post, another quest for my version of the perfect ________. This time it was a sweatshirt. It's so silly when a product is straight-up named "perfect tee, sweatshirt, trousers", right? Is it just me, or do those companies have a bit of an inflated sense of self? 

 No way I'm falling for that ploy, but here's what I had in mind for my ideal sweatshirt:

• a wide, roomy neckline - Still covering any straps, of course! And wide enough to peek an Archer collar from underneath.
• raglan sleeves that aren't to tight up the armpit - Not going to take the sweatshirt title to heart, give those pits some breathing room!
• sleeve ribbing that's not too tight when pushed up to the elbows - I'm always wearing my sweaters and sweatshirts pushed up.
• not too long, not too short.- 'nuff said.

First test: striped rayon French terry. A little sleeve tweaking was still in order, but this is probably my most-worn garment in my entire closet for almost a year. You did read that correctly- I made this October 2013 and am just now getting around to sharing! This sweatshirt is actually pretty messed up; the sleeves are not straight and the neck binding is sewn on backwards. BACKWARDS! Yet, people still ask me where I bought it so I guess others perceive these things as design details? Fine with me! The stripes are just so stripey and irresistible I'll wear it no matter what!

Here's the second sweatshirt I made in May (of this year). A definite rule breaker. That's right- cotton navy sweater knit and black ribbing, with an oversized appliqued monogram! I managed to get the neck binding on in a normal fashion this time and fixed the wonky arms.

Next, I've got high hopes for a midi-length dress from this pattern. I'm totally and completely ready for fall and all the snuggly clothes (read: sweatshirts) that I get to wear and layer!

Oh, and BOOTS. Tall boots, short boots, rain boots, booties.

I've spent half of this post waxing about my perfect sweatshirt; anyone else have such fervent sweatshirt opinions? I guess I just take comfort seriously!

/incidentially blocked pineapple tank

Scraps. We all have 'em and no matter how good our intentions are to use them, it's so hard to do! I'm always distracted by thinking of the next project, the next amazing fabric. I love the idea of using the whole buffalo but rarely get around to it.

Exception: the Sewloft Diana tank, made with leftovers from my pineapple playsuit.

Some sewers call full yards of fabric "scraps", but no, these were really and truly little baby SCRAPS. I couldn't even get a full front or back out of my leftovers, or enough for anything but a crop top!

Luckily I had a random piece of chartreuse linen, also a true-to-form scrap. I only had these bits to lengthen the tank, but it turns out there was a reason I've kept it for years - it was the absolute perfect thing to finish off this tank!

I did screw up the strap attachment/neckline finishing process a bit by not reading through the directions ahead of time... oops.
Piecing together small pieces of fabric is admittedly a bit of a time sucker, but it feels great to have a useful garment hanging in my closet instead of random fabric clogging my drawers & boxes (or actually, on my floor)! I'll just ignore the rest for a bit and revel in this little victory for minute.

I'd love to see more scrap projects or recommendations that would be more suited to autumn than a camisole.. have anything in mind?

/LAkeside PJs

I'm a really highfalutin thinker/post namer, you guys.
These are the Lakeside PJs and they're made from fabric I got in L.A.

They're a rayon crepe de chine, which I had always fantasized about, but never actually encountered in the flesh (fiber) before. Very pleased with the super silkiness. Sometimes I feel a little guilt in my love for rayon, since it is a semi-synthetic fiber (but derived from natural materials), but then I wrap myself in some rayon (or rayon/cotton blend for guilt-lessening softness) and my doubts melt away.
One thing is for sure: It's the perfect pajama fabric.

Not sure about the print... reptile? oil spill?

I didn't use wide elastic in the waistband because it would wear on this fabric really easily, and I don't like the feel of really stiff, wide elastic under thin and silky fabric. Also, I have tons of 1/4" elastic, so it worked out. I just made two 3/8" channels and shimmied that elastic right through, resulting in a nice lightweight waistband.

Be warned: If you're not feeling really jazzed about sewing bias binding on that particular day, do not even attempt these. Sewing time on these guys works out to 5% seams, 95% bias making/applying. I did the math. If you don't own a bias tape maker, it will make your money well-spent list after the first yard, I promise!

All that tiny baby bias is worth it though, once you feel those silky back flaps fluttering as you walk across the room.

pattern: Grainline Studio Lakeside Pajamas
fabric: rayon crepe de chine from Fabric Planet in Venice, CA (ok so not really LA. Whatevs.)
handmade pj set tally: three (one and two)

/pineapple playsuit

It's not often I get started on a sewing project knowing that I'm not going to get a lot of wear out of it, and still carry on. Generally with sewing and ready-to-wear, I need to answer the question "could I be wearing this ten years from now?" with a resounding yes.

But for summer?
Come on- that's way too reasonable.
I need to get at least a little crazy. Afterall, I was headed to southern California where this new garment would happen to fit in perfectly with all those palms and whatnot...

The sun-bleached photo strikes again! Poolside! I also wore this bowling, please imagine w/ bowling shoes.

No, this crazy didn't just happen, I was on a mission. I bought McCall's 6083 on a whim, then got this intense urge to make it with a rayon challis in a vintage-look Hawaiian pineapple print. The problem being that I had no such fabric. I sort of pride myself on being able to find ridiculously specific things I get in my head on the internet, so this seemed doable. 

Not so. I went on an hours-long HUNT for a fabric within my parameters and almost gave in to a rayon challis that was too expensive, in the wrong colors, and with no pineapples.

A few days later, I miraculously came across Wanderlust fabrics and then this AMAZING pineapple hibiscus rayon challis. It was on its way within minutes!

Since I was already committed to this print, I just went full-on vintage Hawaii themed and bought some crochet (was trying to find more of a macrame look) trim and stained wood beads. Just seemed like the natural thing to do. Absolutely worth the hand sewing.

The only thing I remember doing differently than the pattern was eliminating the back neck facing, opting for bias binding. Ew, I really despise facings and all their general flappiness, so I try to eliminate them as often as possible. "Invisibly" hand sewing them down to a single layer of fabric is even worse. I also lengthened the bodice by 2" for my long torso to ensure my wearing experience was sans-cameltoe.
A good note; this pattern has the best pockets! I'm plotting a pair of pants using them.

I know this thing won't get a whole lot of wear, but I think it's served its purpose for the time being. It will certainly serve another by cheering me up in the middle of winter when I see a sliver of it in my closet!

p.s.
If after that first photo you put money on me getting a nasty sunburn before this vacay was over, congratulations, you've won.
And the back of my legs certainly lost.

/the bossy dress shirt

Motivated by Morgan and Sally's awesome exchange last month, Katie (of What Katie Sews) and I decided to initiate our own installation of the Sew Bossy Initiative (Originated by Heather and Oona). I'm pretty impressed with how fast we were able to get this together, considering we're all the way across the globe from each other!

We exchanged a couple likes and dislikes, and both agreed on picking projects that would be good for the summer weather. Gotta take advantage of that ever-reclusive sun!

I was super excited to open my package and find:
1) Amazing handwoven nubby eco-friendly cotton from India.
Easy care fabric with great texture? YES PLEASE.
2) The Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt pattern(!!!)
3) The most adorable embroidery scissors in a super cute Liberty print holder. I am such a scissor fiend (but aren't all sewers?)
It really doesn't get any more British than this, folks. Katie sure knows how to pick 'em.

We've been having great weather, so I kept on putting off "officially" photographing this dress until the last minute (of course) and now it's POURING outside (of course) so all I'm left with are a couple super golden sun-drenched sunset phone photos from a wedding I went to a couple weeks ago.
Side note: Someone at the wedding said I looked like a "grown-up Madeline", which is basically the best outfit comment I've ever received. That mischievous redhead was always a kindred spirit.

Here. It's much easier to just have the dress form model. 

This pattern was really enjoyable to put together; not so boring you'll fall asleep, but not difficult at all. While cutting, I decided what was so great about this fabric. It's striped, but you DON'T HAVE TO MATCH THE STRIPES! I felt like such a cheater playing with the stripe direction to my heart's content and only worrying about being on grain! The front yoke panels ended up cut on the bias and the back yoke perpendicular to the main body. This dress has really nice details and just the right amount of them; I love the oversized bib and feel like the pleat below it is really lengthening.
I contemplated shortening the hem quite a bit, but decided to try it out in the original midi-length just to see what it would look like on me. Turns out, I love the length and the shirttail hem does flash a little lower side-knee. Mmmhmmm.

 Thanks so much Katie bossing me into such a great project! It's already getting its share of wear.

p.s. Check out Katie's project here!

*update*
p.p.s. Here's a link to purchase the fabric!