Summery Summary

Yay. sorry for the dumb title :) I sewed a lot this summer - and I like the way Ms Peach summed up her makes, so I'm going to copy her, mirror pics and all!

a common view, for me - i wore my southport ALL the time. 

Delphi not-maxi dress
Again, changed out the straps - this time with ribbon because I was SOO lazy. I keep thinking I'll put some fabric on there, but nah. The dress is a little big, and maybe a little long, but won't ever be the cutest thing ever so i let it be what it is: easy to wear, preppy, cute, bra-revealing.

Linen Maritime Shorts
BEST EVER. I narrowed the leg by about 1" (at each side seam). I finished every darned edge with bias tape so they're just luscious inside, and used a button rather than the fastener suggested. They go with everything, look completely awesome, and have metallic thread details. I'd make a pair in every color of neutral-metallic linen ever. wink!
(I bought the brown here: http://www.fabricoutletsf.com/, more available online here).

left - narrower leg. right - wider. 

Swims
remade a soma top with an FBA - FAIL. The ripply seams were so horrible I just tore it apart and started over...after a tryout run at the river.

For my next try, I downloaded Simplicity 1374 from their site. I hadn't done that before, and while it means I paid a lot more, I didn't have to drive to the strip mall 2 towns over to get it at Jo-Ans...so in the end I call it a savings. The download is a little clunky - you have to install their file manager to make sure you don't steal/share whatever, but once I printed it it all went together fine. 

The pattern is great. I sewed up a size 10/12 mash, grading out to around 14 + FBA for the bust, and it's supportive, attractive, and wayyyy comfortable. I wore the view B top with last year's Bombshell bottoms, and it was a total win in styling and comfort.

I made another one to match the shorty's (I bought that fabric for myself, after all!) - but for my last vacation of the summer, we went to the Mendocino Coast. This is what that coast looks like:

i didn't make ANYTHING in this photo. Those are rarer and rarer moments...

Here's what it looks like, anyway ;)

Jasper edit: maybe a size down? I took in the princess seams, shrunk the waist band, and that makes a lot of difference. Note to self: make a size 6 or smaller next time, and yes, a zipper up the front would be super...that was always my plan, after all...

pre-edits- i still feel dumpy in this, but now i think it's the color. 

Baseball Skirt 

It's for sale now! Here it is - another SOOOO easy to wear, so breezy and chill. Not much else to say there.

i used that ribbon a lot in my lazy moments!

photo by 6 year old! thanks, kid. 

Tate Top

I made this last fall the second it came out and i loved it a lot...except it was always pulling around the bust. So i tried to do an FBA. (Is that the theme of my summer? perhaps..) and it just went huge. Anyway, another few rounds of edits and I ended up with the above, which is comfy and versatile and fits my chest well enough. 

version the first...handed off to a friend, now. 

version 2 - dramatic difference? lol. 

The winner: Alexandria pants! 

If I had the right fabric I'd make these a thousand times. I LOVE THEM. 

flat bottom girls unite

coolest pockets

so happy!

For the fall (holy god this is a long post)

Sara Leggings in ponte. with golden ankle zippers cause WHY NOT MAN. 

waistband zip, finished. 

Speaking of flat bottom girls - These are designed to be finished with a waistband facing, and that's all. Because the difference between my hips and waist is pretty minimal, I need something stronger to hold them up.

I used this trick on a knit version I wear for pjs, and it's super comfy, so I adopted it here. THE TRICK: Use 2-inch elastic instead of the facing. take your waist and remove ~20%. Stitch the elastic to the right side of the pants, just within the 3/8" seam allowance. Then stitch next to the zipper to secure it down, and they're like cozy lounge pants that look outstanding, professional, legging trousers.

waistband zip inside. It would be neater to get the zip ends underneath. next time!
Triple stitch along the sides - just for the look. 

ankly zips too. 

I'll add action shots of the whole leggings....one day. 

Holy! Is that enough?! I have a much smaller list of ambition for fall. I can't wait to see what you're making and wearing !

xoxo

R

inquiry: Best T shirt (major updates)

A few years ago I conscientiously stopped wearing /buying/making t shirts. I was dressing fancier, and needed to step it up.

Then my life and fashion said it was ok again, and I didn't have any!

I'm making ALL the t-shirts, choosing the best 1 (or 2 - one each fitted and drapey, MAYBE), and chucking the rest.


This survey will only be helpful for you if you're shaped like me -- but lots of women are, so I hope it's of use! I'm 5'6", 38" bust, 30" waist, 38" hips.

Shirt 1: Grainline Hemlock T - free pattern, one size. Pattern includes long sleeves, but just cut them to 3-4" and it's a drapey, oversized T shirt-- well, actually, you'll need to shorten the hem another 4" (or more if you're shorter).

fresh out of the laundry basket sorrrrryyy

I had this pocket around so I slapped it on there. Here's the rayon knit I used.

shhhh

Shirt 2: Lou Box Top - this pattern is built for knits OR wovens, so once you find the shape you like, you can use that pattern allllla time. it's worth the $12.

here it is in motion. size down at least once if you use Lou for knits.

nice curve @ back, right?

and here is how posture changes the way your body looks, courtesy of showgirls everywhere

not in action

Shown here with scoopneck and curved front/back hem options (there are 3 hem options and two necklines included).

Tissue knit - zero fabric stability. Excellent drape :)

I like this one A LOT. I brought up the rear hem another 3", as patterned it was just too long (for this fabric). For work or any bending-over situations, I'll use the crewneck, not scoopneck, option.

Shirt 3: Plantain - again, free pattern, worth the printing! Fabric is rayon lycra jersey. (this is a plan, not a shirt, apparently.)

Shirt 4: THE WINNER! Megan Nielsen's Briar. I don't love the crazy high low hem, but the neck and bust and sleeve shaping are the best. Here's one I made in lovely interlock with dots. I used a M, I think...

and here's how i fixed the hem on the next one:

Shirt 5: from Meg McElwee's craftsy class. Good top, but too sporty in styling. I could probably hack it to open the neck and shorten, then widen the sleeves, but who has time for that when there are all of these lovely versions ready?

Shirt 6: scoopneck tee from Skirt as Top

I made a 25" x2" band to use at the neck. For my reference 😅

Real life: the sleeves are a little too short and narrow- for this one I wanted to add a band (3"Xsleeve circumference) to finish the edge and add a little length. 

Findings: Briar is the winner. Just fix the hem and size down a bit.
Not testing: Tonic top from SBCC or blank canvas tee from Cake-- I just don't like their shapes.

pattern testing: Lou Box Top

i love testing patterns. It makes me feel like I'm part of the in crowd and like somebody out there in sewing world sees me. All my friends and family know i tear up the sewing machine like nonstop
(and most of them have benefited from the obsession), but out there, in #sewcialists land, do you know me??***

So when Beth picked me as a tester for her super clean super simple "the modern simple top i've been looking for" Lou Box Top, i was hella stoked. I've made a bunch of Scout Tees, but they always needed after-the-fact adjustments, and just didn't feel very feminine. (Beth hasn't released the pattern yet, but hang tight! It's a goodie!)

I chose some silk i bought at Stonemountain a couple years ago one day i played sewing hooky (ahh the days before 85 kids counted on me every day). Silk is a PAIN IN THE ASS

Even with starch. So much starch. I use this stuff in the huge bottle. (omg that link! who knew Mary Ellen was so prolific in her efforts to make ironing less odious?)

The wovens version includes a button tab back, just to be pretty. (I think this button was harvested from one of my mom's awesome 80s dresses. HOT.)
 
very swingy. I used french seams everywhere, and navy silk crepe binding. I forgot to clip my curves (even though the directions said to do it) and so the neck sticks up a little! DAMN.

Anyway, isn't it cute? can be made knit or woven, and so simple either way. I bet a simpler fabric would take about an hour top to bottom.

Til I take that on, I'll keep it classy in my silks.

What are you wearing? Are you famous about it?

luv
bex

*** welllll, the ladies at the fabric store saw a stack of my in-process undies yesterday, that was fun. :)