Handmade Wardrobe // mommy and me

my dress: True Bias Ogden cami hacked into tiered dress with tie straps

Penny’s dress: self drafted

fabric: all colors of double gauze from Mood Fabrics

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Are these not the ultimate mommy-and-me looks? I’ve done a lot of matching looks for us, but wearing these dresses with her just makes me melt.

My dress is a simple hack for the Ogden cami - just cut in a very cropped length, and then 3 gathered rectangles, each one longer than the other, to create the tiered look. And of course, I’m obsessed with tie straps. So I just lengthened the strap pattern piece and cut 4 instead of 2. I went back and forth a lot about which colors I wanted to use, but these ones definitely make me happy. And double gauze is my favorite fabric, so the combo is just soooo good.

Penny’s matching dress is just 3 rectangles, with the top one having an elastic casing along the top edge. Easy peasy!

handmade Wardrobe // mayfair showcase

fabric: Piccadilly rayon designed by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics

my skirt: SewDIY Lela skirt

Penny’s skirt: self drafted

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Hey everyone! Today, I am the next stop in the Mayfair Showcase! Amy Sinibaldi is one Art Gallery Fabrics talented designers, and her latest collection is called Mayfair. It is a collection reminiscent of flower filled neighborhoods around London, and it is gooooorgeous.

I got the chance to sew up these skirts using the rayon option in the collection - the Picadilly in sunset rayon. The coloring definitely comes across as more of a brighter orange-red in the photos, but IRL, its more rust-y, and a tiny bit more muted than in the photos. The print is so delicate and elegant and so pretty. I wanted to let the print shine, without to much frill, so I went with a simple skirt for my look. The pattern is the Lela skirt by SewDIY with the knee length curved hem, angled pocket, and a widened waistband so I could add a little paperbag waist ruffle detail. Pretty simple overall, but oh so cute. Now, the rayon fabric is opaque enough, but it is very lightweight. I didn’t add a lining because I have a few slips that I usually wear under skirts. But you may want a lining, depending on what you’re making and your comfort level.

Penny’s skirt is a quick DIY skirt - just a a rectangular piece with an elastic casing for the waist, and an added second rectangular piece that has been gathered for the bottom ruffle. I love how my skirt has a little ruffle at the top, and hers has one on the bottom. Oh, and I did line hers with a lightweight white lining.

That’s it! Hope you enjoy them. Make sure you check out Amy’s instagram to see the other makers participating in the showcase. There are some super talented quilters using all of the pretty cottons in the collection!

handmade wardrobe // StyleMaker Fabrics spring style tour 2020

fabrics: mocha gauze sweater knit and blue floral rayon crepe, both c/o Stylemaker Fabrics

sweater: Megan Nielsen Jarrah sweater

skirt: Tessuti patterns Evie bias skirt

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I had so much fun the last time I participated in the Stylemaker Fabrics style tour, so I was excited when Michelle asked me to participate again! This time its the spring style tour, which is my faaaaaaavorite. Coming out of that winter haze to some sunshine and color is the best, you know? And with all of the covid-19 craziness going on right now, It’s nice to have something pretty to look forward to.

So, I started out by picking out this lightweight floral crepe, because - florals for spring, duh. Ha. It’s very light and drapey , but pretty opaque (except when held right up to light. depending on the application, you may want a lining. I didn’t, though). But really, this floral was kinda giving me some 90’s vibe, so I decided to go with a 90’s style slip skirt - which also happens to be very “in” right now. It’s seriously one of the easiest skirts to make, once you master cutting on the bias. And also, just a note if you’ve never cut in the bias before - it will change the direction of a pattern. But since this floral is more of a all-over multi-directional pattern, it didn’t really matter. Bt yes, easy -just a couple of side seams and then elastic at the waist, and DONE. I love it. I can see me wearing it with a basic tee, knotted, with a denim jacket thrown over top. Or even a nice woven cami and some heels for a dressier look. For this outfit, I chose to make a boxy, cropped, sweater for a casual in-between season look.

The sweater knit is a very lightweight gauzy knit, and it comes in a few different colors! It is gauze-like, so slightly sheer, but not completely. I used my go-to sweater pattern- the Jarrah sweater, which has many view options. For this one, I wanted a boxy cropped look. So I went with the banded hem view, but left off the band and just turned under the fabric instead. For the sleeves, I went with the vented sleeve hem option instead of cuffs, to give it the same vibe as the hem. This helped give it a loose, lightweight sweater feel, and less sweatshirt-y. I actually had just made another Jarrah sweater in a similar color, but with a heavier fabric and in the tie view. So I felt a bit silly making another Jarrah in the same color. Buuuuut this one is a lot more lighter-weight and will be worn in a completely different way, so thats how I justify it, ha. It’s the perfect warmer-weather sweater, for cool spring days or cool summer nights.

And thats it! I hope you like it! Make sure you check out all the other stops on the tour. Follow along with @stylemakerfabrics on Instagram to keep up to date on everyone. Girls In The Garden is up next! And if you haven’t checked out Stylemaker fabrics before, do it! Michelle carries some of the nicest and best quality fabrics, both woven and knit.

Handmade Wardrobe // first of spring

Fabric : pucker gingham from Joann

my dress: Megan Nielsen Darling Ranges dress lengthened and with added ruffle hem, buttons by Tabitha Sewer

Penny’s dress: Oh Oh My Sewing Sunflower dress

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We may be living in a crazy time right now - self isolating, staying at home, etc, but I can’t stop making pretty things. Sewing keeps me occupied and sane. So while we technically don’t have anywhere to wear these pretty dresses right now, it makes me pretty happy to have them made and in our closets.

My dress is an old tried and true for me - the Darling Ranges dress. I made it maxi length by simply extending the skirt pattern (its a rectangle, so easy to do), and adding an additional rectangular piece ruffle on the bottom. I also brought the neckline up by 1”, and made it sleeveless by just leaving the sleeves off and finishing the raw edges with bias facings instead. I probably should have brought the armscye and shoulder seam in a little bit, so that the shoulders are not so wide. Bt alas, I forgot to.

I was so excited to use these Tabitha Sewer buttons with this fabric! They are called the ‘macaroni’ wood buttons, but I actually see little rainbow shapes. My only regret is not purchasing just one more pack of them to use on P’s dress too. I actually didn’t realize I would have enough fabric left to make anything for P, so that’s why I didn’t. But I suppose that’s an easy thing to swap out if I decided to go back and purchase more later! For now, I’ve used some vintage mix-and-match white buttons from my my grandma’s old stash for hers. Still cute!

handmade wardrobe // lucky green and (rose) gold

dress: M7947 in a viscose linen slub from Blackbird Fabrics

buttons: Tabitha Sewer rose gold buttons

shoes: Old Navy

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All of our St. Paddy’s day plans have been cancelled due to Covid-19 (rightfully so, they definitely should be), but that doesn’t mean I can’t still wear and show you the cute dress I made, right?

I actually had an inspo photo of a green dress just like this saved in my photo album for quite awhile now, and it turns out that this pattern is an exact match for that look. Like, EXACTLY. Lucky lucky! I made the midi length view with the shorter elastic sleeves. I also added a sash belt, which is not included in the pattern. The only alteration had to make is shortening the length of the front elastics. With the elastic length provided by the pattern, it was too wide and gaping up front. But it was an easy fix!

And these mirrored rose gold buttons are the perfect accent for this lucky little dress! Have you seen Tabitha’s button collection yet? They are soooo perfect and modern and cool. I snagged a few different ones and I can’t wait to use them.

Handmade Wardobe // Fall Leopard

dress: McCall 7595 in a rayon challis from Style Maker Fabrics

tee: Megan Nielsen Patterns Rowan bodysuit

jacket: old Forever21

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This is a tried and true pattern for me - the third dress I’ve made in this style! I lie it because its really simple, easy to modify and hack, and doesn’t have the worry about fitting too much since its a loose fit. For this one, I made the straps long ties instead, and added a short ruffle flounce to the bottom hem (although the print kind of hides it in the photos). My favorite thing to do with this pattern, to give it the option of being fitted at the waist since it is a loose pull on style, is to add small ties at the back waist. Then you have the option to tie it and cinch it in a little more for definition!

handmade wardrobe // Witchy Vibes, mommy and me with Measure fabrics

my dress: McCalls 7946 in a tiny dot silk/cotton twill from Measure Fabrics

Penny’s jumpsuit: Hello Dear Kids harem jumpsuit, in same fabric

my shoes: Swedish Hasbeens

Penny’s hair bows: June and January

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Seriously feeling these October witchy vibes in this look.

When I received this fabric from Measure Fabrics, I knew it had to made up into a special dress. It’s a twill, but a light weight and super soft twill. And a silk blend- so special! It drapes beautifully, but isn’t so lightweight that its sheer, I really didn’t need a lining at all. Seriously, I don’t know how else to describe the feel and drape of this fabric, it’s such a dream! One if those magic fabrics that could be made into almost anything - a special evening dress, a fun jumpsuit or floaty wide legs, a pretty blouse, etc. But my favorite part of the fabric? That itty bitty dot print. I love small details in fabric. And from far away this may look like a sold black or dark grey, but then you get up close and see those little polka dots, and UGH, so cute.

So like I said, I really wanted this to be an October witchy-feeling dress. I ended up going with a pattern that I have used once before. I made another version back in June, a sleeveless one. To be more fall appropriate, I sewed up the sleeved version this time around and OMG THAT SQUARE NECKLINE IS EVERYTHING. I want all my necklines to be this shape. It’s seriously so perfect. And it’s also a pretty easy pattern. It looks detailed and possibly complicated, but its not. The casing and elastic is a bit time consuming, but super simple and beginner friendly. Especially if you use store-bought bias tape like I did- hand made bias tape would take the difficulty (and yardage amount) up a notch), so be aware of that if you want to make one yourself! But I just feel like the combination of this fabric and silhouette couldn’t be a more perfect match.

I debated what to do with the leftover yardage for P’s outfit. I originally was thinking a dress for her too. But as the weather gets colder, there is no denying that she’ll get more wear out of pants. I actually have made her one of these jumpsuits before, too, so I knew it would be perfect for her. I love how the little ruffle detail along the top edge matches the little ruffle detail of the bottom half of my dress. What do you think? Is her a jumpsuit a good match to my dress, or would you have gone with a dress for her too?

Handmade Wardrobe // Esme and Tully

cardigan: Named Clothing Esme cardigan (simplified hack) in a brushed sweater knit from StyleMaker Fabrics

pants: Style Arc Tully pants in a lightweight bleached denim from Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics

tank top and shoes: Target

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I have two new handmade makes in this outfit, both of which I had very different experiences making!

First - these Tully pants. Remeber my obsession with the Spring Shorts over the summer, and how I made 5 different verisons of them. Yeah, these are the fall verison of that for me. They are peeeeeeerfect. And I’ll probably make another couple of pairs before fall is over. I had to make no alterations and the fit is perfect straight from the pattern. I really like it made up in this lightweight 6.5 oz bleached denim, but now I’m kind of curious what it would be like made up in a slightly heavier denim to more like a pair of fancy jeans.

And then there was this cardigan. Oh man, this cardigan. It took me three days to finish this thing up because it just was not going well. I wanted to make an Esme cardigan but cut short just below the pockets. Literally nothing went right in the process. And I realize now that It’s not anything to do with the pattern, but with my fabric selection. The pattern calls for a medium to heavier weight fabric with very little stretch, and I chose this very lightweight, very stretchy and drapey and droopy sweater knit. As a result, the pockets drooped, the placket was all twisted and funky, and the whole thing just drooped and was sad looking. I ended up cutting off the placket and cuffs, and just turned under the raw edge with a little knit hem tape for stability. I also stitched the pocket bags to the front of the cardigan, so that the stitching is visible from the front. This helps the pockets not droop quite so much. In the end, It doesn’t really look like an Esme, more like a much more simplified version of it. But for all the issues, I still think it turned out pretty good in the end!

handmade wardrobe // mommy and me Eucalypt tanks

both of our tanks: Megan Nielsen Eucalypt tanks, women’s and mini in a dotty rayon from Fabric.com

my shorts: Peppermint Magazine Spring Shorts in a slub linen from Stonemountain Fabrics

Penny’s shorts: self drafted

my hair clip: Turtle Story

both our shoes: Old Navy (mine & Penny’s)

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My friend Megan just released two new mini paptterns - including the Mini Eucalypt tank and dress! I made these matching tanks for me and P back and June, and have dying to share them. It’s a simple pattern, a quick sew, but oh so satisfying.

Penny is wearing the smallest size available which is a size 3, with no adjustments (she is 3 years old). It is just tad bit big on her, but she also falls just outside the measurements for the size 3. I chose not to make any adjustments, because I figured that it being a tiny bit oversized now is worth it for it to fit her still next summer. The more wear, the better! And the longer I can twin her in it haha.

And now that summer is dying down, I’m also picturing it with a cute chunky cardigan layered over it with her little leggings. Cuuuuuute, right?!

handmade wardrobe // Ogden dress hack, round 2

dress: True Bias Ogden Cami hacked into a gathered dress with tie straps, in a floral crinkle cotton from Joann Fabrics

hair clip: Amazon

purse: vintage, purchased at Crompton Collective

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I’m going to keep this short, since this is the second time I’ve made this Ogden dress hack (see the first from earlier this month). Only addition was adding tie straps to this one! Love this hack, probably one of my favorites!