One Dress, Two Dress, Green Dress, Blue Dress

Actually I made the blue dress before the green, but the rhyme just didn't work quite as well. Both of these dresses are based on Karin from Ancien Nouveau's cowl dress/cowl top pattern, which you can download for free from BurdaStyle (where Karin is known as Ichigogirl).

This blue fabric has a bit of sheen to it, making it feel a somewhat dressy. The fabric is thin which makes it quite clingy and revealing of anatomical details. I recently wore this dress to a coworker's wedding (bride and groom obsessed with blue). I did add a cardigan both because I was a little nervous about degree to which the dress "showed off" my figure and because it was a brisk, chilly day.

The green dress is a thicker, softer cotton knit. It smooths over body topography a little better, but doesn't recover as well as I would like. After a couple hours of wear it starts to feel a little stretched out. I've worn this dress out to eat a couple of times (including for my birthday) and gotten compliments. It is very comfortable and easy to wear. I'm normally more drawn to neutrals and dark colors, but I've been having fun adding a bit more color to my wardrobe. My husband picked out the blue and I kept getting pulled back by the green, even though it was not at all what I originally had in mind.

I think I added about six inches to the length to accommodate my height. I also didn't want these particular versions to be as short as Karin's, although I plan to use this pattern in a variety of lengths in the future. I'm still trying to figure out what skirt lengths are most flattering on me. I feel frumpy in things that hit below the knee, but I am starting to feel like I can't pull off showing too much leg above the knee anymore. I love really long skirts, but still can't quite nail down that shorter skirt sweet spot.

I also added several inches to the hips...because I need to. I could work on perfecting the fit a little more, especially in the back (which I don't have pics of...sorry). I'm finding that I may need to make sway back adjustments. I never suspected that because I have a really flat butt. It is pretty much a straight line down from my back (even without much for seat padding my hip measurement is generally two sizes larger than the rest of my measurements...it's all in the width), but I guess my shoulders do stick way out in the back (at least partly due to poor posture).

Overall I am pleased with both dresses. They were very easy to make up, fun to wear, and fit into the simple, classic style that I like so much.

New to Knits

For a long time I was both very eager and very apprehensive to try sewing with knits. The easier fit is extremely attractive and much of my rtw wardrobe consists of knits so they are in my comfort zone. I heard so many horror stories, however, about sewing with knits. Finally I decided to give it a try. This fabric for this top is pretty cheap and crappy, but I liked the color and for a first attempt the price was right (not to mention that there is not an overabundance of quality fabric stores in my area).

For my first venture with knits I used the free minimalist cowl pattern from The Selfish Seamstress. (If you are not familiar with Ms. Selfish you must check out her blog. I've been seriously missing her snarky sass during her move to Europe).

Overall my first attempt went pretty well. The shirt is wearable, but as always I learned some lessons along the way. I used a twin needle to finish the edges. I need to do a better job of adjusting the tension next time to avoid the tunneling, but I'm very excited about the more professional/rtw look that it gives to the finished garment. Next time I make this top (and there will be many next times) I probably won't finish the edge of the cowl at all.

One of the biggest problems I had was adjusting the length. I tower a full ten inches over the Selfish Seamstress' mere sixty inch height. While I did add enough length, I added it all to the lower part of the garment. I really needed to add some of it above the bust. The arm openings are way too small and cause a lot of wrinkling in the shoulders and discomfort under the arms. Oops.

I love the Selfish Seamstress' style and she offers a number of patterns she has drafted as free downloads. Unfortunately I am not petite and don't yet have the confidence to grade more involved patterns up to my size. Her coffee date dress, which is available in a multi-size pattern, is going to be one of my upcoming projects. I even get the bonus of extra instructions because Grosgrain used it as one of her Frock by Friday projects.

Seersucker Sass

I love this skirt! It is about as basic as a skirt can get, but was an essential wardrobe staple during the hottest days of summer. There was a couple week stretch when I wore it nearly every day just paired with different colored tank tops and flip flops. (Too bad I waited until the temperature dropped almost 50 degrees to take any pictures.)

As the summer got hotter I kept being drawn to the many tutorials for simple gathered skirts. I wanted to try to wear skirts more, but didn't have a lot of sewing time. During a 50 percent off sale at Hancock I picked up this seersucker. The skirt is constructed from two large rectangles cut on the bias gathered along the top. Instead of using wide elastic for the waistband I used a doubled-over strip of black knit from my stash. And here is one of the best parts of the skirt...pockets!

Pockets!

I was a little afraid that this gathered style of skirt would be add too much poof around my hips, which are definitely the widest part of my body, especially since I can't stand wearing waistbands that sit at my natural waist (the waistband sits just above my hip bones). I don't think it ended up being too bad...need to stay away from bulky or stiff fabrics though.

This skirt is so nice and cool. It was easy to make and is even easier to wear. I work the overnight shift and have to wear black scrub pants and a drab green polo to work every night (bleh). I love having fun, simple clothes to pull on quickly for running errands, going out to eat, going for walks, etc, when I wake up in the late afternoon. I definitely need to whip up a few more of these for next summer.