Last week, 5 out of 4 hosted a Sew Along on their website/Facebook group/Youtube Channel for the Camilla Top. I usually don’t get super amped up about Sew Alongs because I don’t like to drag a project out for days. However, if I love the project as much as I love Camilla…Game On!
I have made several Camilla tops and you can view them by clicking the link. Camilla is a fairly quick sew especially when you have made it few times! Give it a try!!
Let’s talk about fabric. I want to start by saying I am 100% in love with the feel of this fabric! Hello cool drapy goodness…I need you in my life! This fabric is Cameron ITY and it is from Stitchin’ Pretties. I love ITY. This one was easy to sew, cool to the touch, and has the best drape EVER! The Camilla top really needs a fabric with amazing drape to make the best of the front cowl neckline.
I just ordered another ITY print from Stitchin’ Pretties. Don’t forget that during this whole Covid Crisis, Stitchin’ Pretties is offering to throw in an extra 1 yard of fabric for each 2 yard cut you order! Psst… for the record, a medium box will hold 12 yards…. that may or may not be just what I ordered. I should have my fabric in hand by Saturday! Laura is a shipping ninja! #SupportSmallBusiness
The Camilla pattern
OPTIONS INCLUDE:
Sleeveless, Short, Elbow, 3/4, Long, and Extra Long Sleeves;
Shirt, Tunic, A-line Dress, and Swing Dress;
Maternity option;
Band option for each sleeve length, including thumbhole cuffs;
Hem Band Option;
Optional Pockets for Swing Dress; and
Optional ruched sides of bodice
This time I decided to do a straight 5x to have a little more room through the bust area. Since this is an older 5oo4 pattern, it doesn’t include the FBA which is now included with their patterns. I also graded out to the A-line dress lines, but cut it at a tunic length. This allowed me to have a little more room overall. My sleeves are elbow length.
Hi Friends!! Here is a warning, You are going to be overloaded with blog posts from me this weekend! I have been sewing up some AMAZINGLY AWESOME things and I need to share! Plus there are some sales and I don’t want you to miss out! First up, I am guest blogging for Love Notions today for the Featured Friday pattern!
The Forte Top/Dress pattern is on sale for only $5 FOR TODAY ONLY! I sewed up the Forte with 4 different fabric based and explained a bit about them. You are NOT going to want to miss out. Also this is my first blog post for Love Notions so come by and show me some love!! Here is the link, just click my photo below.
Fabric Sponsored by Stitchin’ Pretties and Surge Fabric Shop.
Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope you are having a good week so far, getting some sewing time in and most importantly, I hope you are healthy! Welcome to my stop on the Spring Fling Blog Tour! The theme of this blog tour is my favorite spring or summer sewing patterns. We could pick anything we wanted to share. I decided I wanted to make a dress from this adorable light plum and white mini dot printed double brushed poly fabric. I picked it up from Surge Fabrics a few weeks ago, but now it has sold out. Don’t worry, there are still tons of fabric options over at Surge!
Without much thought, I knew I was going to make the Willow Wrap Dress from Love Notions. I loved it when I first noticed it and was thrilled it was being offered in LN’s new expanded size chart. I decided to choose the bodice view with more front coverage. A lot of times, cross front bodices expose a bit more of the girls than I wish to share with everyone, so I was happy to see this one offered options for more or less coverage. I used the full bust pattern pieces. I used the gathered side option, elbow length sleeves and the longer skirt. I didn’t not adjust the skirt length for my height as I wanted my skirt to hit just below my knees.
This wasn’t a super quick sew, but it went together nicely and fit well! This pattern has 9 pieces and a mile of hemming, but it is worth it. This dress is pretty, easy to wear, and will have you feeling just a bit dressy for any party! You can sew it with or without the flutter at the cross front or choose one of the shorter length options.
This dress will be perfect for a spring afternoon, Easter Sunday, or dinner with friends, but we are under lock down here in Ohio. So for the foreseeable future, you will be treated to photos taken without my photographer. 😦 Whomp. Whomp. Anyhow, I figured out how to use the timer on my camera and brought all of you into my sewing space! My happy place! Welcome. This next photo looks like I am dancing!
So I have some exciting news!! Love Notions has generously offered to donate a pattern to one lucky reader who leaves a comment below! Please leave me a message to be entered to win a free pattern! I will leave comments open until Saturday early morning and then pick a winner through a random number generator! Good Luck!
I am back with another Love Notions Dress and a mash up to boot! So I sewed up Momma Mia’s first Tessa dress a month or so ago and she loved it! Actually I loved it too, but sadly it hasn’t been on the Love Notions size upgrade list yet so I will keep sewing them for Momma Mia. Last time, my promo fabric from Stitchin’ Pretties came with a note saying it would love to become a beautiful dress. So I made the fabric’s dreams come true and it became a Tessa Sheath Dress! This time I received this pretty red floral double brushed poly fabric without a note, but it was screaming at me to make it a dress.
I have a confession to make, when I order fabric, I usually don’t have a plan in mind. My second confession, I told Laura at Stitchin’ Pretties to “just send me something.” I trust her and her product. She doesn’t let me down! When this fabric arrived on my door step, I knew that it would be a dress. I typically feel that fabric with larger open spaces of background does well as dresses. Compared to a tank top, there wouldn’t be as much room to show off a great print! I love print, busy prints! Momma Mia isn’t quiet as flashy as I am in the print department. I knew I was making her a dress with this fabric! I decided on another Tessa, but with a twist. In case you do not know, you can mash the Tessa Bodice with all the skirts from Sybil. I used the Aline skirt from Sybil. This will give her dress a little bit of flirty flare, but not full on twirl factor! Also I only had 2 yards of fabric to work with. Speaking on the 2 yards, since the back bodice is “Cut as mirror image” you can use less fabric than if you had to “Cut on the Fold.”
*You can use this tip for any top pattern. If you don’t have enough fabric to cut a front and back bodice on the fold, you may be able to use the mirror image cutting technique. Just remember to add seam allowances if you adjust from cut on the fold to mirror image or your neckband won’t fit properly.
Tessa #2 with the Sybil skirt portion.
Tessa #1 with Tessa skirt portion.
You may have noticed that I colorblocked this Tessa with the fantastic Royal Blue. I have a bunch of smaller usable scraps from a few months ago, plus still some yardage tucked away. I have SO MUCH LOVE for this color! So at first glance, I was torn as to whether this royal blue was too bold for the red print. Typically, I encourage folks to “mind the tones” of your colors. For example, the royal blue is a jewel tone and the red isn’t. I posted a side by side picture in the group and asked if it works, yea or no. I got both responses, so that wasn’t at all helpful. In the end, my mind was made up and I made the first cut. Speed work for about an hour and TA-DA! Momma has a new dress. I put the finished dress on the dress form which has basically taken up residence in my living room window. I LOVED it! Like really loved it. I left it there for 3 days! When I delivered it, Momma Mia loved it too. She just happened to have perfectly matching shoes and a purse to add to her photo session! She is too much some days! Side note, I delivered this dress Monday evening. When I saw her on Tuesday, she was wearing it. She had been grocery shopping in it! 🙂 You go Momma! I am glad she is always willing to wear the clothes I make her. She makes this daughter proud!
This red floral print is called Felicia and I knew Momma Mia was going to LOVE it! This fabric was easy to sew and it drapes nicely. I did notice a little bit of wrinkling after I had thrown it in a bag to take it to Momma Mia, but a quick tumble in the dryer fixed it right up! This fabric has a nice weight to it also. As usual, Laura ships within a day and runs great sales and has really awesome fabric. Honestly, if you don’t know about Stitchin‘ Pretties, you are missing out.
I used the same boat neck line as the first Tessa, color blocked at the yoke and 3/4 sleeves. The above photo really shows the width difference in the skirt compared to the Sheath Style of the original Tessa. I love the that all 7 of the Sybil skirts fit with the Tessa. Maybe Momma Mia will end up with the entire collection. 🙂 I don’t think she would mind.
**The dress features a bateau or scoop neckline, optional yoke detail and five sleeve lengths: sleeveless, short, elbow, 3/4 and long. Two hem lengths are also included- above knee and shin. Bonus- the bodice part of the pattern can also be easily mashed with the Sybil Skirt Collection.
**Meant for knit fabrics, the Sybil comes with seven variations: pencil, a-line, swing, drop yoke with swing, gored, asymmetrical wrap and pleated. All versions, with the exception of the drop yoke, also have knee and midi length options as well as inseam pockets. All skirt waistbands can include the optional hidden control panel or a yoga-style waistband, no closures needed.
Before you leave my blog, did you check out The Fitting Experiment from 2 days ago? Did you leave a comment for a chance to win a pretty Love Notions Sabrina Slims pattern?
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