Sew Over It Bonnie Blouse!

Hello! I am so excited to share the newest pattern from Sew Over It! It’s the Bonnie blouse or dress. Bonnie has a 1940’s style feel complete with collar, hidden button placket, short sleeves with cuff, waistband and optional pleats. I really love this blouse. It has so many special details and unlike anything I already have.

The fabric I used is a peachy pink rayon by Figo fabrics. I saw it in a local shop and knew instantly it would be perfect for this blouse! I didn’t want a print that was too big because I worried it would be cut off weird with the pleats. Light weight fabrics like rayon or chiffon are recommended for this pattern.

I have to say that this blouse took a good amount of time to make and was one of the more complex garments I’ve sewn. I definitely do not recommend it to beginner sewists. There’s a lot of techniques in here and combine it with a slippery fabric… not the easiest! The non pleated bodice might be a better place to start if you are worried! It’s a great pattern for trying out some new skills, though. This was my first time sewing a hidden button placket. I admit I got a little frustrated starting out but it came together. With this pattern, make sure you mark all you notches and trace all the fold and stitch lines for the pleats. I think marking the fold and the stitch lines in two different colors would be very helpful. I had to keep referencing the pattern piece to make sure I wasn’t getting mixed up!

I made the size 8. I am pretty happy with the fit. I think it could be sized down a little but I honestly wasn’t sure where to begin (the pattern piece for the front bodice is the funniest looking pattern piece!) I really don’t mind it, though especially since this fabric has a nice drape.

I wish I had more bottoms to pair with it. I styled it with two different shorts for these photos. I had extra fabric so I whipped up a pair of matching shorts. I really need more solid midi skirts in my wardrobe. They are so easy to sew and wouldn’t take long to make but I never seem to buy the fabric. Definitely going to add that to my sewing list so I can get more wear out of this blouse!

I think Bonnie is a fantastic pattern and I absolutely plan to make another one day. What do you think? Will you make a Bonnie?

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Sew Over It Kitty Dress

I am so happy to share that this is my first make as a Sew Over It Pattern Insider!  As a Pattern Insider, I’ll be making new Sew Over It patterns throughout the year. This one I actually tested, too! Without further ado… Introducing… the Kitty dress! It’s a perfect vintage inspired shirt dress with 4 bodice and 2 skirt options that can be mixed and matched. It has pockets and buttons down the whole front. I chose to make the short sleeve bodice with shawl collar and a gathered skirt.

This dress truly feels vintage to me! I used a vintage blue and white cotton gingham I’ve had in my stash for a while. I had just enough for this pattern! I used some vintage lace hem tape (forgot to photograph!) and I love the finish. I’ve really enjoyed hemming garments like this recently. I sew the tape on the right side of the fabric with my machine, press the bottom up and hand stitch to the tape.  It”s time consuming but worth it in my opinion. I love that little detail when I look on the inside. I wish I could have used vintage buttons in addition to the vintage fabric and hem tape but I didn’t have enough of any in my stash! This needed 10 or 11 buttons.

As far as fit, I’m happy with the results. My bust is smaller than the smallest size so I graded the bust down and I left the waist as is. I did this by folding the dart on the pattern and drawing a straight line about 1/4′ in from the top left to the waist. I did the same for the back bodice (except no dart there). I also made sure to remove that 1/4″ from each side of the sleeve so it would fit. I was a little nervous without making a toile for this but I’m much more of just go for it sewist. Thankfully it turned out okay! I think I could have taken in a little more or adjusted the placement of the darts but I think it’s ok. There’s always next time!

This was not a quick sew and definitely took some time but it was so worth it in the end. I’ve made other shirt dresses before so I didn’t find this difficult. However, the method of sewing in the pockets was different than what I’m used to. I was a little confused while sewing them but I am pleased with the results.

I’m so thrilled with this dress and am so excited to wear it this summer.