Sew Over It Libby Shirt

The Sew Over It Libby shirt pattern has definitely been on my radar for a while. I’ve been seeing so many beautiful versions popping up on my Instagram feed. Sew Over It was having a summer sale a few weeks ago so I finally caved and bought this pattern! Libby is a button down shirt with a boxy fit and a notched collar. There are two hem lengths- I went with the longer of the two. I love the grown on sleeves (no setting in!) and there is also a sleeve cuff which I thought was a nice design feature. As far as fit, I cut a straight size 8 and am happy with it. Because it is boxy and I used a fabric with a lot of drape, it’s an easy pattern to fit.

I had bought this Figo rayon when I bought the pink rayon for my Bonnie blouse because I loved it so much. The blue is such a gorgeous color and it pairs wonderfully with the yellow gold flowers. This is a great pattern for larger prints because there are no darts or seams running through the main bodice pieces.

Libby was easy to sew except for the collar. I don’t sew collar stands or notched collars very often so it took me a little while to wrap my head around what I was supposed to do. Marking your notches and dots on your pattern definitely helps (I had to go back in and darken some of my marks) but I had to really zoom in on the instruction photos to figure it out. I kind of just went for it and it started to make sense/ come together.

I think Libby is a great basic blouse. I would love to make another in a sold color. I think I’ve said this before but I really need to more solids in my wardrobe! I don’t have too many things to pair this top with but I did really like it with these RTW white jeans.

Of course I have to mention these flowers! This a nearby farm and their flower field in the summer is one of my favorite photo spots. I just made it there this week (where has the summer gone?!) and am hoping to make at least one more trip this year. I planned to take photos with the sunflowers but they had just cut them down. Fortunately I was able to buy a bouquet of them. They are huge!

Have you made the Libby shirt pattern?

Advertisement

Swim Coverup Vogue 9255

Hello! I am sharing my Vogue beach coverup today. I wanted this Vogue pattern since last year. I almost bought it at a local shop but I realized at the register I grabbed the wrong size range and it was the last one in stock. A few months ago Joann’s was having a sale on Vogue patterns and I remembered to get this one! This pattern has three pieces- shorts, halter bra and coverup. I knew I wanted to make the cover up ASAP. I don’t really have any coverups for the beach so I made sure to sew this before our trip to Cape May.

I bought this embroidered cotton fabric with border from Joann’s. I think it’s so beautiful! I had originally planned to make a blouse with it but I realized it would work very well for this pattern. I was a little short on fabric so I took a little bit of width out of the main pieces and I believe the sleeves are a little shorter, too. I cut my two main pieces on the border. (bonus- I didn’t have to hem!)

This was fairly quick to sew and I definitely can see myself making one again. It was so comfortable to wear in the heat and I love the fit/style. I’m curious about the shorts and halter bra, too but I’m not sure if I’ll get around to making them anytime soon. I am in fall mode right now and can’t help but plan for cooler temps. I’m starting with some pieces that can be worn in the heat but easily transitioned next season. Hopefully I’ll be back next week with one of those garments!

Ellie and Mac Southshore Romper

Hello! I am sharing my Ellie and Mac South Shore romper today. My friend Hannah bought this pattern and I thought it looked like such a cute, comfy garment to wear in the summer. I made it with that Robert Kaufman cotton jersey knit I shared a few posts back. I made sure to finish it before our trip down to Cape May, New Jersey. It was the perfect thing to wear shopping around this beach town, then out to dinner!

This pattern has a few variations but I stuck to the short sleeve option with the shorts. I graded this pattern out to a larger size for the waist and shorts. I’m happy with the fit but I could probably make the top a little bigger next time.

It was a quick sew and I definitely see myself wearing it a bunch this summer. Also, how cute is this flower stand we found while we were walking around? I had to get a little bouquet!

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?

Itch to Stitch Zamora Blouse

Hello! I just wanted to share that I made a Zamora Blouse from Itch to Stitch and styled it three ways. I am so in love with this colorful blouse. You can read all about it and see my three looks over on the Itch to Stitch blog.

Restyling Exchange Reveal!

I’m so excited to finally share this! My friend Jess asked me to be her partner for the #restylingexchange2019. I’ve never done anything like this but I was up to the challenge. Basically, we sent each other garments from our wardrobes that we didn’t wear anymore and restyled them into something new for each other. I sent her a 3/4 sleeve Liberty print top from Jcrew that I thrifted. I loved the fabric but I wasn’t crazy about the style. She made it into tank maxi dress. I’m so blown away by it. It’s seriously a work of art. It looks like something you’d see in Anthropologie. Jess used another fabric as a bias binding on the top/ tie straps and used another fabric for the skirt. There’s an added elastic waist and a slit in the back so it’s comfy to wear. She also added beautiful ruffles along the skirt.

 

 

She also made me this adorable bowl out of the fabric scraps!

Here we are together! Couldn’t resist a silly photo. Below is what I made for Jess.  She sent me a beautiful blouse that she made and a knit top from Anthropologie. I felt terrible cutting into her blouse because I could tell how much work went into it. But she didn’t wear it and the hems on the pleats started to fray. I knew I wanted to reuse those pleated parts though. They were so pretty and I can only imagine how much time went into them. I trimmed them off and cleaned up the hems with some scissors and restitched them. I cut the knit top into short sleeves and added the ruffles there. I also used the sleeves of the blouse to make panels on the sides. Jess was really happy with it and I’m so glad!

 

This was such a fun experience. I would absolutely do this again.

The Eden Set

I know what I’m going to be wearing all summer! I love this dress so much. It’s the Eden Set that came with a Simply Sewing magazine last year. It’s available in their Etsy shop as a PDF if you missed out on it.  There is also a top version and a sleeve tie option with this pattern. This is an easy dress to wear and sew! There’s no darts so fitting was simple and the only closure to sew is a hook and eye at the neck. I was a little worried about getting it on without a zipper but it was totally fine.

The fabric I used is a striped linen from Merchant and Mills. It was definitely a splurge but well worth it in my opinion. Those colors are so perfect! And it’s really comfortable to wear, especially in the heat. I had fun playing around with the direction of the stripes  and really like how it turned out. Do I even need to mention that I love the pockets? So handy for keeping my phone in.

I was in Disneyworld last week and enjoyed wearing this around Magic Kingdom. I also made a floral set of ears to pair with it. I was so proud of myself for wearing me-mades the entire trip! I took photos of nearly every outfit. Maybe I’ll do a round up post of them all.

So happy with this dress. I definitely will be making this pattern again in the future.

Minerva Crafts Blogger Network- Dawn Jeans

My Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans are live on the Minerva Crafts blog today! I am so proud of these. Head on over to see them!

Deer and Doe Myosotis Dress

This is one garment I wasn’t expecting to make! I never thought much about the Deer and Doe Myosotis Dress pattern but I recently saw a couple versions I really liked on Instagram. I kind of had the pattern in the back of mind since then. I went to New York with my friends Jess and Hannah for another garment district shopping trip last month. When I was at Mood, I spotted this white cotton with embroidered flowers.  I figured I’d find something to make with it so I bought 2 yards. I didn’t immediately think about this dress but the next day I realized this fabric would be perfect! I thought I didn’t buy enough according to the pattern envelope and was so disappointed. My friend Jess even went back to get me another yard but it sold out in a couple days! The guy said it had been there 10 years. What are the odds? I decided to buy the pattern and lay it out anyway. I actually had just enough! The only piece I omitted was the pockets because this fabric is slightly sheer. I have to wear this over a slip.

I had no trouble sewing this up. I made it in one day. I think the fit is good. I was one size in my bust and a larger size in my waist. I ended up just cutting the size for my bust and was fine because this dress is loose fitting. I could consider grading out to a larger waist size next time.

I think this is the perfect spring/ summer dress. It’s so light and airy. I’m just so thrilled with how this turned out. I love the Deer and Doe patterns I have tried and this one is definitely another keeper! Also, how beautiful is this tree in my backyard?! I’ve lived here 4 springs and don’t recall it ever looking this good!

Butterick B6318

B6318 is part of Butterick’s vintage collection. It’s from 1961 and has a gathered skirt, high neckline, dolman sleeves and waist ties. I’ve had this pattern for a while now. I bought it during one of Joann’s pattern sales but never had any real plans to make it. I recently saw a few versions pop up on Instagram and I finally felt inspired to give it a go! I got this Rifle Paper Co fabric last year when they released their English Garden collection. It’s such a beautiful fabric with so many great details in the print. I kept changing my mind on what to make with it! I think I bought 3 yards so I wanted a pattern that wouldn’t leave me with a lot left over.

As far as fit goes, I’m happy. I graded from a 6 in the bust to an 8 in the waist. I don’t think I’d change a thing. I like the style of this dress and I think this pattern is a winner. I try not make dresses like this anymore though because I can’t wear them too often. I don’t know if I’ll be making this dress again anytime soon. Or if I did, maybe a shorter length would be more wearable.If I made this again, I’d also use a dyed fabric instead of a printed fabric because you can easily see the wrong side of the waistband fabric when it’s tied. I thought about backing it but I didn’t have enough fabric and I was worried it would be too bulky. 

TULIPS. Obviously the show stopper here. About an hour from where I live has a farm that planted a million tulips. Literally. It’s called Holland Ridge Farms if anyone reading is from the New Jersey area. I wanted to go last year but I found out about it at the very end of the season. I made sure to keep an eye on their page this year so I didn’t miss out. It was so gorgeous. I didn’t want to leave! These are easily my favorite photos I’ve taken for the blog.