Style Arc Adeline Dress in Linen

Yaaaassss... my new favorite cocoon dress! And maybe my new favorite dress, period.

Remix the Stitch!: Ravenna Remixed

Happy Anniversary to Straight Stitch Designs!

Batik Maya

After a couple of wadders (a Victory Patterns Roxanne made from nightmarishly slippery and shreddy fabric turned out too tight across the shoulders, a Workroom Social Tate top had irredeemably low armholes), I needed a refreshing, simple make. Bonus points for being able to use stash fabric.

Southwestern Emery

I told ya there would be a second one!  After my first Emery went so well, I was pretty pumped to get started on another!  Plus, I had this very busy southwestern/Aztec/tribal (what do you call this stuff?) cotton quilting-esque fabric that I bought on a whim from the sale area at one of my favorite shops in Bangkok's Chinatown fabric district, Cotton House (#277).  I realize I probably already missed the boat on this trend, but I like the fabric nonetheless, so I pushed ahead with it.  I kinda wanted a more in-your-face Emery since my last one was relatively tame.

I cut the bodice on the cross-grain to get the stripes to go horizontally, but then left the skirt with the stripes running vertically.  I tried to get the stripes to match across the side seams below the bust darts, figuring that noone was (hopefully) looking too close at my armpit region so it was ok if it didn't line up.  Despite my best efforts, the stripes don't quiiiiiiite line up across the back zipper.  I'm cool with that, though.

This Emery is unlined because I didn't have quite enough fabric.  I considered using bias tape as a facing, but ultimately decided to draft my own neckline facings by tracing the front and back necklines (taking into account the back darts)... I made them 2.5" wide and interfaced them.  Not too shabby!  I stitched them down at the shoulders and in the zipper seam allowance so they don't pop out.

Somehow, even though I made the same size as my first, this one became a little tight across the chest once the sleeves were attached, only when I try to put my arms behind my back.  My only guess is that it's due to the fabric having less stretch/give because it's more tightly woven than the fabric I used for my first Emery?  Also, on this one, it seems more obvious that I might need a slight swayback adjustment.  That said, I like how this slightly stiffer fabric gives the skirt a little more body.  Good stuff:

Anywho, I love this Emery... it's so bright and fun and girly and a little crazy, and I really dig how the stripes look going in different directions.  I feel like it has a bit of a Modcloth-y feel to it, perhaps.

Painted Portrait Blouse: Two Ways

Another successful top made!  And immediately made again!

I've admired this cute blouse and dress pattern from Anna Maria Horner, the Painted Portrait, for a while now.  I like all of the possible variations, particularly the fun pieced yoke option.  I think it would be a pretty awesome use of random scraps from other projects.

The first version I sewed up this week is basically a wearable muslin made out of some machine-printed batik.  I love it!  The empire waist style fit is great and it was really easy to put together.   I'll definitely make it again, maybe using one of my fancier, hand-printed batiks, or perhaps some of Anna Maria Horner's beautiful fabrics.  The details of the blouse get a little bit lost with the busy print used for the whole blouse like this one...  Another idea: a solid yoke (perfect for displaying a cool necklace) with a patterned body.

My only complaint is that I am not a fan of facings... I find them bulky and awkward, even after I tacked them down on the inside of the blouse.  Thus, for my second version, I eliminated the yoke facings and use bias tape to finish the neckline.  Also, I skipped the button and slit in the back of the yoke- I don't need it to get the blouse over my head and the one I made on the batik version was pretty ugly (totally user error on my part).  Now that I've made the second version, I may go back into the first and replace the facings with bias tape.

So, my second version is made from some old school fabric that the Real Martha sent me... I'm not sure what you would call it.  Rainbow striped, funky textured, fairly sheer and flowy... I love it.  It is even better than I imagined in Painted Portrait blouse form.

I cut the yoke pieces so that the stripes were perpendicular to the remainder of the body to make it stand out.  The front looks great, but the back is a little funky because I forgot to pay attention to whether the two sides matched up.  Really I should have just cut the back yoke in one piece, on the fold, and skipped the seam since I wasn't making the back slit.  Live and learn.

I love how it turned out; love the fabric texture.  Perfect for hot Indonesian weather... flowy and light. It has a bit of a late '60s, '70s hippie feel to it.  As if Milla Jovovich might wear it in "Dazed and Confused."  Love it.