Polka Dots & Circle Skirts

Here is further proof that I am obsessed with this wool melton Stanwyck Skirt.  I think I am going to have to make another!  The only question is, what color?

But what I am most excited about here is that I am finally getting around to posting photos of my Ostara Top.  

I tested this pattern for Jennifer Lauren Handmade back in February 2018 in a different fabric, and I knew at the time that I was going to make another; the only question was when.

So after I finished this dress and had a small amount of leftovers, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the scraps.

The top goes together easily, and I had a finished garment early in 2020.  Two years later, I managed to take some photos, and another year has now passed and I am finally getting around to the blog post, but such is life.

This has, of course, reminded me of the pattern once again, and I feel that it's time to make another!  Because you can't have too many knit tops to pair with a circle skirt, right?!  These are "basics" that I can get behind.

I haven't been spending much time in the sewing room these days, but perhaps a quick and easy project is what I need to get back to it.

The the questions becomes, which fabric to choose?

I haven't perused my knit fabric in some time, and I suspect that there must be something suitable hiding in there.

Or do I stay on the couch with my embroidery for another day?  I know which choice Valentino would prefer!

Top:  Made by me, Jennifer Lauren Handmade "The Ostara Top"
Skirt:  Made by me, Charm Patterns "Stanwyck Skirt" 
Earrings & Necklace:  Vintage
Shoes:  Nina "Serena"
Belt:  Vintage

The Brightest of Jewel Tones

There is very little danger of blending into the background in this outfit!

I do love jewel tones, and bright pink is definitely one of my favorites.

Years ago, I was a bit dye obsessed, and these are two of the items that came of that preoccupation.

The blouse came first.  I decided that I needed a bright pink blouse in my life, and so I made one with a little help from Dharma Trading Co. fiber reactive dye and white rayon twill.  Soon after, I had the opportunity to help test The Ivy Pinafore for Jennifer Lauren Handmade.  I first made the tented silhouette version, and next, this more fitted option.  I had a graphic blue and white print on hand, and the pink blouse came to mind, so I went ahead and dyed the print as well to match, thinking that the two garments would pair nicely.

I did love the original blue and white, so when I stumbled on more of the print at JoAnns, I purchase more, and eventually made this Donna Karan design.  The design (Vogue 1220) looks amazing on everyone.  It's now out of print, but if you ever gets your hands on it, make sure to scoop it up!  

But I am glad that I decided to try a dye experiment with this print.  It may have taken me years to finally wear the outfit, but I love how obnoxious the bright colors are.

It is also one of the outfits that has reintroduced me to my tights collection.  The pink stands out in a sea of more neutral tones, so they mock me every time I open the drawer.  But finally, I have the last laugh as they are an almost perfect match to the bright pink dye.

And it feels wonderful to have finished another project that was set aside for so many years.  Which reminds me, I really need to get back to all the other half completed garments I have tucked away.

Blouse:  Made by me, McCalls 7053
Jumper:  Made by me, "Ivy Pinafore" from Jennifer Lauren Handmade

Wearable Curtains

If you have been following this blog, you are probably familiar with my love of upholstery fabric for garment sewing.

It's beautiful, sturdy, and I love the oversized prints.

This particular skirt is made from some rather special upholstery fabric.  It was once curtains and a wing back chair owned by my maternal Grandmother; I believe her sister covered the chair, and I am not sure who made the matching curtains.  I am not entirely clear on what became of the chair, but I don't believe the fabric remnants I have were ripped from a chair because they are in pretty good shape!  So the yardage in my possession was probably leftovers and maybe some curtain pieces.

I knew that I would eventually make something with the fabric, and after stitching together my first Butterick 6556 dress (which, coincidentally, was also made from upholstery fabric), I thought that the pleated skirt pieces would make an excellent skirt.  And I am so glad I went ahead with the project!

The top is The Gable Top from Jennifer Lauren Handmade.  This version was a bit of a test as the pattern is meant for a much lighter weight knit fabric with more stretch than the pink ponte I chose. 

I love my polka dot Gable that was made from a rayon spandex.  This top, unfortunately, does not get nearly as much wear since it is not as comfortable.  The ponte just doesn't have the same kind of stretch, and the mistake is entirely mine.  But that's just part of my learning process with knit fabrics; I still have so much to learn with stretchy textiles.  

I do adore the pink color, which is why I purchased the yardage.  But I just couldn't see wearing such a light colored knit fabric on the lower half of my body, so it had to be a top.  That's my own hangup, but I just don't think it looks good.  ("People of Walmart" flesh colored leggings come to mind, and I never plan to be the person wearing light colored leggings as a pigment challenged individual. Those photos give me nightmares.  If you have beautifully pigmented skin, go ahead and rock those pale pink or taupe colored leggings, but why on earth does anyone want to wear leggings that are almost the same shade as their skin?!!?)  And why do I think that a shirt that is a pretty good match to my skin tone is acceptable?  I can't quantify it, but in my world, it works.  Moving on . . .

The really nice part about this print is that the color palette goes with so many of my tops and sweaters, which is probably the reason it gets so much wear.  And now I'm off to go find even more cool toned pink and maroon fabrics to make more blouses to match.

Top:  Made by me, "The Gable Top" by Jennifer Lauren Handmade
Skirt:  Made by me, Butterick 6556
Shoes:  American Duchess "Marilyn Pumps"

Bright Pink Dye

This is another one of those projects that I pulled out when Covid first shut everything down and I thought I should put some effort into working with what I had on hand (and also finishing things that were abandoned somewhere along the way).

Back in 2016, I was a tester for the Ivy Pinafore from Jennifer Lauren Handmade.  I got around to finishing and taking photos of the flared version, and I also tested the fit on the slimmer version, but never actually completed the garment.  I got close, but it needed buttonholes and a hem before the garment was wearable.

When I first saw the pattern and went looking for fabric, this high contrast print caught my eye.  I was in the middle of a dyeing frenzy that year, and I remembered this blouse.  I was curious to see how overdyeing a print would work, and so I used the same bright pink fiber reactive dye on my print.  The color did darken the blue more than expected, but I was pretty pleased with how it all turned out.  [I loved the fabric so much I went back and purchased more, which I used in its original state for one of my favorite Donna Karan patterns.]

The pattern went together easily, but as I mentioned, the jumper still needed buttonholes.  But first, I had to find a pair of buttons that I liked.  And miraculously, I found a perfect match in my button stash!

The dress also needed a hem, which was a quick thing to accomplish.

And that's another UFO completed!

Which means I need to find a matching pair of tights, and she's ready to wear.

Polka Dots and Floral Prints are Neutrals, Right?!

I am still playing catch up with a bunch of sewing projects that I would like to get posted on this blog!

In an effort to accomplish that as expeditiously as possible, I decided it would be a good idea to start combining multiple projects in one outfit.  This is one of those pairings.  Hey, at least my resolution to make more separates appears to be a success!

I suppose you could argue that the prints clash.  But really, I have so many different polka dot prints in my closet that I consider them a neutral!  

The top is the "Gable Top" from Jennifer Lauren Handmade.  Over a year ago, I tested this pattern.  Yikes!  This is what happens when you don't blog for months at a time.  

I would guess that most of the online sewing community is aware of this pattern.  It really is a fabulous design.  If/when I come across some great knit fabric, I am definitely going to be making myself more of these.  But for the moment, I am being pretty good about no new fabric purchases, so this pattern is going to be pushed to the back of the queue.  

I have actually made two of these so far.  The first "test" version was made using the pattern exactly as drafted with an inexpensive knit I had stashed away.  For this version, I ended up shortening the length of the bodice and sleeves because the polka dotted knit fabric was leftover from making this dress and there was very little to work with.  I actually prefer the shorter length.

It was necessary to cut the pieces on the cross grain to make everything fit with my small fabric pieces.  Since the knit has four way stretch, I figured that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

And it worked!

The top was originally made to match another Jennifer Lauren pattern, the Ivy Pinafore.

Then I found this floral cotton fabric on a trip to JoAnn Fabrics while looking for a non-directional print suitable to make myself another version of my favorite skirt (Butterick 4792).

The idea to match these two pieces came about because scraps of the polka dot knit were still on my cutting table at the time I started working on this skirt.  The blues matched perfectly, and the rest is history.  Now if only I could find some beautiful wool knit, I might be able to stomach making a solid colored version of the top.  But prints are just so much more interesting to play with!!

Blouse:  Made by me, Jennifer Lauren “Gable”

Skirt:  Made by me, Butterick 4792

Shoes:  Corso Como “Webster”

Casual Corner

Continuing the theme of the trapeze silhouette, here is The Ivy Pinafore!  I tested Jennifer Lauren’s latest pattern release a few months back, and am finally getting around to posting the pictures of my finished dress.

I actually own a similar corduroy jumper that I found at Old Navy of all places, many years back.  It still continues to be a favorite when the weather is lousy.  I just pull on a sweater, the jumper, and a pair of tights, and I look fairly put together - even when I would rather not venture out into the soggy world.

When I received this pattern, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to make myself an improved version of that old ready-to-wear garment.

Since there really was no fabric in the stash that was going to be suitable, I headed out to JoAnn Fabrics, hoping for the best on my testing deadline.  What I came up with was this floral denim.  I suppose you could call this my version of a pair of jeans! 

I decided to add a bit of extra length to the dress so that I can wear it with or without tights.

My one issue with the design was the fact that this is quite a fabric hog.  After receiving everyone's comments through the testing process, Jennifer Lauren has since added a second, more slim fitting version to the pattern.  And although this is not a design that I would normally choose for myself, the oversized silhouette is clearly growing on me.  This is definitely an easy to wear garment that is helping to add a bit of variety to my closet.

This dress was designed to be paired with The Gable Top - which is a fabulous top I have also made up, by the way!  But in an attempt to get through all of the finished projects I would like to get posted to the blog, I decided to wear The Ivy with my first Renfrew top!  And I really love how the two patterns work together.

Shirt:  Made by me, Sewaholic “Renfrew”

Jumper:   Made by me, Jennifer Lauren Handmade “The Ivy Pinafore”

Shoes:  Colin Stuart
Earrings:  Liz Palacios

[Disclosure:  A copy of The Ivy Pinafore pattern was received in exchange for my feedback on the pattern during the testing process, but the opinions written here are my own.]