Tag Archives: Sewaholic

Striped Parisian Dress (Sewaholic Renfrew)

Posted in 2014 Sewing, Finished Projects by

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Well, I’ll just start by saying that I really love this fabric, and the top half of the dress came out as I had planned. The bottom half, however, proved to be a bit of a headache! Chalk it up to poor decisions on my part. More on that in a bit…

For this creation, I took the Sewaholic Renfrew pattern and extended it to make a dress. Pretty straightforward. The fabric is a favorite purchase from when I was in Paris in October 2013, and it’s just occurred to me that I bought it exactly two years ago today!

And then I made this dress about a year ago today.

And then I finally wore it out of my apartment a couple of weeks ago. For this photo shoot. The only time I’ve ever worn it. Oy.
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A Year with the Minoru Jacket

Posted in Wearing Yesteryear by

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Greetings, pumpkins and candy corns! It’s been over a year since I’ve made the Minoru jacket by Sewaholic Patterns, so I thought I’d do a little review on how it’s fared. In short, I love this jacket and would recommend it to anyone.

(Please know that when it comes to the Beatles I would only wear something I’m proud of  – here I am at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts exhibition earlier this year commemorating the Fab Four’s first US visit 50 years ago!)

When Tasia first released this pattern, I really loved the casual yet figure-flattering design (the zipper and elasticized waist were two big winners in my book). Although it’s been a while since I worked on this, I remember it coming together fast so I’m hoping to make another version one of these days. I seem to have a number of coat projects lined up in my mind.

I wear this jacket in the spring and fall, and the vibrant blue adds some serious happy factor when it reemerges from storage. I really only ever pair it with jeans since I like my dresses and skirts to be covered by knee-length coats (a preference I apparently share with Sewaholic’s Caroline!). It pops so nicely against dark jeans.

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A Peach Sundress + My 100th Blog Post!

Posted in 2014 Sewing, Finished Projects by

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Well, whatta ya know? It’s my 100th blog post! So here I am celebrating that milestone in a new dress in Brooklyn! And when I’m posing in a new dress on cobblestone streets with old trolley line rails, a 19th century brick warehouse, and the grand ol’ gal herself, the Brooklyn Bridge, you know I am one happy camper.

PATTERNS. I combined the bodice from B5486 and the skirt from the Sewaholic Lonsdale to create a sundress just right for a humid New York summer (although it’s been pretty cool around these parts lately, what gives?). When it does get humid around here I definitely prefer sleeveless tops/dresses, so this dress will come in handy. I also love that the design can be paired with a cardigan, so depending on fabric choice this could easily transition into spring and/or fall. Heck, perhaps even winter!

I’ve had B5486 in my stash for a few years now, and I’d like to make the full version one of these days. It comes with a gathered skirt with an option for knee or maxi length. You can also add a waist tie. I used the bodice of view A and modified the neckline from v-neck to scoop, which is much more wearable for me as an office dress. I made a muslin of the v-neck and I think I’d have to do an FBA to give myself more coverage.

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The Red Hot “Charmbie” Dress

Posted in 2014 Sewing, Finished Projects by

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Another completed project to share – victory! This one is my official contribution to the Sew Sexy Sew-Along hosted by Lisette, Wanette and Clio. Here are the details…

  • Pattern: Sewaholic Cambie (bodice) and By Hand London Charlotte (skirt)
  • Size: 4 bust transitioning to 6 waist/hip
  • Fabric:  Silk dupioni shell (Mulberry Fabrics), silk organza underlining, and China silk lining (both from B & J Fabrics)
  • Notions: 20″ zipper, stay tape at hem
  • Alterations: Cambie – shortened bodice 1/2″ and went down to a size 4 bust (I went with a size 6 last time); Charlotte – changes same as last time

I decided some time ago that I wanted to combine these two patterns so I could have myself a Charmbie dress. And I absolutely love how it turned out! I had this dress in mind before the sew-along was announced, but I’m so thrilled I joined because it gave me a deadline to finish this one. Plus, it’s been great seeing what everyone else has come up with!

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To Paris with Fabric

Posted in Musings & Everything Else by

Bonjour! I was lucky enough to visit France earlier this month and I bet you can guess what I did while I was in Paris… Yep, fabric shopping.

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So happy in my Minoru jacket. All fabric stores behind me!

I ventured into some of the bigger stores in Montmartre before checking out a smaller discount store. Two of the big stores had several floors of fabric, but only the first and second floors (or ground and first floors depending on where you come from!) had garment fabrics. As much as I’d love to say I made curtains from luxurious French fabrics, I’m not sure how much that’d go over when it came time to hauling that onboard the plane!

These fabric stores are located on a few streets close together. There was a ton of Liberty fabric to be had, but since they weren’t any cheaper than they are here in New York I decided to walk on by.

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