What I'm Wearing: Neutrals | Black, White, Khaki & Leopard!

As much color as I wear, sometimes you have to get back to basics.

And by basics, I mean black, white and khaki.

Some form of khaki should be a wardrobe staple.  And for this outfit, it's the shorts.

And added to the shorts are my black sleeveless blazer, the sleeveless white button down that I can't get enough of and leopard print sandal.  Because leopard too, is a neutral!

Wearing: sleeveless blazer: Simplicity 1756; shirt: Vogue 1248; shorts: The Gap; clutch: The Limited (old); sandals: Shoe Mint.

What I'm Wearing: Weekend Wear | Caftan and DIY Cutoffs!

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a great Father's Day weekend!

We had decent weather and I took my husband who's a major DC (and Marvel) Comics fan to see "Man of Steel".

And this is what I wore.

Inspired by Pinterest!

Caftans/kaftans/tunics and shorts are becoming my weekend staples.  Along with a pair of gladiator sandals is the epitome of "boho-chic".  Somedays, I feel like unleashing my inner hippie!  And if there is one thing a boho-chic fashionista loves, it's a good caftan.

Wearing: Caftan: McCall's 6204; DIY Levi's cutoffs; Asos.com gladiators; vintage aviators; Amrita Singh bangles; purse: (old).

Review: Vogue 8900 | The Cutout Dress!

This is Vogue 8900 - the cutout dress.  When this pattern was released, I felt like the only person that was feeling this look.  And that's okay, because I love when the pattern companies pull looks straight from the runway.  And I remembered this one to be fresh from Carven's Spring 2013.  Yes, a current look!

Carven did their dresses in red and black raffia.  And toile.  Those toile prints have been popping up all over the place this season.

Vogue 8900 description is:  Dress (close-fitting through bust) has cut-in armholes, shaped princess seams, back zipper and narrow hem.  I cut the midi length version of view B.

My description is this:  LBD - Little black dress for summer - sleeveless dress with round neckline, racer-front, cutout sides with lace insets, full skirt with an exposed zipper.   

This dress took quite a few alterations.  First was a FBA.  As the descriptions states:  it's VERY fitted through the bust.  It had to have been cut for a flat chest.  So I made a 1" FBA and added an additional dart at the front of the armhole.  I lengthened the skirt by 3" inches.  I wanted a true "midi" length.

I added lace insets to the cutouts, like view A suggests. 

And I had to do a swayback adjustment.  I've noticed that I need to do this if a dress like this doesn't have a waist seam.  And I also added an exposed zipper, like the runway/RTW version.

I used a linen-blend that has polyester in it.  Which I seriously don't mind.  As much as I love linen, I'd rather not look like I slept in my clothes.  The polyester cuts down on the wrinkling.  And I used black lace for the insets.  Both from my stash.  This has to be one of the most comfortable dresses I've made in a long time.  It's the perfect length.  It's not short and it's not maxi, that I'm forever stepping on while I walk! LOL

Dress: Vogue 8900, similar here; sandals: Asos.com gladiators; bangles: Amrita Singh.

Review: Vogue 8903 | The Silk Shirt Dress!

Lately, it's been feeling like monsoon season.  Hence the lack of blog posts.  But the great thing about rainy days is that I get to spend guilt-free days indoors sewing.  

This is another fabric-lead project:  meaning that the fabric inspired the look.  I'd been wanting a shirt dress for the season and this gorgeous fuchsia geometric print Thakoon silk crepe de chine from Mood Fabrics was a great choice.

The pattern is Vogue 8903.  I used view F.  I modified the hem by contouring it and creating an asymmetrical hemline.  This was my only pattern alteration.

Sidenote:  if you're making a shirt or shirt dress, you should really check out Pam Howard's class on Craftsy.com.  Great insight and fabulous tips!

If you've ever made a shirt, this dress would be a no-brainer.  Especially this version:  no collar and no sleeves to set equals easy!

And instead of trying to work out a lining, I just went with a slip.

What I'm Wearing: Weekend Wear | Denim + White Eyelet!

I hope you all had a great weekend!  The weather was perfect here and as usual, we were out enjoying it!

Even though the calendar has yet to say it, summer is officially upon us.  And what better way to salute it than with white eyelet.

Even when it's in the mid 80's, it's still around 68 to 70 degrees in most indoor venues.  And instead of a cardigan, I layered a belted denim shirt over my dress.

The back of this dress was is one of the reasons I was initially drawn to it.

As was the the curved high-low hem.

Wearing:  shirt:  DKNY; dress:  Vogue 1298; bag: vintage Chanel bucket bag; sunglasses:  Karen Walker; shoes:  Shoe Mint.com.

Oh... and just to show you what a difference a year makes, here's my darling Isabella!  Almost 1 1/2 now!

Review: Butterick 5884 | The Cape Sleeve Dress!

The moment I saw Butterick 5884, it was love at first sight.  And I knew I'd be making View B.  The other version was just too "basic"... like I've seen it too many times.   This dress reminds me of the Halston dresses my mother wore in the 70s.  It has that "I'm off to Studio 54" feel and that was also a draw.  And I knew I wanted to make it in a print, but nothing as bold as the one on the pattern envelope.  This design can hold its on.  So I went with another Mood Fabrics Thakoon silk crepe de chine. 

See, I've never really cared for prints.  And when I do occasionally pick one, a lot of thought goes into it.  Sometimes prints can be awesome and other times, you end up looking like bad upholstery.  This gray abstract print is subtle and simply perfect.  As with all of the Thakoon prints.  And it behaved fantastic.  No problems cutting, sewing or pressing.  And it wears like a dream.

The description is:  Lined dress has forward shoulder seams, fitted, blouson bodice, gathered waist, thread loops, invisible back zipper and self belt (cut on crosswise grain). B: single-layer back, pleated and gathered overlay (wrong side shows) extends into sleeves with seam opening, bias binding, and very narrow hem.

The dress is fully-lined (with the exception of the overlay) with a gray bemberg rayon from my stash.

The bodice has a deep-v.  I didn't make any major adjustment.  I just lightly tacked it so there wouldn't be any wardrobe malfunctions.

I made my usual alterations: an inch added to the bodice.  And 3 inches to the skirt.  This pattern is not complicated, but I did rely heavily on the instructions for steps like adding the overlay/cape sleeve part.  And if you sew this pattern, you MUST be diligent with your markings.  You'll need them. 

Even with my abnormally long limbs, I found the sleeves to be really long.  There's no alteration line, so this is something you'd just have to figure out.  I just pushed mine up and kept it moving.  And I'm sure you noticed that my belt is no where to be seen.  I ran out of fabric and barely had enough to get the dress cut.  Hey, it happens!

All in all, this is a fabulous dress that I'm sure will be one of my favorites of the year.

What I Wore: Memorial Day Weekend | Silk & Shorts!

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend.  I hope it was everything you wanted it to be!  Mine was filled with family, good weather and great food! 

And in the Deep South, good weather means shorts season.

There's nothing wrong t-shirts and shorts, but for me I prefer adding silk pieces.  I love the juxtaposition of something dressy and luxurious paired with something so laid back and casual.

For this outfit, I reached in the closet and pulled out this silk blouse, which is Vogue 1323.  The shorts are Old Navy's Everyday Khaki Shorts 5" in white.  These are my go to shorts for summer.  They're almost always on sale for $15 and come in a range of colors and sizes.  And they last through many, many washes.  I've had this pair for about 3 years and have yet to see as much as stray thread of fraying.

For outfit #2, I pulled out my FAVORITE caftan.  It's New Look 6051 from last summer.  I essentially styled it the same way, but this time with these shorts, which are also from New Look (6100).  I love wearing shorts underneath this caftan... it gives the illusion that it's a daringly short mini dress that I'd never be caught dead wearing without a pair of shorts underneath.  This pattern, made in silk chiffon produced a fabulous garment very similar to this high-end Roberto Cavalli one.

Now that the weekend is over, it's back to business.  I have a new blogpost, a pattern review that will be up in the morning and I'm getting ready to cut into my next project!

What I'm Wearing | Peplum & Flow!

Yesterday was perfect weather for a flowing maxi skirt!  

The light, warm breeze was in perfect sync.

Here's hoping to a beautiful Memorial Day weekend of family, grilling, eating and of course, sewing!

Wearing:  top: Vogue 8815; skirt: DIY; sandals: Shoedazzle.com.