I love a casual but festive look for the holidays. The color red is de rigueur when it comes to holiday dressing. And denim always gives an outfit a more subdued feel. But instead of wearing jeans and a bright colored top, I chose to flip the look. I'm pairing a chambray blouse with bright red trousers. 

Keeping in line with the oversized sleeve trend, I reached back to out-of-print Vogue 7604 from 2002. The oversized Bishop sleeve is nothing new. Styles like these are always cyclical. So when these trendy patterns are released, I like to collect them even if I don't want to sew them at the moment. You never know... It just may take 14 years to get around to it!

This is a pullover pussy-bow (collar extends into tie ends) blouse with a keyhole back. It has oversized Bishop sleeves and wide button cuffs.

My fabric is this gorgeous Italian Blue Topweight Viscose Denim from Mood Fabrics. I cut the size 14 and I lengthened the body by an inch. I also lengthened the top part of the sleeve so that it would fall right at the elbow. And also so that the I would have a lot of fullness on the bottom.

On the back bodice, the instructions suggest that you interface the area around the the keyhole opening. But I didn't want to do it that. 

And I also have enough experience to know that for me this process works a lot better by interfacing the the facing and understitching.

I wanted to also make sure that the keyhole was obvious. So I again stepped away from the instructions and did my on thing.

I added an eye & hook.

I'm head-over-heels in love with this top! I've already worn it twice! It works so perfectly with my Simplicity 8058 pants.

Wishing you all, a very Merry Christmas!

If y'all have been paying attention, you know that I love the 70s.  Even though I was born in 1970s, I was a little kid and never got to experience the fashion.  I've mentioned before seeing my mother serve her best Studio 54/disco-era looks and I've always felt that I missed my decade.

As far as trends go, this one is so easy to wear and you don't look like you're in custom playing a character from another era.  Especially when you keep it modern with fabric choices and styling.    

I pulled Vogue 1127 from Badgley Mischka from my pattern stash because I knew it would be a perfect transitional garment for this style.  My fabric is a printed poly chiffon I've had for years that just worked.

The smallest size I had was the 14.  I had to adjust the pattern a lot.  It was still a little full through the bottom, but I like the way it looked tucked in and bloused.  Being a designer pattern, the instructions and the details are great... with all of it's French seams and seam bound armholes.

The high neck has a three fabric loop button closure.  It gives it a very high-end touch.  Such a simple and quick top to make that fits right end with what's hot right now.

I paired my blouse with Vogue 9032, yep... another pair.  This makes my fourth.  Can we talk about making muslins for a minute?  My personal belief about muslins is they don't work for me.  I've made muslins before and they pretty much didn't serve any purpose -- FOR ME.  I'm not advocating that everyone else forgoe them... I'm just saying FOR ME, they don't work.  Take these pants for example: I've made TWO versions of both styles with different outcomes each time.  Everytime I select a different fabric, I get a different result in fit -- while using my same pattern.  So my perfect and most accurate version of a toile/muslin would just end up being a trial version in the actual fabric and then remaking in the same fabric.  And guess what people?  That ain't gonna happen.  So, the results are what they are!

Here is the first pair I made in a heavier fabric with very little stretch.  I'm constantly learning how different fabrics react to heat and steam during construction and how they "grow" while wearing.  And how sometimes stretch wovens, such as this Donna Karan Fire Engine Red Stretch Wool Suiting from Mood Fabrics sometimes emulate the fit of a knit.  These pants have become my TNT and I'll continue to make these until I run across a better pattern and I'm sure that will be a long time coming.