Erica Bunker | DIY Style! The Art of Cultivating a Stylish Wardrobe

In Pur(Suit) of Summer!

2:00 PM

It's no secret that I love blazers! So it shouldn't be a surprise that I'd want a summer suit. One with shorts in particular.

This outfit started with the fabric. I bought this blue and white striped chambray weight cotton fabric last year when Hancock fabrics was going out of business. It was dirt cheap, so I bought like 5 yards.

I had intentions of making a summer suit. I wavered a bit on what else I could do with the fabric, but it came right back to the suit.

So, I started with a blazer - Simplicity 1421. I'd made it in white 2 years ago.

I was asked on Instagram if this jacket was easy. And my answer is a resounding 'NO'. It seems like I always read or hear other sewing bloggers raving on about how quick, easy and simple something is to sew.

Well, this isn't one of those sewing projects. This isn't one that you'll finish in an afternoon. This blazer isn't hard in a technical sense. It's unlined and has a bias bound trim. It's extremely tedious and you have to be downright meticulous and take your time when applying it. Or you'll end up with a hot mess!

This jacket is really fitted. But it does have cup sizes which save so much time from having to do a FBA. I cut the size 14 with the C cup. I added an inch to the length of the jacket and also to the sleeves. I cut myself some slack on this version by just serging the seams and only binding the facings. I feel it looks just as neat as a full-blown Hong Kong finish.

I created custom shoulder pads and covered them in my fabric.

I used metal brass and silver buttons from my stash.

I went slightly smaller on the two front buttons. I used 7/8" instead of 1" buttons. It's so difficult to find matching buttons in multiple sizes without having to order them.

And I made sure the stripes all lined up as much as possible.

My shorts are Simplicity 8389. I made the pants also.

I cut the size 14 and I added about 2 inches to the length and widened the leg a little. I'm so pleased with how this turned out!

Diagonal Pintucks Tutorial

Review: McCall's 7284 | Easy-Breezy Linen Tunic

12:30 PM

Bold Colors

Review: Vogue 1546 | The Dress I Want to Wear All Summer!

11:00 AM

I don't make dresses often. But every now and then, I make one that I want to wear everyday. And this is that dress.

This is Vogue Pattern 1546 by Australian designer Rebecca Vallance. I made the jumpsuit by her which is also from the same Spring 2016 collection.

This bodice type is a common style that Rebecca Vallance uses in a lot of her designs. The cut-in shoulder, open back is what draws me to her.

This dress is pretty straightforward if you think of it in the terms of a fit and flare dress. Unlike the jumpsuit, I didn't make a lot of fit modifications. I cut a size 12 in the bodice with the D cup and graded to a size 14 from the waist down. Even the midi length was perfect out of the envelope.

Even though I have an entire category on Underpinnings, and there's a specialty bra for every situation on the market. The one question I'm ALWAYS asked when I sew something like this is what kind of bra am I going to wear?

Now I could've reached for a specialty bra, but I decided to go with bra cups.

The next question is: How do you know where to place them? Well, you obviously have to get to a point where you can try on the bodice and pin them in place. You simply can't guess or eyeball this.

My fabric, this gorgeous Blue Indigo and White Floral Print Linen from Mood Fabrics is thin, very lightweight with a stiff drape that's perfect for this design. But the fabric was so thin that the bra cups shown through. After attaching the bra cups to the lining fabric, I added an underlining on top of that so that there would be another layer of fabric in between.

The halter neckline is secured with grosgrain ribbon and it is such a cute, delicate and feminine detail.

The back band has an exposed zipper closure.

The skirt is four pieces: the front and back upper pieces are interfaced and it's where the pleats are created and joined to the front and back lower pieces. I did have a small amount of gaping on the sides where the bodice joined the skirt. That was an easy fix by shortening the bodice on the sides by half an inch.

And it has pockets! Nice, deep pockets! My iPhone 7 Plus fits in there perfectly.

So if you're look for a dress for this summer with a lot of interesting details, then this is it!

cold shoulder

How I Conceptualize an Outfit

4:00 PM

I am always inspired by ready-to-wear. I'm always perusing fashion magazines and ripping out pages. Or scrolling through my favorite high-end retailers such as Net-a-Porter.com or IntermixOnline.com. I never forget to explore some coupons from CouonsMonk.com while doing a bit of shopping or just surfing. By the way, these high-end retailers have great photos and always provide a detailed description of fabric content.

I discovered this outfit while looking on IntermixOnline.com. And I loved both the top and the pants.

I love separates and these are such basic and cute pieces that I know I'll wear to death all summer. And I'll wear the pants all year with our weather.

I picked Simplicity 8385 and 8389 as my patterns. I sketched the pieces together just to see if it would look the same and I loved it. So, next was the execution.

For the top, I used Simplicity 8385, view C. My fabric is a White Rayon Challis from Mood Fabrics.com.

I cut the size 12 and graded out to a 14 at the hip. The flounce is finished with a narrow hem.

And the inside has French seams.

I love the cold-shoulder detail. I use to not get why a custom top would have adjustable straps. My thought was I'll just adjust the fit while constructing it. Made sense to me. But I've learned that even if it is customized, you still need to make adjustments.

The pants are Simplicity 8389, view D. And these pants are amazing! I cut the size 14 and lengthened them by 3 inches. My fabric is this Black Textural Blended Silk Double Cloth from Mood Fabrics.com. I love this fabric. If you're not familiar with double cloth, it means that two different fabrics (or sometimes the same kind) are fused together. These have a textured, crinkly silk on one side and a twill on the other. I would love the opportunity to buy more of this fabric and utilize both textures in a single garment.

Here's a close up so you can see it. The fabric has zero stretch, so it works really well for a relaxed fit.

These are such fun piece that'll be in constant rotation.

My Threads Article - "Sharpen Your Pencil Skirt"

4:00 PM

dress

Review: Vogue 1531 | Nude Vibes for Spring!

12:00 AM

From the first moment I laid eyes on Vogue 1531 by designer Lialia, I knew I had to make this! The front with the dramatic cowl neck is beautiful. But the open-back design sealed the deal! This pattern just called out to me. There is something sexy, yet sophisticated and polished about this look. I feel what keeps it in this zone is the choice of fabric.

So I immediately started searching for an amazing fabric choice. I couldn't find anything quite right. It's like when you have an idea of what you want, but not a definitive definition. But When Carlos Correa from McCall Pattern Company did his "Closer Look: V1531 Dress Pattern" video and I saw him handle the designer dress' fabric, I knew I was going to go with a lightweight crepe!

The first consideration in choosing a fabric for this dress is to take in mind how the cowl needs to drape and that the wrong side of the fabric will show! You can't use a fabric with too much body nor can you use a knit with too much stretch. So a lightweight woven fabric with a little bit of give that would support a tailored fully-lined sheath dress with a beautifully draped cowl was needed. So I picked this Italian Rose Dust Polyester Stretch Crepe from Mood Fabrics.com.

For the pattern, I cut a size 12 in the bodice and graded to a size 14 at the waist.

Fitting tip: Measure yourself for your bodice based on the bra you'll be wearing. It makes a difference. And sew the lining first in case you need to make alterations. Also, I read a couple of reviews of this dress and the center front seam of the skirt was questioned. Trust me on this, if you have a bit of a belly, this seam is your new best friend! Use it as an opportunity to refine fit!

The bodice is self-lined and the skirt uses lining fabric. I used a fabric from my stash.

The dress also has a vent. The cowl was simple, it's basically a rectangular tube. However, I did decide to change the finish. The instructions suggested a Hong Kong finish. And I didn't use the drawstring. I don't plan to ever wear this as a hood!