When it comes to dresses, I usually have a preference for a fitted sheath.  That's been my go to style for years.  But lately, I've been noticing how effortlessly adorable shift dresses are.  On me, I find shift dresses to be a flattering and forgiving garment.  And what better form than a LBD!

One I can wear and not be encumbered by foundation/shapewear garments and I can feel free to actually eat while I'm wearing it... and still look chic!  And I've decided this season, they are a welcomed addition to my wardrobe.

This dress is self-drafted.  It's based on the same pattern I used for this dress.  With only minor adjustments.  But for this one, I added lantern sleeves (with a 1/4" elastic hem) and an invisible zipper.  And also, instead of using a jersey fabric, I use a black viscose crepe that I've had in my stash for many years. 

I wanted a low back, but I wanted it to be "bra-friendly".  Not too low this time.  

It's amazing what the camera flash will reveal.  Notice the sheen of my black interfacing for my zipper showing through.  It reminds me of when celebrities are caught braless on the red carpet and all of their "bits" are shown on paparazzi pictures.  I guess the next time I wear this, I'll have to avoid step and repeats and flash bulbs!

I'm pretty pleased with the way this dressed turned.  I wanted something with a simple shape, that looked just interesting from the front and the back; and with dramatic sleeves.  And that's just what I created.  I plan to make a couple more of these dresses  since they're so easy to wear.

These are probably two of the trendiest garments I'll make this season.  But isn't sewing your own clothes such a fun way to participate in hot trends of the seasons for only a minimal investment?  I think so!

I've been craving a luxe sweatshirt and this is my version:

Vogue 8670, view B with the long sleeves from view E.

Here are a few that inspired me from Pinterest.

I used two fabrics from my stash:  an ostrich embossed, faux leather for the front of my top and black ponte for the rest.  I didn't like the the below the hip length.  It was just a weird place for the top to hit on me, so I cut it off about 4 inches.  Other than that, this top is really simple and sewed straight out of the envelope for me.

I've been seeing "fancy" track pants every where and made out of all kinds of elegant fabric...

like leather, stretch wool crepe and sequin.  I decided to keep my simple, well this first pair at least, and make mine in a machine washable ponte so the that I can get plenty of wear out of them.

For the pants, I use a slightly modified version of Vogue 8909, view A.  

I added 3" to the length.  I didn't like the way the pattern elasticized the waist, so I changed it.  Sometimes they can make steps way too extra.  I made the waistband a separate piece and used 3/4" inch elastic.  The separate waistband created more of a flat-front look.  

I also tapered the leg down to a 12" opening.  I wanted a slouchy style, but I didn't want a lot of gathered fullness at the waist or the ankles.  And since I used view A, I added rib knit (found at Joanns) cuffs.  The pattern pieces were huge!  I have a pretty small ankles and they needed to be narrowed a lot.  And I omitted the ribbon drawstring.

I used this red ponte from Mood Fabrics.

All in all, I'm loving this outfit.  These are two great additions to my fall wardrobe that I plan to have a lot of fun mixing and matching with other pieces!

I betcha can't say that title 10 times!  

I really wanted a simple, plain version of Vogue 8900.  And even though I could've altered  the pattern, I've had Vogue 8808 ready to cut since last year.  These are basically the same draft.

I read the reviews for this pattern and the consensus is that it runs large, so I knew this going in.  

I cut the size 14 and ended up doing a lot of shaving down.  I cut view A two inches longer so that I could have a 2" deep hem. Fuller skirts hang better with a wide hem.  And I obviously omitted the mock turtleneck.  It's just not cool enough yet for me to have wool around my neck.

I used a "red" wool blend.  It was red in the store under their harsh fluorescent lighting.  But when I got it home, it was more orange-red or coral.  I bought this fabric during the "Spot the Bolt" clearance, so no harm no foul.  And this fabric which feels and handles more like a double knit was still great for this dress.

I decided to keep it weekend casual with a denim jacket, leopard pumps and a 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target yellow crossbody bag.

When I first saw this ikat jersey from Mood Fabrics, I knew it was supposed to be a maxi dress.  Because this is one of those fabrics that simply speaks to you!  And it screamed, "Boho chic!"  

And one with long sleeves is a great transitional garment for me.  

And every so often, I like an easy, palette cleansing project and Vogue 8921 fit the bill.  This pattern is simple and such a perfect way to highlight the fabric and allow it to be the star.  

I made my usual alterations, which is to just lengthen everything!  I added an inch to the waist and three inches to the skirt.  Surprisingly, the sleeves were a good length so I didn't have to lengthen them.

I decided to turn the fabric and cut it cross grain.  I like the way the fabric looks that way.  And since the print is not all uniform, there was no pulling out of the hair or gnashing of the teeth to match the fabric at the seams.

This fabric handled pretty well and feels excellent.  It made this dress feel as if I was wearing a nightgown!  The drape is perfect for this sort of dress.  It required very little pressing, only the seams.  And that's my kind of fabric!  And this fabric in it's dark but colorful hues is a great addition to a fall wardrobe.

Leather is being called "The New Denim" for Fall/Winter 2013, because it has become just that common. And I'm loving it and wanting to add it to every project possible.  This year, I'm wanting to work with real skins, but real hides ain't cheap!  So, I'm rationing out the way I'm going to be using leather this season as to not blow my fabric budget.  And a great way to do this is to make a leather and wool panel dress.

This is Vogue 1251.  It's described as:   Fitted through bust and waist, semi-fitted through hips. Fully lined and underlined.  And it suggest fabrics such as Crepe de Chine, Charmeuse, Lightweight Jersey. Lining/Underlining: China Silk.  I used black wool/lycra suiting from Mood Fabrics.  And I lined and underlined with lingerie tricot from Hancock Fabrics.  The leather is a deliciously buttery-soft lambskin from Tandy Leather Factory.  I used a single 8 sq ft hide.  And my gold metal zippers are from Jo-Anns.

I cut the size 14 and graded to the 16 from the waist down.  If you notice the pattern envelope, this dress is meant to be VERY short.  It would've been a barely butt covering tunic on me!  I added 8 inches to the length (one of those at the waist).  And I added an inch to the sleeve length.  Probably could've gone with 2 in order to have a full-length sleeve.  With the addition of length, the dress flared to an a-line.  I had to peg in the bottom to create a sheath dress.  

I'd been wondering why I couldn't find any reviews on this dress.  Even though it was short, you can always lengthen it.  And I'd always thought it had great lines and would be a great candidate for color blocking and such.  So when I started cutting out all 18 pattern pieces, I understood.  With the fabric, lining and underling, I had about 83 pieces of fabric sorted out.

I know a lot of people aren't fond of exposed zippers, but I love them.  And the addition of them to leather just makes a garment really "badass".  But if you're going to do an exposed zipper, you better do it right.  And my favorite reference guide is from Threads Magazine:  #162 - September 2012.  

And my personal tip is to always, ALWAYS interface the area when installing a zipper... for any kind of zipper.

This dress was a labor of love.  And it's going to be a great LBD addition to my fall/winter wardrobe.  And no, I won't be making this one and it's almost 100 pieces ever again!  But it's just so awesome to be able to make a dress like this.  The RTW versions made with real leather start out at $1,000.  Mine was only 10% of that to make.

Wearing: dress: Vogue 1251; shoes: Steve Madden; bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target.

Happy Monday!  I've been a little lazy about sharing with you guys what I wear daily.  Well, that is the days that I decide to surface from my sewing room and put on something other than a pair of athletic shorts and a tank.  

And since school is back in session, my desire to get dressed rarely matches with family photographers' schedule.  I tend to run errands early in the day and by 4 pm, I'm back in my "play clothes".

So for yesterday, I wore this to hangout.  Even though the temps were pushing 90 degrees, I'm mentally willing fall to come.  And something about this September is drawing me to darker hues.  I can't even tell you how much black fabric I've purchased in the last couple of weeks.  I need to initiate a self-imposed moratorium!

And I'd also like to just touch on a topic that annoys me to no end.  It's about being questioned about where I would wear such a garment?  Because the questioner is "unimaginative" (their word) and their life doesn't include occasions to wear such things, so how could mine?!  (Here is the offending/questionable garment.) They even went as far to say:

Wearing:  Top (old); shorts - Vogue 8865; Asos.com Gladiator Sandals.

Look at me being a "Fashion Rebel".  Just flying all up in the face of the archaic fashion faux pas!  When the temperature is still in the high 80s and low 90s, it's kind of hard to abide by that rule... even if it wasn't a dumb one to begin.

So next up on my Fall sewing list is a great white blouse.  Check out my inspiration:

Balmain and DAY Birger et Mikkelsen

Instead of making a classic collared button-down (which I will eventually make), I decided to partake in the one of these.  I've been noticing this style and the highest and lowest ends of fashion and decided that my fall wardrobe needed to have one.  I decided to use McCall's 6651 as my "base pattern".  I'm calling it a base because I needed to modify it to get the look that I really would be happy with.

I started with view C.  And here are the modifications I made:

I used this poly crepe fabric "Peachskin" that I found at Joanns.  This is one of those occasions that I truly appreciate having a poly fabric.  This one is white, which means it'll be constantly washed and dried.  But I won't have to worry about having to press all of those pleats back in place!  Win-win...

And I added an inch to the sleeve lengths and kept the cuffs that would provided with the pattern.

All in all, this is a great pattern to own.  The draped wrap-effect style is as universally flattering as a wrap dress.  And since there is some volume on top, I'll probably always pair this blouse with sleek pants, skinny jeans and a pencil skirt.

Wearing:  top: DIY (similar here); jeans: NYDJ; shoes: Shoemint.com; clutch: The Limited (old, but I like this one too).