For over a year, I've been lusting after Roksanda Ilincic Margot Lantern Dress.  It's in my Pinterest and I've also kept pictures of it on my hard drive, in all of the beautiful jeweltones and sherbet hues.  And since I had a purple wool gabardine in my stash, purple it is!

Inspiration:

Roksanda Ilincic Margot Lantern Dress

This dress is completely self-drafted.  Trust me when I say, if there had been anything similar I would've saved myself a lot of work!

First, I started with the pattern pieces from this dress.  The sleeves were already perfect and were the least of my concerns.  I first had to figure the right amount of ease to create the off-centered neckline pleats.  And I used the same method to create the ones at the waist.  Which was pretty much much measuring, slicing and spreading.  

And based on my inspiration garment, for the back -- they used pleats on the bodice and skirt instead of darts.  I initially didn't know how I'd feel about this detail, but I went for it.  Personally, I prefer the smoother look of darts, but you never know until you try it.  And the inspiration garment has an exposed zipper that runs from neckline to hemline.  I wasn't sure how this dress was going to turn out and even if I was going to like it.  So I decided to just omit that detail from the original -- as much as I love an exposed zipper!

I fully lined the dress with a matching purple Ambiance bemberg lining.  And I added a 1 1/4" hem at the knee.  The sleeve is lined up until the lantern part.  I thought it would drape better without being lined.  And I finished the sleeves with 5/8" hem.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.  Since I'm self-educating myself on drafting, I thought this was a great project with cool details to teach myself how to do.

This peplum blazer is made from this gorgeous Carolina Herrera "woven fabric. Stone-colored, it combines black threads with graphite, gray with soft silvery strands, in a textured weave that can scarcely be described as medium-weight with the prettiest subtle sheen", from Mood Fabrics.  And it was perfect for this collarless jacket!

When I think Carolina Herrera, my first thoughts are elegance and sophistication.  So I wanted to create something that would do this beautiful fabric justice.  I chose New Look 6231. Even with the pleated peplum, the lines of this jacket are simple and uncomplicated.  A perfect way to highlight the fabric.

But in order to get a garment that I would be thrilled about, I had to make some alterations and modifications.  First, I lengthened the body of the jacket by an inch.  I made a 1 inch FBA.

The shoulders are drafted really wide in my opinion.  I had to shave an inch off of them.  

And since I'm not a fan of one-piece sleeves on tailored structured jackets, I swapped them out for a two-piece sleeve in a full-length.  Here's a post I did previously regarding sleeves:  "One-piece Sleeves vs. Two-Piece Sleeves".

And I added 7" exposed zippers at the cuff.  I like the bit of "edge" this detail gives this style.

Show me yours, and I'll show you mine:  Don't you love seeing the inside of a garment?  I do!  It reveals A LOT about one's construction skills!

I also lightly tailored this jacket by block fusing nylon tricot fusible interfacing to the fabric.  I added a back-stay made from muslin and I stabilized the neckline with a strip of silk organza.  And I added a full lining.  The jacket is held closed with a hook and eye closure.

Note:  Here are previous tailoring projects with lots of pictures and descriptions.

As lovely as this fabric is, it does not take kindly to having seams ripped from it.  You can easily catch those loosely woven threads.  I learned that the hard way!  So try to get it right the first time!

I'm already planning additional outfits in my head incorporating this jacket.  This is going to be such a fun piece to dress up or down this season!

So, I made another pair of slouchy track pants.  This time, I used sequined fabric.  And I can assure you that I'm officially over this trend.  I had planned to make a third pair in leather.  But two pairs are enough for me.  And plus, I'd feel like I'm wasting perfectly good AND expensive leather hides on something so trendy.  

For this pair, I used this sequined fabric from Mood Fabrics.  I omitted the pockets and used black rib knit for the waistband and cuffs.

"Before I Die" in Birmingham, AL

I was sent this great great necklace from Onecklace.

Mine is the 18", 24K Gold Plated Alegro Name Necklace.

I use to have a necklace like this back in the 80s, when I was in high school.  I've not a clue as to what ever happened to it.  In later years, I fell in love with Carrie Bradshaw's necklace and always said I was going to get another one.  And I've finally had the opportunity through Onecklace to make that happen.  And I think I'll probably be getting my daughters one as a stocking stuffer this year.

Wearing:  Vogue 8815 - long-sleeve peplum top; Vogue 8909 pants; Prabal Gurung x Target sandals; 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target bag; Markus Lupfer initial brooch.

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.