This year for the 4th of July, I decided to veer away from the cliched red, white and blue colors. I'd purchased this great floral cotton pique from JoAnns and had been planning to make a peplm top and the timing was just perfect this week.
The cut-in shoulder style has kind of become my signature sleeveless look. So I went with a similar style to my white scallop dress.
I altered the design by combining the overlay/top bodice piece to the front panel in order to create a single piece.
And I used the peplum from Simplicity 1650. I used the entire pattern previously. See here.
I really love the back. However, I find that a design like this is not conventional bra-friendly. I wore a strapless one to make it work. And I basically followed the instructions for the original pattern.
I knew I wanted to pair this top with a white bottom. And since it's full-blown summertime, why not a pair of short? I picked Vogue 9008. It's a simple pattern that sews up in literally an hour. It's not fussy at all. You basically have the front, back and waistband pattern pieces. These shorts were not drafted with pockets. They were just the ticket regarding a pair of simplistic shorts that could be made up in a stretch denim white fabric.
For a 4th of July ensemble, I pretty much thumbed my nose at and defied tradition and did my own thing. And it paid off!
For summer nights when I want to head out for the evening and I need to pull myself together quickly, a tank and a skirt is just the key! But not just any plain skirt, an awesome midi-length mock wrap, draped skirt.
Especially when it's an all-black ensemble. And a perfect way to break up the black is with the addition of my super cool corset belt (from Asos.com, similar to this one.)
And a racerback tank (it's a workout tank) gave it the nighttime pizzazz that it needed. I added walkable wedges for comfort.
The skirt is Vogue 8711. See the original review here.
Please join me at the Bloganista Mini-Conference from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. I will be one of the panelists at this one-day conference for fashion, fitness and lifestyle bloggers. The conference will not only cover best blogging practices, but also how you can use your blog to land freelance writing gigs, speaking engagements, and other opportunities. We'll also discuss how to dress like a fashion blogger even if you're not one.
The Bloganista Mini-Conference is a production of See Jane Write, an organization for Birmingham-area women who write and blog. Javacia Harris Bowser, the founder of See Jane Write, is extending a special discount for readers of Erica B's DIY Style. Get $5 off your ticket by visting thebloganistaconference.eventbrite.com and entering the promotional code DIYSTYLE.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Gingham is a wonderful print. It works perfectly with both solids and mixed with other prints.
But pairing gingham with the crispness of bright white, really makes the print stand out! And also gives it a preppy feel. Which is big here in the South!
Other than this shirt being gingham, I love the design and the fit. The most perfect thing about shirts designed for women is shaping darts in the front and the back. That makes this a perfect pattern!
The shirt is Vogue 8772; see the original review here.
I made this dress last year and my love for it has not waned a single bit!
Good pattern and great fabric = awesome summer dress to pull out season after season.
This fabric is from Mood Fabrics, from the fabulous designer Thakoon. It's a silk crepe and it handles beautifully! And it's also held up beautifully. This dress has gone through my washer with no problems!
And in the spring and summer, is there really anything better than a flowy silk dress? I think not! I'd wear one everyday if I could!
Wearing Butterick 5886. See the original review here.
So... I made a skort. I haven't worn a skort in a few years. This was a regular part of tennis attire when I actually picked up a racquet and played on the regular. But I thought this would be a cute addition to my summer wardrobe. So let's talk about it!
This is Simplicity 1370 and I made view A. I cut the 16, but I had to take in the waist. This pattern is cut very narrowly through the hips. And in honesty, it's probably designed for a "boyish" frame.
Now this pattern is cut pretty short. I didn't even realize how short it was until after I put in the 1 1/4" hem. The inseam probably measures 2". I would love to make this pattern again because I think it's adorable. But I would make it in a dressier fabric and a couple of inches longer.
Let's talk about this fabric. I picked this fabric because I was drawn to the bright color. Bright colored bottoms are so prevalent right now and I felt it would be a great wardrobe addition.
This fabric is Rag & Bone's Ethereal Blue Polyester Woven from Mood Fabrics.com. And it is indeed polyester and presses as such! As in -- a nightmare!
When a fabric tells you who it is, believe it the first time! The descriptions said it was polyester, 100% polyester at that and has the had of a linen with a crisp drape. A really crisp drape. Something should've clicked in my head when I read that, but I was in the midst of a moment over the color. But hey, you live and you learn.
Shirt: Butterick 5526. See original review here.
Even though I wish I could've gotten a smoother press on the fabric, I think this pattern is adorable. And even though I want to add length to it, the pattern company didn't think enough of anyone who wouldn't appreciated the short-short length by addint lengthening lines. You're pretty much on your own with figuring that one out. Thanks Simplicity Patterns for that! But all in all, I really like this pattern and I do plan to make it at least once more in probably a black wool blend suiting fabric (hopefully).
...and after a storm, there's calm.
This is such a happy dress! The spectrum of colors remind me of the rainbow. And how apropos on a day that was gloomy with rain and storm clouds.
This day was like life is at times: full of gloom and cloudiness. And yes, sometimes there are storms. But the storms do pass. And out comes the sun and the rainbow, signifying a better future and a hopeful tomorrow. It's been raining a lot here, and almost everytime I spot a rainbow. It's a constant reminder of something awesome is coming my way!
Wearing: Vogue 8870. See the original review here.
This week was epically busy. All I have a desire to do right now? Sleeping and eventually waking to drag to the sewing room in my PJs. But that's not hardly going to happen! But I shall persevere!
On yesterday, I needed to get dressed and I needed to dress quickly. So I grabbed this LBD from years gone by, but still so relevant. This is what I tell y'all about making things that will stand the test of time. A little black shift dress will work wonders in your wardrobe. A dress like this can go from day to evening; from trendy sandals to a classic pump. Mileage people, mileage!
This dress was probably the first project that introduced me to the exposed zipper. The instructions for insertion were great. That's the thing about VP's designer patterns: you learn so much and so many different techniques. They're worth buying and making them for the finished garment of course, but for the lessons taught.
This dress is Vogue 1151 by designer Cynthia Steffe. You can see my original review here. It's currently out-of-print, but if you have it, it sure is a great one!
I bought this pattern - Simplicity 1373, as soon as it was released. It was the back that sold me on this one. This spring and summer, one of the major trends has been that of the "Dramatic Back". Cutouts, criss-crossings, plunging backlines are ruling this season.
For this dress, I wanted a sexy day dress. I chose a casual fabric, this great light canary yellow striped viscose ponte-blend knit from Mood Fabrics. And I also am particularly careful about the amount of skin I show at once.
This raglan sweetheart neckline aided in a "demure" look for the front of the bodice.
For my modifications, I cut the size 14. And with this knit, it was still way too big. I ended up having to make a larger dart than suggested. And for the peplum, I added 19 inches to create the skirt and created an a-line silhouette. For a style like this, personally I needed a skirt with a loose fit. It is a summer daytime look I was going for.
For the straps, instead of following the instructions to add button closures, I just stretched them over to the front bodice and finished with seam binding as suggested. Even without closures, this dress still has enough ease to slip on and off over my head. And yes, I'm wearing a bra. Somehow, the fashion goddesses made a regular strapless bra work with this dress. I tried a regular bra and the back of the dress just seamed too wide to hide the bra straps.
I love this pattern! It's adorable and I hope I get around to making the version that ties in the back.
