Inspiration...Bib-Detail Dress

 This dress is a very casual every day sort of dress.  I fell in love with it:

This is the Bib-Detailed Dress from Poetry.  Price tag: $278.00.  Details:  100% linen, machine wash, long-line relaxed silhouette, collar and stand, bib-detail with placket and pleat, full length sleeves with gathers into cuffs, cuffs with single-button fastening, pockets at the side seams, back yoke with gathering.   

I really want this dress.  However, I am a little leary of what I might have to pay in tariffs.  This makes duplication my best bet.  I looked high and low for a pattern and finally found this one:

This is The Niven dress/shirt pattern from Merchant & Mills.  Folks it is almost identical to the inspiration photo.  I will need to figure out the collar and straighten the hem.  That is pretty good for locating a similar pattern.  I do not have linen hanging around in the stash but I do have some light weight denim.  I purchased it with the intentions of making a shirt dress.  

Hope you are inspired to create something wonderful. 

Happy Stitching!

Itch to Stitch Special....Soller Top & Dress Pattern

 Today's special Itch to Stitch pattern is the Soller Top & Dress pdf pattern.  Here is the line drawings:

The Soller Top & Dress pdf pattern has the following features:

• Options for top and dress
• V-neckline with elastic gathers on each side
• Integrated short sleeves created by extended shoulders
• Bound neckline and sleeve openings
• Designed for knit fabric

This is a beginner type pattern and comes in sizes 00 - 40.  

This pattern is just $5 today, August 5, 2025.  The original price is $13.00.  Check out the testers' versions here. You can also see the versions that I have made here and here.  I have made this pattern three times and it is quick and easy to make.  

I am an Itch to Stitch affliliate.  Any purchases made using an Itch to Stitch link will result in a small commission to me.  Thank you!

Happy Stitching!

New Summer Top...

 I was browsing through my stash of pdf patterns and found the Atelier Scammit Declic hiding.  This looked like a very simple pattern and I had the perfect fabric sitting in the remnants pile.  Here is the line drawing:

This is a simple blouse with shoulder pleats.  Here is the remnant:

I had previously made a bow tie blouse from this fabric and had about 1 1/4 yard leftover.  It felt good to be able to use a remnat of fabric.  The pattern is really long between the shoulder and the high bust so I removed 3 inches.  Yeah, I know that is a lot but it was at 15-inches before the change and 12-inches is still longer than I need.  

I did get stuck on cutting out the interfacing.  I suppose I should just order some stablizing tape so I do not get to take the time to it out.  The pattern required front/back neckline, shoulders, and armscyes to be stablized.  In the end, this was not needed.  I think I would rather just do a stay stitch.

I did not make an actual muslin of the this pattern.  I used the tape measure to determine any length changes and just went with it.  Here are the results:

I am hoping that this will become a new favorite top.  I am pleasantly surprised with how it turned out.  It will remain to be seen whether or not it will be too hot on hot summer days.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Pleat Waist Dress

 Here is another dress from Poetry:

This is the Pleat-Waist Dress. Price tag: $375.00. Details:  silk velvet, relaxed slightly waisted silhouette, nehur collar, mother of pearl buttons, waist seam with pleats above and below front and back, button and cuff fastening, pleated cuffs, jetted side pockets.

This dress would look wonderful in a crushed stretch velvet which is much easier to care for than the silk velvet is.  

For the pattern, I was unable to locate a pattern that was really close to this.  It looks familar but nothing.  So, here are some thoughts - 

Take a favorite shirt pattern, remove the collar but leave the collar stand.

At the waistband, end here and add a tier that is the length you want. Giving enough room to create the pleats.  I think that is doable.

Hope you are inspirec to create something wonderful.

Happy Stitching!

Another Pattern...

 Yes, I have added another new pattern to the pattern collection.  Here is the line drawings:

This is the Merchant & Mills The Niven.  It is a classic shirt dress or  shirt featuring a bib, granddad collar, cuffed sleeves, and side pockets. It has a very generous amount of ease.  It will take a bit to figure out a size that I am willing to use.  

Honestly, I am going to need a lot of luck to get this one accomplished this year.  I think I have the perfect hiding in the stash. Using a stash fabric would definitely be a win-win.

Happy Stitching!