Inspiration...V-Neck Dress

 Spring is in the air.  I have been looking at my summer wardrobe and realized it is time to make a few new pieces.  Hopefully, that will occur.  Here is a dress that is perfect for our hot weather:

This is the V Necked Linen Dress from Poetry.  Price tag: $258.00.  Details: 100% linen, yarn dyed and laundered. slightly fitted and a line skirt, deep v neckline, princess seams front and back, long godets in skirt to create fullness, pockets in side seams, metal zip fastening with long cotton tape pull, center back seam.

I could not find an exact match to the princess seam type but here are a couple:

This is Butterick 6850 (also McCall's 7352). This is a princess shoulder dress.  View C is sleeveless with View B neckline.

This is Burda 6894.  It is a princess seam going into the armscye.  The flare is different in this pattern than the inspiration.

If you find a better pattern, please let me know. Hope you are inspired to create a something wonderful.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Fringed Jacket & Skirt

 I am still finding things that are full of inspiration:

This is the Lafayette 148 Fringed Trimmed Linen Jacket and Fringed Trimmed Pencil skirt.  Price tags: jacket - $998.00, skirt - $498.00.  Details:  jacket - approximately 22-inches from shoulder to hem, crew neckline, button front, long sleeves, slim fit; skirt - sits high on the hip, back slit is approximately 13-long, pencil silhouette, invisible back zipper.

Here are a couple of patterns that I think will duplicate the look:

This is Vogue 1992.  The pattern includes 2 jackets version, a skirt, and pants.  View B is the jacket that I think will work.  You might need to shorten it a little bit.  

The is Burda Styla 8155.  The pattern has 2 skirt versions.  View B will work well for the inspiration skirt.  I would change the waistband to be similar to this tutorial.  It will make the skirt closer to the inspiration photo.

The fringe...it is the most important part of this inspiration.  I looked for written tutorials and did not really find anything.  Threads might have information.  I found reference to Claire Shaeffer having instructions for fringing.  She did have a jacket pattern that had the information.  Maybe you can find a copy.  

Now I am going to say if you are going to make a suit, you might as well invest in making a matching pant.  This was popular in the 80s/90s.  If you are carefully with the color selection, this can be a big boost to a working wardrobe.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Skirts

 Are you a skirt wearer?  I enjoy wearing skirts.  I thought I would see if there were any trends for springs.  Here is a couple:

1.  Mini - I do not think this trend is going any where soon.  It has been around for years.  Here is a couple of patterns to consider:

This is Burda 6252. This pattern will give you a double bang for your buck.  You get a mini and a midi.  

2. Wrap - This is probably one of my favorite style of skirts.  

This is Simplicity 8699.  This pattern offers a variety of lengths including a mini.  I really like the views B and D.  

Hope you are inspired to create some beautiful skirts.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Cargo Skirt

Today, I have found a cute little skirt.  It's called a cargo skirt but you decide.

This is the A-Line Belted Cargo Skirt by Akris punto.  Price tag: $395.00.  Details:  button waist closure, zip fly, side seam pocket, belted waist, cotton/polyester, dry clean, 33-inches long.  For closer view, check the Saks Fifth Avenue website.

What is the most surprising thing about the description?  For me, it was the 33-inch length.  I would believe 23".  How about you?  Let's see if we can find some patterns that might work.

This is New Look 6643. The skirt in this pattern gives a similar silhouette as the inspiration photo.  You have the a-line silhouette, the button waist and zip fly, and the side entry pockets.  The styling of the patch pocket and the belt are missing.  The belt is easy.  Here's a pattern that has the necessary styling:

This is Burda 6218.  This is a pant pattern which has the styling details from the inspiration photo.  The pockets and the belt.

I really would have like to find one pattern for this but couldn't.   However, I would double-check the pattern stash and see what you have there.  Both of these patterns offer  options.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration... V-Necked Dress

A dressy dress is rather hard to find.  At least, in the places that I tend to frequent.  Check out this lovely dress:

This is Bottega Veneta V-Neck Short-sleeve Pintucked Embroidery Dress with Rope Belt.  Price tag:  $2,460.00.  This is a must see dress.  Head over to Neiman Marcus and zoom in on the bodice.  Absolutely lovely!

This dress is far outside my price range but a girl can dream.  I'm not sure how the pintucks are accomplished on this dress.  If you figure it out, let me know.  Adding embroidery would be fairly easy.  Finding a pattern to match this dress was a definite challenge.  So many dresses are made for stretch fabrics and I don't believe this dress is.  I finally found this pattern:

I think you could get this pattern to work but using the V-neck from View A with the sleeves of View B.  The skirt needs a little more width but that is fairly easy to do by slashing and spreading. You would just need to decide how much hem circumference that you wanted.

Hope you're inspired to sew and try something new!

Happy Stitching!