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| Moneta on the left, an easy slap-dash patternless dress on the right. |
I made it out of a cotton spandex I bought in Winnipeg a few years back for something like $3/m, and I still have a ton of it left. I originally figured it'd just be for test sewing, but when I was digging through the stash cupboard, it looked and felt a lot better than I remembered. The dress is so comfortable and easy to wear (exactly what I wanted!), and I think the fabric was perfect for it. And POCKETS!
The striped maxi dress above was beyond easy to make, and even with ripping out the elasticized waist once it still only took me about an hour to sew. I basically took a plain black tank top, chopped off the bottom half, and stitched on 1 m length of fabric. I took a page out of Moneta's book and used clear elastic to gather the waistline of the skirt before attaching it to the tank, and didn't even bother hemming the dress since I liked the drape as is and this fabric doesn't roll or fray at all. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it has gorgeous drape and feels very cool and slick, and I found the knit at my local fabric shop. It's going to be a wonderfully easy dress to wear, I just know it.
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| Oh man I am so very white. I'll be so very red when I come back, you just watch. |
And as observed in the comments of my preview post, this top is basically the neon-bright colour of so many fishing lures, so I'm probably going to see some fishy action while snorkling! Hopefully of the "pretty tropical fish" variety and not the "big hungry shark" variety...
The pattern itself is Fehr Trade's Surf to Summit top, and I can't recommend it enough! The pattern is cleverly drafted and the instructions are some of the best I've ever seen. She even goes into details on how to adjust the pattern to fit your body - square shoulders? full bust? width needed at waist? She's got it covered! I actually did my first princess seam fba here, and her instructions made it easy peasy.
I will definitely be making more of these, yes ma'am!
Anyways, I'm basically all ready for our trip, now that my sewing is finished. I'm usually a "one hour before I have to be at the airport? Guess I'll start packing now" type of person. This time though, I was basically packed last night !(3 whole days before we leave). Other than the two dresses I had to hem (Moneta) and sew entirely (slap-dash no-pattern), of course. This is unprecedented, for me!
So, have you ever created a slap-dash pattern that becomes an absolute favourite before? Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to live in that maxi dress...
Brillo!!! I totally relate to this concept. I spent most of the 80ss and some of the 90s in loose fitting tapered pants made out of anything soft and drapy with elastic waist. Cut from the remnants of the last pair I wore out each time!
ReplyDeleteHave the besestest time you guys xoxo
I know exactly the type of pants your talking about! My Mom wore black versions of those constantly, and I probably had 3 or 4 pairs in real wild colours growing up! :D
DeleteAnd my Grandma, who was full out 80s/90s glam woman, rocked some real shiny and colourful versions of them too, if I remember correctly. I destinctly remember a black/silver shiny pair she wore at a wedding once...
Man, those were some wild decades for clothes, eh?
You look so comfy! I love the arrow pattern on the swim top - what a neat fabric. I'm in the opposite boat from you sewing-wise right now. I cut out a pair of leggings from a McCall's pattern and the fit is okay but not perfect, so I spent about an hour last night trying to figure out how to improve them. I thought leggings were supposed to be a 30 minute project?! I know it will be worth it in the end, though, because they'll fit better than any mediocre RTW options and once I've nailed the pattern I can crank them out in every color of the rainbow.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Man, pants of any sort are so annoying to fit. If you're game for it, I really liked Cake Pattern's Espresso leggings. It's a bit more work initially (and I'm still baffled by crotch curve measurements), but you basically play connect the dots with your own body measurements to get the perfect pair of leggings. I made one pair that didn't fit so well, but that was mostly because I added width because I just didn't trust! Oh and I didn't measure the crotch depth properly which was my own fault. :) When I get around to it, I'll be revisiting that pattern again for sure. I even have the perfect denim knit fabric for it!
DeleteOoo, girl, you look hella fine! I absolutely love both of those dresses, and that swim top looks great! I hope you take lots and lots of pictures in Cuba-and load up on the sunscreen! Remember, beach umbrellas are your friend :) Have FUN!! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks! We're bringing, no word of a lie, 9 bottles of sunscreen! 5 in 60 spf and 4 in 30 spf. We be pasty whities, that's for damn sure. Plus I've already gone a round with skin cancer, don't need to be risky here.
DeleteLove the top and the dresses look awesome on you! The maxi is exactly the type of dress I look for in shops and can never find. Have fun on your holiday!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I can't believe how easy that dress was to make. Granted, I started with the bodice already made, but still. Although I'm surprised I kept it as a maxi dress - I normally avoid those since I'm short and wide, and I usually feel more of both in them. Not this time!
DeleteThere is nothing wrong with these photos at all - they show the garments (and you) and that's what I like. Some blogs are a little photo perfect for me - probably because I don't have time either to do great photos. Love these dresses - especially the striped one. Both easy wash and wear, perfect for holidays. Enjoy your trip.
ReplyDeleteEh, I'm pale but the light in my sewing room just makes me look even more so! :D Thanks, the dresses were fun to sew, and I'm so happy that I got them done for this trip.
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