New Spring Collection: Meet Sally!

The second reveal of the new spring collection is the Sally Shirtdress. I love how this design came out! It was just as I had pictured it in my head and that is always a good thing. This is a classic shirtdress with a few twists here and there. The front and back are from one long piece, so there is no seam between the bodice and skirt portions. I love this because a lovely border print can be fully utilized in this design without breaking it up. You can see how this works perfectly with the Echino Japanese linen pictured here.

Another great thing about this design? There are only FOUR pattern pieces! I incorporated the facing to be part of the front dress pattern piece, so all you have to do is fold it back. There is no neck facing, either.....which makes this dress super easy to sew together. The pleats at the waist are totally customized to fit when you make the dress, so you take them up as much or little as you want. You can also make them as tall or short as you want, too. Because of this design element, your waist can be a bit out of proportion to the rest of your body on the size chart and still work easily....less is taken in the waist without having to alter the pattern pieces. I think that element alone makes this pattern a real winner!

I offer three different cutting lines for the length of the skirt and two lengths for the sleeves. You can choose to wear the dress belted or not. I do include the instructions for the tie belts as well as the fabric covered buckled one. This is a great place to drag out your vintage buttons. All of the dresses featured have vintage buttons. I just love the throw-back look you can get with vintage stuff!

A few details about the fabrics: the gray chevron is Riley Blake, the red dot is Moda, the blue floral is Westminster (trimmed with a dot from Michael Miller), and the long floral border print is Echino Japanese linen.

Again, this pattern is still at the printer. We anticipate the arrival of stock in about a week now!

Enjoy this sneak peek....there will be another reveal on Thursday!

Happy Sewing.....

New Spring Collection: Meet Bebe!

Wow! It has been a while since the last post. Things have been super crazy around here! Once I finished the third book manuscript at the end of February, I had to start right up on the spring collection and it seems that March and just about all of April just disappeared before my eyes! I did get a lot accomplished, so I am feeling good about that. You may also notice that the blog got a bit of a facelift, courtesy of my friend, Bari J! She did a lovely job making my new header and sidebar items. We will be attacking the website for a facelift there also....just as soon as we can carve out a bit of time to do it.
Here is the first reveal of the spring collection, the Bebe Dress! This sweet little dress was so much fun to design. It is my take on a baby doll dress with a snug bodice and flowy skirt. This design has so many options! Since so many of you ask for sleeves on a sleeveless design, this one actually started with sleeves and then I tried out some facings to see if it was feasible...and it was! So now you will have the option to add two different sleeves or no sleeves at all.

I have offered the skirt two different ways: pleated or gathered. I especially like the large inverted pleat. It has a lovely drape and because the pleat is deep, it creates a touch of definition in the waistline, giving it a flattering presentation.

You will also have the option to choose two different lengths for the skirt. You can wear it short and sassy or longer and more subdued if that is better suited for your style.

This dress zips up the back and this is where my tuturial for the invisible zipper comes in so handy. The zipper is such a snap to install this way. You can find it on the sidebar under Tutorials. Just read all of the great comments readers have left about how this tutorial has converted them! That just makes my heart happy.

You can make this dress from a variety of fabrics. I mainly stick to quilting weight cottons, but this dress sews up wonderfully in cotton lawn for the gathered skirt variation. It would also do well in lightweight linen or a heavy silk. You might even be able to make it from a very lightweight twill or sateen.

You will see that there are lots of options for adding different hems and trims to make the look uniquely your own. That's where I get to have fun with the design once the fit details have been hammered out.
This and ALL new designs will be available as soon as we receive the stock from our printer, which should be in about TWO weeks or so. In the meantime, check out this eye candy and start gathering your fabrics!

Happy Sewing!!