Made by a Fabricista: Bright Pink!

Summer arrived full-force in South Dakota and when I think of hot weather, I automatically go to linen. With this bright pink linen, I knew it would be a great dress. Fabric Mart has such an awesome linen collection. Have you checked it out? You can do that here: Designer Quality Linen

There are so many wonderful colors to choose from!

I simply LOVE this stuff! It washes and dries beautifully and it's made from completely natural fibers, so it sews and presses like a dream. Need I say more???

Before I cut into my fabrics for this monthly post, I try and do some research. For this month, I looked for summer dresses with easy silhouettes and fun sleeves. This is the dress I came up with.

I really love those sleeves and I had read from several reviewers that the sleeves were fully lined and clever. Sold!

Image result for images Cynthia Rowley patterns

I was a bit worried with how low this dress back slit is on a 50+ lady, but it works just fine! And this linen, the dress calls for linen, so it was a match made in heaven!

Pink is such a fun color to wear!

The linen gives this dress structure, yet also lets it drape a bit, not in a flowing sort of way but in a way that works for the dress.

Here's a closer-up of that back slit. I am wearing a cami. I choose black so I could wear my black sandals.

Here is a closer-up of the sleeves. These are made and constructed in a way that the sleeve itself has no seams exposed. Very clever and what a nice finish it gives!

I so love FM's linen section. If you never used it, what are you waiting for?

Thanks for reading!

Sue from Ilove2sew!

A Yard And Change

Do you have a fabric that you love and has been hanging around but is too small to use? Maybe you found a wonderful fabric with a super cute print but there's only a yard left. I've got a few projects I worked on all with roughly a yard of fabric. And I have a few tips for making that yard and change go further! Cutting Layout: You can get a lot more mileage out of a yard of fabric if you can get creative with how you lay out your fabric. Cutting things single layer will give you the most control. My favorite thing to do is unfold the fabric and fold the selvages in to meet in the middle. That gives me two folded edges to work with. I had to overlap these to get enough width for the tank top. Just make sure that your pattern pieces don't also overlap! This one was especially fun for me because I really loved the print on this swimwear knit but am not yet up to sewing swimwear. But a nice flowy hiking tank is perfect for this! In the future I'd love to experiment with...

Help Our Buyers Shop!

Comment on this post with what you are looking for right now and our buyers will seek it out! I am craving wool gabardines and ponte knits in fun autumn colors. What about you?

Sewing Vintage for Summer

Hello sewing friends! I was highly motivated to try another one of the vintage Polynesian Pattern dresses I’ve collected during our hot weather. The patterns are all dramatic and fashionable and really apropos for summer styling. This one is number 204, the Pilialoha Dress. The gown includes a wide boatneck that many of them feature, plus a very beautiful back gathering and wraparound closure. I always find that the special details on the back are such a chic surprise compared to the simple front. I chose a lemon covered cotton lawn . I am really delighted with the quality of this cotton, it’s luxuriously soft and smooth. The scale of the lemons and blossoms are just right and not overwhelming, and the soft yellow background is beautiful. This could not be more charming and summery! I also chose some excellent lightweight interfacing for my facings, and the real highlight is these Dritz Floral Sew-On Snaps that I’ve had my eye on for months! Finally, the perfect ...

Athletic Wear Refresh: A Bold New Gym Set

There’s something especially motivating about refreshing your workout wardrobe with pieces that feel like you. As part of my ongoing athletic wear refresh, I’m adding another handmade set to my gym wardrobe—and this one might be the boldest yet. Lately, I’ve been taking a closer look at my handmade wardrobe and thinking more intentionally about what I actually wear in this season of my life. Athletic wear has become a big part of that. Instead of treating workout clothes as an afterthought, I want my gym wardrobe to have the same personality, color, and style as everything else I make. And this fabric made that very easy. The Fabric That Started It All The moment I saw this vibrant multicolored paisley, I was immediately drawn to it. The mix of warm reds, oranges, greens, turquoise, and golden yellow against the light background feels bold, energetic, and a little unexpected for athletic wear . There’s something about the print that reminds me of Etro and other higher-end f...

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