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Made by a Fabricista: The Many Moods of Animal Prints

 

I've been in the mood for something different lately, and one thing that I do not have a lot of in my wardrobe has been animal prints.  They always felt a little too edgy for my personality.  But lately, I've been seeing them everywhere, and my eye has adjusted to see them as really quite lovely!  I decided to try to use them in a few different styles- artsy, dressy, and sporty, and see how they worked.

 


For the dressy look, I used this snow leopard jersey knit and a pattern that I downloaded from the Russian Burda site- Burda Plus 1/2019, 404 .  

 


This is a pattern for knits, and has a really nice shape to it.  Ordering from the Russian Burda site was really easy- the patterns are very reasonably priced.  Currently they are 99 rubles which is about $1.32.  Of course, the instructions are in Russian, so you have to be able to either understand Russian or be able to wing it on your own.  I am in the second camp! 

The sleeves have a really cute flounce on them- short enough that they don't get in the way when washing your hands or cooking.  I forgot to add length, and the top ended up being a little short on me, so I didn't hem it.  It's a little chilly this time of year by itself, but with the turtleneck underneath, it is quite warm.

 

For my second look, for when I am feeling sporty, I used a jacquard jersey knit that is now sold out, in a fun cheetah print.  For the pattern, I used Named Gemma Sweater and Maxi Dress pattern. 


 This was a fun one to sew.  I love the challenge of lining up the contrasting insets.  I made a few adjustments on mine- I used a contrasting black knit for waistband, cuffs, and neckband.  I also lengthened the body a couple of inches- so with the waistband and the length addition, it is probably about 4 inches longer than the pattern as originally intended. 


The jacquard knit has a great texture to it, and the black knit that I used was velour, so this has a lot of tactile interest in it.  

For my last look, I decided to make something more artsy from a hyena striped corduroy.  At least I think that's the animal! 

 Let me know if you see another animal that it matches better.   It has just a hint of lavender in it, so it's obviously not trying to be a realistic animal print.


 


 This was a very soft and lightweight corduroy, and I decided to make a vest (2.2020. 419) from the latest Burda Plus issue.  This is a hooded, lined vest with a matching belt and buttons.


I found the perfect buttons from it from a prior Fabric Mart Milly button sale.  They are wood with an inlaid marble in cream.



Of course, I added pockets to the front.  Just long enough to put my cell phone in.  I can wear this without the belt and open as well. 


And here is a view of the hood from the back.  It's very cozy and I love it.

So, if you are like me and would like to venture into something new, take a look at animal prints!  They are versatile, easy to coordinate with black and tan pants and shoes, and can be made to match the mood you are in! 

I hope that you are well and have a nice holiday season!  Best wishes for 2021!

Ann

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Comments

  1. Happy Holidays to you as well. Love your animal print lineup.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are super Ann! They are all great layering pieces too. Thank you for all your terrific posts in 2020.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ann, I really enjoy your posts with all your great ideas! Definitely makes me want to be more creative.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish I’d bought more Milly buttons when the stock was high, love them!! I really love all of your new tops especially that first Burda!!

    It took me awhile to get on board with animal prints and now I love them!!

    ReplyDelete

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