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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