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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