Sewing Vortex

First sign of fall at my house is the Maple tree out front. As August fades the tips of the leaves to go pink. Before you know it, it's already time for the Sew Long Summer Blog tour! This year, I took a recent favorite of mine, the Kosice Top & Dress from Itch to Stitch Designs , combined it with a bold orange fabric and made a dress that is undeniably fall. The Fabric For my dress, I used this intense orange floral from Simply By Ti fabrics. I've had my eye on it since it came to the shop, but when it was discounted to $5/yard during the April Birthday Sale, I snapped up 3 yards. This poplin really is the perfect shirting. It's a nice weight: not light and flimsy, but not heavy at all. It's completely opaque. It sews well, presses cleanly and didn't give me any issues with fraying. The best part is that because it is 97%/3% cotton/lycra, it's totally stable and suitable for all woven shirting projects, but still has a little give to make ...

 So what do you do when the temperature starts dropping, but you aren't ready to drop your hemline yet? The solution is easy: Culottes. If you never thought of culottes as a trans-seasonal garment, you are missing out! They have the style of a skirt, with the ease of shorts (or pants). Itch to Stitch is releasing Gobi Culottes today and I couldn't be more excited! I particularly love the button fly and top stitching details. And, if I'm being honest, the retro 80's shape coupled with the 90's styling I've done here really makes my later-half Gen X heart sing! Pattern Details Itch to Stitch Gobi Culottes is reminiscent of the popular pleated shorts of the 1980's, but updated with modern details that make the style sleek and relevant. The contoured yoke/waistband is fitted with pretty seams that line up with the front pleats. The back uses a center leg seam for shaping instead of a yoke or darts to keep that minimal skirt feel. There is a Shorten/L...

My wardrobe has a serious lack of solids. They don't make very flashy or exciting garments to share; I find solids can be pretty dull to plan and boring to sew. However, I frequently despair of not having enough solids in my closet. I think the best way to make sewing solids fun is to choose an interesting pattern. Kosice Top & Dress , Itch to Stitch 's newest release has this wonderfully delicate looking neckline, making it very interesting to sew!   Pattern Details I love unique details and a feminine feel without too many frills. Kosice Top & Dress definitely fits that description! It's a little boho, a little peasant blouse and a little button-up shirt ..but not too much... all rolled into one. This pattern is drafted for light weight fabrics with a little more body than you might expect. Like shirting. Rayon can drape beautifully, but it is limp in the body department and can cause drooping through the sleeve seams. Chambray and lawn can be nice c...