Sewing Vortex

Sometimes, even a grown woman wants to feel like a princess. I'm really stepping outside my comfort zone with Giverny Dress from Itch-To-Stitch Designs . The multi-gored, full skirt and many feminine details such as pleats and pin tucks combine to give this dress a retro Dior New Look feel. Despite the fact that I'm not usually drawn to the Modern Vintage style, I found myself falling in love with this dress more and more with each step of it's construction. Pattern Details Giverny is a small village in France where Claude Monet created some of his most famous paintings. Like the town for which it is named, Giverny Dress is very pretty and full of subtle details to draw your eye.  Giverny Dress needs a woven fabric without stretch. Mine is made with cotton shirting, but there are so many options. Your choice will effect the drape of the skirt, so consider how you want your final dress to look as part of your decision. My cotton creates a stiffer, more retr...

Bonjour, Mademoiselle Gus ! I am thrilled to be part of the Pm-Patterns Blog Tour this week, sharing my introduction to this lovely French designer with you! Karine, the woman who is Pm-Patterns , has been hard at work expanding her line of French language paper patterns into PDFs with English language options. Her currently line of patterns includes 18 children's styles and 6 for ladies. Rumor is that 2018 will be devoted to not only adding new ladies designs, but expanding the size range as well.  My invitation to this tour came at just the right time. Winter is finally starting to break and my inspiration is turning to cute tops that can be worn with skirts and jeans for the next several months. Mademoiselle Gus worn with straight-hem-hacked Lindy Petal Skirt I was given my choice of pattern for free in exchange for today's post. I knew at first sight that Mademoiselle Gus was the one for me. I was really drawn to the tabbed sleeves, and the fact that it wa...

Finding perfect jeans is like finding a unicorn....  Do YOU have unicorn in your back yard?  Yeah. Me either. What I DO have is the newest Itch-To-Stitch Designs pattern release: Mountain View Pull On Jeans , and they are my new BFFF! They MIGHT even be unicorn jeans... Breaking Ground is mostly about trying new-to-you designers,  but you can also twist it to be a new-to-you technique, style or other such personal challenge.  Obviously, Itch-to-Stitch is NOT new to me, but the concept of pull on pants as everyday wear is, and it's a trend I've tried to avoid for a long time! Pull on pants are for yoga and sleeping, right? My personal rule is no lounge pants outside the house, unless I'm ACTUALLY going somewhere to exercise. (SNORT)  Wearing pull on pants or leggings as real pants (that look terrific) is how I'm Breaking Ground for myself! Pattern Details Mountain View Pull On Jeans gives you just about everything you find in a tr...