Ivory Ruffle Blouse

Here is my ruffle blouse inspired by my Spring/Summer 2012 project. This blouse is actually very close to the inspiration photo. I used Burda Style Blouse 117 from the 08/2009 issue. This blouse is a part of the Parisian Fashion section of the magazine. I've been wanting to make this entire section of garments for years but this is my first one.

I used silk crepe de chine from Gorgeous Fabrics. I spent $21 for 2 yards. This fabric is a dream to sew with! It wasn't as slippery to work with as other silk type fabrics but it creates a beautiful, semi-sheer look in the end.

This went together fast and easy... I had no problems following the usually cryptic Burda instructions. It's rated "easy to sew"by the magazine too. I didn't have to make any alterations, the fit was great and true to size based off of their measuring chart.

I used french seams for the sides and shoulders. I understitched the neck facing to prevent it from rolling to the outside. I also did a "very narrow hem" instead of a regular narrow hem on the ruffles and bottom edge.

Not the greatest photo with inside lighting.

I love this blouse! I wore this for the first time in Florida, during a "Sip-and-See" hosted by my parent-in-laws. It's a southern tradition that involves wine, snacks, and a baby on display. People drop in to socialize and meet the baby for the first time. We had great fun and I received many compliments on my blouse. I would love to make this in some other colors- maybe some prints. This is going to be versatile in my wardrobe. It will go great under jackets too.

~Jenny

A Tale of Two Tees

Here are my two tees inspired by my Spring/Summer 2012 Wardrobe project. If you check out the link, you'll see that the inspiration uses a gray top and a white and navy striped top, both with 3/4 length sleeves. I opted for short sleeves because it's dang hot where I live!

I've actually made both of these tees before so I won't go into great detail. You can check out the previous posts for pattern reviews.

First up is actually my favorite: the white and navy striped tee. I used a rayon jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics (looks like it's sold out though). I got two yards for a total of $24. If you've ever ordered from Ann, you'll know that she's generous with her cuts so I actually have enough to squeeze out a tank I think. I love ordering from G.F.- there is always a wide selection of beautiful, high quality fabrics that you can't get elsewhere. The prices are a little higher than I usually go for but she puts on some good sales throughout the year.

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I used pattern 112A from the Burda Style issue 02/2010. I originally blogged it here. The only change I made was to shorten the sleeve length. I really like this cut on me. It's fast and easy to sew and the boatneck style is very flattering in my opinion.

Note: I got the white skirt as a substitute for the white jeans from my inspiration wardrobe. I tried on various styles of white jeans, capris and shorts and just couldn't find a style that was both flattering and not a peep show... lol! This skirt is flattering and fun to wear and it has shorts built in underneath so they are not so see through! Got it from Kohl's.

I took these while in Florida, down by the marina. I love all the water and sailboats... I feel so nautical with my striped tee and white skirt! My hair is kind of wild... it was a windy day:)

I used Vogue 8536 for my second tee, originally blogged here. (I can't believe I've blogged for this long!! This was three years ago!) I used a cotton interlock from Joann Fabrics. I purchased 2 yards for a total of $10... I think I can get a second top from the remnant on this one too. This one is also fast and easy to sew. Perhaps it's the way I styled it but I'm not so thrilled with this one... it's just a basic gray tee. It was a hot, casual day so I just paired it with shorts and sandals.

I haven't started on all of the jackets yet- mainly because it's too stinking hot to wear them! But I have all the fabric for the three jackets which will really bump up my styling options. I hope to have them ready for early Fall.

I still have several other tops done and pictures to take so stay tuned...

~Jenny

Leaving on a Jet Plane

We had a great time in Florida and as promised, I got lots of pictures! I actually had my own miniature me-made challenge as I was able to wear at least one piece of clothing that I had made on every day of the trip. And for those of you who may not know, I am sewing up garments inspired by the Cabi capsule collection, blogged about here.

So first up is my plane ride outfit- on the way out. Here, I am wearing the blue tank top and the ivory knit cardigan with jeans and flats.

I won't go into great detail about the tank. I've actually made it before using Simplicity 2593, blogged about here. I didn't change anything except for not making the twist neckline. A funny thing about the twist on my previous top- I actually ended up removing it after the first wear! It looked so cute... that is, until I put it in the wash. The twist was just never the same and ended up looking messy despite ironing. So I took it off and continue to get a lot of wear from this top. I used a wonderful blue cotton shirting from Gorgeous Fabrics. Looks like it is sold out now. But it's very lightweight, almost sheer and breaths nicely. I spent $12 for the tank.

For the cardigan, I used Simplicity 2603. Based off of the inspiration photo, I wanted a knit with some texture to it. I came across this lightweight, pointelle ivory knit at Hancock Fabrics. And it was on sale for half off! I spent $19 on the cardigan and about 3-4 hours sewing it up. I made a size Medium (14-16). I made the shortest version that the pattern had to offer and lengthened the sleeves slightly. I was aiming for full length sleeves but apparently was not doing my math correctly and only added a couple of inches (not sure how I thought this was going to be enough). So my sleeves are still 3/4 length but that's okay. The second change I made was to fold the back neck to the inside and tack it for about 4 or so inches. I had read this on a review of the pattern and it's a great tip for this pattern. When the back neck is rolled to the inside, the rest of the cardigan has a really nice drape to it. Without folding the neck to the inside, the front of the cardigan tends to roll outward, exposing the wrong side of the fabric. Now if I had made this with a solid knit, such as a rayon jersey, I would have left the ends raw instead of doing the narrow hem. I think it would have created a much cleaner look leaving the ends unhemmed, opposite of what you might think I know. But, because this was more of a sweater knit, I did go ahead and do all of the hemming.

This cardigan is a dream to wear! The fabric is perfect for warm weather. It's just the right weight to cover up in the cool air conditioning but not be too bulky. I love the design and style and the neutral color goes with just about everything. I actually wore this with several tops from my capsule wardrobe! I would love to make this again for fall/winter out of some rayon knits.

~Jenny