Chasing Coco

One area where I struggle with sewing is in the efficiency gained by making the same pattern several times. For me it is much more exciting to make something totally new and different, but that is also more time consuming. I am trying to be more practical in my sewing and make items that I need in my wardrobe rather than sewing whatever tickles my fancy, as I have been the last few years. Ok, maybe a little of what tickles my fancy thrown in! Really, I want to reduce my reliance on RTW clothes, and do that, I need to sew what I need to wear. With this is in mind I set out to make McCall's 7313 for the first time, thinking it could become a "tried and true" (TNT) pattern for me. Yes, I see the irony of making something for the first time with the goal of repeating patterns more often! I was attracted to this pattern because it 1) looked simple 2) I liked the general A-line shape 3) it had two necklines and several sleeve options 4) knit dresses are quick & e...

I am very happy with the results of Simplicity 8380! I wanted a quick sew for a black-tie optional wedding that I was attending with my husband but I only had a month to put something together and I sew very slowly! I also wanted something that wasn't so fancy that I wouldn't be able to wear it again. How many black-tie events are you going to? I think this was my first one ever! I was glad to be able to lean into the "optional" a little bit, hopefully without being under-dressed. Since I wanted something fast but simple, I set out to find a one shoulder dress that was for a knit pattern. One shoulder seems fancy, right? Right?!? To make the dress, I chose a black on black cheetah print from Cali Fabrics . I had ordered from them recently and loved everything but I was disappointed when this fabric arrived. The cheetah print was much more pronounced looking online, whereas it was basically a slightly textured black when it arrived. Oh well. I used it anyw...