Made By Trisha

Unicorn Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 13:11:00 +0000

My dear friends are having a baby soon, and I was excited to make something special for their little one. My friend asked for a stuffed animal for the baby, and beyond that, she wanted to be surprised. My friends are also waiting to see if the baby will be a boy or a girl. How fun! All of the hyper-gendered baby stuff hurts my heart, so I was glad to make something that could work equally well for a girl or a boy. My friends are lovers of nature and both are full of fun, magic, and wonder, so I made the baby a unicorn!

Sewing Notes- I used pattern Simplicity 2921. Sewing this was truly a labor of love, as there were a lot of fiddly little pieces and parts. A lot of time was spent on this, and I know that's crazy since there's a good chance that the kid may not even like it, but I was sewing a magical unicorn! And that pushed me through this project!

Fabric and Notions- The body of the unicorn is made from gray stretch velour that I had in my stash from a previous project. The hooves and horn are holographic silver spandex from JoAnn. The eyes are safety eyes ordered from Etsy. The luxurious mane and tail are made from gray yarn that has rainbow yarn wrapped around it.

I highly recommend using fabric with stretch in it for a project like this. I think the stretch makes it more forgiving when you're joining all those little pieces. A walking foot was also key. Sewing the seams with the mane and tail in them got really thick. Here's some more unicorn goodness:

And finally, some outtakes! A look at the unicorn sans stuffing and a flash photo that really shows how the holographic fabric shines!

Luxurious Touches- Silk Sutton and Onecklace

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 13:54:00 +0000

I've been seriously sewing for seven years now. In that time, I've learned a lot, mostly by trial and error. I've made many beautiful things that I'm proud of. I've also made many items that didn't work out. Often, that was because I used cheap fabric that didn't hold up well or wasn't what I really looking for. Too many times I bought fabric because it was a good deal and "close enough." Now that I know that any project can end up successful, I find myself wanting to work with good, quality materials, and I've fallen in love with silk.

I've made a number of silk items now, and this blouse is a fun one to blog about.

Sewing Notes- The fabric is a silk stripe panel from Mood. It's no longer available, but it was about a yard. Not quite enough for a True Bias Sutton Blouse. Yet I wanted to make a Sutton blouse. To make it work, I cut the front panels in different sections to make a new stripe pattern. It was done out of necessity, and I think it really makes this top special.

A luxurious silk blouse deserves luxurious touches to go with it. This necklace was provided to me from Onecklace. I chose one of their crop circle designs. They also do a lot of great custom personalized looks. Check them out, and use code trisha10 for 10% off!

This blouse makes me think of Mexico, and the necklace reminds me of the sun. The perfect pair!

Sewaholic Davie and Necklace Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 13:35:00 +0000

Why is it that the simplest makes often turn out the best? Time and again, I get pulled into intricate, involved projects (that I love), but that don't ever make it into my favorites rotation. It's the simple makes. The solid colors. The comfortable clothing. These are my favorites.

Sewaholic's Davie dress fits the bill. This is a simple princess-seam dress that skims the body and offers a hint of a cap sleeve. Since making both of these Davies, they quickly became favorites in my regular rotation. Both are made from lovely ponte fabric that makes them exceedingly comfy to wear.

The patterned version was made first. This follows the pattern design, and I like it, but it's a bit too flared for me. For the gray version, I reduced the flare on the skirt pieces. Be warned, this is a short dress! I cut it out for the length of the longest size, and I may lengthen even more for future versions.

A simple dress needs special jewelry. This necklace was provided to me from Onecklace. I've used them before, and they're great quality. I chose one of their crop circle designs. They also do a lot of great custom personalized looks. Check them out, and use code trisha10 for 10% off! I've already received a ton of compliments on this necklace design!

For the gray version, I decided to sew on some embellishment for a built-in necklace.These sew-in rhinestones reflect the light beautifully. With the embellishment built-in, this dress is a throw-on-and-go outfit that looks really special!

Mint Morris Blazer

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 13:07:00 +0000

Why hello! Today, I'm modeling a brand new blazer in a lovely mint color. The dress I'm wearing is one of the first dresses I sewed when I started this crazy sewing journey back in 2008. The insides are a bit messy, but it still gets a lot of wear. Let's talk about this blazer:

Fabric Notes- The fabric is a mint green Ponte de Roma doubleknit from Girl Charlee. It's very soft and drapey. A bit too drapey to pull off anything with structure, so be warned. It's a lovely color for the summer. It reminds me of light, tropical ocean or a retro kitchen appliances!

Sewing Notes- The pattern is the Morris Blazer by Grainline Studio. I love that this blazer is more casual and can be made up in knit fabric. The perfect thing to pull on to look pull-together while still being super comfortable. The pattern calls for some strange top stitching. Like others, I found that the front facing wanted to hang funny, so I simply stitched down the facing along the edge. Since this is a more casual blazer, I think that's a good solution that I plan to use in future versions.

I think there will be more versions of this blazer. I'm already thinking up a metallic version. Or a version in white faux leather. Wouldn't that be fancy?

Emerald Sheath

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:07:00 +0000

Sewing notes- The pattern is Butterick 5554. I can't believe this is the fifth time I've used this pattern. Certainly a tried and true! (Other versions: Inception little black dress, Matrix dress, Boston conference dress, Go for the gold dress.) I've tweaked the back seams enough now that I think it's a nice, sleek fit on my waist and curves. Looking at the photos, I could probably take in the front seams a bit more too, but I want to keep room to walk and sit... it's a trade-off to have a few drag lines when standing still.

Fabric notes- This is a vivid emerald Ponte de Roma knit from fabric.com. Sometimes these fabrics are hit or miss, but I really like the hand and feel of this one. It's 75% Polyester/21% Rayon/4% Spandex--I usually don't like something with that much poly, but I think there's enough rayon to still make it feel nice.

I would love to have a closet full of these dresses in every color of the rainbow! I'm slowing making that happen.

Maritime Shorts and Concert Tee

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 13:01:00 +0000

It's officially summer here! We're having temperatures in the 100s which means tank tops and shorts for the next 6 months. I made both the shorts and the shirt. Let's talk about the shirt first.

This tee started out as a men's long-sleeved raglan shirt. I liked the design, but I was swimming in the shirt, so I refashioned it. Back when I started sewing seriously, I did a lot of T-shirt refashions, so this was like going back to my roots. I kept the white ringer neck, nipped in the sides, and cut off the raglan sleeves to leave a halter top. The final step was to hem up the armholes and take up the bottom hem. Voila! A cute new summer tank! Now let's talk shorts.

Sewing Notes- I made my first pair of Grainline's Maritime shorts last summer--my Secret Rainbow shorts. I have notes on construction on that post, so check it out. When I sewed them up the Secret Rainbow shorts, I got ambitious to create a hybrid pattern between Grainline's Maritime shorts and Moss mini skirt. I used the pockets and back yoke from the Moss and the shorts legs from the Maritime. I drew this out last summer and put it away. When I got the fraken-pattern out this summer, I had to trust that I had finished all of the necessary alterations. Spoiler alert: it worked! Here's some photos of the finished shorts. If anyone is interested in seeing photos of my altered pattern, let me know.

Fabric Notes- I love the colors and print of the fabric for the shorts. It may be a little wild, but I've found it to be surprisingly versatile. I've been treating it like a neutral and having fun with print mixing. This fabric is a stretch cotton sateen from fabric.com. It really doesn't have a sheen, which I'm happy about. As of writing this, it's still available!

Black and White Sutton and Bellatrix

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Sun, 03 May 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Hello! Today is all about black and white. Although I love crazy colors and prints, I've been trying to focus on building my wardrobe with more solids and neutrals. And I have to admit, I love this chic black and white look! This is the type of outfit that people can't believe is handmade.

Jacket- This is my third Bellatrix Blazer from Papercut patterns. The fabric is a stretch cotton from JoAnn, and it's lined with a lovely light rayon. I love this jacket, and it gets lots of compliments at work. (I didn't realize that my back collar was popped in all of these photos until too late! Oh well!)

Blouse-This is my first version of the True Bias pattern Sutton Blouse. I colorblocked it with a black yoke and white bottom. And I put the neckline binding on so it's visible from the outside. The fabric is 100% rayon challis. I ordered a bunch of rayons from Fashion Fabrics Club. This was my first order with them, and the fabric is lightweight and will be lovely for hot summer days.

Yellow Bellatrix and Nautical Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 14:36:00 +0000

Hello! It's been a while. I've been sewing like crazy, as usual. I had a few extra minutes this morning to pop in to show off some recent projects. First off, my hair! Yes, the end are purple! I am absolutely in love with it! It won't be purple for long, as I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow, but I think it's a look that I'll do again in the future.

Jacket- This yellow jacket is my FOURTH version of Papercut Pattern's Bellatrix blazer. This is the shortened view, and I modified the shape of the lapel. This version is unlined. I quite like the Bellatrix blazer, and I hope to show you other versions soon. The fabric is a medium twill from fabric.com.

Skirt- Does the skirt fabric look familiar? It's the last of my SOS Dress. I drafted a simple pattern to make pencil skirts out of knit fabric. I made three in an afternoon, and I imagine I'll make quite a few more, as they work well for my wardrobe.

Silk Butterflies Blouse

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:56:00 +0000

Sometimes, simple is best. That's certainly true for this outfit--a simple, loose blouse, a slim, straight skirt-- these are the silhouettes that I feel most comfortable in. I'm often drawn to more flashy or voluminous patterns, but it's the simple shapes that I pull out of the closet again and again.

Fabric Notes- The fabric I used is 100% silk from fabric.com. I ordered it a few years back, and it took me a while to work up the nerve to use it. I love this fabric--it is absolutely gorgeous! But it is also very lightweight; it's see-through. I was worried that it would be troublesome to work with. I shouldn't have worried. It was a bit finicky, but workable. I used French seams throughout to keep the silk from fraying and to make the inside looks just as nice as the outside.

Sewing Notes- This is my first attempt at Sewaholic's Belcarra blouse. I was looking for a simple work shirt, and this certainly fits the bill. It's a very simple raglan-sleeve pattern, and it's drafted very well. I think that Tasia of Sewaholic is very talented at drafted simple shapes well--classics!

The skirt I'm wearing is one of my Grainline Moss Mini skirts. The blue/purple color of the skirt works perfectly with the color in the butterflies. This will definitely be a standard outfit!

Graphic Neon Cambie

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:51:00 +0000

This dress really makes a statement! This may be the most striking dress I now own. It's so bright that I think it may actually glow in the dark.

Fabric Notes- The fabric is really the star of this make! I found this navy and neon green peach skin from Girl Charlee. (You can find the print here.) Striking, isn't it? I made an extra effort to center the design and match up the lines. I think it was worth it!

Since the peach skin is poly, I lined the dress in a soft, black cotton lawn. That way, I have a breathable fabric next to the skin.

Sewing Notes- The pattern used is Sewaholic's Cambie dress. I cut out a size smaller than usual--not sure why. As a result, it was too tight, and I had to add in a small panel at the back zipper. Thankfully, the pattern is busy enough that it's not too tragic, but it does mess up my careful pattern matching.

Still, I'm quite proud of this dress. I really like the way the cap sleeves look while standing up. After wearing the dress all day at the office, I noticed that the sleeves gaped when sitting down. Anyone else have this problem with the Cambie? I am reluctant to take in the straps any more as it fit very nicely now when standing...Would love to hear your suggestions on how to deal with the gaping while sitting.

Go for the Gold (dress)

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:47:00 +0000

I'm always on the lookout for good gold to wear to work. Plus, I have a dream to have a wardrobe full of simple sheath dresses in every color of the rainbow! One step closer!

Fabric Notes- My fabric is a gold rayon/poly double-knit from Fabric.com. It has a slight gold shimmer to it. I wasn't sold on the shimmer at first, but now I think it makes the dress feel more special.

Sewing Notes-The pattern used is Butterick 5554. (See other versions: Inception Little Black Dress, Matrix Dress, and Boston Conference Dress) This time, I drafted some little sleeves to make it special. I'm quite pleased with how these little sleeves turned out, and it was rather easy to do.

Secret Rainbow Shorts

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:22:00 +0000

Let me introduce the Secret Rainbow Shorts, made with the Grainline Maritime shorts pattern. I've been wearing these shorts for a while now, and they're amazing! p.s. Also wearing my Black Rainbow Tank made back in 2012!

Fabric Notes- I really needed a pair of plain, black shorts in my wardrobe. My old pair got worn to death and no longer fits. Luckily, I had this black/gray denim from Fabric.com in my stash. Although I am drawn to bright colors and crazy prints, I want to make more items like this that will get a ton of wear. The best part of sewing your own clothes? Even though these are plain shorts, I can customize the inside with rainbow colored fabric! I love, love, LOVE this lining fabric. It's a black cotton with rainbow bits! I found this fabric at our local Goodwill. There was only a little bit, but I truly wish I could buy up a whole lot of it!

Love the lining fabric in these shorts!

Sewing and Pattern Notes- I have to give a lot of credit to Lauren from Lladybird for making these shorts happen! I took her advice in three areas:

1) To insert the fly, I used Lauren's fly front tutorial, which is based on instructions from Sewaholic's Thurlow trousers sewalong. This tutorial worked well for me and made more sense than the instructions. The only issue is that the tutorial shows how to make a fly front that opens on the left, and I wanted these shorts to open on the right. So I had to flip everything in my head to mirror image them.

Here you can see the back extension and how much I took the center back in.

2) I used Lauren's waist band with back extension tutorial, also from the Thurlow sewalong. This gives you better options to adjust your shorts, if needed.

3) Also like Lauren, the back gaped a LOT on me! I ended up taking out 1.75" from the pattern piece. Beware of this, baste, and do a fitting!

Let's talk about the pockets. You know I love pockets, so this is a very important feature to get right.

Back Pockets: These are nice and roomy with a cute design! I added a zipper to the top of the back right pocket. This is one of my favorite additions to back pockets. Perfect way to carry your ID and cash without having to worry about it falling out.

Front pockets: I really like the look of the pockets as drafted, but unfortunately, I found them a bit too small for my hands to comfortably fit. I was surprised by this because the pockets from Grainline's Moss Mini skirt are perfect. I'm working on drafting up a Moss-Maritime hybrid pocket to try out in my next pair. That's right, I am planning to make a second pair!

Moss moss moss mini mini mini

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:57:00 +0000

Friends, I am in love with the Moss Mini Skirt by Grainline Studio. This year, I took a good hard look at my closet and thought about what I actually need and wear. Slim skirts have got to be near the top of that list for me. I love to wear skirts, and I prefer a comfortable skirt with a fly front and pockets. The Moss Skirt fits that perfectly. I started with the metallic silver one, continued with the red/pink/tan Navajo-inspired print, kept on going with the electric blue, and I imagine they'll be quite a few more of these before I'm done.

Sewing Notes- I found this pattern very easy to work with. All three came together beautifully even though this was my first attempt at a fly front. I'm happy with all three of these fly fronts, and I followed the instructions that came with the pattern. I've since been experimenting with some alternate methods. More notes on that after I've thoroughly tested out another fly-front option. Two things I'd like to note about this pattern: 1) It's simple! That means that it can work as a plain basic that you'll wear again and again, OR it is the perfect piece for some statement fabric. 2) It doesn't take much fabric! If you embrace the "mini" length (like I did with the Navajo-inspired print), you can easily squeeze this out of a yard of fabric or less. That particular piece was a remnant that was about .8 of a yard (and I had enough left over to add back pockets). On the other versions, I lengthened by 2-4".

Let's Talk Fabric- Silver Metallic-I bought this beauty from JoAnn at least a year ago. It was my intention to use it for a skirt, but I didn't know what pattern to use until now! This fabric is a stunner and it gets a lot of compliments! The only drawback, it's scratchy. And I didn't notice it until I tried on the almost-completed skirt. I ended up going back and binding all of the seams with soft, hot pink cotton voile. Navajo-inspired print- This was from the remnant bin at JoAnn. It's not my normal colorway, but I loved the look of the print. It's a thicker fabric--like a thick denim or even maybe home-decor weight cotton. I think it works great as a mini skirt! Electric Blue- This is a cotton/poly twill blend bottom weight, also from JoAnn (man, I swear they're not paying me!). I picked a poly blend with the hopes that it won't wrinkle. So far, so good!

Both the outside and the inside are beautiful! The pattern gives you the opportunity to pull out some fun, contrast fabric to use on the inside of the pockets and as facings. I certainly had fun picking out some nice, soft cottons to add as lining on the inside. I'll leave you with some pretty pictures of the skirts laid out flat.

Pretty lining fabric and lilac hem tape

Front

Back- left has back pockets, right does not

This is a great pattern to pull out contrast fabric for the innards.

Ursa Major

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Thu, 29 May 2014 13:30:00 +0000

Does the design on my shirt look familiar? As familiar as the night sky? This design was inspired by the constellation Ursa Major, which also encompasses the Big Dipper. Although it's inspired by Ursa Major, I like how it could also reference a monkey, or a skeleton, or something else entirely. It's fun how to let your mind wonder---just as our ancestors did when they made up the constellations.

Source

Sewing Notes- I made this shirt using my simple self-drafted tee pattern, but before sewing it up, I made the design on the front. I used a bleach pen to draw the stars and lines. You could draw it out on the shirt first with chalk, but I just free-handed it making dots for the stars and lines to connect them. I do recommend testing out the bleach on a scrap of fabric first. I did this with about five test swatches of different fabrics. Some took the bleach well, others did not. It was interesting to see the different colors made on different fabrics. I'll have more examples to show you later!

As a bonus, I'm modeling the top with this rather fabulous jacket I found at Goodwill. It was HUGE and quite crazy--I wish I took a before/after photo. I took in the sides, removed the collar, got rid of back poofiness, and took off some unnecessary embellishments. Now, it will make a great summer jacket.

Have you ever tried bleaching designs on fabric? Any special tips?

Little Mermaid Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Sat, 24 May 2014 13:43:00 +0000

Look at this dress. Isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has... everything?

Speaking of having a weakness for novelty fabric... Your eyes do not deceive you, I have made a Little Mermaid dress! This dress was made for a dear, dear friend of mine who bravely volunteered to go out with me in fabulous cartoon dresses. Remember this, my Carebear dress?

She loves The Little Mermaid (who doesn't?!?), so when I found this Ariel bed sheet, I knew it would be perfect.

Sewing Notes- The fabric here is the star! I also bought some teal/aqua chevron fabric to use as accents---it reminds me of waves. I wanted a simple pattern to let the fabric shine. The pattern is a modified New Look 6557. The bodice is view D, and the midriff is basically half as wide. I made a simple gathered skirt, and it's double layered so that the wave fabric peeks out at the bottom.

I also took a lot of care to cut the fabric strategically. Check out Ariel on the front, King Triton on the back, and the castle on the midriff. Pretty sweet!

Sewing for someone else who's a different size is pretty nerve wracking. Luckily, my friend likes it! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of her wearing it, but if we ever work up the courage to wear them out somewhere special, I'll definitely share. :)

Ice Cream Cone Jammie Set

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Thu, 22 May 2014 13:09:00 +0000

Just popping in to say hello! I am a sucker for a novelty print, which is how I came to own ice cream cone fabric and teal hearts fabric. Both are from Girl Charlee. Both prints are adorable, but not exactly the most sophisticated. No worries, I used them to whip up a set of spring jammies! Love wearing these when it is starting to get warm, but there's still a chill in the air. The sleeves provide just enough warmth, and the cute ice cream cones have me excited for summer!

Sewing notes- The top was an experiment. I modified my basic long-sleeved tee pattern to raglan sleeves. I just winged it and made up the sleeve pattern... Worked pretty well for my first attempt at this. The shorts are my basic jammie shorts pattern. I love these shorts so much! I've been wearing them like crazy!

How about you--do you find yourself buying crazy, novelty fabrics? Or can you restrain yourself? Looking in my sewing closet there is fox fabric, cartoon flower fabric, and galaxy fabric, to name a few. I've already made up items in zebra fabric, panda fabric, heart fabric, and unicorn fabric... Eep!

The Ladylike Way to Show Some Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Sat, 17 May 2014 15:15:00 +0000

When is it appropriate to wear a crop top? This is a question that may be on a lot of women's minds this summer. I've seen many, many crop tops and two-piece dresses shown all over the place. I'm not going to lie--I like the look! In high school, I would have eagerly jumped on any trend that sanctioned a cute crop top. Today, I feel a little differently...which is how this outfit came into play.

I wanted to make a high-waisted jean skirt with a crop top, but I didn't want to be too exposed. The solution was to make a lace top to wear over the cropped one. This full, flouncy denim skirt will go with everything this summer. And I think the lace shirt will get it's fair share of wear too--both over a crop top and over a regular tank top.

Sewing Notes- Skirt: The skirt is made from a light-medium weight stretch denim that I had in my stash from Fabric.com. It's a lovely weight for summer wear and easy to work with. The pattern I used is Butterick 5756. This pattern features deep pleats to give shape to the skirt. Honestly, they were a pain in the neck to make. I checked the finished measurements and cut a size to fit at my natural waist, but I guess I didn't account for some stretching that happened along the way, and I ended up having to take it in by about 1.5". Not fun with all of those pleats. Other special features include big, roomy pockets that I sewed up in heart fabric!

Sewing Notes- Top: The lace top is made from a blue-violet stretch lace that I picked up from a local store that sells mill ends. I modified my self-drafted kimono top to make it more form-fitting. Binding the edges of lace can get a bit fiddly, but other than that it was a quick make.

So far, I wore the outfit as-is out with friends, but I also wore it with a regular tank top underneath to a family function. It worked fabulously for both! Ladylike, but still sassy!

Panda Sweatshirt

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:21:00 +0000

It's official. I can't resist animal-print fabric. Slap a cute, cuddly animal on some fabric, and I NEEEED it! I have to have it! Of course, when I saw this panda sweatshirt fleece from Girl Charlee (no longer available), I was helpless. Had to buy it!

Sewing Notes- I once again started with my self-drafted long-sleeve shirt pattern. This time, I lengthened it significantly so that it would work as a long tunic over leggings. I also drafted up a kangaroo pocket--super easy to do, just look at a sweatshirt you already have and use your front pattern piece to mimic the shape of the pocket so it will fit your front pattern piece. This pocket is BIG because it extends all the way to the bottom of the sweatshirt. I did my best to match up the pandas on the pocket so it blends in. I also used plain gray ribbing fabric to make bands for the hem, sleeves, neckline, and pocket edges.

Sometimes, you just need a big, slouchy sweatshirt to cuddle up in, and on those days, pandas work.

Unicorns for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:52:00 +0000

Unicorns! Magical, majestic, wild stallion unicorns! Folks, I am in love with this top. I was absolutely elated when I found this unicorn fabric from Girl Charlee (sadly no longer available). It's a black thermal knit with the unicorns printed on in white. I love, it but I didn't want a shirt made entirely of unicorn fabric--that may be too much of a good thing. Luckily, I had a small piece of black glittery fabric that I'd purchased from the remnant bin at JoAnn. It was less than a yard, but just enough to squeeze out the front of this top. As a result, this shirt is a party in the front AND a party in the back!

Sewing Notes- I modified my basic T-shirt pattern to make this. This time, I made a high-low hem and kept the silhouette loose, but still slim. I also added a unicorn pocket on the front because UNICORNS!

This shirt is super-soft, and I want to wear it everyday. Wearing unicorns could be tricky and look a bit juvenile, but the fact that it's mostly black actually makes this work. Noted. Although I love bright crazy colors, neutrals actually allow you to wear something crazier and over-the-top without looking crazy.

I actually have a dress made from this fabric.

Case and point: a few years ago, I made a beautiful fully-lined work dress out of jungle-print fabric. I never wear this dress. I think about it, but it never makes it out of the house. Why? It's a rainbow of colors filled in with leopards, elephants, tigers, and more. In other words, it's too much. But a black top with tasteful unicorns? Just right, my friends! Just right.

Unicorns for Men

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 14:16:00 +0000

Sewing for men can be tough--am I right? There's not as much variety in what they wear, and the colors and patterns seem to have fewer options. Sometimes, I get a crazy idea of something to make for a guy, but then I realize my hubby probably won't wear it, so I don't do anything about it. But then something magical happened... my brother-in-law was at my house when this fabric arrived from Girl Charlee:

Yes, it is unicorn fabric--wild stallion unicorns. And he LIKED it! He casually said, "Trisha, you should make me something out of that." I simply filed his comment away--happy to learn that he has great taste in fabrics. Until I had an idea. What if I made my brother-in-law a tank top out of the unicorn fabric? Better yet, what if only the back was unicorn and the front was something else??? Even better, what if I added a unicorn pocket to the front?!?!? Thus, the unicorn men's tank was born:

Front

Back

My brother-in-law loves it, and even better, it looks good on him. Ladies, he's single, he's handsome, and he appreciates unicorns! What a catch!

Then, because I had some unicorn fabric left over, I decided to make a pair of men's unicorn shorts. These are NOT to be worn with the unicorn top. That would be too much!!! But I think they'll work well with a plain T-shirt or tank top. Or as weekend relaxing shorts. Check out the insides of these shorts. Yes, they're underlined with zebra fabric and have hot pink pockets!

Outside

Inside

What do you think? Would the men in your life ever wear a unicorn tank or shorts?

Navy Work Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:02:00 +0000

I have a dream to have a closet full of slim, classic sheath dresses in every color of the rainbow! Ideally, each dress would have a unique, special design element, but would still be simple enough to be worn in a variety of ways. This dress fits that bill exactly.

Sewing Notes- For this dress, I used Butterick 5780. I liked the interesting design details on the neck. The instructions were very confusing to read through, but it made sense when you were actually working with the fabric. Still, I wouldn't recommend this pattern to a beginner. I like how the top half of the dress turned out, but I'm not fond of the skirt. They had you use tucks which puff out a bit. I found out that I prefer darts that give a sleeker silhouette. Duly noted for next time.

For the fabric, I went with a navy double knit. I honestly don't remember where this fabric came from... probably fabric.com. It has a nice hand and drape. I believe that it's mostly rayon (I try to avoid polyester double knits).

Still, this dress is the perfect neutral background. I've worn this dress with black, emerald green, gold, orange, and fuchsia. Each time, I'm asked if it's a new dress. I think that speaks to it's versatility. Likely, I won't sew up this pattern again, but more simple work dresses are definitely to come!

Sacred Geometry T-shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 13:35:00 +0000

I've been looking a lot at sacred geometry lately. What do I mean by sacred geometry? I'm talking about things like the Flower of Life, the Golden Ratio, Metatron's Cube, Sri Yantra, and the like. I find the repetition and the symmetry of the designs to be equally calming and exhilarating. I decided to use sacred geometry as inspiration for this top.

Source

Here's some examples of sacred geometry. See what I mean? Looking at them is dizzying, yet peaceful. And you can get lost in the complex simplicity of each design.

Sewing Notes- Yes, I created the design on this shirt, but I also sewed the shirt up from scratch as well! It's a modified version of my basic, self-drafted T-shirt pattern made up in a tissue-thin white knit fabric from fabric.com. This fabric had been sitting in my stash for a while. I was worried about sewing with it since it is soooooo thin. But I don't know what I was worried about. It was only slightly more-fiddly-than-normal to work with, and since it is so thin, it is EXCEEDINGLY comfortable to wear. It feels like I'm wearing nothing!

To make the design, I first ironed a piece of parchment paper to the back of the front piece of the shirt in order to make it a little more substantial and easy to work with. Next, I marked the center front line of the shirt with pins, so I could keep everything as symmetrical as possible. Then, I took a ruler and a Sharpie and went for it! That's right, this design was made free-hand! And I love it! I love that it's not perfect, and I love that it's simple. To me, this is a perfect summer shirt that will be breezy to wear and reflects "me" at this moment in time.

Going with the Flow

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 14:40:00 +0000

Make your own word necklace here.

Going with the flow--it's not so easy for me. I am a planner and a thinker. I like to plan ahead and know what to expect. I have to-do lists and planning documents for all sorts of things. Heck, if we're going to watch a scary movie, I even read the plot ahead of time so I know what to expect and I'm not too scared! One of my best friends--who always has a great energy about her---used "flow" for her theme for 2013. I think she's on to something, so I'm copying her and making "flow" my theme for 2014, hoping this will add a new layer of positive energy in my life. (Like my necklace? Keep reading to learn where I got it.)

I was thinking about these things, when I watched the movie Happy. (Same director as I Am, also a great movie. Both are on Netflix.) In Happy, they talk about the concept of flow in a different way. They reference flow as the state of being completely in the moment when you lose yourself. This can be achieved differently for each person---sports, singing, cooking... or sewing! For me (and I'd imagine for most folks reading this blog), flow comes from sewing. And from drawing, painting, and dancing. Being in the state of flow is an act of meditation. It's taking time to slow down and appreciate life. Not only will flow make you feel good, but getting in the flow is actually good for your health and longevity. Yet further motivation to keep these activities in the forefront of life!

When I was contacted by Onecklace to do a review of a product, I was immediately drawn to their name necklaces. I wanted a necklace to remind me to stay in the moment, so I got "flow" printed on a necklace. It's lovely quality, made of sterling silver with a nice chain. You can pick the length of the chain and the style font you want. I chose the longest chain in the Harrie style. I'm quite pleased with it and imagine I'll be wearing it a lot this spring/summer. If you'd like a necklace of your own--and you can put any word or name you'd like--Onecklace is offering 10% off, and they're already quite affordable. Simply use code GIFT when you checkout!

p.s. These pictures show a sneak peek of a new shirt I made! Post to come soon!

p.p.s. I was offered this necklace courtesy of Onecklace, but the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Reversible Lace Top

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 13:52:00 +0000

This will be a quick post for a quick make. I had some leftover lace from my Mad Men Lace Wiggle Dress and my Lace Back Concert Dress, so I decided to use the leftovers to make a reversible lace top.

With this top, I made the front and back the same so you can wear either side forward. Since it's black, I know this top will get a lot of wear. It will be a great separate to wear with pencil skirts for work, jeans on the weekends, and even under a dress to get a bit of lace peeking out at the sleeves.

In these pictures, I'm wearing a nude colored tank underneath, but it would completely change the look to wear a black tank underneath or even a different color.

Sewing Notes- I once again used my basic, self-drafted tee pattern. Since the lace is so open, I sewed all seams with strips of black knit fabric for support. I also used picot-edge elastic for the neckline and sleeve hems. The elastic is a great way to finish the edges with minimal bulk, and it works great with the open lace!

Homage to Kate Middleton's Engagement Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Trisha E) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 13:52:00 +0000

Source- Made by Trisha/ Wire Image

I loved Kate Middleton's blue Issa engagement dress, and I know I'm not alone here! When Kate was photographed in this dress, the company had trouble keeping up with demand--everyone loved her dress! This dress is my homage to Kate. I bought this lovely, purple, silky jersey on a trip to the LA Fabric District from a random little shop. It was a steal at $8 a yard, and I immediately had a Kate Middleton knock-off in mind. Several patterns were contenders, but I finally went with Butterick 5783. It seemed like the easiest option to get a very similar look. This dress is like an infinity dress--it features long ties that can be wrapped around the dress in many ways to give a different look to the dress.

Sewing Notes- Whoops! I completed this dress back in September, but didn't take pictures until now! I remember it coming together rather quickly. The only hiccup was that I had far less fabric than the pattern called for. To make it work, I made the long ties taper like very long, skinny triangles (instead of rectangles). I think it worked out well--the long ties are thinner now so they don't make as much bulk around the waist.

The fabric of this dress is silky and swingy. It's quite nice to wear, and it certainly makes me feel like a Duchess!