Wardrobe By Me Wanda Wrap dress - new pattern release

This dress ticks all of the boxes for a great dress - it's flattering for all shapes and sizes, it has pretty details, it looks a lot more complicated than it actually is to make and it will work for all seasons with varying sleeve lengths. What more could you want from a pattern?!

For my Wanda Wrap dress I chose the elbow length sleeves and a nice drapey black knit (a Rayon/lycra blend) - normally I like to buy fabrics with a print, but the details of this dress are so pretty I thought I would let the pattern speak for itself and make a perfect LBD.

Having been sewing for many (many, many!!) years I can usually predict how a pattern will come together and roughly what the pattern pieces will be like - but this dress is something different and I think Christina of Wardrobe by Me is a genius for designing it!!

Honestly - it's so clever! All the testers remarked on the design as we were sewing up our test dresses, and pretty much everyone got a perfect fit first time.

Only the top part of the dress wraps around (you can tie it as you please - front/back/side) and the skirt has 6 gores, which makes it lovely and flowy, as you can see in my slightly windswept shots above!! Luckily no embarrassing moments, as there is no split in the skirt!!!!

I can't wait to make more versions of this dress, I'd love to do short sleeved one in a floral print for the summer months (although those seem a long way away in the bitter British cold we have here at the moment!) - until then, I think I will be wearing my LBD Wanda for my Christmas do next week.

To get your copy of the dress Click Here and for the Curvy version Click Here.

It's on sale ($9 instead of $12) until the 8th Dec - so get in there quickly!

If you'd like to see more of Wardrobe by Me and get pattern support, join the Facebook Group where you will find tonnes of inspiration :)

Sew What Do I Wear? Professional Edition - M4M and P4P

I am very excited about this edition of Sew What Do I Wear, because working in an office I am always after new work appropriate outfits!

I've been in a bit of a work wear rut lately - sometimes I just end up rotating the same few outfits, so I jumped at the chance to sew up a few fresh items to add to my wardrobe!

First up I made a Brunch Blouse - I went with the short sleeve dress option and used a nice floaty rayon.

I love how quickly this dress comes together - there's no setting in of sleeves to do thanks to the nice neat little dolman sleeves, so it has just three seams!

I love the shaping the back seam gives the dress, it just nips it in around the waist. I like to style mine with a waist belt and layer a cardi over on chillier days. (This cardigan is shop bought, but a Grandpa cardi or Cocoon Cardigan would work perfectly)

Next up, I made a Mama Quinn shirt and I used two front pieces to give it a V back. I used chiffon, which is a bit slippy to work with, but I think it's worth the outcome! Just use lots of pins and take it slow!

To go with my top I made a Pirate pencil skirt using some wine coloured scuba knit. This skirt is another really quick easy sew and the best part - it's free! It's comfy and easy to wear, but still smart enough for the office. I will more than likely pop a blazer on with this outfit as it's getting colder here in the UK!

I am in love with my final outfit, I used the Timeless Tunic pattern and made it in this fantastic Liberty cotton lawn. I think this pattern and fabric were made for each other!

I went with the short sleeve dress options for my version - but there are tonnes of other options included with this pattern to get lots of different looks.

Again I like to accessorise with a waist belt (although it's not needed as the waist is elasticated - it's just for looks!)

I chose to layer it with a Gandpa Cardi which I made in a navy rayon spandex. I added pockets - because we all love a pocket! And used the banded sleeve and bottom hem options.

This outfit is just so easy to wear, and it works just as well layered over leggings at the weekend. I will definitely get tonnes of wear out of it!

Make sure you check out the rest of the beautiful ladies on this tour:

Designer Stitch Kristen Dress pattern release and sale

I love testing patterns for Designer Stitch - because I know the pattern sizing will already be spot on, so my job as a tester is really really easy!!! 

As per the norm, the fit of this dress was perfect - I did grade mine based on the finished garment measurements given in the pattern (Size 4 D cup Bust and Size 5 waist and hips) and then I required no other adjustments.

The pattern talks you through measuring yourself for size and cup size, so it really is very straight forward getting a great fit with minimal effort.

I do love a pattern with the addition of cup sizes - it generally means you get a more accurate fit and don't have to worry about Full Bust Adjustments :)

This dress is best made in a flowy fabric - mine is rayon and it drapes beautifully and is very flattering. Options in this pattern are the neck and front ruffles, and you can either pick sleeveless with or without ruffles, or there are two sleeve lengths and the option of a tie belt.

I went with the shorter sleeve, and front and neck ruffle.

The bodice has princess seams and there is an invisible zip at the back. The skirt has deep inverted pleats, which give a beautiful swish!

Sizes included are 6-26 (UK) and B-DD cups - in the testing group ladies of all different shapes and sizes all looked fantastic in their dresses, so this is definitely a suit all pattern!!

The pattern is currently on sale and available HERE (USD 8.95 instead of USD 14.00)

I would definitely recommend snapping this one up! Check out all the images on the pattern listing to see how gorgeous everyone looks in this dress <3 :)

George & Ginger and Sincerely Rylee Dress

This Ah-maze-ing FREE dress is the result of a collaboration between George & Ginger and Sincerely Rylee - read on to find out all the options of the pattern and how to get it for FREE.

Oh, and did I mention........... it's FREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

There are two neckline variations - I made the V-neck and the alternative is the straight across neckline. There are three length variations - top, dress and maxi - mine, as you can see is the maxi version!

The maxi is quite fabric hungry (I used pretty much every scrap of my 3 meter cut) - but it is so full and gorgeous, it is so worth it!!

The straps cross over at the back and tie through loops - which is great as you can easily adjust where you want your dress to sit, and it has a pretty boho look.

Even though the pattern is free, a lot of work went into the testing of this dress to get the fit just right, and Kristi of G&G has written a lovely clear set of instructions with plenty of pictures to follow.

To get the pattern for free go to the George & Ginger and Sincerely Rylee Facebook groups to find the two codes.

Then to get the pattern go HERE.

Sew What Do I Wear? Vacation Edition - M4M and P4P

Hooray! Another blog tour hosted by the lovely ladies at M4M and P4P - this time we're all sewing up great outfits for a vacation - and for a change, the sun is actually out in the UK!

For my vacation pieces I wanted some staple items and tops that are good for layering - perfect for the changeable British weather!

For my first item I used some really light drapey knit to make a M4M Mama Claire - this top is so cool, as you can wear it either way round - with the cross over bit on the front or the back which makes it really versatile. I used the long waistband so I can ruche it up to wear with jeans or shorts, or pull it down longer so I can wear it with leggings!

Next I used some grey jegging knit for my P4P SOS knit pants which I hacked to short length - I love this colour because it will go with pretty much any colour top! And the best bit - they look like a pair of denim shorts thanks to the pockets and faux fly, but they are so much more comfortable!!

Last up I made myself a P4P Summer Kimono out of a mystery fabric - It's stretchy like knit, but sheer and looks more like a chiffon! This is such a great layering piece - I can throw it on over a strappy top and jeans on a cooler day, or use it as a cover up for my swimsuit at the beach.

I just hope the sun stays out for my summer holiday so I can get lots of wear out of these pieces!

Make sure you check out the rest of the beautiful ladies on the tour throughout this week to see what ideas they came up with - some have made full capsule wardrobes!

Link: http://www.madeformermaids.com/sew-wear-vacation-edition-day-1/