britex, britex guest blogger, diane von furstenburg, DVF, rayon, vintage pattern, wrap dress

Reversible wrap dress in stretch rayon

The temps have dipped a teeny bit and school starts on Monday; for the moment the Bay Area feels like Fall!  This amazing sea green and black fabric, a medium-weight stretch rayon, felt like a gorgeous choice for a new cooler-weather dress. Since the style is always flattering and effortless, I chose a vintage Diane… Continue reading Reversible wrap dress in stretch rayon

britex, britex guest blogger, cotton, eyelet, handmade wardrobe, paris, sewing, sewing education

Graduation dress in summery eyelet

After three and a half years of very part-time classes at West Valley College, I finally graduated a week ago with my A.S. in Apparel Production!  Since I made a new dress for my very first day of class at WVC, it was only fitting that I drape, draft, and sew the dress in which… Continue reading Graduation dress in summery eyelet

blouse, britex, britex guest blogger, lace, sewing knits, stretch lace, tops

Stretch lace tee tutorial

Did you ever consider that stretch lace could be used to sew up a simple tee shirt?  It just takes the right pattern and a few small sewing modifications!   Here, I've used this lovely stretch lace in "Naughty Navy".When choosing a pattern for a stretch lace tee, here are a few guidelines:Keep the number… Continue reading Stretch lace tee tutorial

accessories, britex, britex guest blogger, handmade wardrobe, knit, scarf, sewing knits, tutorials

Tutorial: Super-easy two-tone infinity scarf

Who says you can't wear linen in the winter?  Using some amazing linen knit fabric from Britex, I sewed up a beautiful and warm color-blocked infinity scarf, perfect for the colder months.  For my version, I chose two different colors--turquoise and navy--but this tutorial would work equally well if you wanted to go with a… Continue reading Tutorial: Super-easy two-tone infinity scarf

britex, britex guest blogger, handmade wardrobe, lace, lace insertion, sewing, tutorials

Tutorial: Insertion lace along the hem band

Okay, now for how I sewed insertion lace around the bottom (check out my previous Tutorial, for how to sew lace on a curved seam, such as those princess seams above).  The hem band of the Hayden top is a folded, bias cut piece.  To insert the lace within that seam, I first sewed the… Continue reading Tutorial: Insertion lace along the hem band

britex, britex guest blogger, handmade wardrobe, lace, lace insertion, sewing, tutorials

Tutorial: Insertion lace on a curved seam

If you're arriving here from Britex, welcome!I'm so excited to share my method for inserting lace into a curved seam (such as a princess seam)!  I used this dusty peach handkerchief-weight linen and floral ivory insertion lace, though there are many, many options for both linens and laces both online and in-store!After seeing one of… Continue reading Tutorial: Insertion lace on a curved seam

britex, britex guest blogger, decades of style, dress, fabric, haleiwa, handmade wardrobe, hawaii, linen, siren sundress, sundress, wrap dress

Vintage-inspired linen sundress

If you're arriving here from Britex, welcome! A couple of weeks ago, my family took a trip to Hawaii, which nicely coincided (with a slight extension of deadlines--thank you, Joie 🙂 with my latest Britex project.  A lovely linen sundress was the obvious choice; after all, doesn't everyone sew new garments before going on vacation?!The… Continue reading Vintage-inspired linen sundress

britex, britex guest blogger, handmade wardrobe, handsewing, resewlution 2015, sewing, silk, skirt

Fancy holiday skirt in silk taffeta

If you're coming from Britex, welcome! With the holidays coming up, surely there are a few parties to attend, right?  The iridescent magenta-black color of this stunning silk taffeta is so joyous and opulent that I knew it had to be a sassy, swingy skirt for an evening fête! When the fabric arrived, I was… Continue reading Fancy holiday skirt in silk taffeta

bag, britex, britex guest blogger, indie patterns, mrs. h, sewing, silk

Companion Carpet Bag in silk brocade

I can hardly believe I made this bag--I'm just so in love with it!  As my most recent Britex project, I've been thinking about this bag for a while--I picked out the fabric and pattern months ago, and sat down just this week to sew it.  It turned out exactly like I imagined! First off,… Continue reading Companion Carpet Bag in silk brocade

blouse, britex, britex guest blogger, buttons, decades of style, handmade wardrobe, indie patterns, rayon seam binding, silk

Collar Confection blouse in dotted silk

For my last-of-the-year Britex blogger project, I chose the pattern first: the unusual and lovely design from Decades of Style, the Collar Confection blouse.  The blouse design is interesting and a bit more challenging than a basic top, but still very doable!  The blouse style dictates a fabric with drape, but it also must be… Continue reading Collar Confection blouse in dotted silk