Sew Wrong

MMM 12 – May 19

MMM 12 - May 19

Me-Made Item: Jumpsuit, McCall’s 6083
Link to Original Review: May 31, 2011

Belt: J Crew
Shoes: Target
Lipstick: MAC Lovelorn

I just bought a new tripod and I forgot how difficult it is to frame a picture correctly!  I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it, it helps when my boyfriend aka “photographer” isn’t around to snap a quick pic.

MMM 12 - May 19

Wearability Report:

Honestly, this isn’t a garment I get a lot of wear out of.  I tend to wear it when I’m home kicking around the apartment in the summertime since it’s a comfy, unstructured top-to-bottom outfit solution.  I’m not 100% thrilled with the fit either, probably another reason why I don’t reach for it very often – I had to do some adjustments to the torso length and now I think I made it too long.  I’m also not a fan of how the back looks since it doesn’t help me out at all, if you catch my drift.  However, I’m really liking the look with my pink and white leopard print belt, it pulls it together a lot nicer than the black fabric belt I made to go with it.  The pant length drives me a little bit nuts as well…maybe I’ll hem them shorter so it’s not as awkward of a length.

Jumpsuits…I don’t see a lot of them around, probably due to the fact that they can be hard to pull-off and wear in public.  At least they’re comfy to wear around the house!

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McCall’s Fashion Star Patterns!

Have you watched Fashion Star?  I love the real-world aspect of it: designing clothes that could be sold in retail stores and bought by the masses.  A lot of the designs that have been purchased by Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and H&M are cute and fashionable, but as a sewist, I can’t justify the price tag on some of those items because the designs are simple.  Well, now us sew-at-home fashionistas can make our own Fashion Star looks!

McCall’s just launched their Fashion Star pattern line, which mimics the winning designs on the show.  The construction is simple, which is great for a budding seamstress who wants to sew her own on-trend looks.  I can’t wait to see what other patterns are released as the show continues.  I think I want to make them all so far!

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DIY Spring 2012 Fashion Trends – Color Blocking

color blocking

From left to right: Nanette Lepore, Milly, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Carolina Herrera

In case you haven’t noticed, color blocking is everywhere!  I thought that this was a trend that had gone away, but apparently I was wrong when I cracked open my spring fashion magazines (or when I said to one of my coworkers that “color blocking was so last season” and she pointed to the new pairs of color blocked shoes that we got in the store.  Oi.)  This trend was surprisingly easy to find patterns for from every major pattern company.  McCall’s new spring line even included a few patterns that allowed for color blocking variations.

So how do you wear this loud, bold trend and not look like Rainbow Brite?  Keep the maximum number of colors to three.  Based on the runway pictures above, it seems the easiest color combinations are with a white or black added in to the mix.  Or, keep the colors in the family – try mixing different shades of blues together to get a monochromatic but still color blocked look.  Depending on the pattern shapes, this can also be a figure flattering trend utilizing the technique of “trompe l’oeil” – some of the dresses and skirts below have a slenderizing look to them.  Below is a compilation of patterns that you can use at home to try out one of the easiest spring fashion trends.

Dresses:

Skirts:
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Finished: McCall’s 6078 Tank


Spotted Cowl Tank

Spotted Cowl Tank


Pattern: McCall’s 6078 (View B)

Size: Small
Fabric: Rayon interlock from Hancock’s (bought over a year ago)

I whipped this top up for the Sew, Mama, Sew Make It Wear It Challenge at the very last minute, and what better to make than something I can wear to work! I’ve had this fabric in my stash for over a year, and found an easy tank pattern that’s similar to the Calvin Klein tops I’ve been wearing for work. I bet I’d probably save money making up that pattern in all sorts of different fabrics than buying the tanks each time they come out in a new color!
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McCall’s Fall Preview

Well, it’s like night and day between the fashions showcased at Simplicity and McCall. McCall is like a breath of fresh air to Simplicity’s dowdy fashion flashback collection. The clothes from McCall are stylish as well as easy, which is something Simplicity missed this season.


It’s not overly fitted, but it’s still sleek and stylish at the same time. You can never go wrong with a classic sheath dress, which is pretty popular right now and will continue on into fall, it seems. 2844 could have learned a lesson from this pattern.


Now this is how a work wardrobe is done. Chic, classic lines, and polished. Nothing like the frump-fest over at 2866.


If the runways are any indication, bows will be big big big for fall (see my previous post on the subject here). Depending on whether or not to cinch the waist, these tops could be dressed up for the office or down for brunch. A little youthful looking, but on trend. I might give view C a shot.

Make sure to check out the new jacket/coat patterns that they added to their collection. Now I’m not sure if I’m going to do a different coat or not for the Great Coat Sew-Along! Which reminds me, I better get going on that…

View all the new items at McCall here.

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