Sew Wrong

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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Tie ‘m in a Knot, Tie ’em in a Bow

Now here’s an area I’m a little wary of for fall: the big bow.


Do they look feminine and flirty? Or saccharine and silly? I guess it really depends on the size of the bow and well as the color and presentation of the garment.

I might give the woman’s answer to the man’s tie a shot with Butterick 4985.

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Getting Biggy With It

If the fall runway shows were any indication, big oversized sweaters will be a dominate trend when the weather turns cool.


It’s almost as if the woolen sweater has replaced the wool coat. The lengths are reminiscent of such, and the drape of the knits seems that they would be warm and comfortable to wear.

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Random Bits

While I’m awaiting my fabric delivery from Gorgeous Fabrics, I’ll share some little tidbits from the fashion world today:

Lela Rose Resort 09


Love, love, love this dress! Very cute and feminine, but a little sporty at the same time. You might be able to meld the top of Simplicity 2925 or Butterick 5179 to the skirt of an A-line dress to get the same effect, and then piece in large bands of fabric for the cranberry and black sections. I’d use ribbon for the skinnier black sections and the waistband. And pockets! How adorable.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, British chain Topshop will be heading across the Atlantic in October to open their first US store in NYC at 478 Broadway. The store is supposed to look and feel identical to the original British store, no Americanizing. It’s a very similar fast-fashion concept as H&M in that there is a constant turnover of styles, but the pricing scheme is higher. Prices will not be adjusted for the American audience, which is used to getting items marked down or on sale. I’m really curious about the quality of the garments that are going for the prices they are on their website. The fact that the turnaround time on putting new fashions in stores is so limited makes me wonder if the quality is a notch higher than H&M or the same, just more pricey. I’ve gotten some great bargins from H&M, but most don’t last more than a season or two.

You can read more of the article here.

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Monique Lhuillier Resort Collection

Photos courtesy of wwd.com

I am in love with the new resort 09 collection from Monique Lhuillier. The gowns are just gorgeous and ladylike, with an almost understated elegance. The top three above are my favorites, but you can check out the rest of the collection here.

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