Dressy

April 13, 2015

FUCHSIA FIESTA

This looks incorporates so many of my favorite Spring trends. Bright vibrant colors including fuchsia and pops of citron, tassels, a chartreuse bag…I love it all. I also love that this non maternity shift dress still works with my bump. Bless the shift dress.

CHARTREUSE EASTER DRESS // PUFFED SLEEVE SHIFT DRESS TUTORIAL

Easter is always the perfect time to make a dress. I made mine in time to wear it last Sunday since I will be home on Easter with my family watching General Conference. I love the design process of selecting the color and style. And all the bright feminine colors and fabrics this time of year just make me want to sew.

I bought this fabric knowing it would make the perfect lightweight shift dress. I loved it so much and it was so inexpensive, that I picked up some extra and made this top out of it. The sleeves and tulip hem are my favorite parts of the dress. I feel like they set the dress apart from the other shift dresses I’ve made. And the best news is I will have no problem wearing it throughout my whole pregnancy and after the baby is born! The pop of cobalt against the chartreuse was the perfect contrast. I actually went to Nordstrom planning on getting this same pump in the chartreuse, but they were out of my size. I felt a little like I was settling for the blue, but I ended up loving it more than what I was originally planning on! (and FYI, these heels are crazy comfortable)

I’ve linked to everything I am wearing below along with a few similar dresses below if you aren’t a sewer. (the tutorial click through is below)

Click below for the tutorial…

Materials:

2 yards of thin chiffon/lightweight fabric (I used this fabric)
Matching thread
Pattern paper
Loose woven top for pattern

Step 1:
Using your loose fitting woven top as a guide, cut out your pattern pieces (DRESS FRONT, DRESS BACK, 2 SLEEVES, NECKLINES 2 CUFFS). Extend the shirt down to your desired length for the dress. Three inches before you get to your desired length, start to curve in slightly as you draw down to create the curved hemline. I made my back hemline three inches longer than the front hem. Trace the pattern for your sleeve hole and make come to right below your bicep. Add and extra inch of width to the width of the sleeve because we will be gathering this in to create the puff. I measured around my arm where the cuffs would hit, and added about 1 1/2″ for room to pull it on as well as seam allowance. Make sure to allow for seam allowances when you cut. Mine are all 1/4″ since all of my edges are serged.Step 2:
Mark the darts on your DRESS FRONT. To do this, measure 5″ down from the armpit, mark, then 3″ down from there and mark. In the middle of those two points, measure 4″ toward the center and make a mark. Match up your side marks pin, and start stitching along the edge toward your center mark to create a triange. Don’t backstich when you get to the triangel point, just go all the way off of your fabric. Tie your loose strings to secure (backstitching will create a pucker at the center of the dart and won’t lay flat). Repeat this with the other side. Press your extra dart fabric down.

Step 3:
Take your DRESS FRONT and DRESS BACK and place them R.S. together. Pin along the top of the shoulders and stitch with 1/4″ seam allowance. Finish your seam allowances with a serger or zigzag stitch.

Step 4:
Open your dress and lay if flat, R.S. facing up. Lay one of your SLEEVES on top of the dress R.S. together, with the middle of the sleeve curve matching up with the middle of the stitched seam in your dress (see illustration). Pin together at this point, then continue down one side of the curved sleeve pinning to the sleeve opening, and repeat along the other side of the sleeve curve. Stitch together with 1/4″ seam allowance. Finish your seam allowances with a serger or zigzag stitch. Repeat this with your other sleeve.

Step 5:
Flip your dress inside out and with R.S. together, stitch from the end of the sleeve up the sleeve and down the side seam of the dress with 1/4″ seam allowance. Do this to both sides and finish off your seam allowances.

Then use a basting stitch and baste around the very edge of each sleeve. Make sure to leave long loose strings when you start and stop the stitch, and don’t backstitch. Pull one of the loose strings and start to gently bunch up the edges of your sleeves about an inch or so. Evenly distribute the gathers around the sleeve’s edge.

Step 6:
Take your CUFF and fold them R.S. together lengthwise and stitch up to create a circle. Fold in half all around with R.S. facing out and press. Take one of your cuffs and slide it over the edge of your sleeve with the salvage edges pointing down, matching up with the salvage edges of your sleeve. Stitch around the sleeve with 1/4″ seam allowance, finish off the seam allowance, and press the cuff down flat. Repeat this with your second prepped cuff.

Step 7:
Stitch your NECKLINE pieces (front and back) R.S. together along each edge to create a big loop for your neckline. Serge along the outer edge of your neckline to finish off this edge. Lay your neckline over your neck hole opening in your dress with the R.S. of your dress facing out and the W.S. of your neckline facing out. Match up your side seams and pin the neckline all around the neck hole. Stitch together around the neck with 1/4″ seam allowance. Finish off seam allowances. Fold neckline under and press flat. If you would like, you can topstitch all around the neckline very close to the top to secure your neckline in place.

Step 8:
Serge or zig zag stitch along your bottom hem, press up 1/4″ – 1/2″ and stitch. Press flat once completed.

CHARTREUSE OVERSIZED DOLMAN TOP: TUTORIAL

I’m declaring citron/chartreuse to be one of my favorite colors for spring. It is bright and fresh, and looks good with so many skin tones. I keep seeing the color pop up everywhere and I am instantly drawn to it. Here are a few of my favorite chartreuse pieces I’ve seen around. I can’t get enough of it!

With this pregnancy I have been so in love with loose fitting, dolman sleeved tops. They are easy to wear and I love the look of them over a baby bump. Some of the tops I have tried on were too short, so I created my own pattern so that I could make the top as long as I want. I need to add the extra length for this growing bump! Check out my full tutorial for this top after the jump below. It is really simple, I promise! No sleeves to put in, just a front, back, and neckline to cut. I recommend making a pattern for it first because you will want to make a handful of these!

Shop my look here:

Follow the link below for the full tutorial…

Materials:

1 1/2 yards of thin woven fabric with a good drape, like chiffon, silk, or a rayon blend.
Matching thread
T-shirt that is fairly fitted
Pattern paper (optional)

Step 1:

Using your fitted tee as a pattern, fold the tee in half length-wise and lay it on top of your folded fabric matching up the folds. Trace around your neckline, adding 1/2″ for seam allowance. Then from the top edge of your neck, just measure straight out, about 13″ (this was my measurement, you can shorten or lengthen however you’d like). From there draw a line straight down, making it about 2″ longer than the length of your original tee sleeve (my sleeve measured 9″ long). From there make a slight curve toward the armpit, then draw straight down. Draw this line about 4″ away from your original tee. The idea is to make the tee loose and flowy. So don’t stress about getting the measurements, just use your tee as a good way to eyeball your outline. Make your pattern as long as you’d like. Mine measured 27 1/2″ from the top of the sleeve to the bottom of the hem.

Repeat this step with the backside of your tee, making sure not to make your neckline quite as scooped.

With your pattern as a guide, also cut out two neckline pieces about 2″ wide (one for the front, one for the back)

Step 2:

Now you should have a front piece, a back piece, and front and back neckline pieces.

Step 3:

With right sides together, lay your front and back pieces on top of each other, pin, and stitch along the top of the sleeves and down the sides. (I serged my edges, so feel free to do this!)

Step 4:

Finish the edges of your sleeves with a serge or zig zag stitch, and fold them under 1/2″, pin, and stitch around the arm holes.

Step 5:

With right sides of your neckline pieces together, stitch up the two short sides so that you have a loop for the neckline. Finish off the outside ring of the neckline with a serger or zig zag stitch.

Step 6:

Pin your neckline all around the neck of your shirt on the right side. Stitch all the way around the circle with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Finish off your raw edges with a serger or zig zag stitch, fold your neckline under and press. Now topstitch around your neckline 1/4″ all around to secure your neckline in place.

Step 7:

Finish off the bottom edges of your shirt, and fold under 1/2″, press, and stitch all around for your hem.

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