I've done it. I've survived another Wyoming January. The worst of the worst weather should be behind us, and now I can start looking forward to spring. But don't get me wrong here, I've still got months of winter left (easily until at least April). That won't stop me from dreaming and sewing for the future.

So what things are most important to me right now?

#1- Dresses. This past January has reminded me how much I love not just wearing, but sewing dresses. I'm not sure how I got stuck in the rut I was in, but bring on the dresses. My go to patterns for this coming spring:
Sisboom Angie, Carolina Mae and Jamie. I've got these muslined and ready to make me feel like a princess. I also have a mountain of fabrics that are just waiting to be one of these 3 woven dresses.


Next up of course will be my knit dresses. I definitely got a head start on these when I muslined the dresses for my "Sheath Dress Battle" post. Lucky for me, each of those patterns have other options that will make filling my spring wardrobe with dresses perfect.


And while I love a good sheath dress, I am SO in love with the off the shoulder trend, so don't forget Made For Mermaids Mama Cassie. And for variety, add in some Mama Joy too! Combine those 2 and I could honestly fill my whole wardrobe without repeats. But I won't, because variety is the spice of life.



#2- Layers. Even if spring starts in April, our evenings are always cool, even in summer. So I definitely need a few more layers. On my list:
Patterns for Pirates Cocoon Cardigan With 2 bodice lengths, this is the perfect layer for over my dresses. Plus, I already have a ton of other layers all finished from last fall and this past winter.


Honestly, that's it. It seems almost too simple, but here's the truth. I've spent the ENTIRE month of January sewing for myself except for exactly 2 items, which were gifts for my nieces. I still have to work on my eldest's spring wardrobe too! It felt so good to make so many amazing things for me, but it is time to share my gift with others too.

Don't forget to check out what the last few stops on the tour are doing!

The #watchawearinjanuary blog tour is nearly over. :( But there's a few more bits of information I want to share before we head into February (and another inspirational blog tour).

When reflecting back on the last month, I've made some very important observations. Mostly they end ups sounding a bit like the "If you give a mouse a cookie" series...

You can get your own copy from amazon here

#1- I have enough leggings. I love making leggings. They're fast, so therefore super enjoyable to make. But that makes it easy to have too many. I know "too many" sounds like I'm bad talking them, but when you can't fit them in their storage space there may be too many. And does anyone really need 10 pairs of black leggings? Nope, not even me. So, unless they're in a length OTHER than full, no more leggings for me.

#2- Speaking of leggings, fabric matters so much when we're talking about weather! For the coldest of cold days, cotton/lycra leggings just aren't enough. My heart now lies with double and single brushed poly. Fuzzy warmness that makes the cold a little more bearable.

#3- And making the cold bearable requires layers. With the right layers, you can take a summer dress and wear it in the winter!

#4- But dresses with sleeves are definitely worth the investment. Because 2 layers on your arms is better than 1!

#5- And if you're trying to make dresses work in the winter, don't forget your leggings. ;) Because tights just aren't warm enough.

You see what I did there? Mighty clever if I do say so myself.

Don't forget to check out what the last few stops on the tour are doing!

Have you ever been completely debilitated by indecision? I'm about to make your life harder. LOL. #sorrynotsorry

You see today, I'm going to be doing a head to head of three sheath dress patterns. Without giving it all away, I can tell you, there's no clear winner. Sorry. BUT, I can break down the features so you can decide which will work best for your specific need. Let's get to our head to head.

For reference of our Head to Head, my measurements are: 35" over bust. 39" Full bust. 31" waist. 39" hip.

Love notions Tessa Sheath Dress
Drafted for Sizes: XS-XXXL
1 Skirt option
5 sleeve options (Sleeveless, short, elbow, 3/4, long)
2 necklines (boat or scoop)
Back seam
Optional Yoke (can be used for wovens)
Fabric: Medium Weight Stable Fabric with 20% stretch

I made the size medium, blended to a size small hip. I did a 2" FBA and rotated the bust dart out of the side seam. I shortened 1/2" above the bust, 1" at the waist. 1" at the shorten/lengthen line and 2" at the hem.

I used a firm french terry for my yoke and a light weight cotton lycra for the bodice. This is NOT one of the recommended fabrics as it is not very stable and is mostly drapey.

I liked that this pattern skims the waist and then comes back in at the hips.

Hey June Handmade Charleston
Drafted for sizes: XS-3XL
2 skirt options (sheath and a-line)
7 sleeve options (Sleeveless, ruffle sleeves, square sleeves, short sleeves, elbow sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, or long sleeves)
1 neckline
Optional back zipper
Fabric: Stable Knits with 30% stretch

I made size Large, blended to a size Medium at the hip. Pattern said I may not need a full bust adjustment. I made zero adjustments to the length of the pattern. I did NOT do an FBA.

This pattern has a TON of pattern pieces and therefore a TON of pages to assemble. There are separate bodices for a sleeveless versus sleeved pattern. The princess seams take a lot more time to sew up than a t-shirt style pattern.

This pattern is quite fitted from bust to hips. 

 George & Ginger Drama Dress
Drafted for sizes: XXS-2XL
2 skirt options (sheath and flare)
4 sleeve lengths (sleeveless, short, 3/4, long) with either hem OR band
4 necklines (basic, keyhole, collar or tie)
Fabric: Lightweight Knit with at least 50% stretch

I made size Medium (10) and did a 1" FBA. I knew I would be using fabrics that had at least 75% stretch, so I knew I wouldn't need as much "extra" width. Pattern includes a shorter skirt cut line.  For the purposes of this comparison, I will ONLY be talking about the sheath pattern.

For this pattern I did NOT remove length from the overbust. The armscye was already quite small and it looked as if the bust point would be close to where I needed it to be. I was correct. I did however, stupidly remove length from the hem. Never do that. LOL.

This pattern sews up super fast (no more time than a t-shirt) and the fit was pretty good without me having to make any changes. I like how loose it is in the waist and how it then skims over my hips.

Have you been fully inspired this week? Don't forget to check out my fellow bloggers and link up your #watchwearinjanuary to the linky party for a chance to win!
Sunday, January 22nd: Sewing By Ti , Embrace Everyday
Monday, January 23rd: Sewing By Ti, Tenille's Thread
Tuesday, January 24th: Robynne & the Bobbin, Harper + Lu
Wednesday, January 25th: Mahlica Designs
Thursday, January 26th: Sew Sophie Lynn, Creative Counselor, Crafty Like a Rox
Friday, January 27th: Everything Your Mama Made and More
Saturday January 28th: Sewingly Michelle, Sewing By Ti, Wild and Wanderful

Whoo hoo! I finally stopped getting sucked in by new patterns to sew up something from my stash.

If you don't already know, I'm participating in the SSW:Deep Stash Challenge. You can read all about the challenge in the facebook group.

On to the review!

The Love Notions Tessa is a sheath style dress. It offers several sleeve options and a yoke. There are several special features that make it worth the purchase.
#1- It offers the option of a woven yoke. If you've been hoarding pieces of fabric, this yoke is a great place to use it.
#2- You can mash it with the skirts from the Sybil Illusion Skirt Collection
#3- The Bust, waist and hip lines are all marked. That means you can be absolutely sure that when you're blending sizes, they're going to hit at just the right spot!

I actually sewed up 2 version of this dress yesterday. Version #1 was my muslin in a black cotton/lycra. I have not shared that here. I quickly learned that I don't like the method of seam binding in this dress. There isn't anything "wrong" with this method of seam binding, at all. I just feel like there are faster options if you want to make this a quick sew. HOWEVER, if you're doing a lace yoke, you'll have to do the binding.

My adjustments for this pattern were to remove 1/2" from the upper bust, 1" at the waist, 1" at the "Shorten/lengthen line" (on the skirt) and remove another 2" at the hem. Having all the body markings on the pattern made it easy to be sure each part matched up.

My other adjustment was to add a 2" FBA at the bust line. While the measurement chart says I needed the full 2", my dresses say that I could probably opt for just a 1" adjustment. This may be on account of the cotton/lycra I used. I suspect if I used something more stable (like interlock, a firm french terry or Ponte) I would need the full 2".

As I said above, I used cotton/lycra for the dress pictured here. It is actually a little lighter weight cotton lycra with some nice drape. I was worried it would be too soft for the pattern. It was a bit harder to sew up to the yoke but overall it worked out well. My muslin was a firmer weight cotton lycra and didn't accentuate quite so many lumps and bumps. Unless you're really comfortable with your shape, you may want to stick with a more stable fabric.

My yoke is a piece of scrap fabric I found at the bottom of my bin. It is a French Terry from Purple Seamstress that I got last year some time. The yoke hardly takes any fabric at all. I mentioned above that I didn't like the binding method of this dress. I feel like it takes too long (especially for something like cotton lycra). I opted to line the yoke instead which took care of the neckline. Alternative options would also be just turning the neckline under and topstitching, or doing a facing. Facings aren't common in knit garments but for a nice finished look, they're faster (IMO) than a binding. A facing would be a great way to finish the armscye if you did this as a sleeveless dress.

I will admit that I worry that the yoke makes me look more squared in the shoulder. I do have wide shoulders after all. I may try making the yoke longer (I had to shorten it as part of shortening my over bust length) but it may just be a not too flattering look for my body type.

However, overall, I like this style of sheath dress. I'm cautiously optimistic that lace in the yoke will help minimize the wide shoulder look and I look forward to playing with a few different yoke options to make some really fun dresses. This is a super versatile dress that is perfect for any season. Plus, changing up the fabrics can take it from French Terry casual to Ponte date night!

After my great success with the Mama Claire, as soon as the Mama Cassie released, I knew I needed it in my life. All the testers photos looked so cute and I've been looking for a "cold shoulder" pattern that I could justify buying. Let me point out that a bodice plus a half circle skirt isn't a new invention or anything. I actually have 2 patterns that are already like that (Jocole Peplum with Skater Skirt add on AND 1 Puddle Lane Miss Ruby Tuesday). I confess that I'm a bit of a hoarder. I'm ok with that. ;)

So I really just grabbed the Mama Cassie because I wanted the tutorial for the cold shoulder. But it doesn't hurt that I can mash it with the Mama Joy (which I will review at a later time) I like that this pattern doesn't require any weird binding/banding to the opening. You hem the sleeve and you hem the armscye then sew them together. Once you see how its done, you'll be able to reuse this method over and over (because you are going to buy the pattern, right?!).
Unlike the Mama Claire, the Mama Cassie is fitted in the bust. That meant no shortcuts. So I started with a Blue upper bust, blue hips and a green waist. I removed 1/2" from the upper bust and then completed a 1/2" pivot and slide full bust adjustment (Totally a cheater method, but 1/2" is a tiny adjustment, so fairly safe.). I blended to the green waist. I just eased the 3/8" extra length that the fba added into the side seam.

I really want to take a moment and talk about that waist. Many of the designs of this I've seen (not by any means saying all) cut the bodice straight across. The problem with this design is that you need more length in the back from shoulder to armscye, but less at middle back. And you need more length at center front to make the distance down the bust. BUT, this pattern doesn't cut straight across. it has a nicely curved up the back hem line and a nicely curved down the front hemline. That means you don't create an automatic "high low" hem. Instant love!

So let's keep going. The armscye (even though they could have cheated here), is NOT symmetrical. We've got 2 different armscyes (front and back) and the sleeve isn't cut on the fold either! Clearly a lot of attention was put into this. I did end up having to make the "sleeve cap" a little thinner to keep the cold shoulder look (rather than a saggy shoulder look). But I have skinny arms. It is very easy to adjust the sleeve though, so no worries there!

You might notice I didn't remove length in the main bodice. I have a ridiculously high waist. When I put patterns at my waist, it looks like I have no body and disproportionately long legs. <meep>. So I made this just slightly "drop waist". It is about 1/2" longer than my actual waist which adds a bit of body length for me.

I did however take 1" out of the skirt hem. I know I'm short and I knew that the hem was going to be obnoxiously long. I don't look good in skirts below the knee unless they're full maxi skirts.

For my peplum version, I didn't hem at all. I like the length and couldn't justify the extra time hemming when it was fine "as is." I used a "heavy" rayon spandex which is my new favorite. It is heavy enough to sew up easily like a light cotton/lycra but keeps all the drape and sheen properties of rayon spandex. It is clear that as the "high-low" version the length is good. The peplum is my  "muslin" and it is clear the sleeves are a little long and the width of the sleeve is too big. Also, sometimes my bra straps show. If I'm ever NOT feeling lazy, I'll add in some bra clips to hold them under the shirt.

Now, for my dress, I took out that bit of black double brushed poly I'd been hoarding. It is of course from this month's sponsor, +Sly Fox Fabrics. I admit to be completely in love with their brushed and double brushed poly. And I used up the very last of my leopard print single brushed poly. I'm so sad to see it go, but it was clearly a good use. If I ever make the NOT high low version, I'll definitely need to take up the hem, A LOT. I did skip the whole hemming thing. DBP doesn't really roll, so it hangs great without a hem.

I've actually sewn up BOTH of these versions since I purchased
the pattern at 10:25 am. Current time is 9:28pm (that I'm typing this) and I've also eaten lunch and dinner with my family. Took my daughters to their extracurricular activities, and read the text of the video game my 4yo was playing. All in all, I think it has taken me 3 committed hours to sew these 2 up. The hardest part is definitely the armscye hemming, and it isn't even hard. It just takes a few extra minutes to mark and hem.

I really really really wish there was a gravity defying bra that could get me into the off the shoulder version of this dress. But it just isn't going to happen, at least not right now. But it is included in the pattern.

This is actually my first "fitted' pattern from M4M and I think I'm hooked. Yes, I still had to do some minor adjustments but the fit was spot on after my adjustments! I'm especially excited because the Cassie can be mashed up with the Mama Joy. That means moving the half circle skirt to the fully sleeved bodice and the pleated skirt to the cold shoulder. I can see a lot of fun ways to use this pattern.

So, as for the final verdict, the answer is yes, if you don't have another 1/2 circle skirt pattern you love, this may be the one for you. I love the bodice hemline and found the measurement chart to be spot on. I will mention, however, that my oldest daughter was right. She said, "Mom, your shoulders are going to get cold." I totally had to put on a sweater, LOL.

Prior to this year, when I thought winter fabrics, I thought Poly Fleece, Sweater Knits and French Terry. Sure, Cotton Spandex was thrown in there for good measure, but it felt boring.

But this year, all the craze has been about Double Brushed Poly. If you don't know about it, you should!

I first heard about double brushed poly in reference to Lu La Roe leggings. My immediate thought was a big giant eye roll. Yes, seriously. No fabric is THAT awesome. But I just couldn't stop hearing about it. Over and over seamstresses were raving about this stuff. Normally, I don't wear poly fabrics. They tend to not breathe well, and I like to breathe in my clothes. Now it turns out that Double Brushed Poly is actually brushed ITY. Chances are you've heard of ITY.

ITY has amazing drape. Add in the brushed softness and I was sold, theoretically.

I actually got my first order of DBP from +Sly Fox Fabrics. I won a contest that got me 2 1 1/4 yard fabrics and a sweater knit. I'm a sucker for a good deal, so I also grabbed another 3 1 1/4 yard cuts. I got my first order and I wanted to sit around petting it, all day long. It reminded me of the soft silkiness of newborn puppies. But the real question was, would it breathe or did I just get myself stuck with a bunch of fabrics that I would hate?

My first project was actually a Patterns for Pirates Pumpkin Spice Dolman. I figured if it was too hot, I could just wear it on those really really freezing days. BUT, after a day of wearing it, I felt fine. Not sweaty, not stinky, just fine. WHAT?! Ok, so shirts were ok.


But the PSD has a bit of breathing room and I wanted to take the real test. What test would that be? LEGGINGS! After I perfected my +5 out of 4 Patterns Ninja Pants (which took hardly any adjusting at all) I made them in this gorgeous white DBP. For the record this is a 180 gsm and that means, DEFINITELY see through. Just keep that in mind if you need this print in your life. Colors were fine, but not white. Fuzzy, happy, warmness. These didn't make me sweaty either!

Suddenly I needed all the Brushed for ALL THE THINGS. Next up was this amazing Love Notions Willow Wrap Dress in a single brushed poly. Another win! The nice drape of the fabric meant the skirt would move freely.

And then came my real favorite, the +Made for Mermaids Mama Claire in this gorgeous leopard print single brushed poly. I've come to realize I just love leopard prints and this one was no exception. And getting 2 shirts in one meant I can't wait to wear it again.


And of course, there's always scraps left over, so next up was my Rad Patterns Lucky Lingerie. I lined this with cotton lycra to help with breathability and I definitely recommend that. Brushed Poly may not make you sweaty, but if you get sweaty, it isn't going to wick that moisture away from your body, so be prepared.



Next up was this super fun blue and white print. At first I thought more leggings. But I have a LOT of leggings. And so I thought, I can do better than that. After I muslined out my George and Ginger Drama Dress I knew exactly what this fabric should be. I feel like the whole look has a very 70's vibe.

Somewhere in my sewing space there is another 1 1/4 yard cut of black double brushed poly. I've been looking for it for weeks (that's the problem with not having a fabric organization system). I haven't decided yet what I will turn it into, but I know it'll be something great.

If you're trying to decide whether DBP will work for your project, let me talk about it's properties.
-It is between 50-100% stretch.
-It has pretty good recovery and is great at hugging curves. So no elephant knees here.
-It is VERY drapey. It makes awesome swinging skirts.

As much as I LOVE DBP, it does have some minor drawbacks.
-Cutting it is a huge PITA. The fabric sticks to itself so you will need to smooth and resmooth the fabric to make sure all your pattern pieces are being cut properly.
-Because it sticks to itself, it will also stick to itself in the seam allowances. While that is good because you'll hardly need pins, it also means that you'll have to work really hard to position the fabric properly as it will keep sticking to itself.
-Because of it's weight, your machine may struggle a bit. It may try to eat the fabric and hemming involved some curse words. If you're struggling with your machine and DBP, I found a small strip of cotton/lycra in the seam and hem allowances helped it to feed smoothly on my machine.
-Definitely use a NEW ball point or stretch needle. This stuff will snag on a needle with a burr.

But despite the draw backs, I would definitely buy it again (and again and again). And I was really happy with the customer service I received from +Sly Fox Fabrics.

This week promises to be full of inspiration. I've got so many bloggers bringing you all their ideas for January sewing. Don't miss a single one!

Sunday, January 22nd: Sewing By Ti , Embrace Everyday
Monday, January 23rd: Sewing By Ti, Tenille's Thread
Tuesday, January 24th: Robynne & the Bobbin, Harper + Lu
Wednesday, January 25th: Mahlica Designs
Thursday, January 26th: Sew Sophie Lynn, Creative Counselor, Crafty Like a Rox
Friday, January 27th: Everything Your Mama Made and More
Saturday January 28th: Sewingly Michelle, Sewing By Ti, Wild and Wanderful

Don't forget to link up all of your DBP projects that you wore this month!

Another week another outfit round up! If you watch my facebook page, you've already seen all of these outfits. HOWEVER, do be sure to follow along to see what my fellow bloggers are doing AND link up for your chance to win. Linky party is at the very end.

Sunday: Sew By Pattern Pieces Fun Tee. 5 out of 4 Pajama Pants


Monday: Everything Your Mama Made and More Piko Top. Duck Butt Designs Plain Pants. Rad Patterns Lucky Lingerie

Tuesday: Patterns for Pirates Pumpkin Spice Dolman. 5 out of 4 Ninja Pants

Wednesday has no photo.

Thursday: Hey June Handmade Charleston in Raspberry Creek Fabric French Terry.

Friday: Jocole Quick Dress in Urban Rag Trader plaid woven.

Saturday: Made For Mermaids Mama Claire and 5 out of 4 Ninja Pants in DBP from Sly Fox Fabric

This week promises to be full of inspiration. I've got so many bloggers bringing you all their ideas for January sewing. Don't miss a single one!

Sunday, January 22nd: Sewing By Ti , Embrace Everyday
Monday, January 23rd: Sewing By Ti, Tenille's Thread
Tuesday, January 24th: Robynne & the Bobbin, Harper + Lu
Wednesday, January 25th: Mahlica Designs
Thursday, January 26th: Sew Sophie Lynn, Creative Counselor, Crafty Like a Rox
Friday, January 27th: Everything Your Mama Made and More
Saturday January 28th: Sewingly Michelle, Sewing By Ti, Wild and Wanderful

Have you heard of the #2017makenine challenge? I hadn't until I stumbled upon Elizabeth Made This's post about it.

Apparently it is a hashtag over on instagram encouraging seamstresses to complete 9 projects. We already know I can churn out 8 garments in a weekend because I told you all about it in my blog post about the Tunic Bible. I whipped through a pair of Sabrina slims, a La Bella Donna, Layer Me Up, pair of leggings, 2 Jocole easy swing skirts, a Tunic Bible Tunic and a bunch of Cheekie Chonies.

I have to admit it felt like cheating making all those easy projects. So no way, my make nine challenge is going to be filled with those types of projects. That's just lazy!

So I am committing to challenging myself.

Challenge #1- For the love of God, NO new patterns. Sure, we already know I'm going to buy more patterns. I'm going to sew new patterns. I'm going to share those patterns with you. But if I'm going to dig deep, then I need to do it the hard way.

Challenge #2- Nothing that can be sewn in less than 3 hours.

Challenge #3- Nothing that I've made before and had a successful project.

On to the patterns!


1- Greenstyle Sundance Jacket. I've put this one off WAY too long. Its going to be great, once I get around to it. Now to decide if I want it for winter or Spring/fall.

2- Sis Boom Rebecca. The PERFECT dress for spring, summer and fall. My last attempt at this was really bad. :( But I know a LOT more now about fitting, so fingers crossed I'll do well.

3- Jocole A-line Shift. A second shift dress. No, I'm not a glutton for punishment, they're honestly made differently. I look forward to getting the fit right on this one too.

4- Winter Wear Designs Real Deal Jeans. I've put off the whole jeans sewing thing for years now. I think I'm ready to fit them.

5- 1 Puddle Lane Holly Wrap Dress. I bought this pattern a long time ago. When I did, I didn't know enough about fitting or darts to get anywhere close to the right fit. I'm pretty confident I can get it right this time.

6- Cosette from KZJO Studio. This pattern has super cool side color blocks. I don't even remember buying it <blush>. Definitely time to get this one done.

7- Winter Wear Designs Button up. I've put off the whole button up shirt thing a LONG time. I think it was from too much time spent wearing school uniforms that I have this bad relationship with button ups. But I'd like to make one, just once, that I might actually wear. Sure, I may confirm that I just hate them and never make another. But I want to at least try.

8 -Sew House 7 Mississippi Avenue. I bought this pattern when it first released. I printed it once. I don't even know where those went. Time to try again.

9- New Horizons Venice. This pattern has 2 things going against it. #1- The pattern assembly is MASSIVE. 71 pages. Meep. And I wanted this to make a pretty woven, flowy maxi. Well that's a lot of fabric to commit to a project.

So if you read the HTML that is used for today's post, you'd think I'd be talking about zip up hoodies. I will admit, I have a thing for zip up hoodies. Actually, I just love hoodies in general. The funny thing is, I never wear the hood up. Seriously. My head will get too hot and then blah. But I love hoodies because that extra fabric sits on the back of my neck and keeps me warm. YAY.

So you've already seen my Patterns for Pirates Slim Fit Raglan Hoodie (I actually have several)

My RTW Zip Up Hoodie (I have both the gray and the fuchsia one).

My New Horizons Harbor Hoodie.

My Everything Your Mama Made And More Hoodie.

Ironically, as many times as I've made the Love Notions La Bella Donna, I've never added the hoodie! WHY!!! Don't worry, I just added it to my obnoxiously long "to sew" list.

But we're not talking about any of those today. Today we're going to talk about the New Horizons Lisse Hoodie. This is actually my muslin. But its so cozy and warm I wanted to share it.

So to the beginning. I made size Medium, which matches up with my over bust (35") +2". I did a small 1/2" FBA and blended the underbust back in to the medium width so that it would fit back to the original pattern pieces. This is NOT what the pattern recommends, but I know that while my bust is large, the rest of me fits properly into this pattern size, so I didn't need more front width at the underbust.

My pattern pieces went together a little strangely. They didn't quite fit if I lined each pattern piece exactly at the line. This could be a printer problem (my printer is always giving me problems). The pieces went together easily otherwise. The sleeve pattern is asymmetrical and all of the rectangle pieces are pattern pieces rather than a cutting chart. I prefer a cutting chart, however the pattern pieces were squeezed onto the pattern pages in such a way that they did not require extra printing.

I had some grommets sitting around, so I took the extra time to add in the grommets on the neckline. I was clearly distracted though, because I put one in backwards... WHOOPS. I don't think anyone will notice though.

I shortened the bodice by 1" and used the front B piece rather than an a and b. That means that there are no pleats in my front bodice piece. This both saves fabric and keeps the front looking a bit smoother, which I felt necessary with my heavier weight poly fleece. If I were to make this in french terry, I think I'd opt for the pleats as they add more interest to the top.

Knowing what I know about my body shape (and my very high waist) I thought the empire shaping on this pattern would be very flattering. I was absolutely right! This pattern emphasizes my almost hourglass shape and hides my bit of extra tummy quite well. I promise you it is there. And if you just read the Lucky Lingerie post and are saying I'm lying, let's just say I was flexing my abs through that entire photo shoot.

Now if anyone is wondering about those armpit wrinkles, I was so excited to take photos that I didn't switch back into my "good" bra. I've still got on my Lucky Bra. :)

I can't wait to cut into my "good fabric" because this is a winner! Very stylish, surprisingly easy to sew and impressive results.


And of course, we've got even more inspiration for you all week (and month) long! So please check out my fellow bloggers for this week for more inspiration.

Sunday, January 15th: Sewing By Ti, Embrace Everyday
Monday, January 16th: Sewing By Ti
Tuesday, January 17th: Sewing By Ti, Harper + Lu
Wednesday, January 18th: Tenille's Thread, Mahlica Designs
Thursday, January 19th: Crafty Like a Rox, Sewingly, Michelle
Friday, January 20th: Creative Counselor
Saturday, January 21st: Wild and Wanderful

Where are you going and what are you wearing this week? Don't forget to link up to register for a chance to win our huge prize pack!

When I decided to write a blog review of the Lucky Lingerie, I thought of about 15 thousand innuendos I could include in the post. BUT, my mom reads my blog, so I won't go there. ;) You're welcome mom!

Now to the actual review.

The Rad Patterns Lucky Lingerie is an amazingly fun pattern. It includes, a bra, longline bra, camisole AND nightie. Depending on your fabrics your pattern can go from sexy to everyday with one pattern. And even better is that Stephanie has included multiple bra cup options (small, regular and large). Even better than that, the back pattern piece stays the same for every bra cup. You might be thinking, "um, ok, why does that matter?" Oh it matters plenty. You can see my ramblings about that on this blog post here.

But let's not dwell on previous stuff. Moving forward. My measurements (as it pertains to this pattern) are 32.5" underbust, 39" full bust and 38" hip. That puts me exactly half way between the small and medium underbust size. HOWEVER, there is no 39" full bust for the size small. After talking with Stephanie of Rad Patterns, I opted for the small back and bra band and medium cup sizes. Now I foolishly went with the regular medium cup. Who was I kidding? My measurements might fit in that cup, but there's too much there to actually fit a regular cup, LOL.




So round one muslin was a fail. That's ok. Firstly because it showed me what things I might want to change. And secondly, it reminded me not to be dumb, lol. This is the one place I will make a valid complaint (and it is super minor). The longline bra fits down the sides of your body, but there was no measurement chart for the waist of the longline. I know I should have known to let out the waist, but  didn't. Shame on me. Anyway, if you're making the longline, be sure to check out the waist measurement chart to be sure you can squeeze into the longline size that you pick. For me, my ribs are quite prominent and my waist isn't very small (compared to my underbust anyway, they're the same), so i was better off with the medium longline than the small. I actually had to have my husband help me cut off my muslin. I couldn't breathe. o.O

Alright, so muslin was a fail, but obviously I've got this great Leopard Single Brushed Poly bra with fabric from Sly Fox Fabrics, so how'd I fix it?
#1- I went up to the large cup medium. This is definitely a better overall fit. For me, I think I'll bring the underarm up just a bit for more side support. But overall, I'm happy with the cup fit.
#2- I made the straps wider. the 1/2" wide strap just isn't big enough to feel comfortable with my large bust. Plus, it was a PITA to turn. It was easy to add 1/4" to each side of the strap. This also made it WAY easier to turn the straps. If you don't have a strap turner, buy one. But in the mean time, I prefer the wider straps anyway.
#3- I made the size medium longline. My ribs are actually 2" wider than my underbust, so this helped give me some more space to breathe without sacrificing the smaller back (which I definitely need.
#4- I shorted my straps. Be prepared to change up the strap length as it is going to vary a lot from person to person.

Improvements for next time?

#1- Power mesh. If you have a large bust and you haven't heard of power mesh, you're missing out! A good powermesh in a sports bra can take me from "giant" cup size to a b-cup. This obviously isn't a sports bra but adding powermesh to the cups only will provide more support, lift and Oomph.

#2- Boning. This pattern recommends adding boning to the long line for extra support too. In my case, the boning should stop the longline from trying to roll up into my underbust. This happens to me because my underbust is 32.5" but my rib cage directly under my underbust is 34". The fabric always wants to roll to the smallest area. The boning will help. I already own "sew in" boning for a dress project, so I'll definitely be trying that next.

My recommendations for what it is worth. As much as I love brushed poly I used cotton/lycra for the lining. Brushed poly does not absorb sweat, so be sure that what you put against your skin either wicks sweat away, or will absorb it so you don't feel sweaty and gross. Measure your underbust and your ribs. If your ribs are bigger, size up at least at the waist of your longline bra. If you're too big for the largest cup size in your underbust size, size up, but be sure to use the "Large" cup size, even if you fit into the regular cup size. And as always, make a muslin so you can be sure that your good fabric doesn't go in the trash. :)

Of course, etsy doesn't have an affiliate program, but please, feel free to tell Stephanie I sent you.