MAGAM Sept Project Done! A CopyCat Tweed Dress for Fall/Winter 2015

Finally, after more hours than I had anticipated, the CopyCat Tweed Dress is done!

To recap, this was the inspiration photo I found on eBay:

I didn't have the exact pink tweed and blue trim, etc, in my stash. I wanted to use up my stash fabric so I picked a dark green tweed and a purple wool and some burgundy trim for this dress. I also used a stash pattern New Look 6779 (size 14). And this is the result:

(I guess I should have ironed it more before taking the pictures.)

In the inspiration photo, the neckline and the pockets were trimmed with blue trim. I used a stash burgundy velvet pipping for the neckline and around the pockets:

I used size 14 instead of the size 12 that I had previously used due to the fact that the wool fabrics are thicker and I was to fully lined the dress. I omitted the hem band that was in the inspiration because I think it would cut me off and may make me look shorter. I have used the sewing pattern before a few times (see here). It's a very easy to make dress. However, since I decided to make the dress fully lined (tweed wool can be itchy), as well as adding the pipping, the dress took much more time than I had expected to make. Regardless, I'm very happy with the result:

The weather is already getting cooler so I'm hoping to wear this dress in the next couple of weeks. Can't wait!

My review for this pattern is here.

Refashion: Easy Kids' t-shirt appliques

I haven't posted for a while but it's not because I hadn't been sewing. In fact, I had been really busy at the sewing nook mending/repairing stuffed animals, kites, kids shorts, etc, as well as adding appliques to my kids' tshirts for their school's Picture Day.

It all started last year when my son (aged 5 then) happened to wear a baseball shirt with the number 5 for the school Photo Day. He was super pleased with the result and asked me to make him a new one this year for Photo Day. He insisted on having a camouflage '6'. So I used some remnant camo fabric that I had from making his camo pants to do the applique. He picked out a plain tshirt for me to apply the applique. After my daughter had seen her brother's applique tshirt, she asked for one as well. She rummaged through her tshirts and picked this one out. She 'specified' that the number '4' should be a 'shiny pink' fabric. I still have some of the remnant metallic pink denim that I used for her birthday dress (see here) in the scraps box. And here are the results (disregard the dirt on the tshirts as the kids had worn the shirts all day already):

I don't know if the kids had made the tshirts dirty before getting their photos taken. Hopefully the photos will turn out well!

MAGAM Sept Plan - A Copycat Tweed Dress for Autumn

Although it is still really hot and humid outside, I am already planning my Autumn/Winter wardrobe. The September Theme for Make A Garment A Month is 'Snoop fashion', which I also call it 'CopyCat fashion'. There are so many special occasion gowns that I would like to copy. But I thought I would stick to garments that I would actually wear this autumn/winter.

I have seen this picture on the web before of a lovely tweed dress but I have no idea who designed it (if you know who the designer is please let me know). The picture with Alexa Chung looks weird, as if it had been altered. Nonetheless the dress looks like something cute and practical for me:

Source

I have accumulated lots of tweed for office wear but I don't have a pink tweed. I figure that I could use this brownish tweed and New look 6779 (both from my stash) for this dress:

Of course my tweed is way more somber looking than the lively pink tweed in the inspiration photo. I haven't decided what the contrast fabric would be. I will need to dig deeper into my fabric stash to see what can liven up this drab tweed. Looking forward to working on it!

Refashioned: Red lace dress got sleeves!

I made this red lace dress (Butterick 6771) more than a year ago. Since then I had only worn it once!

I thought perhaps I could make it more suitable for all-season wearing by adding sleeves to it. Being a red dress, I would then be able to wear it for Valentine's day (Feb), X'mas (Dec) and New Year's too (Jan). Moreover, I had seen many celebrities wearing sleeved red lace dresses on the red carpet:

Source

I still have some remnant red lace material so I cut 3/4 sleeves using the same Butterick 6771 dress pattern. And this is the after:

I am hoping I will be able to wear it more often now. I thrifted a fabulous tangerine coloured silk slip from my local thrift store and it seems to work well under this lace dress comparing to a nude or black slip. Now I just need to find an occasion to wear it. How about the first day of school? ;-)

Refashion: Rainbow Brocade Tunic to Dress

Another quick refashion!  I thrifted this rainbow coloured ethnic brocade tunic at my local thrift store for only $4.99. I love the fabric and the lovely neckline.

With my trusty seam ripper I took off the sleeves, then the side seams. I used an existing shift dress to trace and cut the intended armhole on the tunic. I tried on the garment and pinned out chest darts from the armholes. I then pinned down the sides for it to be pullover dress while still wearing the garment. I sewed the darts and the new side seams together and raised the hemline by approximately 2.5cm.  So here is how the final dress looked on me:

(Hahaha! I looked like I only have 1 leg in this photo!)

The only complain I have is that it's a bit tight across just above the bust. After wearing the dress for some time, a horizontal crease appeared above the bust. You can actually see a bit of that in the photo above. I'll test wear it out and see if I want to alter it again.