I enjoy wearing maxi dresses in the summer time. I make one or two every summer. I wanted a new knit summer dress but I envisioned something in-between a maxi and a midi because a maxi was not going to be practical for the event I had in mind.

I chose Simplicity 1612 for my dress. I’ve made View A and C in the past. For this dress I went with View D/E.

I cut off about 5 inches at the hemline of View E. The finished length reminds me of skirts/dresses I wore in the early 1980’s.

I had a couple of yards of this ITY knit that I purchased last summer while on vacation in Quebec. There was not a lot of wiggle room for pattern placement so I had to let most of the pattern pieces fall where there was room. The back has a lot going on but I don’t see the back so I’m O.K. with that 😉

Now that I’ve made this dress, I can see myself making the shorter version. The pattern is well drafted and the dress fits well. This pattern is out-of-print but if you have it in your stash, I think it’s worth digging out.

I purchased this textured knit last summer at Tissus Mode de l’Orme in Granby, QC while visiting family and friends. I get the most wonderful fabrics at that store. A trip home always requires bringing an extra suitcase for fabric.

I’ve made this dress before with 3/4 sleeves for fall/winter. I lengthened the bodice by 1″ as well as adding 1″ to the length of the skirt. I also added binding to the neckline. The pattern instructions have you turn the edge under by 5/8″. I prefer finishing the edges with binding. Because my fabric had a texture, I used black jersey from my stash for the binding. I feared that using the textured knit for the binding would create an uneven edge as well as be too thick for a nice flat finish. I omitted the zipper though I kept the back seam as it provides shaping. I’ve made view A as well and have omitted the zipper on all three of the dresses I made from this pattern. The pattern doesn’t offer a short sleeve option but that was a simple fix.

I like the floral background and uneven stripes of this fabric. I was originally going to sew a pattern that didn’t have any pleats but I thought the pleats would be interesting in this fabric. The dress is comfortable to wear and was a simple project to sew.

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This top is a simple style but has a hidden secret that makes it extra special. The facing is more like a half-camisole that helps prevent any gaping at the neckline when you bend over. Below is the illustration from the pattern that shows the facing.

See what I mean, no gaping. The fabric stays against the body.

Another great feature is that my bra does not show through the armscye.

This top was sewn with an ITY knit that was gifted to me last year by a friend. For this version I shortened the pattern by 2″. The top is loose-fitting but tapers down to be fitted at hips.

Since this pattern was such a quick project, I decided to make another. I dove into my bin of leftover knits and found this piece that was leftover from a project that became a wadder. A least something good came out of this fabric. For this version I shortened the pattern by 1″.

When the pattern was first introduced, I thought it was cute but didn’t think I needed to add it to my pattern inventory. The more versions I saw of this top, the more I was convinced that it would hold a special place in my stash. I’m glad I bought the pattern but even more glad that I sewed up a couple of tops. There will be more to come. It’s great on its own or layered.

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McCall’s 6886

McCall’s 6886 is always close to the top of my pattern stash. It’s a great pattern to use for prints that need to be showcased. There’s nothing much I can say about this pattern that hasn’t been said. The pattern was launched in 2013 and has been a favorite of sewists ever since. There are over 220 reviews of this pattern on PatternReview.com

Both prints were bought at Tissus mode de l’Orme in Granby, QC. This first print is an ITY knit. I always enjoy figuring how best to place the pattern pieces with border or panel prints. There’s one change I normally make to this pattern. I add binding at the neckline to finish the edge. The instructions have you turn the edge and stitch. I prefer to add binding.

The version pictured below is sewn with a mid-weight scuba knit. I lined both dresses with light beige swimsuit lining. The scuba knit didn’t really need it but I like the way a lined dress fits and feels. I lined the dresses by attaching the lining at the neckline prior to sewing the binding. I don’t line the sleeves.

This won’t be the last time McCall’s 6886 makes an appearance in my summer 2019 sewing. I have some beautiful prints that speak for themselves and just need a simple design to make them shine.

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I purchased this black Italian stretch polyester crepe from Mood Fabrics a couple of years ago. I didn’t have a pattern in mind at the time but while going through my Burda Style magazine this dress caught my attention. I made the dress a couple of months ago and finally got around to taking pictures.

The dress was not difficult to make. The pattern doesn’t call for lining the dress but I chose to do so. The crepe has some stretch to it so I went with a thin black swimsuit lining. I’m happy I chose to do this because the dress is fitted and the stretch is nice to have for ease of wearing. I didn’t want to lose the stretch of the crepe by using a woven lining.

The pattern called for an exposed zipper. I think that adds a nice modern touch to the dress but I chose to go with an invisible zipper. I was going for a more classic look.

This is how I styled the dress for the blog pictures but I’m finding that this dress is very versatile. It looks great with a scarf or longer necklace or with a different style of belt or even without the belt.

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Sometimes you have to get back to basics. There’s nothing very exciting about these knit tops. They are simply good basic knit tops to have in my wardrobe.

I bought the polka dot knit (pictured below) last summer while visiting family and friends in Quebec. I thought it would make a nice basic top to wear with my black jeans. I dug out Jalie 2805 because it is my go-to basic t-shirt pattern. I had never made this neckline before and enjoyed the process very much. I was intimidated by it for years but the instructions were great and instilled confidence in me.

While looking for the black contrast in my bin of “leftover” knits, I came across a black knit with enough bits and pieces to make a cap sleeve top from the same pattern. I also found this wonderful Italian printed mesh to use as an overlay. There are all kinds of treasures in my bins of leftovers from previous projects. It’s good to rummage through them once in a while and refresh my memory as to what is in there.

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This flocked denim has been in my stash for a few years. I purchased it from Mood Fabrics without knowing what I was going to make with it. I just knew I had to have it and inspiration would follow, as is often the case.

Living on the Central Coast of California I need coats, but I don’t need many warm coats.  I decided this was the year I was going to use this fabric. I pictured something similar to a long denim jacket. I chose the Jalie City Coat pattern. I’ve had the pattern for a few years but had never made it until now. My fabric doesn’t show the details very well so below is a line drawing from the pattern. I plan on making this coat again in a solid red twill from my fabric stash. The pattern does not call for a lining which is what I was looking for with this fabric.

This coat was a joy to sew. I didn’t make any changes to the pattern. I sewed my usual size “S” that I always sew from Jalie patterns. I think this pattern would make a great raincoat when sewn with waterproof fabric.

I purchased the metal buttons at Britex in San Francisco. It’s my favorite place to get buttons. The selection is wonderful.

I love having an assortment of jackets, toppers and coats in my closet. This coat is a great addition to my “collection”.

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