Fashion Plate: Cinnamon Coffee Bralette Set

 

I'm digging all this ModCloth lingerie lately.  This is ModCloth's Cinnamon Bralette & Undies set.  I chose OhhhLulu's Ginger bralette (which you will have to add a touch of length to) and Lola brazilian undies.  I like this Anais lace on fabric.com.  The beige showed up in the photos the best, but there are other colors available.  I also like this crimson lace from fabric.com and this red lace from spandex world.

Happy Tuesday!

Fashion Plate: Perky in Polka Dots

 

I've had lingerie on the brain lately.  Making underwear is a thing on my bucket list.  It needs to happen.  I'm sure once I get the first pair under my belt (lol), it won't be a THING anymore.  I love and secretly covet all of ohhhlulu's patterns, which is why I chose the Grace hipster pattern for this week's fashion plate.  It's all about details, so you can tape the side pieces together and redraw the side seams.  You'll need one of the extra seam allowances from the side piece to give you enough fabric for the tucks. I went with this jewel jersey knit in red from fabric.com.  The lace detail on the leg bands is an afterthought detail.  You can see that it was sewn directly on top of the fabric before the crotch gusset was added.  Lingerie is amazing because you need basically no fabric.  You could probably make 2 pairs of underwear with 1/2 yard of fabric depending on your size.  An hour or so and a tiny bit of fabric and you can have your own version of ModCloth's Perky in Polka Dots undies!

Fashion Plate: Beauty and the Botanist

 

This week's Fashion Plate is ModCloth's Beauty and the Botanist skirt.  I chose Simplicity 1369 for the pattern.  The ModCloth skirt is basically a half circle skirt with a waistband and a zipper though and totally doable without a pattern.  It was hard for me to find 80s bed sheet fabric!  I went with this organic cotton by Cloud 9.

Fashion Plate: Flair for the Fantastic in Cameras

 

How perfect is this skirt for summer sight-seeing?  This is ModCloth's Flair for the Fantastic Skirt in Cameras.  The fabric is Michael Miller's Urbanista Cameras and I chose Simplicity 1369 for the gathered skirt.  The pattern has pockets!  Colette patterns Ginger has the perfect waistband for the ModCloth skirt, but the silhouette is wrong for the rest of the skirt.

Fashion Plate: Heart and Solar System

Here's another notched-sweetheart neckline dress for you.  Modcloth's Heart and Solar System dress is the inspiration this week.  I found this solar system fabric by Timeless Treasures that I think is a great match for the pattern.  New Look 6020, blah, add pockets, blah, you know. 

I just traced off the pattern for New Look 6020 and I will do my absolute best to photograph and document the changes for everyone.  I will definitely be adding pockets at the very least.  I will possibly fully line the dress and move the zipper to the back.  This is going to be a July project for sure.

Fashion Plate: Tentacle-y Speaking

I'm going to double-up this week because I'm using the same silhouette for these dresses.  This one is ModCloth's SOLD OUT! Tentacle-y Speaking dress.  Fabric.com has the Sea Octopus fabric used for this look in stock.  I am using New Look 6020 again (my favorite pattern never made) for the dress.  I will make this pattern SOON.  Very soon.  I've been trying to figure out what to make with a houndstooth fabric I have and I think this dress pattern is exactly what I need.

Fashion Plate: Pretty, Pretty Picnic Dress

 

This week's look is ModCloth's Pretty, Pretty Picnic dress.  I thought this dress would be the perfect time to highlight Craftsy's bombshell dress class, since it's on sale for only $14.99 right now.  I chose a canary yellow kona cotton for the bodice and this blue and white gingham for the skirt.

Short and sweet!

Fashion Plate: Citrus Garden Top

 

This week's Fashion Plate is based on ModCloth's Citrus Garden Top.  I selected this item for two reasons:  first, I feature so many dresses and I want to make my Fashion Plates match  fashion realities.  People wear separates.  And second, I want to feature indie patterns where I can.  The pattern I selected for this top is Archer by Grainline Studios.  There are many past sewalongs where you can get help if you have problems with the pattern if you need it.  Pattern support is one of the great things about indie patterns.  The designer is right there for you.  The ModCloth fabric looks like 1/4" gingham to me.  I couldn't find a multi-colored fabric that was right, so I selected this tartan tangerine by Joel Dewberry instead.  It comes in poppy and aquamarine too. 

Fashion Plate: Streak of Success

ModCloth has several versions of the Streak of Success skirt from what I can tell on the website, each called something different.  This skirt looks like a great wardrobe-builder to me, with or without the ribbon detail.  I chose Simplicity 1369, View D for this look.  It has pockets!  The button detail on the back of the inspiration skirt is a vintage detail not often found on modern patterns.  In order to add that button closure, simply extend the waistband pattern pieces about 1.5".  This will give you enough for a regular seam allowance and a 5/8" button.  I ♥♥ FREAKING LOVE ♥♥ rayon/spandex blends, so I chose this navy rayon/lycra jersey for this look.  You could make the ribbon any color.  I tried to keep to the original and found this 3/8" yellow satin ribbon.  I think this skirt would look absolutely stunning with a red ribbon too.  

This skirt will cost you approximately $21 if you use my fabric and pattern suggestions.  The skirt takes about 2.5 yards of fabric ($12.50), maybe 3 yards of ribbon ($1 because I'm figuring you'll buy a spool at the store), and $8 for the pattern (which you'll probably get for $1 during a JoAnn's pattern sale).  

You can make a whole bunch of these skirts for very little money.  This is why I love sewing.  I can make this same look for 1/3 the price and my skirt will be sewn with more detail and made to last.  Can you tell I just started reading Overdressed:  The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion?

Fashion Plate: Soiree Stunner Dress

I'm a huge Colette patterns fan if you haven't noticed and when I saw ModCloth's Soiree Stunner Dress, I knew I had to feature it as one of my Fashion Plates.  The pattern I chose is Colette's Macaron dress.  With a few simple changes (unlined bodice, delete sleeves, add bias tape arm and neck holes, add 1.5" strip of lace on the bottom), you can make a gorgeous dress that will be even better than the inspiration one.  A lot of people said in the reviews that the fabric ModCloth used for this dress was rough and slubby.  To "fix" that small problem with the inspiration, I chose to feature a blue pima cotton sateen.  Cotton sateen is a great fabric to work with.  It sews, presses, and wears incredibly well.  With the more fiddly details like sewing on bias tape (which is probably my least favorite sewing activity right now), you don't want to have to deal with difficult fabric at the same time.  I liked this plain black polyester lace for the bodice detail because it has no stretch and will submit to your every will.  Muah-ha-ha!  If machine washability is a factor for you, you may choose to use this gentle cycle lace fabric or this currently out of stock (sorry!) machine wash and dry-friendly lace fabric.  Fabric.com restocks regularly, so check back if that's what you want.


Macaron is one of the Colette patterns that didn't "speak" to me before I saw this inspiration dress.  It's funny how that happens, isn't it?

Fashion Plate: Aisle Be There

 

This is the perfect Valentine's Day dress.  You better get on it ladies!  The inspiration is ModCloth's Aisle Be There dress in rose.  I think I featured Gertie's pattern once before:  Butterick 5882.  I scooped up a copy of the pattern a few months ago when JoAnn's was having one of those pattern sales.  Such an amazing dress deserves to showcase an equally amazing fabric.  For this dress, I thought a cotton silk poplin would provide the appropriate sheen and drape.  You could also use something like a charmeuse, though I'm not so in love with the kind of drape that would provide.  I think you need a bit more structure and the charmeuse would be tough to sew.  

I love this dress.  I need to find some fancy dress parties to attend so I have reason to make dresses as fabulous as this one.