There comes a time when you´re confronted with your limits, sewing wise, and you just have to accept the outcome is the best you could do at that time. I was part of the testing group for the Acton dress back in February (or was it March?) and, similarly to the Rushcutter, the pattern just blew me away.

I don´t feel like I made it justice; I envisioned it in this beautiful silk from Maçãs d´Amor and a pair of more professional hands was definitely a requisite to handle it properly. The pattern has an inverted V shape at the front, princess seams, understitching, an invisible zipper and bodice lining, you know, all of the good stuff we want, with a great picture tutorial and instructions to go with it. Now imagine all of these steps in a flowy, slippery, perfect 100% silk that completely lost its shape right after cutting and there was no basting or staystitching to save it. My pieces got tottaly out of control so I finished the best I could.

I did the view B with the loose A line skirt but I used view A´s high back instead, and I also lenghtened the skirt (can´t really remember how much, in fact I think I just lenghtened it so I could use my whole fabric). The artistic photos, or at least an attempt to get artistic, came out blurry, which you should be grateful for, it just means you won´t burn your eyes with my mismatched seams, ha!

You should definitely take a look at Emily´s In the Folds, there´s much more information there (and wonderful tutorials too!). As for me, lesson learned, silk is for the Gods, but I´ll still be patiently waiting for next Summer and a light breeze so I can twirl around some more.

I am wriiiiting!! In DA blog waahoo! After Summer months lazyness, when I thought I would still have some time to juggle work and pleasure, my plans got all mixed up. I didn´t think I would be so caught up on school agenda, but in the most positive way; going back to work really lifted my spirit and I´m back at a phrenetic rithm thinking and planning for my "adopted" kids for the year.

Still, I miss sewing at the level I was doing it oh so much, but for now I can only commit to smaller projects like testings I can´t say no to and others that I have time to plan and sew little by little.

Califaye Collection has my heart from day one and I can´t resist Sarah´s sense of style; I always know her patterns will fit me like a glove and turn to staples on my wardrobe.

The Rumi pullover is just an easy going pattern, one of those perfect for the 15 minute soul cleansing I allow myself everyday, ha! I used a very light and open wool knit, which is not the best recommendation for the pattern, but I made it work with a couple of changes; I added the neckband and skipped the side vents. Also I made it a little smaller by removing 1 inch on fold on both front and back pieces, and shortened it by 2 inches. You know the drill with me, my 5´2" and petite stature always require a bit of sizing down.

It has just gone to my TNT pile and I´ll definitely try it with a heavier wool knit and longer sleeves. You can drive back to Califaye´s blog to check the awesome tester versions and how the pattern looks with other knits (so different but so good!).

What is it that, at some point, makes blogging so boring and dull? We still wanna share and show off everything we´re working on but the writing, gaah, the editing, I believe it´s these little perfectionist bits that live inside all of us that are kind of ruining the fun. I decided to lay back and relax a bit, if the pictures are not with the best lighting or completely focused, whatever man, for now it´s Summer and I either do it like this or not at all. Plus, I gain extra time for sewing haha.

I´ve been doing lots of indulgence sewing but there are some testings still going on: here are the Havanna blouse and shorts by Califaye Collection.

The blouse has a cool and summery vibe, with no closures and all.the.gathers necessary to satisfy a 5 year old twirling game, ha! My version is from a first part of the testing so it´s finished with facings but there´s now an option to fully line the bodice as well. The shorts are just quick and easy, with inseam pockets and a topstitched waistband for a professional look.

For the shirt i used some poplin with embroidered icecreams, from Sweet Mercerie and it´s just the yummiest fabric. Also if you take a look at this dress at Anthropologie you might find some similarities, how cool is that! The shorts are in light tencel from the same shop.

I decided to close up the front with some tassels rather than a button; the purpose is just to add a bit more closure to that area and still have a fun detail. Also, in the shorts I ran out of grommets so I went with the traditional buttonholes.

Check some other tester versions here. It´s just an easy and quick summer outfit and you can save 30% off on your purchase at Califaye Collection (or at Etsy). Sale ends July 2nd 11:59 pm EST. coupon code - NEWRELEASE.

This post contains affiliate links but all opinions are my own.

It´s quite overwhelming when we stop to recognize our kids growth thru the sizes we sew for them. I remember choosing a shy size 3 for this little girl when I started and now we´re up on 5 going on 6 sometimes.
These are my tester versions for the newly released Trophy jacket and joggers from Cali Faye Collection.

Well, trophy for me please because the fabric I used for the coat was a plain cotton linen blend which I quilted with a light batting. Because of that, I went up one size but I should have gone two since it´s a bit tight around the armholes.

The jacket is lined, except for the sleeves where you can have a go at a Hong Kong finish. Also the sleeves hem is finished with some bias facing, for which I used a bit of this pretty Petit Pan bias tape my friend Rita gave me.
The joggers are a straight size 5 with no alterations, which means they´re long on my 101 model because the original design for these is actually for cropped pants. I used a stretchy french terry from my local shop and she feels super comfy in them. It has in seam pockets and pleats both on front and back and a waist size band with buttonholes to thread a drawstring of the same fabric or a cord, like I used here.

Underneath there´s a Rowan Tee just like mummy, ha! If the Linden is my TNT for sweatshirts, then the Rowan is surely the equivalent in kids size.

You can check for more pattern details and all the other tester versions here. Use the coupon code NEWRELEASE to save 30% off your entire order at Califaye until May 1st, 11:59 EST.

This post contains affiliate links but all opinions are, as always, my own.

If I ever were to have a love affair with a piece of clothing, it had to be with a romper. Not being much of a dress girl on day to day wear, this fills that one-piece gap perfectly, put it on and you´re ready.

The Sanibel can either be a dress or a playsuit and, obviously, it has the Hey June seal, which means you´re bound to learn some new technique and end up with professional looking finishes. Seriously, I´ve done quite a few of her patterns by now and Adrianna always finds a way to simplify or twist the process a bit to make it easier on us. I call that a real commitment on making very very good patterns.

I used a very light rayon challis from my local shop and it just drapes beautifully, but with some interfacing as recommended it also makes a sharp placket and collar. There are quite a few details and steps, but I wouldn´t say it´s an advanced pattern, specially with the instructions that follow it.
I made the cap sleeve version, which includes some shoulder tabs, in size XS; it has plenty of ease around the waist and hips but you can just pull it together once you tie the drawstring (in an outside sewed casing) with no need for alterations.

The back features a yoke, which is lined, so I´m guessing hacking potential here if you lenghten up the bodice to make a full placket shirt; or add a waistband to enclose some elastic for a loose fitting pair of shorts (or skirt).

Now, this time I can really say that this piece was entirely sewing machine made: with my clever button foot I´m done with "i´ll-sew-the-buttons-later-meanwhile-a-month-goes-by". Even the pompons were basted to the drawstring ends first and then I just tied a knot to secure them better.

The Sanibel is finally available on Hey June´s shop and it´s another must have and a perfect Summer piece!

Once in a while you have special occasions that require a little more dressing up than just Linden´s and jeans. Wedding season has begun around here and oh the drama too. I had nothing to wear but most importantly, nothing to sew. I couldn´t find the patterns I had appropriate for formal wear and I wasn´t feeling what was on the market too. And then, stars alignement (I get that a lot, ha!), angels choir singing and along comes Adrianna announcing this vavavoom one week before the wedding, should I thank my lucky stars or what?

The Charleston is not just a dress, it´s a curvylicious thing you´ll wrap around your body and feel like a million bucks. Princess seams from top to bottom, front and behind, and a sexy negative ease at all the right places.

The pattern is designed for knits but this is a stretch woven (around 20%); it´s kind of a twill on the right side but I used the wrong one as main as it appeared to have a little sheer. I was planning to use a ponte with a lace overlay, but the lace didn´t have enough stretch to work.

Though this was my tester version, I made a couple of changes: the back is supposed to have an exposed zipper all the way down the back, which I replaced with a shorter invisible one. And once I wasn´t needing that skirt center back seam, I cut it on fold instead of two pieces. I also finished the neckline with a facing instead of binding: I just cut out directly on the pattern´s front and back at the width I wanted the facing to be, interfaced, stitched and understitched. The ends are enclosed, sandwiching the zipper with the main fabric.

For the hems, since I didn´t want any stitches at sight and I´m still not keen on my machine´s invisible foot and stitch, I used fusible hemtape. I also added a bit of that to the facing to keep it in place.

Because this was a tester´s version and a more fitted dress than what I usually do, I didn´t grade any seams in case I needed to let them out in some places. I ended up grading in the side seams of the skirt from the hips downwards about an inch, for a more fitted and pencil skirt look.

It´s really comfortable and was worth almost freezing to death. Naa, I had a little RTW jacket too, not very warm but looked good. I also stud up those heels all day in the name of poshness, so that´s why you now have to look at my ugly wall trim, ha! A few accessories composed the look

To celebrate the launch the entire store is 20% off with code "BLIZZARDSALE" until Monday 3/28 at 11:59pm MST.

This blog post contains affiliate links but all opinions are, as always, my own.