Do you know when you see a dress in a shop that is a copy of a high end designer? And you buy it because you would rather spend 30€ and look awesome than 300€ and... well, look just as awesome.

Patterns are the same: you can choose a free pattern, and play the lottery game of having to make alterations until your boobs don´t have pointers that could blind someone (though there are some free patterns that are excellent), or you can choose from a series of multi talented pattern designers which offer stop-the-traffic tested patterns for a very affordable price.

Isn´t it a wardrobe staple? It´s an explosion of style and I wanna buy make (we don´t buy clothes anymore, remember?) 5 of it at the very least.
For the pattern testing I couldn´t take any chances, this time I would definitely need to make a muslin. I had a grey linen blend (blended with some gin, thank you sir) I was saving for a Tessuti Alice Top but I knew it would be a match made in heaven for this.
For the muslin I made no alterations to the original pattern (except for skirt lenght, cause I'm a midget short) and thoroughly followed all the tutorial instructions. Although it is "Intermediate" rated, a courageous beginner would do it too. All steps explained, with diagrams, tells you how many seconds you should hold your breath while applying bias, you know, the usual.


The first draft had bust darts and these were a first for me. I had read a lot before about it and already knew a few techniques (like skipping the back stitch at the beginning) and it went smoothly, with a lot of steam power from my Rowenta friend and turtle pace stitching. Although the final version is dartless and fully lined, I zoomed these pictures to show you some construction details that are more noticeable in linen.






I found a gorgeous light twill for a second make, and although it's heavier than recommended fabric, it still has a good draping. For this one i used satin bias. Satin. Bias. What the fuck was i thinking? Sarah has developed a great tutorial for this here.

Making this dress gave me the perfect opportunity to shave my legs (I'm a mom of two toddlers don't judge me!) try new techniques and improve old ones, like the bias binding.  I begged Sarah for a lined version (and I bet all the other testers as well) and she indulged us! Seriously, the lined version is awesome because the back and front piece are whole, so how do you fully line it? Ahh, role in the tube is one of the ways I knew but, again, Sarah brings us a very very smart and easy way of doing it.
So, for the final version of this wonderful pattern I choose a beautiful silk fully lined with crepe. Again, what.was.i.thinking. It was hard working with it, but totally payed off for the end result and it feels like a second skin. I don´t need to talk about the perfect fit, do I? ;)






To celebrate the launch of this new Basics Line, Sarah is offering 30% off your entire purchase with the code CALIFAYEBASICS and you can find them here. I´m so grateful for this opportunity and loved loved loved being part of this awesome creation. <3

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

Ohhh god, I can´t even. I.MADE.A.COAT. A real coat, fully lined, inseam pockets, a little yoke. I´ve made some coat wannabes in the past, from japanese patterns and Burda, but these were quite simple and had no lining, just simple facings, and I´ve been longing to do some serious sewing with a good pattern and instructions. I choose the lovely and trendy Brenna from Cali Faye Collection. This pattern designer is off the charts with style, it´s definitely my kind of wardrobe.

Construction wise, I was quite fearful my brain would tangle somewhere along the way, especially adding the lining, but fear not: it´s a lazy, beginner, fast friendly pattern.
I don´t know how she did it, but am quite jealous of the architecture of the coat. There are not to many pieces, so you won´t spend two days cutting fabric. There is no interfacing. The yoke and pockets are optional and if you dismiss these it´s even faster. There are no turn-and-loop-fabric-and-main-and-loop-again-and-turn-to-wrong-side-lost-me-at-loop tricks to add lining: the pattern pieces are very well constructed and, with no fancy high couture sewing, you´ll get fantastic results and a designer-look coat.
IF, and this is the tricky part, IF you can read and follow instructions bit by bit, you´ll get through it with no pain. I followed all the instructions like a bible, but when adding the base liner I complicated more than I should: inexperience and a little misinterpretation that I only fully understood by the time I finished it.
So, I´ll give you a quick glimpse of all steps involved should you decide to give it a go, which you should!

The pdf pattern assembly is easy and fast and I used the paper sheets since there is no overlaping pieces, just cut your size and it´s ready. Really go through the tutorial and mark doubts or things that are unclear; this will help you not stumble on some unexpected construction errors and make the sewing go faster.
Light weight wovens are recommended, but I wanted a mid season coat (also, it´s still cold here in Portugal!), so I used a linen wool blend I already had (and now know I committed a jewish sacrilege - ohh internet, the things you learn!) and for the lining I used a... well, it´s polyester for sure because it frayed like mad.
All pattern pieces have notches to match and I must tell you: i never ever made anything that matched so well at all of them (i never tried that hard anyway). For the lining yoke I used real leather from an upcycled old bag I had, and I wish it could have been better: the curve is not perfect as well as the topstitching, but it will do, I just wanted to add a little something special.


The inseam pockets were not that hard, the steps are fully explained and easy to follow; just added a little under stitching to the lining because it is very light weight and I wanted it to stay where it belonged.

Now, the lining attachment at the bottom is constructed in a very simple way: there are three pieces at the bottom (which are the same fabric as your main coat), you join them and sew them to the bottom of your lining, right sides together. And then I wondered, but what about the sides of it, where do they attach to the inner coat? It´s quite simple, you just fold the seam allowance in and topstitch, ha! By the time I understood it was this simple, I had already close them a more harder way (with no seams at sight).




Now, you must think I have a fancy modern sewing machine to make things like this, wrong: I have a very modest and simple Alfa next 20 and though I now feel I need more features, she still pulls it off. It has no stitch lenght option, just twelve stitches but has a great motor, as all Alfa have. That engine rocks and she has endured my stubborness on wanting to sew 4 layers of fabric plus filling plus bias plus whatever. With the right needle, with the right pedal control, she sews through everything. I have to work a little magic sometimes to get the desired effect, especially with topstitching, but I learned a lot from just learning to work with it (it comes with a great instruction manual and some online videos that guide you through all those beginner steps).

The fit is obviously great and there is an optional button mark for closure, but I left it open because those front flaps have a gorgeous draping and should be honoured. I finished it in two days, from pattern assembly ´till sleeve closing, and did not work in a hurry. Prepare your work in advance, needles, threads, iron always on, and you´ll do it in a breeze. I thought I was too lazy to do such a multiple step project, but I was wrong. And so are you, if you think that too. I think sewing is also a matter of the heart, and nothing can go wrong when love is around.

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

The week is not over yet but I´m on a sewing spree and can.not.stop. Though I think there´s always a little selfishness every time I sew (cause it´s mummy´s special moment of zen), this was a great week to try out some new patterns.

I was aiming for efficiency and to manage well my little time for sewing, so I decided only in one pattern. This way I would have the pattern pieces ready, all I needed was to cut the fabric and do adjustments on size or construction if needed.

I choose the verrry frrench Blouse Marthe from Republique du Chiffon. I´ve used french patterns before, especially for kids, and knew they weren´t too specific sometimes about construction, but I was expecting more for this one.

The pattern allows you to choose whether you want to insert a zipper or a button on the back, but it fits well through the head if you want to skip this. Since there were no instructions for these steps, my lazy self obviously skipped it. I decided to cut my back piece on fold, removing the seam allowance (thanks for the tip Rita I nearly forgot this!).

This is a french terry and I did a little hack: used Linden´s neck binding and cuffs for finish and it worked great. For my second Marthe i used a chiffon polyester stuff (I have no idea what it is) and had to work the neckline a bit. I´m not a fan of top stitching around that area, so I made a little facing (which could have been wider) and under stitched it to the inner neck seam. And because I cut the back piece on fold, I lacked fabric to gather that skirt part, so I had to make little pleats.


My third and final Marthe is, of course, blue and white stripes, in a jersey knit. Makes me wanna pick up my bicycle and get bread at the nearest boulangerie.




I told you there was a back centre seam! Very happy with my matching stripes, think it´s my new Clover clips fault!



Now, I´m really really into my next project, think these were a good warm up. I´m trying my first fully lined jacket, an Eagle by Vanessa Pouzet (and the pattern is already giving me trouble because the pdf pages don´t match properly... gaaah, wish me luck!)

Well, I saw La Folie´s sweater and knew I had to post this. The post was ready a few days ago but I needed to take pictures and was lacking time and spirit to do it.
Today I´m starting my series of Tried ´n True patterns, women sized. These are patterns you have made at least 2 or 3 times, according to your body, modified or not, and that fit like a glove. You know that when you pick one of these, you just have to sew it, dress it and hear the angels sing.

I don't have a lot of patterns for myself that I really use, but I think what's important, as everything in life, is quality over quantity. I now look at patterns as I look at finished clothes in a store: would I wear it?

With the thirties comes a sense of security in our style. Belt size mini skirts, crop tops, cleavages to our vagina sexual organs, all is left behind and thank god. I think it has little to do with maternity (though I can´t rock those cleavages like I used to, thank you breastfeeding), but more with embracing and accepting ourselves as we are, which only comes as time goes by, and we now want to show that confidence to the world: we are less Myley Cyrus wannabes and more Charlotte Gainsbourg groupies.

So, what´s essential in a wardrobe? Good fit pants, good fit blouses and shirts, good fit skirts, good fit everything. The essential is good fit. Being teenage petite sized, finding patterns that have a 56cm waist (stop right there: don´t curse me) is not easy, but I have found a few.

The first one I´m talking about today is the pattern which will allow you to have sweatshirts in your wardrobe ´till infinity and beyond. Take a bow before the THE LINDEN:

This may look like a normal sweatshirt. Well, that´s because it is. But how many of us have tried to draft one from others we have bought and ended up with something that should be burned and buried so there´s no evidence it ever existed? This pattern allows you to easily, quickly, breezily sew the most perfect normal sweatshirt. And shame on you if you think that that is nothing less than a-ma-zing.

I´ve made 4 so far, and nothing´s gonna stop me now. I feel like Lacroix while I´m sewing it and like Adriana Lima when I wear it.





It´s not easy to find sweatshirt suitable knits in Portugal. I´ve been hoarding the few I find in FDT, a local shop, and they are quite good quality. This fabric shop, as I´ve been noticing, has some fabric remains from big named stores (mostly Inditex group), and you can find some real bargains there (I work across the street, so I almost live there).
I´ve used french terry for three of these and a scuba knit for the other. Construction wise, I´ve sewed everything together with my serger and it was easy peasy. The neckline can be tricky sometimes because fabrics have different amounts of stretch, so I definitely recommend pinning around it first, while stretching the band as much as you can, and then sew. The more you stretch it, the more perfect and flat it will lay.
I´m trying to downsize it to make mini Lindens, but I have to read a little bit more about pattern making to get it just right.
And did you notice the Adriana Lima look at all pictures (major FAIL there, I know, I´ll practise some more to improve my poses, these are so 90´s).