Tag Archives: sewing
Copycat Challenge – The Big Reveal!
Are you guys as excited as I am to see everyone else’s projects? It’s been such fun seeing everyone’s copycats and getting inspired myself. My to-do list has grown about a foot just seeing everyone’s projects!
A huuuuge thanks and transatlantic hugs to Erin of I<3Fabric for helping me host this thing. This has been so much fun! I can’t believe you did this all while in the midst of planning and attending your wedding! (Go check out her wedding dress that she designed, it’s gorgey!)
Also thanks a bajillion to everyone who participated!! We could never do this without you guys and I get all kinds of warm fuzzies seeing so many seamstresses who are as passionate about sewing from inspiration garments as I am! I definitely hope to do this again!
Finally, giant hugs and thanks to Mood Fabrics, Spotlight and BurdaStyle for helping with our prizes for this challenge. Your support is greatly appreciated to all of us in the sewing community and with your generosity challenges like this are even more exciting to enter and be part of!!
Without further ado, here are all of the entries of the Copycat Challenge!
47. This dress has a lot of history! Jocelyn started it back when she was first learning to sew and decided to finally finish it in time for the challenge.
44. Rachel of The Hollywood Sews has copied this gorgeous dress worn by Lady Mary of Downtown Abby. Look at the amazing scenery she chose for her shoot!Lady Mary dress / The Hollywood Sews
17. Melody of Sew Melodic looks absolutely stunning in this cape jacket she made, inspired
6. Haylee of Threaded has made a lovely ivory satin dress inspired by a J.Crew dress.
A skirt for the playground
top: Gap (thrifted) // skirt: self-made // shoes: Chelsea Crewe // photos by Laney
Guys, meet my favorite skirt. This lovely number is probably one of my most-worn garments (and it’s a solid, go figure) and was oh-so-easy to draft. I saw this Modcloth skirt on Katie of Skunkboy and about died. Pseudo-pencil skirt that goes with everything? Knit fabric? Not zipper? Super comfy? Yes please!
I just drafted a front piece and a back piece with the A-line shape and then the pockets and a waistband. Oh and the over-sized belt loops. I somehow found the perfect gold buttons too! I sewed the pockets onto the front, sewed the front to the back, attached the waistband, realized it would’ve been easier to do the waistband before attaching the front/back, and then did the belt loops last.
So far I’ve worn this skirt with all kinds of outfits. Stripey long-sleeve tees with tights and boots, blouses, tops with cute detailing, tank top with a cardigan, solid top with a drapey sweater, etc.
Laney took these photos for me the same day as these Belladone ones and we had so much fun with this giant wheel. I walk by it pretty often and always wanted to somehow incorporate it into outfit photos so I was super excited that we actually made it work! Semi-nerve-wracking climbing up in heels though..
A not-so-sterling Archer
shirt: self-made, pattern here // leggings: self-made, pattern here // boots: Boutique 9 // glasses: BonLook
You guys!! I made a shirt!! A real fancy button-up shirt!!
Ok, not that fancy, but still!! I wasn’t totally convinced this was going to work out, but thank god for Jen and her amazing sew along with amazingly detailed instructions! Ok, enough with the !’s. I highly recommend reading through the sew along, if not following through as you sew this, especially if this is your first complicated/tailored/lots-of-tiny-pieces pattern. I made this one in two days, and basically pored over each step six times before actually diving in. It was like Jen was there holding my hand and handing me a nice cup of tea and reassuring patpats every time I got stuck. It’s definitely not my best work but my topstitching has officially moved from “Horrendous” to “Probably Don’t Need to Redo.” Yayy!
Anyway, since this was my first attempt, I bought some cheap shitty (kind of plasticky, really) lineny/chambray-y looking fabric (It’s not, seriously, it’s like plastic.) just in case I totally effed it up, which I somehow managed not to! As a result, it’s sort of stiff and not nearly as drapey as I’d like it to be but I think it’s something I’ll still wear. I may have three or four more fabrics set aside for more Archers. Hee.
As a bonus, I also finally took photos of my second pair of Virginia leggings. See what I mean about them being sort of heinous? I really don’t know what I was thinking with that fabric, but at least I didn’t end up with a giant patch of flowers at the crotch. That would’ve been awkward. I definitely need to find a cuter (smaller) floral knit fabric to make moar leggings.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure this is going to be one of my favorite outfits for fall.
*PS Please tell me someone gets my post title? I’m ridiculously pleased with myself right now. Hee.
Deadly nightshade
dress: self-made // shoes: Seychelles // headband: J.Crew
Today I went outfit-photographing with the lovely ladies of Katy & Laney and it was a hysterically good time. I climbed in a giant metal wheel in heels, but I’ll save that for the next post. I usually end up ninja-ing my way up to the roof and hoping no one will notice my over-dressed, over-made-up self making faces at a tripod and frantically pulling my dress down when it gets gusty, so it was nice having someone (or a bunch of also super dressed up someones!) behind the camera. Thanks guys!
(It was also pretty hilarious having people to interact with during the photo-taking, especially when it resulted in gems like this.)
I don’t remember what was happening, except that Katy said something funny and I almost fell.
This dress was actually my first Belladone, which I made months and months ago. It was snowing and I remember walking home from the fabric shop clutching it excitedly but also kind of questioning my choice of a cut-out dress in the middle of winter.
Hint: Belladone is always a good choice. Always.
So yeah, I love this pattern to bits. It required literally zero adjustment, other than the little changes I make with nearly all patterns I use* (lower the neckline, shorten the hem, usually I add an inch or so to the torso but I can’t remember if I did that here.)
I can never decide if I love this dress, hate it, or am just amazed that it fits like a glove without any major adjustments to the pattern. For some ridiculous reason I decided to buy this awful gabardine (probably because it was like $2/yd) and then decided it would be a good idea to use it for this dress. I love the color, but the fabric itself is just utter crap. It’s too stiff, doesn’t press properly, and unravels like there’s no tomorrow. I made a second one out of a floral cotton that I like better, but it’s really a summery dress and I need to make another darker solid one to wear in the cooler months. The pockets are cute though! I lined them with some pink and white floral cotton I had lying around.
But yay! I <3 Deer and Doe.
*Let’s be honest, it’s a slight slutification. Which we found quite hilarious when we realized what we were taking photos in front of. Hee hee