Ellie & Mac Be Dreamy Dress

It's Wacky Wednesday at Ellie & Mac! This week I'm sharing with you the Be Dreamy Dress. I know you've seen me mention my dislike for dresses, but I do love maxi dresses. I just don't like showing my legs.

The Be Dreamy Dress has an optional high-low hemline and two sleeve flounce lengths. I made the regular hemline and used the shorter sleeve flounce.

My fabric is an interlock twist yarn (ITY) knit that I bought from Super Textiles in the Dallas Fabric District. I was drawn to the bold, large scale border print. However, I did not buy enough!

I did not have enough fabric to fussy cut the back skirt piece. I ended up cutting my back skirt out a bit differently and gathered it at the waist. I really love how it came out and think I'll make my next one in a similar manner.

The Be Dreamy Dress also includes optional pockets, but I opted to leave them out. I love the drape of the flounce sleeves and think I will try the longer length on my next dress.

I love the empire waist - it's very flattering. My ITY did not have any vertical stretch and my neckline ended up quite high, but I love it. The photos in the listing for the Be Dreamy Dress show a lower neckline.

I feel beautiful in my Be Dreamy Dress and think the fussy cutting of my fabric is what really made this dress perfect for me. I just wish the back of my dress could have been as beautiful as the front.

The Be Dreamy Dress is on sale for only $1 through May 15th. See all the Wacky Wednesday Sale patterns HERE! All other patterns are currently on sale for 50% off - no code needed.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Itch to Stitch Isidro Top

Kennis at Itch to Stitch has another beautiful pattern for the warmer weather that I just love. It's the Isidro Top and it is a great wardrobe staple.

First I wanted to show the Isidro with a few of my favorite Itch to Stitch patterns. I'me wearing my Isidro with a Paro Cardigan and Mountain View Pull-on Jeans.

The Isidro has two options - sleeveless and a gathered butterfly sleeve.

The neckline features beautiful gathers for added interest. This Isidro was a size 8 bust graded to a 14 hip. Since I had some creases going to my armpits, I decided to make another in a size up for the bust since my over bust measurement is almost the same as my full bust measurement.

Here is my second Isidro. This one is a size 10 bust graded to 14 hips. The creases going to my armpit are pretty much eliminated. I made this one and the one above in a 2-way stretch poly jersey.

I paired this Isidro with my Gold Ponte Stitch Upon a Time Goldilegs. These were in my sewing room as I re-hemmed them after I made my first Isidro. I made these initially to wear with heels, but I don't wear heels anymore and wanted to shorten them so I could get some wear out of them.

I'm really loving this dark teal color with my gold pants.

I feel like I need to make a Paro Cardigan to go with this outfit.

I just had to make another Isidro so I could try the gathered flounce sleeve.

When I made my sleeveless versions of the Isidro, I'm sure Kennis was surprised at my choice of somewhat boring fabrics. I grabbed my Venus Flytraps Yoga/Swim Spandex from Zenith & Quasar for this Isidro. This fabric is currently at preorder and anything but boring.

The sleeve has gathers all the way around the arm. I love that not a lot of the underside of the fabric shows on the lower part of the sleeve. I did not hem my sleeve or the body of this Isidro. This fabric cuts cleanly and does well unhemmed.

I foresee many Isidros in my future. The sleeveless version makes a great layering piece and a bit fancier than a normal tank or camisole. It also gives better bra coverage. I did not remove any length from the Isidro for my height and can report that I can make my size from just 1 yard of fabric - sleeves included! The Isidro is on sale for a limited time.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

5 out of 4 Jessie Top & Dress

Ever since I made the Rosanna (Tank, Tankini, Dress, and Swim Dress) from 5 out of 4, I've been wanting to make the Jessie (Top, Tunic & Dress). The Rosanna has a low back with the option to add fun straps, but it's a tank only with a peplum. The Jessie also has a low back with the option for fun straps, but it has sleeve options.

Here's a look at my strappy back.

I'm lucky that my friend Sharon (Sweet Mama Life) tested the Jessie and was able to tell me how much I needed to move the back scoop up to hide my bra. She told me she moved hers up 1.5" and since I'm shorter than her at 5', that I should move mine up 2".  She was right - it came out perfect.

I made a size large bust graded to size large hips. I also wanted a looser fit and cut at the dress width cut line to give a little extra ease. I love how my Jessie turned out.

I used cotton lycra from Made Whimsy for my Jessie. This Steampunk Floral needed to be made into an edgy top. The Jessie was perfect for it.

Here's a closer look at the Steampunk Floral print.

I'm not usually into real girly florals and loved the colors of this print and the fun steampunk elements in it.

I paired the Steampunk Floral with the Dark Turquoise Dream Solid Cotton Lycra. I love the dream solids. They are so soft and smooth, and the weight is 220 - 230 gsm like the custom prints.

Made Whimsy has many fun & beautiful designs currently at preorder through March 5th. Check it out HERE.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Itch to Stitch Orono Top

I've had an obsession lately with crossover front tops.  So when Kennis at Itch to Stitch had a tester call for one, I immediately signed up. This is the Orono Top.

The Orono Top is perfect for all those knits with little stretch in your stash. I bought 6 yards of this gorgeous turquoise french terry from Golden D'or for 99 cents a yard during one of their Inventory Sales. Unfortunately it's been sitting in my stash a few years because it has only 10% stretch.

The Orono Top has pockets and the construction is very unique. I've never done a pocket this way, but I love it! I'll definitely try this technique on other tops.

The Orono Top is a raglan sleeve top, but the sleeves have a shoulder part that gives the sleeves perfect shaping for a more sophisticated fit.

The Orono Top features a tulip front and the back is slightly longer to create a high-low hemline.

I am 5' tall and did not remove any length from my Orono Top. I do love it this length on me, but think I will try it again with a few inches removed.

And like most patterns from Itch to Stitch, I couldn't stop at just one. I just had to make another.

For this one I used this dotted french terry from my stash. I bought is as a remnant from the fabric district about 8 years ago. It has only 10% stretch, so I've had a hard time finding a pattern to use it with. The Orono Top was perfect.

I used an organic cotton waffle knit for the sleeves. This thermal knit has about 25% stretch.

The french terry I used was thinner and had more drape than the turquoise french terry I used for my first Orono Top.

 And of course I had to include the pockets. The neckband includes a lengthen/shorten line to make it whatever height you want it.

Now that testing is over, I am going to modify the pattern a little bit to make a few for spring. The Orono Top is on sale for 20% off - making it $8 though Sunday, February 24th!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

George + Ginger Rival Dress Shirt Hack

The featured pattern for February at George + Ginger is the Rival Dress. It's on sale for the month of February for $6.75. I'm not a fan of dresses, so I decided to make a Rival Shirt!

I'm 5' tall and removed 5" off the bottom of the pattern pieces. I omitted the bottom band and just hemmed my Rival shirt.

I used athletic brushed poly from Zenith & Quasar. I used Cosmic Craters for the back and front side panels. This print is currently at preorder through February 15th.

I am loving the fit of the Rival as a shirt.

The front and sleeves are an Apollo 11 Code. This print is also at preorder, but the scale offered is smaller than mine.

Here's a closer look at the Apollo 11 Code. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

The Rival dress has a lot of options - a hood, cowl, side pockets, and long sleeves. Grab it before the end of February for 25% off.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Ellie & Mac Women's Lucky Girl Top

I love raglan style tops and the Ellie & Mac Women's Lucky Girl Top and Dress is no ordinary raglan.

The Lucky Girl has the cutest sleeves! I made the banded version, but there is also a version that ties.

Raglans are great for mixing and matching fabrics. I used a Texas fabric designed by Robyriker on Spoonflower. This print was offered by Sew Big Fabrics as a fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey victims. You can buy this print - and other coordinating Texas designs HERE.

Love how the Lucky Girl sleeve shows a little bit of skin.

I love that you can use scraps and short cuts for the sleeves on the Lucky Girl. The red I used above and below was a short cut of red cotton lycra from Made Whimsy.

This striped floral was in a short cut remnant pack I got from Wanderlust.

I think it's a fun combo. I might add some HTV to the front.

The Lucky Girl below was the final version and I made it with more scraps!

The cherry blossom design came from a destash and was a super wonky cut. I just barely got the body cut from it. It's  a good thing I'm short. I took 2" out of the length.

The brown was a cotton lycra remnant from Made Whimsy. Mandy periodically offers remnants and flawed pieces for just a few bucks for lots of usable fabric.

Grab the Lucky Girl for only $3.85 through Sunday (02/03).

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.