Before I dive into posts about how I did my Her Universe Fashion Show look, I want to show the dress I did as my “practice” for the bodice of my 80s Minnie dress. Without having done this first version, I don’t know that I would have had enough time to achieve the fit that I wanted. As luck would have it, my job had an 80s theme holiday party so it was the perfect opportunity to turn this into a full dress and see if I could get close before submitting my design.

Make your own LED light up skirt!

I review the new Cashmerette Ellington Dress, detailing my fit adjustments (sizing down and custom shortening), grading, and a fun faux corset back modification. I discuss the clean lining finish, boning support, and working with a linen-rayon blend. Perfect for a romantic look!

Throwing these two together because they do make a cute lounge set. However, I actually made each piece separately. I made them both from some lovely light french terry that I won in a raffle years ago from Amelia Lane Designs. I got to pick 3 yards of anything I wanted and this was my favorite. I still have about a yard left so we'll see what I do with it!

As mentioned in my last post, I had enough of the fabric leftover from my Maria dress to make a matching tote. I even had enough to do pattern matching of the roses around the top! This is the Hattie Tote pattern, also from Charm Patterns. I did decide to buy some coordinating fabric for the inside although I had enough fabric that I'm sure I could have made it work, but I think it looks better with a solid lining.

This is the Charm Patterns Maria dress which is a princess seam dress that makes a great base for many styles. The lines are clean. It's straightforward and nice for a beginner to learn princess seams, but a satisfying sew for a more experienced sewist. So why do I also call it the Friendship Dress? This pattern was under development and about to be released when I attended my…

And here is the second version of The Works Tank by Pattern Emporium that I promised you in yesterday's post. And honestly this is my favorite of the two. This one is a size 8 at the bust graded to a size 12 at the hips. I measure a 10 at the hips, but I misread the sizing and accidentally graded to a 12.

Nothing like a pattern test to break me out of my rut and get me posting again. While I certainly have some backlog of items to post, I haven't been making as much in the past couple of months due to travel and work. Fortunately, this pattern is super fast and easy! This is The Works Tank by Pattern Emporium…

The first thing I made this year (as in, on Jan 2 while I was on New Year's vacation) was a black Charm Patterns Stanwyck Skirt. After making the Stanwyck for my Hanukkah skirt, I knew I needed a black one that I could use as a basic in my wardrobe. And in fact, it came in handy not long after in February when I joined a bunch of friends for a historical costume ice skating event.

Since it's that time of year where aspiring fashion designers are filling out the last bits of their Her Universe Fashion Show applications and filming the last take of their submission video, it seemed like a great time to share some pictures of the pieces I designed as part of our Winners' Collection that was launched at San Diego Comic Con 2024.

This is the Cashmerette Vernon shirt! Would you believe this shirt was a muslin? It was! Before diving into the Swanton Blouse, I decided to make the Vernon to get a feel for Cashmerette sizing since prior to that I had never made a Cashmerette pattern so I wasn't sure how their block would fit me. I chose to make the Vernon (which was gifted to me to do a mashup with Swanton) because it's a very classic style and would give me a good indication of how Cashmerette patterns would fit.