When I heard about an opportunity to move to Vancouver and open Télio’s first showroom out here, I jumped at the opportunity. Flash forward three months, and I was moving my life across Canada! I’ve now been living here almost three years, and I love it. I spend my days running the showroom, where I meet with local designers, manufacturers and retailers, and help them to source fabrics. I also contribute to the Télio blog, Textures, which has been up and running for about two months now.

Tasia and I met two years ago, and I immediately thought she was such a cool lady. I won’t lie, after meeting her I spent hours on her blog learning about her journey, totally in awe. When she asked me to lend a hand, I was thrilled! It’s been tons of fun helping her with sewing samples, and taking care of e-mails. It certainly keeps me busy on my evenings and weekends, but I don’t mind – it doesn’t feel like work when you enjoy what you’re doing. I’m so excited and honored to be a part of her team, and to start blogging in her little corner of the online sewing community!

And there you have it; a little peek into the path that brought me here!

So to kick things off, I wanted to show you guys one of my favorite Sewaholic makes so far, my cheetah print Alma blouse! I’m not usually big on loud animal prints, but when I saw this fabric at Télio, something about it just spoke to me! I immediately thought it would be perfect for a fun Alma blouse.

I used a cheetah print cotton poplin from Télio. It’s a lovely light weight, but not sheer at all. One suggestion I have for using cottons: always be sure to pre-wash! Cottons will always shrink during the wash/dry cycle, so I always make sure to give them a good pre-wash before cutting.

This blouse came together in a flash. This is partially due to the fact that I decided to omit the side seam zip. When I made my muslin, I was able to pull the sample over my head easily without a zip, so I just went with it! I wouldn’t suggest this with a delicate fabric though.

I considered doing a contrast collar and tie belt, but in the end I decided to do everything in the same fabric. It really lets the animal print shine! There is no distraction with a different colored collar or belt.

You might notice that the sleeve length is shortened from View B. This was a super easy customization, I just hacked off few inches from the View B sleeve.

I also lengthened the pattern by about an inch and a half, and took it out just a tiny bit at the hips…

The photo above is a quick snapshot of this adjustment. I try to always trace out my patterns, and I knew the Alma would be a repeat make for me, so I was sure to take the time to trace this one. You can see that I lengthened the bodice, and brought the hips out a little. This is an adjustment I commonly make with more fitted patterns, since I have a longer torso and fuller hips, and I like some extra room in that area. I just copied this adjustment to the back bodice piece, and voila! Super easy.

Did I mention I love this blouse? It’s flirty, and girly, and kind of feisty too! Hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about me, and my cheetah print Alma Blouse. I’m looking forward to sharing more sewing projects, tips, and inspiration with you.

Back to the dress!

It was really sunny out so all of my photos turned out very pale. In some the dress looks almost white! (And my shoes completely blend in with my legs. It’s a bit weird but we can’t complain about sunshine after all the rain we’ve had!) To be honest, I’m not thrilled with the photos, I feel like they don’t do the dress justice. Light colours in bright sunlight are hard to photograph!

Here is the first version of the dress here, now faded and pulling apart at the seams, too worn out to wear. Goodbye, old dress! (Many of you suggested that I keep the fabric and try to do something with it, and I will. Or I plan to, anyways, it’s in my scrap box waiting for me to learn to quilt.)

The fabric is a Nani Iro double gauze that I bought at Spool of Thread. The last time I was there, they still had some in stock! It’s lined with a cream cotton voile from Télio. 

Double-gauze fabric seems like it would be sheer, but with a lining of cotton voile it’s quite opaque. I’m wearing a black bra and you can hardly tell!

The bra I’m wearing has a slightly vintage shape to it, so it fits the dart placement of this 1965 pattern well and has less of a rounded effect. I’d tried this dress on a few times with a modern padded push-up bra and you can really tell the difference. This bra makes my chest look smaller, but more suited to the bodice of this dress. It’s really true what they say in fitting books, wear the bra you plan to wear with the finished garment when fitting a dress! You can see the different bra shape in the side view photo here.

I changed the neckline, raising the back to cover the back bra strap and lowering the front so it would sit more comfortably. I also lengthened the bodice a little, but with the change in bra it now looks like there’s a little too much space in there, especially if I’m not standing or sitting up perfectly straight. (No slouching in this dress!) Probably if I were to make it again, and plan to wear the same bra, I’d go back to the shorter bodice, or alter it again so the length is in between the two.

I made the belt! It’s a bit over-the-top sweet but I like to have the option to wear it. I think for a daytime summer wedding it would be pretty with the bow belt. (Who are we kidding, I’ll probably always wear the bow belt, it’s adorable!) The bow pattern piece was missing but I faked it with a piece cut the same width as the belt, and 18″ long.

The belt is secured with heavy-duty snaps. (Or poppers, or press studs.) These are the type of snaps that are hard to open again, so they’re great for a snug belt. I sewed them very securely, going around the holes several times. I wore this dress to walk outside, take the photos, and wore it while I typed up these notes. The snap didn’t budge at all! (Very reassuring for wearing the dress for longer periods of time.)

The skirt did not actually end up longer than my first version, because I followed the pattern instructions for hemming the skirt with a wide hem. (Because I’d already trimmed the lining to the finished length, which gets tucked in the fold of the skirt, and I didn’t mind it being shorter.) I kind of forgot what I had planned, as I worked on this dress in stolen moments of time, a couple minutes here and there.

The instructions call for you to trim the lining to the finished length of the skirt, so the hem of the skirt fabric folds up and over the raw edge of the lining. Then you sew the hem to the lining, so the hemming stitches are completely invisible on the right side. It’s nice because the lining doesn’t separate from the skirt and there’s no possibility of it hanging down longer than the skirt, but it doesn’t allow for any changes to the hem length after cutting.

Next time, especially as I’m thinking of making a solid-colour version, I will add to the length. It’s cuter when it’s short, but a couple of inches would help bring it from cute to elegant.

The other thing about lining cotton fabric with cotton lining is that the layers stick together a bit, so the skirt can look wrinkled when in fact it’s the two layers of fabric gripping to each other. It’s soft and very comfortable, and it will be breathable in the summer heat, but it requires a little smoothing out now and then! (Something to think about for your upcoming summer sewing projects.)

I hand-picked the zipper. (Tutorial here!)

I did a bound buttonhole at the back opening, but sewed the button on top of the buttonhole through both layers so it’s not functional.

And on the inside, I whipstitched the loose edge because I remember safety-pinning the first version of the dress in place.

Hm, what else? I really like how this turned out. The shape of the dress is simple so that the pretty, girly fabric doesn’t look too cutesy. (Something with gathers or ruffles would probably be too much cute.) I loved the original dress so much that I literally wore it out, so it’s nice to have a new version.

Here’s the back view – not a great photo of the dress as I’m twisted around, but you get the general idea! (I have better photos of the back from the first version.)

This is the beauty of sewing – no dress is ever irreplaceable! You can use the same pattern, look for similar fabric, and re-make a dress you love as many times as you want. Even if you’ve lost the pattern and have to buy it again, it’s still worthwhile to get the dress of your dreams back.

More posts about this dress:

• McCalls 7743: Revisiting a Favourite Vintage Dress
• Surprising Things about McCalls 7743
• A Different Kind of Waist Stay

I did a quick search to see if this pattern is for sale anywhere, but sadly no! It appears that there are at least two other patterns called McCalls 7743 and neither is this dress. It’s a good one though, pick it up if you see it!

What do you think of version #2? (What would you pick for version #3?)

It may not be the most interesting sewing project ever, but it almost didn’t happen! In its previous life, this fabric was a failed dress project, doomed to the scrap bin for over a year.

This used to be a sample of the Cambie Dress, while I was still working out the design. The bodice wasn’t quite right, which made the dress unwearable in its current state.

Once I’d finalized the Cambie pattern, I had no more need for this dress prototype. In fact I regretted using good fabric when the design wasn’t ready. (Should have made just one more muslin first!) So I’d stashed it in the scrap bin for future refashioning. Out of sight, out of mind!

After making the Lauriel Cardigan, in all its bright golden glory, I needed something to go with it. Something fairly muted, a little feminine, with hints of yellow. I was purging the scrap bin and remembered how pretty this fabric was and how unfortunate that I’d wasted it. That’s where I came up with the idea to rework this dress into a skirt! I’d save it from the scrap bin and complete an outfit, all with one project.

If you’ve ever made a dress that didn’t turn out quite right, if the lower half fits or has plenty of volume to work with, why not turn it into a skirt?! It’s easiest with full pleated or gathered skirts, as you can easily re-gather or re-pleat it into a new waistband. It’s also easiest if your dress has a waist, with bodice and skirt pieces joined along a seamline, so it’s easy to decide where the skirt begins.

First, save the skirt pieces. Carefully unpick the waistline seam, or cut below the seamline. (I cut to save time, and also because I knew there was plenty of length in the skirt. If your dress is on the short side, unpick the seam instead to save every bit of length!)

Make sure the zipper is open and the tab is below the waistline where you’re going to cut. You want that tab on the new skirt!

Make any necessary repairs. For the pockets I’d originally tried to secure them into the waist seam, figuring they wouldn’t flop around as much, but it wasn’t very comfortable to put your hands in them that way. So I re-drew the pocket line, and sewed and serged the pocket.

Cut a waistband. I thought of using a contrast navy fabric for visual interest, but also because my scraps of this blue floral fabric were too small to cut the full piece. Instead I decided to piece the waistband out of the leftover floral fabric. I placed the pieced seams at the sides, so the waistband ended up being three pieces.

I used the Hollyburn Skirt‘s waistband piece, and added a 1 1/2″ overlap and underlap to place a button.

I regathered the skirt to fit the new waistband. You could pleat yours, but gathering is the fastest and easiest.

Lastly, I attached the waistband, and topstitched all around it.

I sewed one button to the top of the waistband, and one as a stay button on the inside.

A tip about stay buttons – save the ones that come in a plastic bag with purchased pants! I inherited a bunch of buttons and about half of the buttons were the extra sets that come with store-bought dress pants.

Bonus: the skirt was already hemmed from when it was a dress!

I love this mustard-yellow seam binding. Another thing that was too pretty to waste.

Success! A new skirt, a project saved from the scrap bin, and something to wear with my Lauriel cardigan.

Have you ever done this with a dress, either a purchased dress or a sewing project that didn’t work out? It’s easy to do! You could always re-attach the skirt to a new bodice in a coordinating colour. If you’re going to do that, look for a pattern that has a waist seam so it’s easy to swap in your new gathered skirt.

I was drawn to the autumnal colours when I bought it, but looking at it next to some of the prettier, brighter coloured fabrics on my shelf, it started to look a bit ugly. For a fabric that borders on the ugly, a pretty sewing pattern is a must!

That’s where the Cambie Dress pattern comes in – it even looks good in ugly fabric!

You may have noticed this dress in my February recap post, I wore it for my high school talks as it’s a crowd-pleaser!

I quite like how this version of the Cambie Dress turned out. When it’s cool outside, I tend to wear and love warm, earthy colours, so this dress fits nicely into my fall/winter wardrobe. (And I find it hard to reach for bright or pale colours on gloomy days.) Mustard, brown and forest greens feel natural to wear in the cooler weather.

I went with the straight-across neckline (see how to create your own straight neckline here) to echo the blocky lines of the geometric print. Because the skirt is so fully gathered, the patchwork-like design is hidden in the folds of the skirt, showing flashes of colour as the skirt swishes, instead of straight lines. It’s worked out very well!

I pinned a vintage brooch to the bodice where the straps connect, for an extra touch of gold. Fancy! I think that concept would look even better on a solid dress.

There was a bench nearby, so I sat for a couple of photos. Let me tell you, sitting-down photos look really strange if you don’t stretch your legs out. That’s my amateur modeling tip of the day!

I was lucky to get a couple hours of dry weather to take photos outside – a welcome break from the non-stop rain!

I lined the fabric in a forest-green rayon. I had odd pieces on hand so the skirt and bodice are different shades of the same colour, but no one will see! (You can’t even tell the lining is green unless I show you. Or if I ride my bike on a windy day…)

I really like this dress! I thought the fabric was doomed but in the right pattern, it works quite nicely I think!

Do some of the fabrics you buy start to look less attractive or dull next to the others on your shelf? Have you ever bought a piece of fabric that seemed awesome, but started to look ugly when you brought it home? How did you make it work?

Want to make your own Cambie Dress? Get the pattern here.

One last thing! I also did a hand-picked zipper on this dress, and I think I’ll do a quick post to demonstrate how to sew a hand-picked zipper into the Cambie Dress. I did a few things differently from the instructions to make it easy to insert and finish off the opening edge. It’s not difficult to do at all!

I sure know what I like – colourful, printed, feminine dresses. Dresses like this are so easy to wear. I’ll add a cardigan, boots and tights in the winter, maybe even an extra pair of socks on top of the tights and a warm hat. In summer, a printed dress is the easiest thing to throw on. Just a pair of comfy flats or cute sandals and I’m good to go!

(For some reason, the heat has been cranked up in my office, so it was no problem to model the dress without tights or a sweater…just in case you were wondering why I don’t look cold here!)

Plus, since the background of the print is dark, it counts as a wintery dress in my mind. (As opposed to a light or white-based print, which looks too summery for wearing with black tights.)

Modifications:

I cut a straight size 2 except for the skirt pieces.

I cut the size 18 skirt bottom, both length and width. Why? I wanted a little more fullness in the gathered skirt. I could tell from the sample photos that the skirt was not very full, and I like more fullness both for comfort and for the silhouette. Rather than overthink it, by using the largest size skirt pattern I was able to add a couple more inches of extra fullness in the gathers.

(the border print looks great in this pattern!)

Sewing Notes:

Mark the centre front of the skirt! I like to make a little snip into the fold so it’s easier to line up the gathers. Make sure to snip the centre front of the bodice if needed, although on the Hazel the seamlines meet in the centre front so it’s easy to line up.

If you wanted to use a regular zipper, a 14″ would be the right length, a little on the long side but 12″ is too short. I was going to use a regular zipper, but then decided to follow the directions and use an invisible one since I had one on hand. (I prefer regular zippers but I do like how the invisibles look.)

(the strap is slipping in this photo but I swear they do properly cover my bra straps!)

The waist is a little higher than my natural waist.. but I really liked the proportions of the dress that way! The skirt is on the long side, and the bodice is on the short side, so I look a little taller while still having plenty of leg coverage. (Or perhaps I don’t look much taller, but it does make the legs look longer as opposed to having a long torso and short legs..)

Like my Chantilly, it’s a little loose through the ribcage and waist, but I like it. If I want it to show off the figure more, I’ll wear a cardigan and button it at the waistline only, but in the meantime it’s nice to be able to eat a big meal.

The bust darts are a teeny bit pointy. To avoid the pointed look, sew the darts with a bit of a curve. Which I did, but they’re still a little prominent, partly because of the shape and partly because my fabric is quite crisp. I’m thinking of replacing the darts with gathers, perhaps on a future version.

(you can see the darts a little bit in this photo)

I finished the waist seam allowances and tacked the facings to the bodice, both things weren’t specifically noted in the instructions but I did out of habit. I also topstitched the waist seam for no real reason. It’ll be hidden under a belt most times I wear this dress, I’d imagine.

I also thought about making this project complicated: adding lining, adding underlining to the bodice, lace to the lining hem, maybe some piping along the top edge.. and then decided to keep it simple! Sometimes it’s great to pick up and sew a simple project as is, and let the fabric and styling stand alone. I’ll save the piping and embellishments for Hazel Number Two.

Overall thoughts? A great, simple, quick-to-sew sundress that’s perfect for printed fabrics where you want the print to be the focus.

Make again? You bet! Are you surprised that I already have plenty of fabric that would be suitable for more Hazels?

Have you made the Hazel dress?

I sewed up the dress in today’s post way back in the summer, after coming in on a weekend to sew for fun. I was feeling the need to make something just for the enjoyment of sewing. With all of the sewing I do for instructions or tutorials, it’s nice to make something with no strings attached now and then. It didn’t turn out well, but it didn’t turn out disastrously enough to make for a good story. So I never finished the blog post about it. (Why blog about something I feel unattached to, when there are more interesting things to talk about?)

Anyways, I thought I would share this project anyways, since it’s finished. Proof that sometimes I make things that are okay, but not exactly as I hoped.

In the first post I drafted, it’s like I was trying to convince you (and myself) that I likedd it. I edited out the ‘it’s bold but I like it anyways!’ lies out of here so it would be more true. Can I tell you a secret? This dress is still hanging in my office, unworn.

Pattern is Simplicity 8498, from 1969. The design lines on the front are simple and flattering, but unfortunately you can hardly see them at all in this fabric!

(looking at these photos reminds me of how hot it was this past summer!)

I did some nice finishing techniques on the inside. The facings are trimmed with bias tape, and to make them look more professional I stitched them with a small stitch length. I think it looks rather nice! (You can see the interesting design lines better on the inside-out photos.)

Personally, I like when there are two separate facing pieces for the armhole and the neckline. I know many patterns do the all-in-one facing but I like sewing these type of facings better. I like that I can understitch completely around  the armhole or neckline, instead of understitching only as far as I can work the facing under the machine. (Simplicity 3965, the pattern I made three times, has these type of facings too.)

I had just enough to add bias tape to the hem, too!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a hand-picked zipper, and it’s still my favourite zipper technique. (Want to know how to add a hand-picked zipper to your projects? Click here to read a tutorial.)

The fabric is a cotton twill I bought ages ago on sale. The only modifications I made were to shorten the dress by 3″. I had added extra ease at the hip, but in this A-line style I didn’t need the extra, and took the seams in after the dress was sewn.

Here’s the pattern cover. (Notice that they’re all illustrated in solid fabrics? Hmm… the pattern is giving me a hint that I clearly ignored.)

I love the golden brocade maxi version, with the sequin trim! Look closely, there’s sequin trim along the hemline as well.

For a test dress, this version turned out all right. But here’s the thing – normally, things I love get taken home and worn right away. I’ve even worn sweaters I knit before the buttons are even attached. (Partly out of love, partly because I really need sweaters!)

So what don’t I like about it? For one thing, the fabric isn’t quite right. It’s way too stiff – closer to the weight of a heavy denim – and feels like it could stand up by itself. It’s way, way too bright for my liking, and I usually like bright! It looks better in these photographs than it does in real life. And it’s pretty much a summer-season only dress, it looks garish and showy in the fall and winter.

It’s also a little loose on me, partly because of the style, and partly because the heavy fabric makes it stand out from the body like a board. I’ve changed shape a little and now it’s definitely too loose, but not softly draping loose, which would be pretty, but thick and tent-like loose.

And lastly, it lacks the things I like about dresses. I like fitted waistlines, full skirts, pockets for practicality. I can’t belt it and I’m not certain it feels like me. This pattern design is pretty, but different from my usual style, which means that it’s going to be less likely to be worn if I don’t absolutely love it. (It’s kind of like if you never wear dresses, or bright colours, and then try to jump into dress-wearing with a brightly coloured, bold printed dress. Too much change!)

So what did I learn from this project?

• Identify what you like about a pattern, style or garment, and stick with it! I liked the simple, clean lines of this dress pattern, which are best shown in a solid fabric. The illustrations are all done in solid or textured fabrics, no prints. I immediately envisioned a simple, navy dress where you can see the elegant seaming, but decided to make it in floral cotton twill instead. Compromising on your original vision means it won’t be the dress of your dreams. (Which can work out into a pleasant surprise, but it could backfire too.)
• If a garment doesn’t feel like ‘you’ you’ll never wear it. And sometimes even when things seem like they’re adding up – interesting yet subtle pattern details, a bright print, a colourful dress – the finished product might not have the right look and feel. When you’re just learning to sew, it takes practice and experimentation to get really good at matching a pattern with the right fabric. Sometimes even if you’re experienced, the stars don’t align and the project bombs. (It might even be worse if you’re more experienced. Beginners are more cautious when selecting materials. I look at a scary-bright fabric and never-used pattern and think, maybe I could make it work!)
• Fabric hand and drape is very important. Not only is this fabric stiff on its own, but it’s the type of print where the ink sits on top of the fabric, creating an even stiffer hand. Too-stiff fabrics can make your projects look homemade rather than handcrafted. I think that might be my biggest issue with this dress, it doesn’t look elegant or sophisticated, but stiff and homemade.
• If at first you don’t succeed, learn from it and try again! Am I giving up on this pattern? Absolutely not! It has the potential to be gorgeous, in the right fabric. Again, I am going to focus on what I liked about the design at first glance – the interesting seaming – and focus my project on that. (And maybe some sequin trim.)

Have you made a less-than-perfect project, and what did you learn from it? Did you ever come back to the pattern a second time with better results?

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Here’s hoping all of your creative endeavours turn out just like you want them to. Happy sewing!

I made this on the same day as the lace underwear. The big plan was to go into the office on a day off and whip up several new pairs of undies, but after finishing the first pair I really wanted to wear-test them before sewing a second or third pair. That way I could make changes and get the fit just right. Since I was already here, I thought I’d sew something else just for fun!

This dress was made for a couple of reasons – one, to use up the fabric from my stash and two, to go with a blue cardigan. (What blue cardigan you ask? You’ll see soon!)

My second time making this dress was even faster than the first, as I knew it still fit and I didn’t want to make any changes.

One thing I’d suggest if you make this dress? Hand-baste around the yoke when you get to that part. It says ‘baste’ in the instructions, but I remembered hand-basting last time and it worked well. You can re-adjust the fabric so it lines up as you sew, rather than machine-basting when the layers might slip.

I’m hoping this becomes a wardrobe favourite that’s easy to wear. The original version is so bright and fun, but I feel like it’s limiting. If I wear it two days in a row, you’ll definitely notice! It’s hard to ‘restyle’ into a different look, where this plainer version can work with a blue cardigan or a brown pullover for two completely different looks.

It was too chilly to model it when I finished the dress. I wanted to show how it looks on a body, but didn’t want to undress on such a cold rainy day! I’ll take photos when I wear it for the first time.

It’s interesting to look at the same pattern, done up in two different fabrics. Side by side, the brighter colours photograph better, and you can almost tell that one photo was taken on a sunny day, one on a cloudy grey day.

The neutral-coloured print shows off the yoke detail better. You can see the scoop of the neck, the bustline gathers and the curve of the midriff seam more clearly. Both are pretty in a completely different way! It’s easy to instantly like the bold and bright coloured version, but I’m thinking that the subtler colours of the new dress will be less obvious when I wear it repeatedly.

What do you think of Chantilly One and Chantilly Two?

The pattern is Jalie 2568, my first encounter with a Jalie pattern. They’re huge! (The pattern format, I mean.) The pattern comes folded letter-sized, wrapped in plastic. Pattern pieces are printed on regular white paper, and include the biggest range of sizes I’ve ever seen – from a two-year old child’s size to a women’s 52″ bust. (No, the little lace pair that I made isn’t available in child sizes, just the classic cut panties.)

Lace panties might be the one thing it’s actually cheaper to sew than to buy. Victoria’s Secret sells pairs just like this for $12.50, or 3 for $33. I made these for way less! (If you don’t count the pattern, that is.) I want to do the math when I’ve made a whole bunch, as I still have plenty of lace left, but I’m going to say they cost about $5 in lace for one pair.

Inside-out shot! The cotton lining is cut from an old tee shirt. I collected a couple of old tees from Mr Sewaholic, as you barely need any fabric at all for the lining. I used a small section of the sleeve and could have got a few more out of the sleeve too.

Note: if you’re making this pattern, don’t snip the notches in the lining piece! I snipped mine but realized the lining is sewn down along the raw edges, so a snip would be bad. I had to recut my piece. Mark the centre using chalk, or fold the piece in half when you need to find the centre.

I ordered enough stretch lace from Sew Sassy to make at least a dozen pairs, but after the first pair was finished I decided to ‘wear-test’ them first. If you’re looking for wide stretch lace, Sew Sassy has a great selection! Shipping to Canada was reasonably fast and I believe reasonably priced.

My thoughts on sewing underwear, after making this pair? It’s not hard. Cutting takes more time than sewing, on a pair like this. The sewing is fast, there are very few seams, and most of the sewing can be done on a serger. I like the instant gratification of cutting and sewing a finished piece in half an hour. Most of the projects I work on are for new pattern development, so I’m used to labour-intensive projects that often involve writing my own instructions. It’s nice to whip up something quick and have it turn out!

Plus, I love being able to make everything in my wardrobe myself. If I were to do another Me-Made month, it would be so much easier now!

Have you sewn underwear? From this pattern or another pattern? How did they turn out?

PS. I’ll put together more Renfrew Top posts soon! I’ve made good progress on the purple top and have plenty of related tutorials planned. Just need to write them up, add photos and post!

PPS. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! I feel like we’re heading into that crazy busy season with work, but also with shorter days and the upcoming holiday festivities. When life gets crazy, that’s when I’m extra careful with my time, making sure I still have enough creative time to keep me sane. Whatever your level of craziness in life, take time to keep on making things. Little victories like a perfectly topstitched seam or a tidy row of knit stitches help make me feel like things are totally under control, even when they’re not!

A little, yes. You can still see the facings through the semi-sheer fabric. If you’re making this blouse in a white, light, or sheer fabric, you may get a little show-through.

I don’t really mind though, as I do love the fabric!

A view from the side. You can see the curved hemline, which sits nicely at the top of my belt. These are quite low-rise jeans, but I didn’t feel the top creeping up to expose skin at the side. If you’re very long in the body, or like extreme low-rise pants, perhaps you’ll want to add to the length. Other than that, it’s quite a nice length for wearing untucked.

Back view. I haven’t shown many photos of the back yet, mostly because getting a decent self-timed back photograph is a challenge!

Here’s what the full outfit looks like. Admittedly, it’s not super exciting (jeans and a blouse) but I like how easy this blouse is to wear. You know how there are some blouses out there that are a challenge to build an outfit with? This one works with everything – jeans, trousers, full or A-line skirts, pencil skirts, you name it!

Will I make this blouse again? You bet! I love all of the variations but View A (this one) might be my favourite.

Handy links to sewing posts that feature this blouse:

• Sewing Facings in Sheer Fabric
• Adding Topstitching to the Alma Blouse Neckline
• Alma Blouse: A Trick to Sewing the Tie Belt

Want to make your own Alma? Click here to shop the pattern store!

This photo was my favourite of them all. Look at the storm cloud lurking in the background!

It’s hard to photograph anything when the weather constantly changes. I’d set the timer, and during the ten second countdown the sun would disappear. Better than being rained on though, right?

This is the dress where I changed the neckline from sweetheart to straight-across – here’s the tutorial if you missed it! On this very lightweight fabric, I prefer the straight neckline. There’s less chance of the neckline pulling away from the body. Plus the fabric is so sheer that the seam allowances show through, so all of the clips around the curves would show.

In the photo above, you can see the outline of the darts through the bodice. This would be a good place to use underlining! (Here’s a post on underlining if you plan to use sheer fabric for your Cambie Dress – and a couple more underlining posts too!)

The fabric is a lightweight cotton voile from Télio, lined with 100% cotton voile in a light ivory colour. (Shoes are from DSW in San Francisco when Mr Sewaholic and I were there four years ago. They come out for special occasions and photo shoots!)

Here’s a round-up of posts to help you make your Cambie Dress. (Get the pattern here.)

• Slightly Less Sweet.
• Sewing Inseam Pockets
• Sewing the Lining into the Cambie Dress
• Sewing the Cambie Dress Straps

I’ve talked about this dress so often, it’s nice to see it finished! Have a great week, everyone!