fall sewing projects

Hi, I'm Jade and I'm utterly addicted to sewing. Can't stop, won't stop. I'm super excited to get started with my fall sewing projects. Below is a little preview of what's coming up on my list soon! First up is the Stacker jacket by Papercut Patterns. Details and fabric links below the graphic...

Stacker Jacket by Papercut Patterns  in this pretty Stretch Cotton Corduroy from Blackbird fabrics. 

Archer Button Up by Grainline Studios in this dark taupe linen.

Hudson Pant by True Bias in a copper stretch jersey.

sewing inspiration: suits

(photo from __modus on Instagram)

My office doesn't have the strictest dress code. If I want to wear jeans on a Wednesday, I can get away with it. Although, I always try to pair with fancier pieces and I wouldn't dare to wear my Stan Smiths. Okay I did it once but it was a half day! Not too long ago I had to speak in front of a fair amount of people, and you bet I took it as the perfect excuse to buy a suit. Which is probably a floodgate I shouldn't have opened. 

My first purchase was a set from Target. A plaid blazer with matching pant. I can 100% recommend it, it's darn soft and looks very polished. No, it doesn't pass as a $5,000 suit (and hopefully I won't ever turn into Gob) but you'll feel pretty spiffy.

I won't lie, suits seem like a daunting project. Lots of fabric and precise sewing skills. I've been eyeing Closet Case's Jasika Blazer and Sasha Trousers. Heather even has a whole tailoring supplies kit available for purchase to make you feel less overwhelmed.

In the meantime, here's what I've been window shopping around the web to get inspired:

what i'm making: lirika matoshi inspired dress pt. 1

Happy Tuesday! Or whatever day you are reading this on. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my stories post about a dress that I'm in the process of recreating. It's always been a dream of mine to recreate a designer piece!

Initially, I had posted two of Lirika Matoshi's creations, the Cascading Shimmer Dress  and the Teuta Dress. And then I waited a whole 24 hours (how patient am I?) to see which received a better response! Right from the start, everyone was feeling the Teuta Dress. I was surprised, as I felt the majority would lean toward the more sexy option.

I'll be sharing a bit of my creation process, but not full DIY instructions. I always feel a bit weird doing that with smaller designers, as I feel that I'm "ripping" them off. It's a battle I often have in my head. I don't know if I'm right, but I feel the DIY community isn't the same clientele who would shop the dress. Please share with me your feelings on the topic!

First I started with the top! I decided to make this part "detachable" so that if I was feeling extra cold (or naked),  I could put on a warmer top. Here I used Orange Lingerie's Esplanade Bra. It's not perfect. I burnt it a bit with the iron (lol) and the bottom band stitching could be better. I wrestled with this project so much. 

I initially extended the bodice a bit too much, which didn't allow the boning to lay flat. So I had to take it all apart, trim, and reassemble. What is that saying? Measure once, cut twice? 😉

Anyways, as I started this blog post the star fabric arrived. I'm very eager to wrap this up so that I can cut into it. More on the skirt portion, next time!

recently bought: underwire bra kit

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Underwire Bra Kit in Pale Pink Apricot Beige

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Spoiler alert of what is soon to come on this blog! I've been eyeing some Tailor Made Shoppe bra kits for awhile. Not just your soft bra, but an underwire type. Shivers. I know, I'm scared too. But the kits are just so pretty that I decided I just need to go for it. I'll be using the Marlborough Bra by Orange Lingerie, which fits this bra kit. PS the kit does not come with the actual underwire. Wish I would have realized that (insert monkey emoji covering eyes)...

Look at the pretty little detail on this elastic!! I love buying kits. As much as I enjoy sourcing my own fabric selections, I either end up buying way too much or too little, even with the pattern supplies in front of my eyeballs. I know, there is no in between. I bought my first bra kit from Arte Crafts to make my Sierra bra and wow I loved it. All that is left now is to purchase the pattern & grab some underwire. Fingers crossed!

sewing inspiration | the bomber jacket

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Alice + Olivia Bomber Jacket

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Last week I attended the Trend Preview at Neiman Marcus, which is always a great time. Who doesn't like looking at beautiful clothes? I love seeing pieces up close and looking at the details that go into each garment. The trends ranged from bare shoulders to confident reds, denim everything and the redefined blazer. But I couldn't get this bomber jacket out of my head. Beautiful embellishments!! I remember the first time I wanted a bomber jacket, when I saw Utada in this jacket. On a road trip to Montana, we stopped in Las Vegas where I found said jacket. I was a child and mom was right, satin gets ruined too easily. Both bombers were/are out of my price range. So I think it's time to make one. 

I'm thinking I'm going to try this BurdaStyle pattern, I might even make a muslin first. I think the key here is what I embellish it with. To be honest, I'm almost tempted to go full varsity and put a big "J" on it ha! The other half of me wants to go full Grease and make a pink one. Either way, satin seems to be the way to go.

upcoming sewing project: a-line skirt

Reformation skirt, Celine skirt, MilkCocoa, lxxdini, TopShop, Asos

After going through my closet and donating three huge trash bags of clothing, I am starting to see what pieces I need in my wardrobe. And while I feel like I need something of everything (leather pants, a perfect hat, a perfect turtleneck) I think what I truly need is the perfect a-line skirt. I'm always reaching into my drawer to find one but never do! So it's time to make one. 

I've thought about what I really want with this skirt. Black, of course, because it goes with everything. Waist band? No. I think I prefer one that is simple. If the black one goes well I will venture into other colors. Above you can see my mood board for this project. It also must be high waisted and not too short. Some of the skirts above aren't quite a-line but you get the idea.

I used this sewing pattern (which you can see here), which I might use again with some slight modifications. The other option here is to draft my own, which there are a lot of tutorials on the net for this. And if all else fails...I will just buy one.