New Makes Week!! #2

It’s new makes week! I made that up because I have so much to share and it’s easier to post several shorter posts than one big one. And more fun, right? Not that you’re waiting in eager anticipation of my newest post or anything, ha! But in this season, maybe you’re that listless, who am I to say?

I have an awesome recently made garment to share today! Definitely one of the best things I’ve made this season so far because of it’s wearability and versatility. I’ll get right to it:

Historically, I haven’t been known for sewing very many Indie patterns, but in these crazy times, those Big 4 pattern sales are elusive and hard to get to (ya know, when the stores aren’t open …), so I’ve been exploring Indie patterns more lately. Seamwork magazine has been around for many years and I used to subscribe, but cancelled it a few years ago and forgot about it. When I saw the Leonora pattern, I knew it was perfect for this piece of thick white denim I’d thrifted a few months ago. After seeing all the great patterns I’ve missed since leaving Seamwork, I re-subscribed and have several patterns downloaded and ready to go! I’ll talk more about Seamwork at the end of this post.

This skirt was an absolutely perfect use for this fabric. I took the time to fit it perfectly to my body, which eliminated the frustration of wearing a shifty skirt that I often experience with ready-to-wear. I scored the snaps at Wal Mart, they had just enough, and they went on very easily (and noisily, haha).

Once I finished it, I tried it on and thought it looked a little too long and a little too formal. So I cut the hem off, sewed a line of stitching around the bottom edge and frayed it. I love how that turned out, it made it instantly more casual. The other change I made was to duplicate the front patch pockets onto the back. This was a good call. It breaks up the rear and adds to the casual look I wanted.

So, about Seamwork. There was some controversy several years ago about their drafting and the block they were using, but they revised their block and methods and responded to that trial in the best way they could as a growing small business. I wasn’t following the whole thing that closely, so there could be more info that I don’t know. At any rate, back then, these patterns really didn’t fit my body, which is why I cancelled my subscription. However, I remembered they had made revisions, so I wanted to try again when I saw that skirt pattern. I logged in and had a bunch of credits I hadn’t used!! After this skirt fit so well, I made a muslin of the Catarina dress and it’s a perfect fit too. I’m almost done with that project and it’s beautiful!

Seamwork is a subscription magazine that releases a new digital edition and two new patterns every month. For a small monthly fee, you get to choose two patterns. That’s a darn good deal for good, modern designs. You can of course purchase patterns without a subscription, but it’s less cost effective and the member benefits are worth it. I’m not an affiliate with them of anything, I’m just having a good experience so far, so I wanted to share.

Cheers! See ya tomorrow!