Black and red

Very original title, huh? The top is another New Look 6150 this time made with very thick double sided stable knit. Merino on one side and something foam-like on the other. I wanted merino to be on the outside as the color was much deeper. I made size 16 and this time I didn't have to go down a size - the fabric was much more stable than in my chevron merino one. I should have done an FBA though. It would make the top to fit nicer and I wouldn't have to add armhole darts to deal with gaping. The top is really warm and it's great wardrobe basic.

The skirt is inspired by my sewing and blogging buddy Iwona. The pattern is from Burda 3/2014, model 17A. I used nice and thick cotton that was amazing to sew with but it wrinkles a lot. The skirt was an easy make but I messed it up anyway! For some reason my waistband ended up being exactly the width of the skirt so there was no overlapping needed for the button closure. I reckon I didn't get the zip instructions right or got the pleats the wrong depth. But I made a loop and put the button on the inside so while it doesn't look perfect it still does the job. And I either wear the skirt with longer tops or narrow belts so it's not an issue. I am quite pleased with both items :) 

B&W Cardamome dress

I've been wanting to try Deer and Doe patterns for a while now but I never got around to do anything about it. But when the new collection got released and some of my sewing buddies placed a group order I decided to join in. I went for  Cardamome dress pattern - pseudo-shirt dress with interesting details - shirring, curved yokes, two piece-collar and tower cuffs.

Originally I planned on making it in pinkish/brownish rayon I got some time ago but turns out you can't squeeze this dress out of 1,5m of fabric. So I grabbed black and white border print rayon that I got at recent fabric sale. It was only $4 per meter! I decided to cut the main top pattern pieces out of the border and it gives an impression of using two different pieces of fabric.

The yokes simply asked for piping! I have never used piping before but I'm always keen on expanding my sewing skills. I had black satin one and I really like piped yoke :) I also used it on pocket edges. Another new skill for me was shirring. I don't think I like this technique much but maybe I just need more practice. 

I cut size 42 and the only fitting adjustment I needed was 5 cm FBA. The armhole seems a bit low so next time I'll rise it by 1 cm. Oh, I also omitted the buttons as I never wear my shirts or shirtdresses buttoned up anyway. I made my Cardamome sleeveless as it will make it more wearable in Summer months :)

Do I need to tell you that I love this dress? It's very comfortable to wear and it's easy to dress it up or down. There will be more Cardamome dresses in my wardrobe for sure. The second one is almost finished already ;)

Excuse my silly poses - it was really windy today and I had to try to keep my hair off my face and my skirt down!