Stylemaker Fabrics: Spring Style Tour
My oh my, where has the time gone? Living in a pandemic has made me lose count of days and weeks so it was great when Michelle got me on board for the Spring Style Tour and I was able to focus and welcome in Spring in the best way possible...with new, beautiful clothes!!!
It’s my absolute pleasure to be part of such a dynamic and talented bunch of makers to welcome in the new season. The best part of being near the end of the tour is checking out everyone's gorgeous makes along the way. The bar just keeps getting lifted and I am definitely feeling the pressure! The fabric selections from Michelle and Sharon are on point and they made choosing fabrics all the more difficult. I wanted to take all of them home really! Be sure to check them all out here.
Now let’s get into the details. To preface, all words and makes are my own choices and opinions. I was gifted this fabric and just asked to be my authentic self while getting to be part of a really cool team. I would say that I’m coming out the winner here. Ok, now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s talk about my new spring outfit!
This Spring I wanted to channel the ultimate cool-girl relaxed look. I wanted to feel like I could walk through a field with my kids and play in the outdoors, but also feel ready to go out on a cute date with my hubby. So needless to say I set myself a hard task. An outfit that could work with my rambunctious kids and also work for being a fully functional adult, but I was determined. I headed to Pinterest and looked at all the inspo pics I had saved on my Spring/Summer 2021 board. Think lots of flowy dresses, 70’s inspired jumpsuits and faux jumpsuits. The aesthetic that spoke to me the most was a very modern take of the 70’s, so with that in mind I chose this gorgeous Mod Print Mix Floral Cotton Lawn in the Turquoise/Yellow colourway that you can find here. It was beyond perfect for the look I was going for. The colours were the right mix of retro mod without being outdated. The turquoise and yellow brought that pop of colour that I love so dearly and the cotton lawn composition made it perfect for the light airy feel I wanted to channel.
I truly felt the hardest part was behind me now, until I received my fabric and it was just so good that I couldn’t decide between patterns. Honestly, it would have suited all the patterns I had pulled out, and I was really close to doing a jumpsuit, but then I realised that wouldn’t be super breezy to get in and out of with kids! Once I considered my self-made brief I decided to make the McCall’s pattern 7948 with some adjustments. I have made this pattern a few times and really love it, but wanted to make it that little more effortless to put on. I traced my front and back bodice and adjusted the necklines to eliminate the facing and back closure; making this a pull over dress with no closures. I also used the slash and spread method to make the sleeves bigger to create a more dreamy feel and finished the sleeve hem with ⅜” elastic. The sew up was uneventful, meaning it was super fun and fast. There was a lot of gathering since I chose the version with the tier skirt, but my goodness was it worth it! The brief was definitely met and surpassed. There was just one more thing missing, a super cute matching cardigan!
This brings me to my second make. One thing that’s important to me with the early weeks of Spring in Utah is layers. Winter has a hard time of letting go sometimes so I knew I needed to pair my cute dress with a matching cute cardigan. This time I knew exactly what pattern I was going to make. I feel like everyone and their dog had already made the Marlo sweater and I wasn’t about to get left behind. Since I’d be pairing it up with my dress I decided on the cropped version. Now let’s talk fabric. I opted for the soft mini cable rib sweater knit in the ‘butter’ colourway found here. Let’s just say, I was not prepared for how luscious this knit would be. It was the perfect weight, stretch and softness. My husband actually begged me to just let him have it as a blanket. I cannot stress enough how amazing this fabric is. So I knew then and there that once this was made into my marlo that I would most likely never take it off and wear it forever. So far I’ve worn it alot, no need to talk about how many times or that it’s probably due for a wash. I also used the coolest buttons found here to give it that modern edge. One thing I always forget about with sewing knits is how fast it comes together. I was done in an hour and have been living in it since.
With my two makes combined I am certain that I achieved my goal of a fun, flirty and effortless cool girl outfit that also stands the test against my kids. It’s super easy to just throw on while looking like it took me 5 hours to get ready in the morning. I couldn’t be happier with my new Spring outfit. I feel like I’m also straight out of an Anthropologie catalogue which wouldn’t have been possible without these incredible fabrics. Be sure to check out all the other fabrics and start planning your spring wardrobe today. I know I’m already eyeing more fabrics for additional makes. Also, don’t forget to check out the other members of the Spring Style Tour here if you haven’t already!
A big thanks to Michelle and Sharon for having me and for helping me make my favourite Spring outfit to date! Happy Spring everyone!
