Taking patterns from drab to fab and creating runway-inspired fashions! See more from Erica B's DIY Style »
A Silk Sundress
The moment that Mood Fabrics posted a photo of this gorgeous Thakoon Addition fabric on their Instagram account, I immediately found it on MoodFabrics.com and pulled the trigger on the purchase. I was already in the mindset to make summer dresses, but I was still mentally deliberating on fabric choices. And seeing this fabric at that exact moment… well, it was just serendipitous. This beautiful paisley print silk crepe de chine was the perfect marriage of fabric and pattern to Butterick 5886. This fabric is so lightweight, floaty and luxurious. It was perfect for a halter-style, high-low hem dress. I [...]
Devil in a Blue (Lace) Dress
Let’s call this look,”Devil in a Blue Lace Dress”. When the Mood Sewing Network decided that it was time for a group project, that was not what I wanted to hear. I don’t even do sew-a-longs because I truly prefer to roll solo when it comes to sewing. It’s not that I don’t play well with others, it’s that my sewing is personal. It’s dictated by my mood and what’s inspiring me at the moment… not a consensus plan. And to be quite honest, lace was not on my radar. Sure, it’s pretty and one of the hottest trends of the season. And [...]
A Sleeveless Blazer for Spring
If you do not yet own a sleeveless blazer, run… don’t walk to the store or your computer to purchase your pattern. You do know what a sleeveless blazer is? They used to know be known as a… you guessed it, a VEST! The pattern I selected is Simplicity 1756, from Cynthia Rowley. For this project, I was inspired by Balenciaga Spring 2013… the ads were fabulous. I chose a Mood Fabrics black Italian cotton suiting that has a smidgen of stretch (cotton/lycra and it’s 64″ wide). This fabric has a medium hand, a fabulous drape and is lightweight enough [...]
Cotton Twill Surplus Jacket
This OOP Vogue 1762 – Yves Saint Laurent (that’s a designer label that makes me sit up and pay attention) from 1996. It’s from the YSL 1995 Fall RTW Collection. Why did Vogue Patterns stop providing offerings from YSL?! Those collections are always amazing! YSL Fall 1995 Collection I don’t know if this pattern is quite old enough to be considered “vintage”, even if it is almost 20 years old. But just as I said when I made my pattern, it’s about as much vintage as I can take without feeling all “costumey” or like I’m attending a theme party. [...]
Adventures with Faux Suede
This is Vogue 1317 – Chado Ralph Rucci. When I was getting ready to cut this pattern out, I came to the realization that even though I’ve collected almost every Rucci pattern that VP has released, I’ve never made one. That was really surprising, downright shocking considering how much I admire his designs and skill. If you ever run across his documentary “Ralph Rucci: A Designer and His House” on Sundance channel, it’s a must see! He’s a serious haute couturier! Here is the runway version from Chado Ralph Rucci Fall 2011. Description: Dress has low neckline slit, close-fitting bodice [...]
The Pea Coat!
Every year since this pattern was released back in 2005, I’ve planned to make this jacket. I’ve bought fabric every single year and the fabric seems to get designated for another project each year. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember why I’d never gotten around to making this. But this year, I was determined to make my pea coat that I’ve wanted for so long. This is out-of-print Vogue 2873, a design by Michael Kors from his Fall 2004 collection. What I love most about this design is that pea coats are so traditional and timeless and this [...]
Baroque Moto Jeans!
Fancy jeans has been a really big trend this season. And my favorite way to follow a trend and come in under budget, is to sew a garment myself. Sources one, two and three. This is Vogue 2973, an out-of-print pattern by Montana from 2007. Yes, I’m still reaching in the filing cabinet for old patterns. I’ve been intending to sew this pattern since I bought it 5 years ago… but I was always waiting for the perfect fabric for the jacket. For the pants, I used a black damask printed Italian denim (cotton 85%/polyester 13%/lycra 2%). When I first [...]
Classic Black + White
It seems lately, that I’ve been drawn to black and white ensembles. It’s completely subconscious and I don’t even realize until I look back at my blog, like here, here and here. This time, I dug way back in the crevices of my pattern filing cabinet and found my version of a “vintage” pattern. Because 1996 is about as vintage as I’m probably interested in going. This is Vogue 1846 (OOP) by Byron Lars. I’ve always loved a wrap top. I’ve have too many to count over the years. So while digging through my pattern cabinet I came across this [...]
Mixed Animal Prints Dress
This is Vogue 1314 by the fabulous designer, Tracy Reese. This is my fifth pattern from her. I own every single one she’s done for Vogue Patterns and hopefully I’ll get around to making them. I made this dress out of this gorgeous mixed animal print wool-blend jersey from Mood Fabrics. This fabric is gorgeous and truly luxurious. It was so easy to work with. Just keep in mind if you choose to purchase it that it’s only 54″ wide. This pattern was really easy for a Vogue “Designer” pattern. The most technical skill you need is the ability to [...]
