Just Beachy

Can I just say.... I LOVE this dress!!

It was made back in February.... I know that was forever ago and it was cold and snowy outside at the time. It didn't matter though because I was making this for a trip to a beach resort. When I travel on a plane, I like to be comfortable, covered and warm but when traveling to a warm destination, I also need to be prepared to hit the glorious heat. I find maxi dresses perfect for travel. I wear cozy leggings, a long sleeved cardigan and a scarf layered over a maxi for my travel to the airport and on the plane. All of which can be removed and tucked into my purse before we land. Toss my hat on my head and I'm set!
I only wish I had gotten a nice picture of this dress when I wore it on my vacation!

My review:

Pattern: Newlook 6122 I made view B in the longer length.

Fabric Used: Hampton Cotton Jersey

Instructions: I really, really wanted this dress to work! All went along very well until I came to the elastic back. Using the elastic guide, I found that the elastic was too long for me. Not sure what to do, I searched up reviews of this pattern and came across this post on How Good Is That?  Maria was kind enough to answer my question and I was well on my way again! Her answer was pretty simple and to the point but it was just what I needed to regain my confidence to continue. Thank you Maria! 

Changes I made: I didn't make any changes to this one...

So, how do you like to dress for travel? Does anyone else hate packing as much as I do?! Cause I LOATHE it.

Easy Breezy

I am getting so close to the end of my Stash Busting Challenge! This fabric has been a veteran resident of my stash and I am pleased to say that it now resides on my closet. I always knew that this fabric would become either a dress or a maxi skirt. Unable to really decide... I did both. Another maxi dress. I know that I need to focus on making more separates but it is just so easy to throw on a dress in the morning or the evening as was the case here when I wore it out on a date with Handsome.

 Simplicity 2638

My Review: 

Pattern: Simplicity 2638

Fabric used: A polyester that is much like a linen but doesn't wrinkle at all! I lined it with a beautiful ivory cotton silk blend that feels so lovely against the skin.

Instructions:The instructions were straight forward and easy. 

Changes I made: I lined the skirt of the dress as well as the bodice and added two inches to the length. This dress didn't call for pockets and if you can believe it... I didn't add any. The skirt is made of three pieces so the seams are not placed exactly at the sides so I didn't add pockets for fear that they would make this fabric droop in the front. sad face. 

Repeat worthy? Yes! 

Maxed Out

I bought this fabric just before I began my stash busting challenge and it may have been one of the main reasons for initiating the challenge. I bought it on a whim for 99 cents a meter. Now, I thought that I was getting a great bargain and envisioned it in as a cute maxi dress but when I proceeded to work with it, I quickly realized that it is only worth 99 cents. If you look closely... the white stripes have stretched differently than the navy ones, making the fabric kind of wavy.

The other issue I had with it was that it is see through... I found this out when I saw the first pictures I took of it. It was then that I declared that this dress would be for the beach.

I used Newlook 6936 to make this dress, extending the hem to the ground. I self lined the bodice because I didn't think that this fabric would hem well for me. I think that was a good call.

Newlook 6936

My Review: 

Pattern: Newlook 6936

Fabric used: A 99 cent bargain knit cotton that maybe should have stayed in the bargain bin...

Instructions:I didn't use them because it was fairly straight forward.

Changes I made: I self lined the bodice, used a wider elastic in the waist and added in seam pockets.

Repeat worthy? Yes, I have made view e before and liked it a lot! Simple easy dress. 

When all is said and done, I do have a pretty nice beach cover up that is comfortable which was perfect for a day spent surfing with the family. I didn't surf but I am awesome at jumping in the waves! And picnic lunches...I'm awesome at that too!

MMM Day 30 Repeat!!

I won't bore you with lots of pictures today because this is a repeat...I'll just say...I love this dress!

If you want to see details visit this page :)

MMM Day 5 Perseverence Pays Off

Making this dress had its ups and downs... I had a definite picture in my head of what I wanted it to look like but ...getting to final product was not easy. This fabric is one of my absolute favorites and I have had it in my stash for awhile, I waited because I have a fear of cutting into a beloved fabric and making a fatal mistake. I also had the dilemma of an insufficient quantity of fabric for what I wanted to make. Handsome ALWAYS tells me to buy a little extra but I never do. I had two meters. And I wanted a maxi dress. Impossible. Or was it? 

I used the bodice of Butterick 5353 because it had many smaller pieces... giving me the ability to find the fabric I needed in the "scraps". Then I used the skirt of Simplicity 1881, a full enough skirt to fulfill my "flowy" maxi requirements without eating up too much of it and I added five inches to the length.

The fabric was sooooo slippery and it puckered like crazy! That, coupled with fit issues, and I was at times, close to tears. I took a deep breath and carried on. I am so glad that I did. Wearing it today while out and about in Edmonton felt glorious! A warm 27 degrees, hanging out with my best friend while wearing a pretty dress felt great.

But next time, I'll listen to my hubby and buy a little extra. Honey, you were right again!

Dress: self-made Shoes: Old Navy( gift from my awesome sis)

MMM Day 4 Thank You Friendly Stranger

A possible Friday theme could be "ask a complete stranger to take your picture" . That's what I had to do today. So thank you to the pretty lady named Kayla, whom I pounced upon in the hotel lobby and so sweetly agreed to take my picture! 

Do I look like a 'lady of leisure' here? This dress is like wearing a pair of sweats....sooooo comfy, perfect for lounging around a hotel waiting for Handsome to arrive, leisure dressing right here people. Surreal. I made it from a vintage pattern and you can go check out the details here.