Floral Silk - A Rita Blouse Dress Hack

This dress was actually my first make of 2019 and guys, it's a PRINT! WHO EVEN AM I THIS YEAR??!!!

I love prints, I truely do, but when I put fabric under a needle, inevitably it is a solid colour.

In fact, last year I made 19 garments and only ONE of them sort of qualified as a print. So I'm feeling VULNERABLE right now.

The Pattern

It's the Rita Blouse by Charm Patterns hacked into a dress. I've done it before in a bright red cotton seersucker which you can see below:

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Ciao a tutti! 💃🏻💃🏻 Looking a bit #italian 🇮🇹 in my DRESS HACK of the #ritablouse by @gertie18 ✔️ traced pattern to waistline markings. ✔️converted darts to princess seams on my skirt pattern which I attached to the bodice to make a dress pattern. ✔️comfortable cotton seersucker ✔️ added flounce to hemline ✔️side zipper and different pattern pieces for cup size B-DD. . THIS dress is quick and comfortable. So expect to see this in a million different colours this summer. K thanks. . . . #thelittlereddressproject #reddress #sewing #sewersofinstagram #memade #charmpatterns #hack #offtheshoulder

A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Dec 8, 2018 at 8:10pm PST

The Fabric

My sister recently got married and for her hen's (bachelorette) night, the theme was floral. I love a good theme and decided to make my own dress.

I had this beautiful, delicate silk chiffon in my stash that seemed perfect, but being chiffon it was super sheer and thin.

I decided to underline it with a cotton poplin to give it body and stop it from being see-through and it worked a treat! The poplin also helped the colour of the silk look even more vibrant.

The Details

This dress is underlined but not lined. It closes with an invisible zipper down the side seam and is finished with a flounce at the hem.

The bodice is gathered under the bust and centre back yoke, and shaped with ELASTIC around the neckline.

The SLEEVES can be worn on or off the shoulders depending on the look or mood.

I added a few SOFT PLEATS to the centre front of the bodice yoke to give the neckline more of a sweetheart shape.

Final Thoughts

This dress feels light and comfortable, but has that glamorous touch that gives the garment that little 'extra'.
It has already become one of my most worn me-mades and is the perfect 'day to night' transition dress.

Here's to more printed fabrics in my future!

 

The Rita Blouse(s) + Linen Flounce Skirts

Sometimes when you like a pattern, you just got to back up that make with another three (or four). Cause when I like something, I like it HARD.

The Pattern

Blouse
It's the Rita Blouse by Charm Patterns.
It's a vintage inspired, princess seamed top with an elasticised neckline, gathered bust, and two sleeve variations.

The sizes range from 2 - 16, with different pattern pieces for cup sizes B-DD.
I cut the size 6 with a D cup.

Skirt
The skirt is a self-drafted faux wrap, with a flounce on the hem, a waistband, and an invisible zip closure down the centre back.

The Fabric

I used a cotton seersucker from Spotlight for the blouse.
It has a slightly heavier weight than a cotton lawn or voile and the texture of this lovely fabric elevates the look of the blouse when using a solid colour.

The skirt is made with a heavy-weight linen from The Fabric Store in Vintage Blush, White, Paprika and blue (but not the duck-egg blue).

Loves

I love that the sleeves can be worn up or off the shoulders, depending on the look (or mood) you're going for.
There are also two different versions of sleeves, the flutter cap or the elasticised version that I went for.
The bodice has princess seams which ensures a close and flattering fit. Princess seams are also great for making fit adjustments after you've sewn the seam.

I recently used this pattern to draft a dress that I made for the festive season,  which you can see below:

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Dec 8, 2018 at 8:10pm PST

Conclusion

It's pretty clear that I love these linen skirts. They are so crazy comfortable and keep you cool in summer. They're easy to wash, keep their shape well and just get better with age.

The Rita blouse is versatile with low-key glamour and easy to mix with other wardrobe staples. These two patterns pair so nicely together and are the perfect go-to for a quick sewing project that you know you can finish in one session. WIN!

The Little Red Dress Project - Rita Blouse By Charm Patterns DRESS HACK

The festive season is upon us again and for us seamstresses that is usually a trigger for LET'S MAKE EVERYTHING IN RED!

The wonderful and talented Renata from The Twilight Stitcher hosts an annual 'Little Red Dress Project' challenge, and this year I decided to take part!
Christmas in Australia is HOT, so it looks like I now have my Christmas day outfit sorted.

Patterns

I used the Rita Blouse by Charm Patterns and redrafted it into a dress (see below for more details).
The pattern comes in different cup sizes, from B to DD and I cut the size 6 with the D cup.

Fabric

This dress is made in a bright red, cotton seersucker from Spotlight.

Changes

I traced the pattern to the waistline markings on the blouse and then cut it out.
I used my own drafted skirt block and converted the darts on the skirt to princess seams, making sure to line up the princess seams with those of the bodice.  I then taped the bodice and skirt pattern pieces  together to make a dress pattern.

I added a flounce to the hem of the skirt for a little extra fun.

To maximise the ease of getting into the dress, I made the side zipper go all the way up to underarm seam, rather than 3-4cm below. Because this dress is quite fitted in the bodice, that little extra room helps bigger boobs squeeze into the dress.
I usually avoid side zippers for this reason, but the elastic casing along the front and back neckline meant no centre back zipper.

Loves

I love the shoulder/sleaves style of this pattern, which can be worn up on the shoulders, or off the shoulders.

I have been looking for an off-the-shoulder dress pattern for a while, but most of them are free-flowing and loose under the bust and I wanted a more fitted look. I'm bigger on the hips and bust and when the curve of my waist is hidden in loose clothing it can make me look a little frumpy.

I love that this pattern comes with different cup sizes from B - DD. I have made this in both the C and the D cup size. To be honest, the DD would also be a good fit, but I liked how the D cup made the neckline a little lower.

Conclusion

I love how fun this blouse is as a dress! The cotton is cool and comfortable and perfect for summer, so I predict a few more versions of this dress in other colours for this warmer season.

I fell in love with this blouse pattern recently when I made it in THREE different colours! I knew it would make a lovely, fun dress with a little bit of tweaking and I'm happy with how it turned out!

Thank you Renata for hosting another wonderful challenge; I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has made!

Check out my instagram below to see this as a BLOUSE and with movement! Blog post coming soon.

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Feeling a little bit ‘Anita’ from West Side Story for #sewphotohop Day 30 - WHAT’S NEXT ON MY LIST The #ritablouse by @gertie18 ❤️❤️ I finished this red top a few days ago in a cotton seersucker and I plan to immediately back it up with one in white and one in blue. Swipe to see the blouse untucked. Wearing it here with my me-made linen skirt (which I didn’t realise wasn’t zipped all the way up 😩😬) A great vintage-style pattern with: ❌ sleeves that can be worn on or off the shoulders ❌ side invisible zipper ❌ different pattern pieces for bust cups B-DD! (Yass!) - - - #sew #sewing #vintage

A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Oct 2, 2018 at 1:04am PDT

The City Stroll Wrap Skirt

Everybody needs a few linen pieces in their wardrobe.

Not only is it one of the world's oldest fabrics (I'm talking 8000BC), it's super durable, loves to soak up colour and is revered for it's exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather.

Yes it gets a little wrinkly, but the fabric is strong, biodegradable and comes from a plant that requires less water and pesticide than cotton so it's more eco-friendly; bonus!

This short post is about a cute little linen skirt that I made this summer.

The Pattern + Fabric

I used the City Stroll Wrap Skirt by Oliver + S and modified it to add a flounce.
It's a simple wrap skirt that closes with a hidden button (see my changes below) and is finished with facings.
The size of the pattern ranges from 0 to 20 and I cut the pattern in a size 6.

I made this skirt using a white linen. The linen in this colour is a bit see-through so I should have lined it, but in a darker colour it would be fine.

Changes

• I shortened the skirt and made the waist band wider. There is a handy line on the pattern to show you wear to lengthen or shorten the skirt. Spoiler, this skirt also looks amazing lengthened.
• Closed the skirt with a tie instead of a button. Next time I will make the tie long enough so that it wraps around to the front to close in a long bow.
• Removed excess fabric just above the hips
• Removed the pockets to eliminate bulk and weight.
• Removed 10cm from the length of the hem and replaced it with a flounce of the same length

Conclusion

This skirt is fun, super comfortable and quick and easy to make. This skirt is successful as a wearable toile and I love the flirty touch the flounce adds to the style.

Apart from it being a little see-through, I'm pleased with how it turned out. With any luck I'll fit in a few more wears before summer says goodbye to us here in the Southern Hemisphere.