Disclosure: I was provided the pattern and fabric for free but all opinions are my own.
Matching family pajamas is one of my favourite parts of the holidays. For many years I made matching pajamas for all of my nieces and nephews, but when it got to be something like 14 pairs ranging in size from baby to teenager I decided I just couldn’t do it anymore so I focused on just my little family.
I have learned over the years that I can’t determine whether I will like a pattern based on my ideas of what will look good on my body. We are not neutral about our bodies even if we love and accept our bodies for what they are, we will still always see the ‘flaws’ and how a pattern may accentuate those flaws. High waisted wide leg pants were definitely a pattern I wasn’t convinced I would like on my body.
When Melissa of Melly Sews/ Blank Slate Patterns reached out to me about doing a pattern swap I was on board immediately. I have been a long-time follower of Melissa and love everything she comes up with whether it be the patterns she designs or the clothes she sews. Melissa decided to work with my Leschi top as a base for her planned hack, and I immediately went with her Austin tee.
I loved the split neck of the pattern and immediately envisioned it cropped and paired with one of my high waisted skirts, either Wedgwood or Madrona. My exact plan though was still undecided until our weather changed drastically a few weeks ago and we had entered fall.
Montlake Tee tester roundup is here and it is the best part of every pattern release. These ladies took my pattern and made it better than it was before. Having the ability to bounce ideas off of other sewists and get feedback that improves the pattern is invaluable.
Give these ladies some love, they deserve it.
Amy sewed up the scoop neck in a yoga print double brushed poly and a hemp cotton blend striped jersey v-neck. Both versions turned out so great!
Annette sewed the v-neck in a cotton knit and elbow sleeves. This is the most perfect everyday outfit and the fit is spot on.
Nearly 4 years ago I released my Montlake tee pattern and I was so incredibly proud of the pattern I created, I still am because my testers and I worked really hard to get the fit just right. I loved everything about the pattern, it was everything I want in a tee and I just knew others would feel the same way. I was really proud of the size range I had, not many indie pattern companies at the time spanned 0-24. But as we all know things change and I began to realize about a year ago that my pattern was not nearly as inclusive as I thought, mainly because I was near the top of my own pattern at the hips. And if I was pushing the top of my size range, then there were many women who would never get the chance to sew my patterns, and I am not okay with that.
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I like to keep things simple in my wardrobe because honestly I rarely wear things that are much more than jeans and a tee shirt. Working at home and living the mom life means I generally grab for comfort but as I have always said you don’t have to sacrifice style when choosing comfort. A woven tank is my newest obsession, it feels like a dressed up version of just a simple knit tank and is the perfect layering piece as we head into fall.
This weekend is a big family wedding, the last of my 7 siblings to get married. Family weddings are pretty much the best day ever. You get to hang with your favourite people, drink, eat yummy food, and dance the night away. Considering there are now going to be 32 of us in my immediate family, we have a pretty great party.
The wedding is on the Washington coast which tends to be cooler and most likely either raining or grey so the usual summer dress and sandals might not work. Thankfully my brother and his soon to be bride said that the dress code is Northwest Casual so my thought immediately went to culottes, basically the perfect secret pants.
Just over 2 years ago I had the honour of being featured in Sew News magazine in their Meet the Maker series. I remember when I got the email about it I was overjoyed and felt like the real deal. I mean being featured in a magazine that I could actually go to the store and buy was bonkers. And if you are wondering yes I did go to the store and and take a picture of myself with the magazine.
I have a closet full of Leschi tops and dresses. For awhile there it is all I was sewing because every fabric just seemed to go perfectly with the pattern. Usually I either lengthen it into a dress or tunic or leave the sleeves off, but this time I wanted to try remixing it into a long sleeve dress. I had this picture in my head of a simple elastic through the wrist to give the sleeves a bit of volume and the end result is exactly like I pictured.
Montlake is a workhorse in my wardrobe, I am constantly finding new ways to remix it. It wasn’t until I saw a picture of my Magnolia dress a couple months ago that I remembered how much I love the swing in the hem. I figured I could use the same idea on my Montlake for a more spring appropriate dress for Seattle weather.
Normally when you lengthen a shirt you do that on the lengthen line in the pattern. But since this was a matter of making the tee into a dress I lengthened it from the bottom hem. This allows for the dress to still fit you through the bust, waist, and hips since you haven’t changed those measurement.
