Sunday, June 19, 2011

Summer Sewing

When I was a little girl, my mother sewed all my clothes.  Then, as I got older, she taught me how to sew.  Nowadays, I  just go to Old Navy and TJ Maxx. But if I need a dress or a skirt, I sew my own.  At 5'1", it is almost impossible to find a dress or skirt the right fit and length!


Using Butterick 5454, I sewed this wrap dress to wear to  my daughter's high school graduation.  Wrap dresses are supposed to be figure flattering, and this one definitely is.  Also, there is no need to wear a cami underneath this wrap dress, because coverage is adequate.  This would also be a great dress to travel with, as the light knit folds into almost nothing, so I'm hoping to wear it in NYC!

I also just finished sewing a pair of  cropped drawstring seersucker pants.  I have to admit, these aren't a real thrill, but I have a feeling I am going to end up wearing them a lot during the warm summer months.  Plus, I only spent about $7 on the seersucker and I used an old pattern from my stash, McCall's 2586.    


It gets super hot here at Love and Life at Leadora, but air conditioning can be chilly, so  along with a black tank top, I thought I could also wear this red knit cardigan from Forever 21...


Finally,  I thought I could "pep up" these  old lady crop pants with some cute shoes, and luckily I came upon these adorable red espadrilles from Target...


Hopefully, these new espadrilles add a little "zip" to my new summer outfit!  In the meantime, hope that you're enjoying your summer!


16 comments:

  1. 5'1...wow you are tall. Now at a mere 5' tall I can say that.
    I loved it when the cropped pants came into style because although I am short I am wide. All the tall ladies were wearing their pants mid calf but these became the perfect pant length for me reaching down to my ankles.
    I remember when the wrap dresses first came out. I think it was Diane Von Furstenberg who designed them. Love them. You do really nice work.

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  2. Wow! I am impressed! I took homemaking twice..Middle school and High school and barely passed the sewing part! I am amazed by people who can sew! Love the outfit! Love the dress!

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  3. so... working on your list of "The Summer of Me"...
    these are all adorable! love the wrap dress... actually, I love the seersucker pants too. Cute, cute outfits.
    BTW - my mom is now following your blog. She doesn't post anything, but she tells me when she's read something that has caught her eye on your blog.

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  4. I'm always in awe of anyone who has sewing talents. Beautiful work and such cute outfits. I adore the wrap dress and I can't believe you found those adorable shoes at Target. Thanks for sharing, Heather!!

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  5. cute stuff, heather :) i love that dress!! way to sew your own things...i'm impressed.

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  6. Wow Heather! YOUR the talented one. Every piece of clothing I have ever tried to make has flopped. I love the dress. It's so pretty! :)

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  7. Blogger will not let me sign in to comment again ugh lol but you will know who I am anyways...the dress is so cute OMG!! love it wow you did a beautiful job on it. And the seersucker is cute as well I find that sometimes with the pant projects that are more square like that after a few washes the fabric softens up and they end up really nice. I should make a pair of those as well love them paired with the red. Oh you are inspiring me I will have to sew something up this week for sure ~Love Heather

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  8. Lovely outfits! the shoes are adorable, and you are so talented creating your own pieces! I always wanted to sew exactly to make my own clothes, but never got around learning. My late grandma tried to teach me in her old Singer, but I never truly got the rhythm of it :o(
    have a lovely day!

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  9. Your awesome!! You did such great job on those! And what a great score on the super cute shoes!! I'd live in them :)

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  10. Hi Heather,
    Love the dress and cute summer outfit you put together. You are very handy with that sewing machine :-) Oh, and please tell you you got the espadrilles resently...Love them. If you did, I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for them...Too cute.

    Hugs and Kisses,
    ♥Ana

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  11. Heather,
    If only I could sew.....
    Love that dress, it looks so cool and comfy. Great score on the cute shoes from Target, love them!
    Both outfits are adorable, you did good!
    Rebecca

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  12. I love what you did, very nice and you are very clever!

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  13. Wow, Heather! I am so impressed! That dress is so stylish! I hope we get to see a pic of it on you at your daughter's graduation! I love your new pants too...and the shoes are darling! I think I need a pair too! My sewing skills are limited, but you've inspired me! And look, just one day into summer and already you can check something off your to do list! Good for you!
    Best Wishes and Blessings,
    Amanda

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  14. Heather...still so impressed with the sewing! It gets pretty hot here in NJ but we were just in North Carolina over the past weekend and it was around 99 degrees there..too hot for me!

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  15. You've done a marvelous job - it is fun to create fashion just for you! I am 5'3" - claim every bit! I understand - most things are made for those with much longer legs!
    It has been very, very hot here - love your cropped pants - great for this time of the year!
    Kathy

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  16. That wrap dress is gorgeous!!! You go! :o)

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