I seem to have a renewed love of maxi dresses.  So this is going to be a thing for a moment.  My latest one is McCall's 7242.  I researched this pattern and I found only a handful of iterations.  I'm not sure why, because this pattern has great bones.  It's a maxi shirt dress.  What's not to love?

The lines of this dress are so simple, it screamed out for heavily patterned fabric.  I'd found this ikat print at Hancock and I bought what was left on the bolt -- a little over 4 yards.  It's a poly chiffon.

I cut the 12 in the bodice and the 14 in the skirt.  For this style of dress, the skirt is cut very slim.  It's really straight.  If you're significantly heavier on the bottom, rely on the finished measurements on the pattern pieces.  They're accurate.  You may have to go up from you usually pattern size, 

I added length to the bodice, the skirt and the ruffle.  This sleeveless dress took all 4 yards of the fabric.  Instead of creating French seams, I serged my seams.  This fabric was shredding like crazy so it was best to just get it done.  

I also partially lined the skirt.  That is the only part that concerned me.

There is also a hook an eye at the elastic waist.

The armhole has a bias binding finish.

And I finished my ruffle with a narrow hem.

I decided to accessorize my dress with a Tassel Rope Belt.  Here's how I made mine:

What you need:

First, I made my suede tassels.  Mine are 1.25" x 4".  You have to cut fringe into the suede/leather first.  I did this by creating a 1/4" guideline.  My fringe are about 1/8" wide.  You can measure these off and draw guidelines or you can eyeball them as I did.  And make sure you don't cut through your guideline.  You'll need a sharp pair of scissors or a rotary cutter like I used.

String your beads on first.

Appy your hot glue to the guideline of the fringe, but not too much!

Tightly roll your fringe guideline around the end of the rope

Slide your bead down over your fringe and work it into place over the guideline.

And repeat for the other side.

Summers in the South means shorts season.  Even with shorts and my "Mom on the Run" lifestyle, I still like to always look pulled together.  And I think I've found my TNT shorts pattern, Simplicity 1887.  I made the pants pattern a few years ago and I completely forgot about this one. And I saw them in a fabric ad in a Joann's flyer and I fell in love.  

I had this beautiful ivory crepe woven that I'd picked up from Hancock and I used it to make Mikaela a dress (that I will eventually post) and I had just enough leftover for these shorts.

They're extremely quick to sew... I think I made mine in about 2 hours from cut to finish.  The most challenging part is feeding the elastic through the double casings. 

I cut the size 14 and sewed the straight out of the envelope.  The only change I made is to add D-rings to one side of the ties.  I like hardware!

I wore my new Striped Double V-neck Blouse c/o Shein.com with my new shorts.  It paired perfectly and gave a great nautical look.

I love these shorts so much, that I made a colorful pair in a green and white cotton print that I picked up from Joann's.

I wore this pair with my white off-the-shoulder top c/o Shein.com.

And for my last "mom on the run" look, I wore my DIY white skinny jeans with this adorable Navy Blue Rayon Gauze Lace Insert Blouse c/o Shein.com.  I really liked this top.  But unfortunately when I washed and dryed it, it shrunk like crazy.  I mean small enough for Isabella!  I recently mentioned the pretreatment of rayon gauze on this top that I made.  I guess Shein.com didn't get that post in their feed. 

A black and white outfit is always très hip. You get pieces that can be worn together or separate. That’s the perfect way to add to your wardrobe. Especially when using seasonless fabrics.

When searching for seasonless fabrics, I look for comfort. I also look for fabrics that will keep you comfortable in the warm months and can also be layered in the cool months.

For my top, I used this gorgeous Black Sleek Viscose Ponte Knit. I love the weight of it.  It works for this top and it would also work for a body con style dress.  The weight of this knit would hold in and smooth everything out. It would also make a great pair of ponte knit pants.

For my top, I used New Look Pattern 6461.  It’s an extremely simple pattern, just the front and the back.  The front has horizontal bust darts.  I cut view C, in the size 12. I added 3 inches to the length because I didn’t want my top cropped.  I modified the top by finishing off the seams and hems with seam binding.  After sewing the front and back together at the shoulders, I left the sides open.

I added eyelets to each side for lacing details.

And I laced up the top with rope and DIY tassels made from crochet thread.

I didn’t much care for the pants in New Look 6461. The elastic waistband simply wasn’t polished enough for my beautiful Italian Ivory Lightweight Stretch Suiting.  I went with New Look Pattern 6459.

I love how tailored this pattern is.  I cut the size 16, and made them straight out of the envelope.  I find that I typically need to size up in New Look Patterns because they run significantly slimmer.  Like junior’s RTW sizing.

Even though this fabric is opaque, it’s still white.  And with most white pants, you’re plagued by pocket show-through.  I don’t like that, so I omitted mine (at the last minute) and just stitched up the pocket openings.

The pants have a back invisible zipper.

And I always add strips of 1 inch interfacing to my zipper area to stabilize.

I’m pretty happy with the way these turned out. The fabric with its 4-way stretch is really comfortable wear and looks really luxurious at the same time.  I would love to have an entire suit out of this.

These are two great pieces made from two extraordinary cuts of fabric that make great additions to my closet! I’m sure I’ll get plenty of wear out of these.

The growing trend of off-the-shoulder tops and dresses keeps growing and getting hotter as the mercury rises.  So this time, I thought I'd change the game up a little bit on mine and give you some single shoulder styling!

There are times in sewing life that all of the elements align.  You see a style that you love and have an "I can make that" moment.  You know already how you're going to go about creating your inspiration garment.  And as soon as you walk into the fabric store, lo and behold -- the perfect fabric lands in your shopping cart!  That my sewing friends is called "sewing kismet"!

Viva Aviva Exclusive for Intermixonline.com

Polka dots and ruffles scream flamenco and makes me feel super sassy.  Olé!  

Even the wind wanted you to get into the greatness of this top!

Want to know how I made this top?  Well, here is a tutorial I created as a BERNINA Brand Ambassador for the We All Sew Blog:  

Single-Shoulder Ruffle Top Sewing Tutorial

I'm a girl that loves her accessories.  It's a part of getting dressed and topping off my amazing handmade wardrobe.  A fabulous watch is a great statement piece to finish off any look.

I've partnered with JORD Wood Watches to tell you how fabulous this "new-to-me" brand is.  I've seen these watches in passing before and I have always thought they looked really interesting.  They're very striking.  I'd never seen one up close.  I've really been missing out.  Let me tell you a little about them in case you're like me:

I chose the Sully Dark Sandalwood & Maple.  I received it couple of weeks ago and I've been enjoying the heck out of my new JORD Wood Watch.  I've been wearing it nonstop.  I normally go back and forth between my stainless steel and black ceramic watch.  The black ceramic watch has been my favorite for a couple of years.  But it's beyond heavy!  I'm very much aware that I'm wearing it.  And I can't sew in it because the weight bothers me.

I can sew in my JORD Wood Watch because it's so lightweight.  I love men's sized watch, but the icing on the cake for this one is that I can easily forget I'm wearing it.  Which is good and bad.  Because I'm subject to bang it around.  That's where that scratch resistant glass comes in handy!

The two-toned wood design is a great neutral and goes with everything well.  It's a no-brainer these days which watch I'm going to reach for.

They make fabulous gifts for dads, graduates, birthdays, and perfect for a 5th year wooden wedding anniversary!  And of course, yourself!