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DIY Velvet Slip Dress – Catarina Dress by Seamwork

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DIY Velvet Slip Dress – Catarina Dress by Seamwork

Last month I developed a slight obsession with velvet. I was seeing it everywhere in RTW for the holiday season and then Sara went and made this gorgeous dress. I not only wanted some velvet in my closet, I of course had to DIY it. Shortly after, I visited the Fabric Store in Los Angeles and found some dreamy silk velvet. It's so, so soft and the way it catches the light is just to-die-for. I already had one holiday party outfit (Nita Wrap Skirt in sequins and a navy Ogden Cami) but decided I could do with a Christmas dress as well. Usually, I spend most of Christmas Day in my pajamas before switching to leggings with a dress on top and slippers on my feet. Total comfort and very little glam. This year, I was still comfy and I definitely rocked some slippers but I did it in velvet. I think Santa would approve.

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DIY Navy Camisole – Review of the Ogden Cami pattern

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The holiday season is the perfect time to sew something luxurious. To kick off the party, I made a sequin Nita Wrap Skirt and paired it with this camisole in a dreamy textured fabric. To make the camisole, I used the Ogden Cami pattern by True Bias. It is one of those great basics that is super easy to sew and will fit seamlessly into your wardrobe. It has a standard camisole silhouette but is not cut on the bias so you only need a little bit of fabric. The fit is just perfect, not too tight and not too loose. I was a little concerned that I would miss the stretch that a bias cut provides but I don’t miss it at all.

I used a textured navy polyester from The Fabric Store’s LA location. I was looking for something in navy and one of the lovely employees suggested this fabric. It’s a little thicker than the rayon I used for my wearable muslin so it hangs away from the body a bit more. I love the texture of this fabric so much. When I was in the store last month they also had it in a sea foam green color that I’m tempted to go back and get.

To test out the fit, I made a wearable muslin out of a scrap of black rayon. It drapes well and is comfortable against the skin. My bust is 38” and the size 10 is made for a 37.5” bust. So I cut a size 10 and added 1/4” to front side seams (1/2” added total). I also added 1 inch to the length for a finished length of 24”. As I said earlier, the fit is perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.

The fit of the wearable muslin turned out perfect. I've been wearing it underneath sweaters as an extra layer that won't show at the neckline. I hate how t-shirts always show at the neckline when wearing a crewneck sweater or sweatshirt. 

The neckline is finished with a facing which I feel like I see less often these days. But the facing is an ideal way to finish a v-neck and this one is drafted long enough that it doesn’t flip up or cause any weird bumps. The facing is not interfaced making for a very light garment.

Look at the deep V in the back! It's so perfect. Deep enough for that extra sexy look but not at risk of flashing your bra. 

I’d love to try this pattern lengthened into a dress. Ever since I found a comfortable strapless bra a couple of months, I’ve become quite confident wearing strappy styles. This style as a dress would be perfect summer, which in LA is always just around the corner. I'm so glad to have the Ogden Cami pattern in my arsenal. It's such a classic and so easy to make. I'm sure that I'll be using it again. 

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DIY Funnel Neck Sweater – Toaster Sweater pattern review

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DIY Funnel Neck Sweater – Toaster Sweater pattern review

Some garments start with a pattern, some with a flash of inspiration and some with the fabric. This garment falls squarely in the latter category. A few months ago, the lovely folks at The Fabric Store asked if I’d like to do a partnership with them. I love their LA shop, so I of course jumped at the chance. Every month I get to go explore their current stock and take home a few fabrics to play with. They are so generous and I’ve really enjoyed visiting their shop and sewing with their fabric. The store is a beautiful little boutique full of the finest fabrics, making for a calm, lovely, stress-free experience. (We can all use more of that, right?) The staff are so kind and helpful. I could spend all day there just chatting about fabrics and sewing patterns.

In this morning’s newsletter, I mentioned feeling sad about this week’s election results in the US. It was a pretty brief and honestly weak statement. I received a reply saying “you don’t need to share your political views&rdq
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This weekend on my Substack Sewing With Numbers, I posted the second and final tutorial for how to draft a Funnel Neck Pullover. 🥳 The design is inspired by the classic L.L.Bean fleece pullover. In part one, we drafted the body and sleeves. And in
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