I recently learned that the Greek independent pattern company AK Patterns names each of their patterns after a real sewist and shares a bit about that person in the pattern materials. How fun is that?! I was so thrilled to be selected to help test the Whitney, a wrap dress and top, not just because it is such a cute and feminine wrap, but because I adore my sewing friend Whitney. Whitney and I are both members of our local ASDP Chapter. She is always willing to help and is such an encouragement.

The Whitney is designed for knit fabrics making it very comfortable to wear and easy to fit. I made my Whitney wrap top out of a medium weight ponte knit knowing such a sturdy fabric would help the scallops keep their shape. In fact, I ended up not using any stabilizer in my scallops, ties, or facing  pieces because the fabric was so strong, and already quite heavy.


I found the pattern instructions for the Whitney very helpful and only made one slight adjustment when I sewed the scallops. Instead of using the drawing guide to outline the seamline on my scallops, I pinned the guide to the fabric and slowly sewed around the paper. After trimming, steaming, and using my clapper I love how they turned out.


My only critique is that when making this pattern again I would use ribbon for the interior ties. It was difficult for me to get the fabric ties turned inside out and sometimes I can see them through the exterior fabric.

Overall the Whitney top is a big win for me and my wardrobe. Made in a soft blush pink I plan to wear this most seasons, dressed up for work or down for casual date nights. The scallop feature makes this a pattern I would recommend for a moderate to advanced sewist.

fabric - $35
thread - from my stash
TOTAL: $47 value

I'm thrilled with my new Lily Ski Pant, but boy was it a journey getting to the finish line! In the spring of 2018, just after starting my sewing blog and associated Instagram account, I was selected as a winner of Style Arc's "International Women's Day" giveaway and won two free patterns of my choice. I love the style lines of Style Arc patterns, but didn't know they were notoriously thin on assembly instructions until after selecting a few very detailed patterns to try.

With minimal instructions, I was afraid to cut into my pant leg to insert the false zip pockets. I ended up taking the whole project to an open sew at my local fabric shop, The French Seam, where my instructor helped me decipher the instructions and encouraged me to take the necessary steps. With her help I was able to insert both of the false pockets and the yoke, the first time I had done either!


Even though I was happy with the progress I had made I was overwhelmed by the project and set it aside for well over a year. I'm so glad #thegreatmodulesewalong came along and encouraged me to complete this unfinished project, because I love these new pants. And the gray and black knit coordinates with nearly everything in my closet.

The pattern calls for 3/8" seam allowances, so when I pulled the project back out I pinned the remaining leg seams together at 3/8" and tried the pants on. They were extremely comfortable so I decided to proceed without making any adjustments in the width. I hadn't inserted a zip fly for many years, and couldn't have done it without this Tilly and the Buttons instructional video. It was a lifesaver! I decided to hand sew the interior waistband and needed to reduce the pant length by 4".

As I said above, I just love the Lily Ski Pant. Made from a forgiving knit they were easy to fit and are extremely comfortable to wear. I could certainly see myself mastering this pattern and making a variety of Lily Ski Pants. However, I would not recommend this pattern of beginners.



Time estimate: 24+ hours
Size: 8
Fabric: Knit ponte fabric "tweed"
Care instructions: cold wash, hang dry

Cost to make:
pattern: gifted to me, ($9.23 value)
fabric: $25
zippers: $7
*used button, stabilizer, and thread from my stash
TOTAL: $32

P.S. Stay tuned for my full module, coming next week!

I've wanted a black circle skirt for far too long. It is such a classic wardrobe staple and, simply, fun to wear! After grabbing a stack of stable knits from JoAnn I was set to make some new bottoms for the autumn of 2018. You heard me right, I started this skirt in 2018!

I was trucking right along, following all the pattern instructions, when I realized that I although I liked the functionality of the front patch pockets, I thought they looked like appliqued oven mitts on the front of my skirt... Sadly, I had already sewed them into the side and zipper seams as well as the waistband. I was so overwhelmed with the amount of unpicking I would need to do the whole project got set to the side.

My 2020 sewing goal is to only make garments that I already own the fabric and/or pattern for, and finishing an unfinished projects fits that bill perfectly. Thankfully #thegreatmodulesewalong came along and gave me the inspiration I needed to finish this skirt. It is one of the two bottoms in my module, which you'll be able to see at the end of the month. So stay tuned!


There are numerous blogs and vlogs online designed to help anyone make a circle skirt from scratch. I liked using the Veronika circle skirt because, in addition to being free when I signed up for Megan Nielsen Pattern's e-newsletter, it also gave me something concrete to use for a pattern. I inserted an invisible zipper, although I could have probably gone with an elastic waistband instead. I'm currently enjoying this longer length and can also shorten it later if I'd like.


Time estimate: 8-10 hours
Size: small
Fabric used: 2 yards solid refined ponte knit fabric black, 50% stretch
Care instructions: machine wash cold, line dry

Cost to make
Pattern: Veronika circle skirt, FREE
Printing and shipping: $4
Fabric: $28, JoAnn
Stabilizer: $3
Zipper: $2
*used thread, hook and eye from my stash
TOTAL: $37