July was crazy. After a month away from sewing I struggled a bit to jump back in. Between my friend visiting from the US, a record breaking heat wave and Ember’s teething, the month kind of got away from me. I made two of the four things I’d planned, tested a pattern and participated in two Instagram challenges that focused on wearing rather than making (though I’ll save my thoughts on that for another blog). Here I’ll share what I made in July and some other bits and bobs I’ve been loving this month.

Easy Summer Dresses

Left to Right: Wearable Studio Heidi Day Dress with added ruffle hem and shoulder ties, Pattern Scout Hana Dress with added tie belt.

The Heidi dress was part of my July plans, but the Hana dress was a surprise make. I love both of them so much! I’ve already gotten tons of wear out of my Heidi and Hana dresses. I’ve found that I’m really loving dresses without waist seams. This time of year, I really don’t want to wear anything too structured. The waist tie feature on these dresses is a great compromise for when I want to be cinched in at the waist but still feel loose and cool.

Selfless Sewing: Cherry Blossom Sundress Dress

Technically, I finished this in August, not quite July, but still in time to ship it to my friend for her birthday. This New Look 6373 was way more challenging than I had anticipated. I knew it would be tough to finish without checking the fit throughout the sewing process, but I also underestimated the difficulty of the fabric.

There are some wonky bits that I think will be ok once it’s on a real moving body. Fingers crossed! I really, really hope she gets to wear it!

On the Mend

While I was struggling to focus this month and get back into the rhythm of sewing, I took a look through my WIPs and alterations pile. Seeing all those lovely pieces sitting unworn and unloved in a dark box got me really inspired to get them sorted out.

I mended some leggings and fixed a pair of my husband’s shorts. It was way easier than I expected and it felt so good to start and finish projects so quickly. I might start adding an finishing/altering/refashioning project into my monthly plans.

Temptations

I managed not to buy any patterns or fabric this month, but I sure wanted to! There were so many new pattern and fabric releases this month. My pattern and fabric stash are overflowing at the moment, but I still love seeing all the new beauties out in the world!

If I end up buying anything, it would have to be the Kosice Top and Dress by Itch to Stitch (though the Athina Kakou Meg is a very close second.) It’s another easy breezy dress like the Heidi and Hana tanks dresses that I made this month, but with sleeves – raglan, puff, flutter sleeves! The Kosice features a soft scooped front neckline and a V at the back, elasticated shoulders and buttons down the front. The best part? Cup sizes!!

In terms of fabric, I’m so excited that the beautiful Lady McElroy prints are now being printed on tencel! Tencel is a sustainably produced semi-synthetic fabric, and it’s only recently been introduced into the home sewing community. I haven’t yet had the chance to sew with it, but all my favorite ready to wear items are made from tencel. The second I see this print in stores, I’m snatching it up! How beautiful are these bugs!

Freebies

We all love a free pattern and these two are at the top of my wish list. Firstly, Ready to Sew relaunched their Justine Skirt in their new, extended size range. I’ve been wanting to sew this skirt for a while, but now I’m even more excited to support Ready to Sew and this skirt has jumped to the top of my sewing queue! I can’t wait for their new range!

The second freebie I’m stoked about is the Costa Tote from Helen’s Closet. I don’t know when I’ll have a chance to sew this bag, but I know I need it in my life. We’ve grown past needing to carry the full diaper backpack everywhere, but I still need more than just my little purse. I love the modern and function asymmetrical pockets. Plus it’s reversible!

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Thanks for tuning in and reading through my happy sewing rambles. I’ll be back on next week featuring my plans for August. Happy sewing!