As I was sitting here thinking about what to type I realized that I like giving myself little mini themes or goals that no one knows about (until now). This post and my next blog post are going to have a Halloween theme, even though it is currently November as I write this. Not to be that "Halloween is everyday" girl, but, hey, Halloween is everyday 😂 By that I mean I'm going to wear this outfit 12 months a year, not 1 month a year. I don't discriminate when it comes to skull fabric, especially when it's Cotton and Steel skull fabric 💀.

For me, the Grainline Driftless Cardigan is the perfect Fall piece. The weather is so up and down right now (rained one morning a couple of weeks ago, was in the 90s and 100s, and now its 75 degrees, wtf), but for the days that might have a slight chill, Driftless is my go to, my ride or die, my Fall soulmate. K, I'm being kinda dramatic since this is only my second time sewing the pattern, but I really love it. I never blogged the orange red version I made last year, but I assure you that it has gotten a lot of use. It's a little dressier than a hoodie, so I feel more pulled together when I pass on my worn out American Nightmare and Bane sweatshirts and put on a nice cardigan instead.


This is version 2 of Driftless, the version with the split hem. Didn't add buttons because I'm not going to waste four buttons on something that is never going to be buttoned up (how many more time can I use "buttons" in a sentence, jeeze). Construction is super interesting due to how the pockets are sewn. The first time I cut out the pattern pieces I was scratching my head and wondering how it was going to work, but in the end it did. Jen, the designer behind Grainline, never disappoints. And honestly, I really really like that this is a different take (construction wise) on an oversize cardigan. The only change I made was omitting the sleeve cuffs for my shorty arms.


Oh, this leopard print sweater knit is from Michael Levine and it was on saleeeeee for $4.80 a yard! 👏 I love when I lurk a fabric, don't buy it, and then go lurk again and realize that it's 20% off. Actually, the whole website was (is?) 20% off, so I should stop feeling like such a genius haha. And in no way am I affiliated with Michael Levine, just wanted to give you a heads up that they have good sales.


The shirt is from one of my favorite pattern companies, SBCC Patterns. They specialize in patterns for petites, and since I'm petite this is right up my alley. You've seen this pattern before on my blog and also on my Instagram, but it's the Paloma Blouse in version 2. No changes/adjustments made other than lowering the pockets and adding a couple of inches in length. This pattern holds a special place in my life because it's perfect for crazy quilting cottons, uses a little under 2 yards of fabric, and it's a great shirt style for my work. It's not a basic t-shirt and it's not a full on ballgown, the best compromise 😂


Thanks for reading, friends! xoxox

Can you guys tell that I am a fan of neutrals? 😹😹😹 All joking aside, I do love me some black clothing, but you all know by now that I'm into really bright fabrics too, right? And bright psychedelic butterfly fabric sent to me from Britex Fabrics, CHECK!!!


Have I sewn with silk crepe de chine before? I don't think I have, but now I am a fan. It was a lot easier to prep, cut, and sew in comparison to the silk chiffon I sewed with at the end of last year. Way less slippery too, which I am not complaining about. And because it wasn't super sheer I got away with serging the raw edges instead of French seams. Again, not mad about that!


The shirt is the SBCC Gibson Blouse, a pattern I bought that has been chillin on my bookshelf for a while, waiting to be used. I think I always write this when I blog about SBCC, but man, I am such a huge fan of Betsy's stuff. With most patterns that require a woven fabric I end up doing some sort of narrow shoulder adjustment paired with an FBA or grade between sizes, and sometimes I end up doing all of the above so the garment will work with my narrow shoulders. As a petite, and SBCC is geared towards petites, it is sooooo nice to not have to make these adjustments and have the sleeves fit well and not dig into my armpits or feel weird. That said, I didn't make a single fit adjustment to the pattern and I like how it turned out. And if I do need to make any shoulder adjustments in the future I am going to do it Betsy's way. She just posted an awesome tutorial that I am dying to try. Bring on the shoulder adjustments!

Construction of Gibson went pretty smoothly. I'm glad I made a wearable muslin first because it made sewing my final version straightforward. On the muslin I did do some head scratching when it came to which seam allowances to use since there are a few options, but in the end it all worked out.


Gathers, gathers, gathers. This psychedelic silk butterfly fabric may not be the best for displaying the sewing details in this garment, but I wanted to make this pattern and fabric combo happen. They're there on the bodice front, sleeves, and back of the shirt, I promise! If you'd like to see how I gather fabric then check out this post I wrote for Britex.

For the hem and sleeves I didn't follow the suggested method of folding and stitching and did a roll hem instead by following Grainline's tutorial. I think it looks a little cleaner and it actually ended up being easier to sew too.

Before I wrap this up I just want to thank everyone who commented on my last post about my Grandma. I got a lot of really sweet and thoughtful text messages, comments, messages online, and a very nice card from Sonja. We all have busy lives and the fact that so many of you took time out of your day to send me encouragement and kind words really means so much to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. xoxox

Also, this garment has a very special meaning to me in regards to my Grandma. If you ever meet me in person and want to grab a drink I will tell you all about it.