A collection of shirts

When I first saw the Tilton sisters shirt patterns, I thought they were so similar, I didn't need to get them all.  Then, I saw various ones posted on blogs and liked them.

So, I decided to make up as many as I could, staring with this Japanese cotton from Marcy's website

It fits ok, but I'm not crazy about the fabric, a cotton that really is limp after laundering.  I used just the collar stand and didn't put a pocket in, but did nothing else to a medium size.

Next, I tackled this newspaper print cotton blend from Marcy's website.

Using this pattern

It has a weird stuck-on peplum like piece, but I love this pattern.  Currently making it again in a Mood patterned navy linen print.  Soft pleated collar is a real design feature.  

Also a favorite pattern I'll make again soon in a Japanese cotton that's firmer is this pattern 

My next to the last post had this featured over the "killer green" linen knit dress.  The design feature here is the side "not a pocket"

Last but not least, a Style arc tunic shirt pattern in a double gauze fabric 

All these shirts are very comfortable to wear, but this tops them all.

Dresses 2 & 3. Have been copied

Dress 2, the short one has actually been copied twice.  Once in the Citron color at the end of the last blog and once in this periwinkle linen knit.

The originals were made in linen/cotton knit which is a little less transparent, but with a coverup this linen knit covers well, i.e., my dummy wears no underwear!  Here's the back view

Found a Flax top in the same color in my, closet.  Wow!

Dress #3 is my fav, I think, with that cute little built in pocket in a longer length.  Here is the original.

I made it a coverup using V9170 out of a stretch cotton shirting from Michael Levine

I'm not usually a big check fan, but they are all over ready to wear this season and I liked the one I bought for our Europe trip.  Loved the stretch, for sure.

Anyway, this pattern really uses the check in interesting ways.

Plan to wear this out tomorrow night

So, back to the dress.  Copied it and made this more subtle marine blue linen knit from High End Fabrics on eBay (same place I bought the periwinkle for dress #2)

Had a Chicos jeans jacket with the tag on to go with the dots in the denim

After I took the finished garment to my closet, I also had a Tribal shirt that I teamed it with today, as it's much too muggy here for denim jackets!  The Tribal shirt has an interesting thing going on with stripes, so I'm glad to have something to wear with it.

Spring into summer -dresses!

I bought these three dresses at, where else, Rupert Cornelius in Madison, WI

The first is kind of a seersucker Indian woven that's an incredible fabric.  To be able to wear this confidently, I have to have a top or shrug, they sometimes call it.  

I purchased this chambray piece from Craftsy that seemed ever so plain when it arrived. It became just the ticket for a SW West End jacket as a topper for this dress.

Dress number two was this cool Cut Loose brand linen cotton knit which I used some of my knit and Marcy's latest topper pattern to complement.

The collar is ruched by the tie.  Used a piece of stretchy cord in two colors from Gayfeathers that went well, I thought.

The third was black, but I loved the style, with little gathers all the way down the front pieces and copied it in some Marcy linen knit

Made Marcy's new shirt in a bold linen stripe to cover it.  Neat design on both!

More blogging, by popular request. . .

I managed to walk away from my sewing machine and take some pictures today.  

First up, another rain coat, Marcy Tilton V 8934, which I blogged about before under the title December rain.

Background story: last fall at an ASG sponsored Sandra Betzina seminar my good friend, Deb, and I purchased this wonderful Aztec embossed leather, from our local Madison, Wi. fabric store Gayfeather Fabrics, who helped sponsor Sandra and was a vendor at said event.   Since we couldn't imagine what each of us would make, let alone use the whole skin individually, we purchased it together.  

Then Deb's life led her to move to Asheville.  One of our last "sewing" related events together before her move was the Splitting of the Leather.

I purchased a really water repellant fabric from Marcy Tiltons website, which was as drab as a rainy day, in color.  

Then, I remembered the "patches" pattern, which up to this point I'd only made without the patches, as Marcy's patches were so incredibly neat and cool, I couldn't imagine what to use.  

Enter, the Egyptian embossed leather!  Truly project worthy!

Detail shot, please:

I marshaled my Sandra Betzina training and went for it on sewing all the patches.  I had "just enough" leather to make good choices.  

And, when I found these "stone" buttons at Gayfeathers, I knew my garment was complete!

Now, where did I put that matching hat?  ( I'll post it later if I can find it!)