A few years ago I only wore dresses now I love wearing separates. Dresses are lovely to wear in summer but can leave my body quite cold – especially in the middle of winter. I have been looking for the perfect blouse pattern for a while. One which looks good with pants, pinafores, and skirts. I…
Tag: Named Clothing
Agate Pencil Dress
There are some patterns which sit on my ‘to make’ list for a while. The Named Agate pencil dress is one of these. The pattern came out a few years ago and I have been following the hashtag on Instagram since then. Often if I am unsure about a pattern I follow the hashtag until…
Breaking the Pattern – Utu Pinafore
In the last few years, I’ve become a fan of pinafore dresses. The York by Helen’s Closet showed me how good they are for work wear. The items underneath can be easily layered depending on the season. So far I’ve tried several different pinafore patterns- the York, Dani and now the Utu. I’ve made three versions…
Lovely Lempi
I was drawn to the Lempi dress pattern – by Named clothing – when it was first released. I love dresses that contain a number of design elements. The Sew House Seven Tea House dress is a good example. It has a flattering neckline, pockets, waist ties and sleeves. The Lempi dress ticked all…
Bananas! Saunio Cardigan
I came across this stunning wool lurex fabric at The Wellington Fabric Store. I had just gotten a new job so I was feeling rather celebratory. In the instance, I thought to myself “Go girl! Treat yourself!.” I tend to be a fabric scrooge buying fabric through fabric sales instead of full price. This is…
Saunio Cardigan
The Saunio cardigan is a pattern by Named Clothing. It is an oversized and relaxed style designed with 3/4 sleeves that narrow towards the wrists. This garment has dropped shoulders, a round neck and has an overlapping front edge. It is marked simple – which it is, hello fast sew! This pattern has been on…
Dresses for coffee and cocktails
A couple of weeks ago I came across The Day and Night dress challenge organised by Elizabeth Made This. I thought that is a challenge I can do! The challenge asks you to create two looks: A dress with a day look: This should be a casual dress appropriate for your everyday life. This dress should…
Building Blocks
In early November I got an email from Drapers Fabrics, a fabric store that I always visit when I’m in Auckland. After lots of requests from customers, they launched an online store (yay!) To celebrate the launch of their new online fabric store they partnered up with a few bloggers, including myself. Drapers Fabrics kindly…
Helmi Dress
The Helmi Tunic Dress is everything I love about a pattern. Versatile for all year round and can be dressed up or down. The pattern features both a blouse and tunic. This is a wonderful pattern by Named Clothing, one of my favourite pattern companies. I decided to make this pattern as the Tunic dress perfectly…
Moana Kielo Wrap Dress
This dress is one which really sums up my style. Smart casual featuring a lot of solid colour and playful prints. I was inspired by the Gorman dress below which featured in one of their recent collections. I love the play between the solid black and the naive printed fabric. I decided to use the Kielo dress…
Named Inari dress
When I really love a pattern and have a gap in my closet I tend to and make up the pattern several times in a range of fabrics. The named Inari dress is no exception. With my first one I chose my favourite fabric as a wearable muslin (brave or stupid?). I hadn’t read any…
Kielo Wrap dress
I love making clothes that transition from work to weekend and between seasons. The Kielo wrap dress by Named is a wonderful pattern as it’s a great layering piece and looks effortlessly glamorous as well as being a fast easy project. Here’s the description by Named: Very simple maxi dress with an interesting shape Sleeveless design,…
Emma's Atelier 