Hello! I am so thrilled to be joining the Style Maker Fabrics Spring Style Tour! It’s always really exciting for me to start thinking about sewing for warmer weather at this time of year. Where I live it might not actually be warm enough to wear short sleeves and bare legs until May, but I love being ready with some new handmade clothes when that happens!
There are many gorgeous new fabrics at Style Maker that are part of the Spring Collection! It was tough for me to decide which of them I wanted to sew. I am always drawn to florals on dark backgrounds and when I saw this pretty black, white, and gray brushstroke floral rayon crepe I thought it would be perfect for a Spring skirt. (I also completely love this navy and coral rayon crepe. Wouldn’t it make a beautiful dress? It’s definitely calling out to me!)
The pattern I chose to make is the Fiore Skirt from Closet Case Patterns. I have made this skirt once before in the button front view and I love the fit. The asymmetric wrap skirt is the view that drew me to the pattern initially, so I decided to make that view with the floral fabric. I thought the cool angled front piece might not be super noticeable in the floral fabric, but I think it ended up looking great!
I made a size 12 graded to a 16, which is my standard sizing for Closet Case Patterns bottoms. (My waist measures 31″ and my hips are 44″.) The construction of this skirt went smoothly and it was fun to see that big front pocket come together.
I love sewing with and wearing rayon crepe. Because of the texture, it’s got a little more grip than a rayon challis and I find that it doesn’t slide around as much as a challis would. It’s lightweight with a lovely drape. It moves so nicely– this is the kind of skirt that makes me want to twirl to watch the fabric float!
After I chose the floral rayon for my skirt, I asked Michelle if she could recommend a fabric that would work for a coordinating top. She showed me a few options and this light gray clip dot textured linen jumped right out at me. Linen is so perfect for Spring and the clip dot is really unique.
I always aspire to be a person who can mix prints but when it comes time to put together an outfit I rarely think to do it. Putting this textured linen fabric with the floral rayon seemed like the perfect way for me to do something a little unexpected!
The structure of the linen is perfect for a Closet Case Patterns Cielo top to match my Fiore skirt. I love the oversized, boxy shape of this top and the linen showcases the silhouette so well. I prewashed and dried my fabric twice before cutting into it and it softened up nicely.
I’ve made the Cielo dress view twice before but this was my first time making the top. I made a size 10 graded to a 14 and did a 1″ petite adjustment to take length out between the shoulder and the dart. (The first time I made this pattern the dart placement was too low for me. The petite adjustment brought it up into the right place for my bust.) I added that 1″ back in under the armscye to keep the overall length the same. I also added 2″ to the length so it wouldn’t be quite so cropped.
I had to pay attention to the clip dot pattern when I cut my fabric since it has a definite horizontal stripe. I made sure that the stripes lined up on the front and back bodice pieces. I fussy cut the sleeve cuff pattern pieces to that I’d end up with a line of the dots on both cuffs. The oversized sleeves and cuffs look so good in this fabric! I also really love that inset piece on the back of the shoulders. This is a simple top but it has such great details that set it apart.
This neutral palette is a little bit different for me for a Spring outfit and I am quite happy with it! I love the added interest that the clip dots give to the gray linen and I’m so glad that Michelle suggested it to pair with the floral rayon. This outfit makes me feel great I know I’ll be reaching for both of these pieces often.
Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the Style Maker Fabrics Spring Style Tour. Each of the looks has been gorgeous and I’m feeling really inspired to do more Spring sewing!
~Teri
p.s. These fabrics were gifted to me in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are my own.
Fa Sew La 
Beautiful sewing and pairing of fabric. Shoulder inset refutes the need for forward shoulder adjustment – at least for my own version. Makes me pine for Spring and yes – great to have some beautiful clothes to celebrate it’s arrival.
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Joanne! I did a forward shoulder adjustment because it’s just ingrained in me now– I didn’t even consider that I might not need it with the shoulder inset. It will be so nice when we can go outside of our houses again and I can wear my new outfit!
LikeLike
Love this outfit Teri! The two fabrics go together nicely and I’m sure will work with other beauties in your closet.
LikeLike