Culottes (they’re back!) are really the mullet of the fashion world: Business when you stand…

…and party when you move!

These are the Winslow Culottes in polyester chiffon from Blackbird Fabrics. They’re the first project I made on the new machine and this fabric (plus a poly lining) did not faze it at all. I mean, look at the PERFECT tension on this machine-stitched blind hem!

The pattern itself is nicely drafted, with really detailed instructions that give a nice finish–great for ambitious beginners. However, I went up a size because I was concerned about waist measurements and they’re a hair too big, so my recommendation is to stick with your body measurements, not the finished garment measurements.

I loved wearing these; the wide legs are so glamorous and they’re truly the best of both the pant and skirt worlds. I think there will be more fashion mullets in my future.

I was invited to a coworker’s wedding that would be taking place in a fancy distillery in the mountains. A week before the wedding, I looked through my closet and picked out two options and was going to narrow them down when I ended up at the new JoAnn location in my neighborhood* and I saw this:

Reader, I immediately decided to make a dress out of it–despite the fact that I had exactly one week in which to do so, despite the fact that I had two perfectly fine outfits to wear, despite the fact that I hadn’t made or worn a dress since 2016. I didn’t care; I couldn’t shake the idea of THAT print in a ruffly prairie style dress, worn with ankle boots.

So I did it! It was such a throwback experience at that nice JoAnn, too: I found the fabric (a polyester crepe), then walked back to the pattern books and looked at some options, then made a decision based on what was in stock and seemed the fastest to make. No reading indie pattern reviews, no scrolling through Instagram tags to see how the pattern looked, no ordering fabric online–it was just like I was a little girl again planning out a new dress with my mom in one visit.

The winning pattern was Butterick 6677. It was simple but the narrow hems on those sleeve ruffles took a lot of time.

My only change was to shorten both the skirt piece and the ruffle by two inches, to better show off ankle boots.

Forgive the weird crop, but I didn’t know if my new wedding friend wanted to be all over the internet.

The only way I was able to get this done in seven days was Doc: He stepped up to take over pretty much most of the house stuff and didn’t mind when I disappeared upstairs to sew for an hour or two after dinner every night.

I loved wearing my dress and the bride (who knew what I was planning) was so impressed I got it done. Now I’m suddenly all about full, gathered dresses: I just bought a ruffler foot for my machine off eBay to make more.

*The newest JoAnn store designs are SO nice, and they’ve really upped their garment fabric selection. Well done, JoAnn.

Shown on the patio, here’s my new favorite pair of patio pants:

They’re the True Bias Emerson Pants again (this is my…seventh time making that pattern?) and they’re all I want to wear. I originally wanted to copy some Madewell lounge pants to wear around the house, but I love these so much I’ve been wearing them out to coffee and therapy and other hot spots around town.

Details:

• Emerson Pants, with no pleats and a full elastic waist (as discussed here)
• Rainbow stripe linen from JoAnn Fabrics
• Total cost: $17

After a year of going to the gym, I’ve realized that the only thing that’s really comfortable for heavy activity is something form-fitting. (Now I understand why the ancient Greeks worked out naked.) I’ve also realized that if I’m going to be wearing a backpack while hiking, I need a really high waist on my shorts (or pants) or else I spend the entire time yanking them up as the pack pushes them down.

Enter: High Rise Booty Shorts.

The pattern is from a company called Patterns for Pirates and they’re the “Loggers“–i.e. the fit of a legging with the pockets and bands of a jogger pant. (Worn here with the DIY Smartwool Nikko top I made last year.)

I made the low rise/tall waistband combo in the shorts and added a few inches to the inseam (from 2″ to 5″; it’s fine to be proud of what lifting does for your legs but you have to be able to actually sit). The fabric is a really gorgeous thick “Dry-Flex Poly” from The Fabric Fairy.

These are tighter and shorter than I would ever dream of wearing a year ago but guess what? They were SO. COMFORTABLE. on the long Uintas hike. I’ve had varicose veins since high school; I nearly never wear shorts. But as I approach 40 and have learned to take up space, mentally and physically, my attitude has become: “Fuck it, I’ll wear what I want. If people don’t want to see my veins/butt/crotch/underwear lines, then they don’t have to look.”

It is a great feeling. As great as smol stretchy shorts for hiking.

I finally made Doc’s Valentine gift! He chose the fabric and I couldn’t approve more of his taste:

This is McCalls 6044 again (for the…eleventh?…time) with the shoulder yoke detail and black pearl snaps from Snap Source. That fabric is a Japanese heavy oxford and it’s amazing, both in print and quality.

He texted me from work on the day he wore it that he’s “never gotten so many compliments so fast” on a shirt I’d made. Clearly, I should always let him choose fabric.

After our plans shifted from a camping weekend to a resort weekend, I got a wild idea to make a new swimsuit for it. I looked around in my stash and saw that I still had half a yard of some poly knit I’d ordered 18 months ago for some first test pairs of undies (before I switched to cotton). The fabric won’t hold up to heavy chlorine exposure but the print was perfect for the desert:

I downloaded the pattern Monday night, assembled it, and cut out the main fabric and the lining. Tuesday night I sewed the bottoms and Wednesday night I did the top. (I was able to finish early on Wednesday because Doc offered to take my car over for a trip check “so I could keep sewing.” <3)

I had everything else I needed in the stash: some soft cups saved from a sports bra, nude tricot lining, elastic, and a stretch needle [this was a great tip and this collection of tips was very helpful too]. I used the Megan Nielsen Cottesloe Swimsuit for the pattern and love the fit–very comfortable and that high rise bottom/long line top is pretty trendy:

Look! I match the scenery!

I loved this whole project–the focus of getting it done, the fabric, the fun I had while wearing it. I think every vacation needs a new bikini now!