Want to learn about pattern manipulations....check out Dawn over at Duelling Designs!

I've had alot of work going on but I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up on watching Dawn's pattern manipulation lessons over at her Duelling Designs periscope TV channel HERE. I've been studying patternmaking throughout the years and have a load of textbooks on the subject, worked personally with a Draper but I've enjoyed the added bonus of having someone to demonstrate the principals to you via video. She's EXTREMELY knowledgeable and passionate on the subject. It helps that she has a great teaching voice and always gives concise and thorough information. On top of that she's one of the sweetest people on the planet and her and her husband (aka camera man) make a great duo in producing and directing the episodes. So if you haven't checked out Dawn please do. She's got design challenges, hosts The Sewing Blab with Alethia Hudson and a bunch of great sewing related happenings! You can check out her website here http://duellingdesigns.com  Enjoy!

Review: The Blue Burnout Assymetrical Top NL 6453

My style is very  uncomplicated which is why I LOVE this top! I whipped this together in just a few short hours. It's Newlook 6453 and it was love at first sight!  I love the fit and drape of this top. Besides that the burnout fabric I had in my stash was the perfect weight for this project. It's lightweight and sheer. Unfortunately you can't see the burnout design in this photo since I'm wearing a dark shirt underneath but would easily show up with a lighter one. This sewed together easily. I made view A in pattern size 10. I normally make the 12 but since I didn't want alot of ease I downsized. I like loose tops but I don't want to feel as if I'm swimming in them! I could have a dozen of these tops in my wardrobe. Makes for easy and effortless style which I'm all about. I paired this top with light denim jeans, animal print peep toe heels and a hanging necklace.

 (Full view)

 (lots of flare)

 (Fabric upclose)

(Fabric up close)

This was a fun top to make and wear! Now I just need to find more fabric to make more :)

Reviews: Mother Daughter Colorful Matching Tunics and the Janome Mod 100

School started this week so this past weekend I thought it would be great to take my daughter out for some Mother/Daughter bonding. A friend of mine was putting on a fashion show so I immediately thought that would be the perfect event for us. I mean we both love fashion and have our own distinct styles. To sweeten the deal we thought it would be cute to dress alike for the event. So with a full work week and very limited time I pulled out 2 patterns--- New Look 0558 for my daughter and Simplicity 0347 for myself. The designs were pretty straight forward and I allowed my multicolor jersey fabric to do all of the "talking". I bought a ton of this fabric at Fine Fabrics in Atlanta a couple of years back for a project and am just now using it. It's bright and lively but I like that.

I whipped these 2 tops together SO fast! I can thank my new and trust Janome Mod 100 for her help! I'm delighted to partner with Janome in getting the word out about how great this machine is! This machine is awesome and "purred like a kitten" so to speak with use. It's fast stitching and ease of use helped make these 2 tops come together fast! Plus it's new cool design and coloration was just as cool as the fabric I was sewing! I really love this machine! It's reliable yet fun and stylish!

I'd been wanting to make Simplicity 0347 for quite sometime.  It's a lovely top and I love the dolman sleeves and plunging neckline. Due to the vivid color I styled the outfit simply. At the last minute I couldn't track down my favorite geometrical shaped gray earring (I was distraught over this ya'll) so I settled for some black hanging loops and decided not to wear a necklace. If I'd been thinking straight I would have made this top just a bit longer to transform it into a dress to wear with strappy black heels. Since I didn't I paired with black legging and strapped platforms.

I changed up NewLook 0058 to make it into a short dress/long tunic so my daughter would have some versatility in wearing it. Again, due to the busy print I decided against adding any other details to it. Although a cute hanging beaded black necklace would've been really cute. Either way she loved it and she got lots of compliments. Here she is modeling it.....

Here's a snap of us after the fashion show with Stephanie from Jasee'O Design and Company--who put on the fashion show to display her summer camp student's work! Photo courtesy of Savannahnow.com

After the show we went for pizza....and it was good!

That was a fun Mother/Daughter outing! Never really need a reason to dress up with my daughter but it's always great when we do!!!!

Thanks to Janome for sponsoring this post. The reviews of the Janome Mod were all my own and 100% genuine!