Category Archives: PATTERN REVIEWS

The Charlie shirt first caught my eye because of the interesting pleating detail on both the back and front, and I was curious as to the construction method. Funnily enough, I initially misunderstood the front closure to be a covered button placket, but was pleasantly surprised to see that the same design aesthetic could be…

I’ve been on the hunt for 100% cotton poplin fabric for the last several months and I had no clue Fabrics-Store had a whole range sitting pretty on the site. Of course they offer the fabric in a quintessential white color as well as a bevy of gorgeous floral prints; but when I saw the…

Okay, so there is a little background on choosing Ami. I look for vintage elements in contemporary patterns, something that I have started doing more of, influenced by my love of vintage clothing. I look for vintage clothing when I thrift.  The adventure that comes with thrifting can be such a rush. It is one…

I moved to Los Angeles three years ago after living in Boston for over a decade. Over that decade, this California native learned what winter was, how incredible wool is, and that jeans are NOT the pants I want to wear when it’s humid out. IYKYK. But one of the things I miss most about…

The Akira Wrap and Pants made with Mahogany Rose Linen are the most luxurious of loungewear. My daughter Anna was delighted when I said I would make this set for her. With this pattern there are two top options, one is the wrap and one is a cardigan which we chose to make. The difference…

I have been a long-time fan of button-up shirts because of their versatility: short sleeve, long sleeve, long sleeves rolled up halfway, no sleeves! And lately I’ve noticed half-placket tops floating around the virtual sewing community world, so I decided to try it out with the Bruna Shirt pattern. I love the idea of having…

I can’t begin to tell you how often I have looked at a piece of clothing and thought “that wasn’t made for me”, meaning – I knew instantly that it wouldn’t fit me, my body type, or lifestyle. But I guess that’s the thing with garments, right? We mostly wear items that fit those three…

I think most of have been on the hunt for the perfect pleated trousers…or at least it seems that way when scrolling my Instagram feed. There is an abundance of patterns out there right now and the fact is, pants are just hard. I am not going to lie, I’ve bought 3-4 (maybe more!) high…

I used to have a jumpsuit in this lovely color and I really liked it but over time the seams wore out because it was pull-on over the hips with no zipper. A jumpsuit was actually one of my original designs for myself and my daughters when I started Ma Ma Osa so many years…

I put the Charlie pattern on my list because it is a versatile little multi-season capsule wardrobe encompassed in one pattern collection! I’ve always wanted to experiment with a “me made” capsule wardrobe; so what better opportunity to try it out than one of the Fabric-Store pattern collections? Before ordering the pattern, I knew that…

One of the (many many many) things I love about sewing is getting to create and then wear exactly the clothes that I imagine in my head – it kind of feels like getting to play dress up, which was something I love now at 28 just as much as I did when I was…

Recently I saw a beautiful, and perfect, pair of shorts that Claire made. Perfect defined as: what I have looked for in a short/pant but haven’t found yet. (Remember- I have been on the hunt for the perfect trouser pattern, and shorts make the cut since it’s basically the important part of the trouser.) Turns…

Shortly after taking on this project, my partner and I made a decision to give up our rent, take our 3 dogs and move across the province, from Cape Town to the Garden Route for three months. I started sewing this dress halfway between packing for the move. All of our stuff had to go…

If you know me or my sewing account at all, then you know I’m a solid supporter of a good button up. I actually found my holy grail of one in the Noa Shirt, one of Fabrics-Store’s many free patterns. I’m a long-time user of their pattern freebies; they were in fact all I used…

Of all the Fabric Store pattern collections, I’d been circling back time and time again on the Lily. The Lily collection is a generous set of Henley placket dress, tunic, shirt, and additional skirt. The looks are timeless. The techniques you can learn through Fabric Store patterns are top-notch. But more than anything, this set…