Category Archives: PATTERN REVIEWS

I loved the style and ease of the Abbey Pattern collection so much that I had to do a part 2. This time around, I sewed up the capris in midweight linen and they have become such a welcomed addition to my trans-seasonal wardrobe. As with the Abbey cardigan that I previously reviewed, I chose…

In the short span of time it took me to make this project, the weather has gone from 20ºC and sunny, to -1ºC and blizzarding, then back up to 10ºC with clear blue skies. The weather on the shores of Lake Huron can be very unpredictable, to say the least! Haha! As the forecast here…

Adding a classic fitted trouser to your wardrobe is always a good decision. These pants definitely have all the details of a classic garment worth adding to your collection. I did not have any white pants and I’m so pleased to have added the Riva Pants to my fashion options. I hope you enjoy the…

A couple weeks ago, my family and I took a quick trip to San Francisco to visit friends and pre-plan our wedding, which will take place inside the awe-inspiring San Francisco City Hall. My fiance and I both lived there during college over a decade and half ago, so we figured it would be meaningful…

The Capucine robe is so lovely! I’m excited to share why. Let’s start with the fabric choice that made this super fun! The pattern suggests woven medium weight linen 55” width and all the photos in the instructions are made with traditional texture linen but you MUST consider the linen/cotton waffle fabric as an option…

The Riva Dress. Wait!? The Riva Pattern doesn’t come with a dress option. No, it doesn’t, but it CAN. I like my FS Zina Shirt dress so much that I thought, why not try making a Riva Dress option as well. I saw the potential that seemed like a pretty simple alteration so I took…

I’m back today with a fun, juicy hack for you. I recently made a Nico bias cut dress and admitted to you… I’m not good with making basics. I used the Nico dress pattern to make the camisole and couldn’t resist adding a little of my own flare with a layered tulip-style back hack. This…

Matching button-down shirt and shorts sets have been dominating my inspo files since early spring, but I had yet to make one because I just couldn’t pin down the perfect patterns to create the *exact* look I was dreaming of.  Cue the Riva Pattern Collection. It’s comprised of a button-down shirt with either long sleeve…

As I’m writing this, I am sitting at the breakfast table in Croatia (again – lucky me, I know) enjoying a slice of bread with spicy Ajvar and cucumber. It’s 10:12 am and 27 C. It’s warm but not too hot, which feels perfect because I’m not sweating like hell but still don’t need to…

I’ve always gravitated towards pieces that are easy to wear, and breezy to fit the Los Angeles weather. Linen is absolutely my favorite fabric to work with because of that reason. On top of that, linen is also a very approachable fabric for beginners, which I still consider myself to be, since it is very…

A few seasons ago, a certain slow fashion brand had designed a long sleeved, slightly oversized white shirt dress with multi-colored buttons — it was outside my budget but I COVETED it. (Shout out to #statethelabel!) Simple but whimsical, the style I like to strive for. Classic without being on the nose, veering a little…

I used to struggle with choosing pants I go to work with. In Silicon Valley, the dress code is business casual. If you come for an interview for a tech job, the recruiter would repeat three times — don’t wear a suit. The RIVA linen pants are the perfect middle-ground between suit pants and jeans,…

When I was in veterinary school, we had a practical skills lab where we had to put on our ~white coats~ and “play doctor” on very sweet volunteer pets. At the time, I remember feeling so giddy to put that coat on. On the one hand, it felt surreal and exciting and on the other…

Every woman (or man, if they so please) needs a good basic dress in their closet. I, for one, savor in making just one decision instead of two. Although I’m not very good at making basics (I tend to get most excited about the “frosting” projects), I was really ready to whip myself up a…

I really like to sew dresses and jumpsuits for my daughter. Today we will talk about one of my favourite dress patterns for girls. I usually find interesting patterns on Etsy, there are a lot of great stores. But be careful if you want to sew clothes with the intent of selling them, as some…