Sharon Sews

A velvet maxi for fall? Yes! The rich burgundy velvet reminds me that cooler temps are coming, and it will easily transition into the late fall/early winter season. This velvet Mermaid Maxi (by Tie Dye Diva Patterns) is so versatile it will look dressy or casual depending on how it is styled. A more traditional look would be how I've paired it here. I added a simple black tee, a statement necklace, and black velvet booties. I love the shape of this as it fits close through the hip and flares out at the knee. Even someone with not much of a bootie (raising my hand here!) looks good coming and going in this maxi skirt. Here's the back.   Add a plaid top and fringed suede booties for a casual fall look. I went sleeveless as the temp s are still in the 90s where I now live. But how cute would a long-sleeved plaid shirt tied at the waist look? Take a slightly oversized tee, knot it at the side, put on some athletic shoes (mine are rose gold) and you have another ca

If colors speak louder than words, what am I saying with this dress? I'm not sure what the message is, but I do know the explosion of color evokes joy in me! The fabric, Milly "prism in technicolor" stretch cotton sateen, was purchased from Emma One Sock in 2016. I ordered the fabric with plans to make a BurdaStyle sheath dress, but when the fabric arrived, the green was more predominant than I had anticipated.  Green is one color that I rarely wear so I put the fabric aside. When I unpacked the fabric after our recent move I no longer thought there was too much green and decided it was time to sew myself that sheath dress. Instead of digging out my BurdaStyle magazines to trace the dress pattern, I used Butterick 5719.  It's a Lifestyle Wardrobe pattern from 2011 that includes a jacket, skirt, and pants in addition to the dress. It also includes separate pattern pieces for cup sizes A/B, C, and D. I used the D cup pattern piece.  The shea