None of us are strangers anymore to adapting our old ways to fit into a new style of life.  For some, that means holidays that are usually celebrated with dinners out have now switched to celebrating with a night in.  Fortunately for us, the Made for Mermaids pattern catalog has plenty of versatile patterns to choose from that are perfect for going out or staying in.

When I began to think about what to wear for this Valentine’s Day, I immediately went for comfort.  I wanted a look that would highlight my curves, but that could also be made from fabrics that have a high stretch percentage.  Why is that? Well of course it is so I can plop down on the couch after eating dinner and not feel like my dress was restricting.  I could not make up my mind between two patterns (and I still have a couple of weeks to decide); therefore, I made two different dress patterns with two totally different looks.

 

The first pattern that came to mind was Ruby, which is a knit bodycon style dress.  I made a maxi version of Ruby shortly after it released, but I became obsessed with the split hem midi version.  With this Ruby if you look closely, you can see I did add the optional front placket.  To be honest, I bought solid black buttons to sew on the placket.  However, I was not able to make time to sew the buttons on before this post.  I have plans over the next week to finish the buttons to complete the look I had in mind.

 

The back center seam on Ruby is very helpful to get that perfect fitted look from behind.  I always struggle with excess fabric pooling in my lower back, but this is not the case with Ruby.  It has a built in sway back to help the dress be more form fitting.

 

One benefit of staying in for me is that despite the cold weather outside, I can wear a thin strap dress without worrying about an outer layer to keep warm outside!

Even though I love my new Ruby, I have not been able to get the dress version of Vanessa V-neck out of my head since its release.  I have had a royal blue cashmere waffle knit set aside to make my ideal Vanessa, but I came across this red rib knit in my stash last week.  I thought it would make a perfect Valentine’s date night fabric.  This is the off the shoulder bodice, both comfortable and eye catching.

 

One of the hardest parts of an outfit for me is accessorizing.  So the best part of a date night in is the fact that I do not have to pick out shoes to complete my outfit!

One more thing to consider when making a date night in outfit is how to make it special for you.  You can do this with your choice of fabric, patterned or solid, or maybe even color.  Although many people associate red with Valentine’s Day, I chose red because it is a little out of my normal color choices.  I wanted to go a little bold and a little unexpected for me.  I definitely do not regret it! But maybe you decide to choose your signature color or print to make yourself shine.  That is the great thing about sewing your own outfit….making it exactly what you want!

-Stacey