None of us are strangers anymore to adapting our old ways to fit into a new style of life. ย For some, that means holidays that are usually celebrated with dinners out have now switched to celebrating with a night in. ย 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. ย I wanted a look that would highlight my curves, but that could also be made from fabrics that have a high stretch percentage. ย 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. ย 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. ย I made a maxi version of Ruby shortly after it released, but I became obsessed with the split hem midi version. ย With this Ruby if you look closely, you can see I did add the optional front placket. ย To be honest, I bought solid black buttons to sew on the placket. ย However, I was not able to make time to sew the buttons on before this post. ย 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. ย I always struggle with excess fabric pooling in my lower back, but this is not the case with Ruby. ย 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. ย 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. ย I thought it would make a perfect Valentine’s date night fabric. ย This is the off the shoulder bodice, both comfortable and eye catching.
One of the hardest parts of an outfit for me is accessorizing. ย 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. ย You can do this with your choice of fabric, patterned or solid, or maybe even color. ย Although many people associate red with Valentine’s Day, I chose red because it is a little out of my normal color choices. ย I wanted to go a little bold and a little unexpected for me. ย I definitely do not regret it! But maybe you decide to choose your signature color or print to make yourself shine. ย That is the great thing about sewing your own outfit….making it exactly what you want!
-Stacey
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