It’s funny how I started sewing for myself to bring my body back in its comfort zone. I am two sizes bigger in the hips than I am up top. I have a ridiculously long torso that turns regular length dresses into tunics and tunics into tops. I needed clothes that fit me. Not the average woman’s shape but me. Sewing has made me start to love my curvy body again. However, now that I have been sewing for a while I have realized that sewing has actually started to bring me out of my comfort zone yet again.

I have never been a girlie girl. There was a while back in college where I tried to dress cute, or trendy, or whatever you want to call it. But my body really loves comfy clothes. Jeans and t-shirts. Tennis shoes and sweats.  And ponytails. Man, do i love a ponytail.

Enter Made for Mermaids.  From my first test I did for M4M of the Mama Daphne, I have been slowly coming back to the idea that I can be comfortable but still throw it back to my younger, more daring days. M4M- making Date Night stylish again for all of us mom’s of young ones. Now enter happy husbands!!

Mama Cassie took me waaaayyyyy out of my comfort zone, but I’m telling you. This dress/top gave me loads of confidence back. Mama Cassie has two main styles: the on trend cold shoulder look and the ever sexy off the shoulder. Every time I see the off the shoulder style I think of Olivia Newton John in Grease. It was a huge part of her make over that took her from preppy to John Travolta’s dream girl.  And confidence, the girl had confidence to go with those bare shoulders.

For my first testing piece, I sewed up a short sleeve cold shoulder dress with a high low hemline. The skirt is a half circle skirt which is very forgiving on my one to two size bigger hips.  The fabric was liverpool-like, but I am not sure of the content since it was another find at Fine Fabrics in Atlanta where nothing is really labeled.

I loved the high low hemline as my legs are not my favorite part of my body (face it, we all have that one part). The hem allowed a little peek of my thighs with giving me full coverage in the back.

The cold shoulder sleeves add another pop of skin that takes a great fitting dress to the next level. Just a little out of my comfort zone but slowly bringing me around.

I basically killed this hem, too!

Then, I decided I might as well try another look. Comfort zone demolished. I sewed up a separates version of the Mama Cassie. I used the off the shoulder long sleeve version for the top and used the waist band hack to divide the skirt off.  A simply black skirt that can be paired with a variety of items in my closet.

I still used the high low hem as I loved it in my first version.  The skirt is solid black ponte de Roma from Purple Seamstress. Well, then I thought that before I hem the top I should tuck in under to see how it looks as a crop top. So in addition to bare shoulders, I added a bit of skin to my waistline. And wow. It’s amazing how a little bit of skin slimmed out my silhouette. After a lot of internal debate, I decided to hem the top into a crop and added a little clear elastic in the hem to keep things nice and in place. (Thanks for the suggestion Melissa from Rebel and Malice).  I have been hoarding this brushed poly floral from Knitpop for a couple of months now, and I was excited to use it for the Mama Cassie.

Throughout testing, I have never seen so many women look to mash a pattern with existing patterns to create looks that were perfect for them. Next on my list is to mash the bodice from the Mama Joy with the half circle from the Mama Cassie.  Or maybe the cold shoulder sleeves with the Mama Mya dress. I love making a pattern more than once, but the ability to combine multiple patterns adds constant variety to my wardrobe without having to add more patterns to my arsenal. Who am I kidding??? I will always add new patterns to my arsenal.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time….sewing and sipping,

Stacey