Momiform MAKEover

When Lauren pitched the idea of a series to examine our “Momiform” and update it by sewing some pieces – a MAKEover, I was on board immediately.

There has been a lot of focus lately on building capsule wardrobes, which according to Wikipedia are “a collection of clothing that uses only interchangeable items to maximize the number of outfits that can be created”. I am following along with a Capsule Wardrobe Sew Along hosted by Free Notion, so I decided to try to approach my Momiform MAKEover by creating (or at least beginning) a fall capsule wardrobe.

I made a Pinterest board to help visualize how the pieces I was planning and the fabrics I selected would work together. Check it out here:

Momiform MAKEover Capsule on Pinterest.

The pieces I was able to complete in time for my Momiform makeover covered three different looks that I needed to fill: comfy, everyday, and going out. But I can definitely use the pieces interchangeably since my “going out” look is comfortable enough for everyday and I’m so not above walking my kids to school in my comfy clothes (which has already happened multiple times!).

I’m going to go into detail for each of the outfits over the next few days – hey, that’s a lot of sewing for only one post! But for now, let’s talk about each pattern, the fabrics I used and a quick overview of my experience:

Comfy: Hudson Pants by True Bias. Fabric is floral French terry and pin dot jersey from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. Both of these fabrics are from their Club Knit Fabrics line.

I love how comfortable these are. I basically put them on and wore them for three days straight after finishing them. Then I had to wash them to take photos, so you’re seeing the real deal here. I omitted the drawstring, and I sewed my pockets in place to help keep them from gaping with the thicker terry fabric. I also made the pocket lining with the jersey to help keep the bulkiness down.

If you have sharp eyes, you’ll notice in the collage above that I made Arden a matching pair. After cutting mine I had plenty of fabric left over to make a pair for her and made two at the same time. That’s an easy way to get more bang for your sewing time!

The shirt is from Target since I didn’t have time or a good neutral fabric to make a casual tee.

Everyday: Southport Dress by True Bias. Fabric is rayon challis from Jo-Ann Fabrics.

This is another piece that I wore immediately after finishing. I took it on our family vacation to Idaho and didn’t have a drawstring so I borrowed one from a similar dress and wore it like that for a month. Just before I took these photos I made a drawstring that matched, but I borrowed from the construction of the Mini Southport Dress I tested and used elastic for the majority and sewed twill tape to the ends for the tie itself. I am so happy with how comfortable it is using this method, as a fixed tie sort of binds when I got into the car or just sat down. Elastic = super comfortable! The only other change I made was to lengthen the skirt by about three inches. The pattern is drafted for a 5’5″ woman and I’m 5’8″ and prefer to have my skirts end at my knees. Rayon challis is a really prefect fabric for this dress as it’s so soft and drapey and just feels good against your skin.

The cardigan is the Boyfriend Cardigan by Love Notions. Fabric is knit with foil dots from Jo-Ann Fabrics.

This was the most recent finish in my little collection and I really love the roomy, slouchy fit. I especially like the open, sort of droopy pockets. This is the hooded version, but I’d like to make one in a solid with the shawl collar. I have a lightweight cardigan with a button and band to hold the sleeves up when rolled and I think I might add that feature to this. I bundled my pattern and got the girls pattern at the same time, so I’m sure you’ll be seeing some of these on my kids.

Going Out: Women’s Uptown/Downtown Dress by Sew Straight & Gather. Fabric is a textured knit from Michael Levine that I got with a discount for participating in this series.

Terri is a friend so she sent me this pattern as a lovely gift. It has a ton of options – I think three necklines, four sleeves and two lengths. This is the cowl neck, long sleeve, dress length. I will be making many more. Even though this fabric is pretty thick and sort of spongy, it’s super flattering (and nice and warm!). I love the way it just skims away across my tummy without looking like a sack. The way the skirt flares out, it helps to give a defined waist even though it’s not a structured dress. It’s dressy enough for a date night with hubby, but definitely still casual enough for everyday. I have more of this fabric and the girl’s Uptown/Downtown Dress pattern – dare I try for another mini me look?

I tried to keep that as short as possible, so now that you’ve seen my Momiform MAKEover, be sure to keep reading for some great discounts, to learn about the rest of the participants in the series, the sponsors, and all the way to the bottom for two awesome giveaways!

I could NOT get the code for the series to work without breaking the spacing of my post, so be sure to click over to Baste & Gather to check out the other participants for today and to enter all the giveaways.