Hi everyone! Have you seen the awesome Indiesew Winter Collection 2016? I am quite excited that Itch to Stitch’s newly released Mila Shirt is one of the five patterns in the collection. With the weather getting chillier by the day in the northern hemisphere, this is the perfect time to sew up a Winter wardrobe. I get to sew up all five pieces, and let me tell you, I feel so cozy!

First one is a quick and stylish piece, Rosaline by Kzjo Studio. Rosaline comes in many options: scoop or horseshoe neckline; shirt or dress length; cap, short, 3/4 or long sleeve. I opted for the horseshoe neckline, dress length and long sleeve (it’s the Winter after all!) The fabric I used is light-weight sea foam and gray stripe that I just got in Los Angeles last week. Put on a jacket and a pair of boots, I am good to go!

The second piece I made is the Syrah Skirt by Baste + Gather. This is such an ingenious skirt; though it’s a knit skirt, it does not require any elastic at the waist. You use a stretch lining (I used swimsuit lining) so it’s nice and snug at the waist. The instructions also have you line the main part of the skirt too, but I skipped it because my interlock fabric is pretty thick (the same fabric I used for my Jacqueline Hoodie). The Syrah Skirt comes in two options for the waistband: ruched or flat, and three length options: maxi, below-knee or subtle hi-lo length. You can also choose to cut the skirt in two or four pieces; for the two-piece style, the seams are on the sides, but for the four piece style, two seams are visible in the front and in the back. As you can see, I picked the flat waistband, below-knee length and the four-piece style.

The third piece of my Winter wardrobe is Bethioua by Elle Puls. I love that it pairs perfectly with jeans. This raglan top has subtle batwing sleeves. It also has very interesting back seams, although I failed to take a photo of it (how could I forget!?!) You have to go to Indiesew to check it out! I am quite pleased with my fabric combination; the gray knit fabric is super soft and the black has a crinkle texture to it. I think that because of the drape of the gray fabric, the top is a bit longer, which I really like. I will wear this top so much on chilly days.

For the very cold days, I can top the Bethious with my next creation, Dropje Hooded Vest by Waffle. But I felt particularly adventurous when I created this vest, so I made a number of changes.

First I eliminated the hood to make the stand-up collar. Then I made the vest reversible. To do that, I skipped all the facings and interfacings and made two outer layers. I sewed the two layers right sides together and turn the whole thing right side out via a small opening I left. It’s a little tricky around the armholes but everything went smoothly. I used this white quilted knit in my stash for one side and a plain gray on the other. Both of these fabric have some structure so the vest doesn’t turn out floppy without the interfacing. I love this two-in-one vest! If you decide to do the same, don’t forget that you need a reversible zipper!

My last piece in this wardrobe is my Mila Shirt. You can choose to have a Mandarin collar or a collar with band. You can also choose to sew the sleeve tabs, which will be useful to hold your rolled-up sleeve. I did everything here in this version. Also, the Mila Shirt has hi-lo shirttail hem and one breast pocket, as well as a front placket. I love this thick flannel; aren’t the colors cheerful? This fabric is called Mammoth Flannel Plaid Adventure by Kaufman. And let me tell you; it is thick and WARM. I dug up my cowgirl boots for this photo, but I regret that I forgot to pose with my cowgirl hat. OK, maybe that would be a bit too much.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out the rest of the blog tour and you can see the different interpretations of the five patterns. Also, go to Indiesew and get the full or mini Winter Collection – the full includes all five patterns and the mini includes the Mila Shirt, the Bethioua and the Dropje Hooded Vest. And oh, for the first time ever, Indiesew offers the collection in paper pattern format (which also includes access to the digital version). The first round of the full collection was already sold out so the second round is being printed. You don’t want to miss out!

Tuesday, November 17th: Yuki | Waffle Patterns
Wednesday, November 18th: Elke | Elle Puls
Thursday, November 19th: Kaysie | KZJO’STUDIO
Friday, November 20th: Lauren | Baste + Gather
Saturday, November 21st: Kennis | Itch to Stitch