I have a closet full of Leschi tops and dresses. For awhile there it is all I was sewing because every fabric just seemed to go perfectly with the pattern. Usually I either lengthen it into a dress or tunic or leave the sleeves off, but this time I wanted to try remixing it into a long sleeve dress. I had this picture in my head of a simple elastic through the wrist to give the sleeves a bit of volume and the end result is exactly like I pictured.
Montlake is a workhorse in my wardrobe, I am constantly finding new ways to remix it. It wasn’t until I saw a picture of my Magnolia dress a couple months ago that I remembered how much I love the swing in the hem. I figured I could use the same idea on my Montlake for a more spring appropriate dress for Seattle weather.
Normally when you lengthen a shirt you do that on the lengthen line in the pattern. But since this was a matter of making the tee into a dress I lengthened it from the bottom hem. This allows for the dress to still fit you through the bust, waist, and hips since you haven’t changed those measurement.
Creating Eastlake was quite the process, there were multiple iterations of the pattern before I finally decided to just go for it and make a DEEP v-neck top. I am smitten with how it turned out and with each new version that I sew I get even more excited. With a closet full of these tops I can definitively say that this style top is going to look amazing on everyone!
The obvious striking detail of this pattern is the v-neck front which is finished with a facing, one of my favourite finishing techniques for knits. It gives it such a pulled together professional finish without being any more difficult. To secure the front facing I wanted a wide topstitch which mirrors the bottom hem.
When you have a tried and true pattern there are so many ways to you can remix the pattern to be just about anything you envision. The Fauntleroy raglan pattern is definitely a tried and true pattern for me. The fit is the perfect balance of fitted yet relaxed and when it can be sewn up from fabric to finished garment in under an hour, I call that a win for any wardrobe.
Seeing a new pattern on all different shapes and sizes is the most important part of a pattern release, and something I really look forward to sharing every time. I have had a great time showing you all my three versions of Magnuson, but today I get to share the amazing versions my testers sewed up.
Kristin went very classic in the colour fabric she chose for her vest. I love how she styled it differently with the bold black and white striped tee and leggings.
If you haven’t noticed by now, I love to sew my patterns in as many different fabrics as possible. No one wants to buy a pattern that is limited to one fabric, or at least I definitely do not. But what I also want to show is that you will get a different look depending on the fabric you choose. Magnuson is the perfect example of this which you will see in the 3 versions I sewed. So if you are unsure of whether Magnuson is even your style or if you aren’t sure which fabric to use, let me help you choose fabric for your Magnuson vest.
I couldn’t be more excited to share with you my newest pattern, Magnuson. The evolution of this pattern over the last two years has been fun as the designer to watch happen. What started out as a utility/military inspired jacket has turned into a more modern take in vest form. So many of the original elements are still there with so many new and fun details.
Magnuson has a button placket, stand collar, side slits and oversized pockets, not to mention the gathered waist. So many utility or military inspired vests have the waistband casing on the outside of the jacket giving it a very casual look. I wanted the ability to cinch in the waist but not have the ties hanging down, so inside the waistband went.
Cozy really should be my middle name. I pretty much aim to have all clothes I wear have an element of cozy, but sometimes I would like to look a bit more put together. Fauntleroy is the perfect combination of cozy and refined. With raglan sleeves and shoulder darts, Fauntleroy is a twist on your traditional turtleneck, I like to call it a relaxed turtleneck. Definitely not the turtlenecks of the 90’s.
The tester roundup is everything when it comes to a pattern release, and the Leschi tester roundup is no different. Sure I love sharing pictures of my versions of the pattern, but I would much rather share the ladies that helped make this pattern what it is. Seeing the pattern on a variety of shapes and sizes helps all of you see just how great you are going to look in the pattern, because these ladies look stunning in their new Leschi blouses.
If you missed the big announcement yesterday, my newest pattern Leschi is now available for purchase. The pattern is marked down 20% through Friday so don’t wait to buy the pattern.
When I started dreaming about this pattern a few years ago I knew I wanted a blouse that could be sewn in a variety of fabrics to either elevate my everyday momiform or rock on a date night. Leschi is everything I had hoped it would be and today I want to share the different fabrics I chose to use for my blouses.
