Cruise Clothing Challenge

• By Monica
• 4 February, 2013
• 1 Comment

Brian and I are going on vacation! We have only been away from Parker for a few weekends and never from Nolan. Having a real getaway, just the two of us, has been a long time coming. Because we basically want to sleep, swim, sit in the sun, and eat, we chose a Caribbean cruise. Being that its the middle of winter and summer clothes are not exactly in my budget right now, I decided to challenge myself to make a few things from my “to sew pile.” This is the result of my cruise clothing challenge.

I am making a dress for my sister for her birthday, and this was made from the left over fabric I had after I finished cutting out her dress. It’s a fantastic Anna Maria Horner voile. It’s so soft and lightweight — it will be the perfect temperature for the cruise! I made a few changes to a Cynthia Rowley pattern (incidentally, that’s my mother-in-law’s maiden name!), and this is what I got. It came out fitting perfectly. The only weird thing was the zipper. I’m still a newbie when it comes to clothing construction and what I know about home dec zippers didn’t really cross-over to this project. Well, practice makes perfect! And the pattern is busy enough it isn’t a huge deal.

This skirt was so easy, fast, and fun to make! I used the same basic method I did with the Striped Maxi skirt last summer (you can be sure that skirt will be making a cruise appearance too!). It’s just a knee-length version in an even lighter-weight knit. I know I’ll wear it almost everyday on the way to and from crystal blue beaches.

My last shirt has been on my to-do list for 2 years. It is the easiest possible way to make a shirt and yet I never liked where it was going. It’s a basic shirred halter. One big tube of fabric, lots of shirring, and add ties. What could be easier? Well, I realized after completing the shirring that this isn’t the best style for a busty gal. But, after losing my Nolan baby weight, and then my Parker baby weight, and then a little extra on top when I finished nursing — things finally sit better. It’s still more of a beach cover-up fit than an around-the-town-exploring fit, but that’s just what I need in this instance. It is also an Anna Maria Horner voile. I just love the feel of that fabric for summer (or in this case, finding summer in the middle of winter!).

Of course whenever you bring out things that have strings on them, the kitty comes running. He really enjoyed this little photo shoot!