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The Alexis Pant is the first pant in the Marsha Style PDF Pattern assortment. For all of you that have not yet sewn a fly front or have a fear of fly fronts this pattern is for you. I have a fail safe way of sewing a fly front that should boost your confidence in this area.

True to size the pant is a mid rise sitting on your low waist / high hip with a slouchy fit and feel through the body.  Size down one size and the pant will fit as a high waisted, tailored pant.  A size 0 has been included in this pattern to cater for the size 2 person to size down.

I know I might get a little push back for my sizing choice of this pattern which is US2 to US22. I made the decision to reduced the size range for this pant due to the technical knowledge required on grading pants past this point. It’s not my area of expertise and it is tricky. At Marsha Style I am committed to providing quality patterns that I know fit well. On this occasion I was not able to extend past a US22. Please see the finished body measurement chart below.

As mentioned above, the pant features a fly front with button or hook and bar closure. I am in the process of editing a video tutorial to support the sewing of the Alexis Pant. In the meantime please find a little video below that I created for the testing group to help with the fly front.

The pant also has side slant pockets, front yoke and feature front side flap.  A self fabric waist belt with D ring slider for adjustment is held in place by belt loops. The pattern has been drafted for a height of 170cm ( 5’7”).  Lengthening and shortening lines can be found on the pattern to adjust according to your height.

I personally love this pant. Depending on the size you decide to make they can be super casual or a gorgeous dress pant. All the little details set these pants aside from others in the market. They can be cut off to create a short, tapered and shortened to create a cropped look.

A big shout out to Alexis @myysweetsunshine who kindly let me name these pants with her namesake. As soon as I finished my first toile the Alexis Pant just felt like the right name for this style. I’m sure you will see tester versions popping up over the coming days to see how great they look on different body types.

We are heading into Summer her in the Southern Hemisphere and the Alexis Pant looks fab with a Tee or tank. And for those of you heading into Autumn/Winter in the Northern Hemisphere how great is the Alexis Pant styled with a jacket!

Happy sewing! Please reach out if you have any questions regarding the Alexis Pant. I am always here to help you on your sewing journey.

Today marks a milestone in the Grace PDF Pattern world. Today the Grace Dress turns 1 year old. I decided to make a special birthday Grace that incorporates the shoulder frill to share the pattern and sewing process with you.

Abby has been wowing us with all her beautiful Grace variations and after seeing her shoulder frill I knew I needed to share it with you all. Below you will find a file that you can download with the shoulder frill pattern. I have also included this pattern piece in the Grace PDF Pattern if you decide to purchase. The original Grace Dress come with a button shoulder strap but for the shoulder frill version I have used a fixed strap. Please see the chart below for the fixed strap width and length.

You will need to add additional seam allowance to the curve frill edge if you are not finishing with a baby lock / lettuce edge finish. If you are finishing your frill edge with a rolled hem add 1.2cm for a 6mm double turn finish.

To create a dress similar to mine you will also need the Grace PDF Pattern pieces from View B, minus the sleeve strap and pockets are optional. If you want to add a 3rd lower frill to the bottom of the dress reduce the length of the 2nd tier by 10cm and cut an additional 2 pieces of fabric 8cm wide if you are finishing with a babylock hem or 10cm wide if you are finishing with a narrow rolled hem that is twice the length of the hem opening on tier 2. I also added an additional lace trim to the bottom of my 1st tier. This trim was cut 5cm wide and the length of the hem opening of the 1st tier. The width of this trim can vary depending on what you are using. This width suited the lace I had on hand.

To create the shoulder frill, finish the curved edge with a baby lock / lettuce edge finish on your overlocker or with a small rolled hem. Then add 2 rows of gather stitch to the straight edge of the sleeve frill. Pull gathers up to be 5cm shorter than the shoulder strap. With right sides together, pin the frill to the shoulder strap 2.5cm from each end. Baste stitch in place 8mm in from the edge. Fold the strap to be right sides together in half with the frill in between. Sew in place with a 1cm seam allowance. Pull the strap right sides out through the end.

Then sew darts in the front bodice and your side seams together as per the Grace PDF pattern instructions. With right sides together and the frill facing towards the shoulder attach your straps to the main bodice before bagging out with the bodice lining again as per the pattern instructions.

From this point on you can follow the instructions of the Grace PDF Pattern until you get to the skirt.

When you get to sewing the skirt you can add a lace trim between the 1st and 2nd tier. It will be the same length as the 1st tier hem. Then gather the 2nd tier to fit.

I added a 3rd frill to my skirt. After checking the length once the 2nd tier was attached I decide to reduce the length to of the 2nd tier by 10cm before adding the 7cm wide lower frill. I finished the 3rd tier with a baby lock / lettuce edge hem finish before gathering it with my overlocker and attaching to the skirt.

My skirt fabric was see through so I lined my skirt. I cut the lining fabric 7cm shorter than the skirt and slightly wider than the 1st tier to ensure I had enough leg room to comfortably walk. I gathered the lining and attached it to the inside of the main skirt before attaching the bodice lining.

Finally I updated the tie to pull through at the center front instead of the side. I used a thin piece of leather as the tie with wood beads to finish the end.

I am in the midst of Winter here in Australia and love this dress styled with a denim jacket and high tops.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about this hack. I am always happy to help.

Recently Marsha Style paired up with Kali Makes to bring you a colorful array of styling options for Cortney Top. If you are not familiar with Kali on IG I encourage you to check her out. Her makes will be sure to put a smile on your dial.

Kali made the pleated sleeve Cortney option in a Crepe Calcita from Banco de Tecido that is a beautiful shade of Sunshine. This softer fabric choice allows for a relaxed full sleeve. It calms down the big sleeve energy of this pattern.

In true Kali style she has styled her Cortney Top using other colorful handmade items from her wardrobe.

The Laetita Wrap Skirt is the latest addition from Just Patterns. It’s such a fun skirt that can be tied in three different ways. The emerald green hue of the skirt works beautifully with Kali’s Cortney. And those blue strap heels and earrings…. 💙

The Cortney Sleeve is in full view here and is perfectly paired with the Jumpy Pants by Ready to Sew. This pant pattern includes an option for a pant and short.

Ahh… The Persephone Pants. These pants need no introduction as one of the most made indie pant patterns by Anna Allen. Kali has chosen an incredible two tone print for her pants and they look so fun paired with the Cortney Top and sneakers.

The Wrap Skirt by In The Folds is a free pattern that was made in collaboration with Peppermint Magazine issue 41. Kali has restricted the color palette for this look to the three colors of the fabrications. So clever.

And last but not least, such a classic look of bellowing blouse with tailored pants. The Lauren Trouser is by Lore Piar and makes the perfect companion to the Cortney Top.

The disappointment when you find a ready to wear top that you really want to buy and then see the price, $250. And then the joy when you realize you have the perfect pattern in your tool kit – The Cortney PDF Pattern – that will yield the same results at a fraction of the cost.

The fabric search begins….. Winning again! Spotlight is having a 30% off sale and you find the perfect cotton double gauze fabrication for $10. Bingo! You have saved yourself $240 less a little of your time.

If you are coming on this maker journey with me you will need the following pieces from the Cortney PDF Pattern: Front Bodice, Back Bodice, Collar and both Placket pieces. The placket pieces and collar don’t require any adjustments and will be used exactly as they are.

Pattern Adjustments

Shorten your front bodice so that the side seam is 33cm or your desired length. The front hem is straight. Shorten the back bodice so that the side seam is 33cm or to match the length of the front side seam. The back hemline is a curve with the center back finishing 4cm lower than the front.

It is not noted on the pattern below but after wear testing my top today also bring the side seam in 2cm at the armhole to prevent the gapping as shown in the image below.

The armhole and hem will be finished with a facing so that the edges can be left to fray. To create the facing draw a line around the edge of the armhole and hem facing that is 3.5cm wide as the video above. You can trace these pieces off or just use them as a guide when cutting your facings.

Cut out all of your pattern pieces according to the pattern cutting instructions. In addition cut out two front and back armhole facing pieces, one front hem facing and one back hem facing. Sew the front and back armhole facings together at the shoulder and side seam. Also sew the front and back hem facing together at the side seam.

Fuse the placket pieces and collar pieces as instructed in the pattern. Follow the Cortney PDF pattern instructions from Step 1 to Step 12. Visit the Cortney PDF Pattern video tutorial for detailed visual instructions or watch the below speedy videos and images as a guide.

I really wanted the edge of the armhole and hem to fray but not a never ending fray. Overlock the edges of the armhole facings that will be to the inside (not the armhole edge). To finish off the armholes, place wrong side of the armhole facing to the wrong side of the armhole with the facing stepped back 3mm from the edge of the armhole. Pin and stitch in place 6mm in from the edge of the facing. This stitch line will contain the fraying of the armhole edge. It won’t fray past this line. Next pin the outer edge of the facing to the armhole and stitch in place through the overlocking.

Follow the same process to finish the hem edge which is place the wrong side of the hem facing to the wrong side of the hem and step the facing back 3mm from the edge. Pin and stitch in place running the edge of the foot along the edge of the facing. Once secured, pin the outer edge of the facing to the garment and stitch in place through the overlocking. To begin the fraying process rub and pull thread along the edges. Fraying will improve with washing and time but will not fray past the facing stitch line.

I’m so happy I was able to recreate a staple wardrobe item for a fraction of the price. The versatility of this top is perfect for the Queensland climate and warmer months where ever you live in the world.

Reach out if you have any questions regard the sleeveless Cortney hack. I’m always happy to assist.

In this block post we will explore hacking the Cortney PDF Dress Pattern into a wrap dress. The billowy sleeves of the Cortney PDF Pattern are perfect for a stylized wrap dress. You can find a full video tutorial for this hack on my Instagram Stories highlight.

The idea for this hack came from a ready to wear wrap dress in my wardrobe. I used this dress as a tool to figure out how to adjust the Cortney PDF Pattern. You can see this process in detail on my Instagram Stories highlight. I was gifted this luscious HOY cotton lawn from Storrs London to create this piece.

I toiled my wrap dress before cutting in my final fabrication just to make sure everything fit and worked as I had envisaged.

Time to sew!

Press you garment one final time and you are DONE!

I hope you have enjoyed this Cortney Wrap dress hack. As mentioned there is a video tutorial saved on my Instagram Story highlights called Cortney Wrap Dress that shows the above steps in greater detail. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all. I am always happy to help.

I’m also loving the Cortney Wrap Dress styled as a short duster.

The next installment of Marsha Style Patterns has now arrived. The Alea Shirt and Dress is a proud collaboration between Marsha Style and Sew Lala Patterns. It is the first Marsha Style Pattern to be available in both English and German.

Alea is a relaxed fit design that combines classic shirt styling with feminine and modern elements. The pattern comes in two lengths, a shirt or shirt dress with side seam splits. The dress has an option for a gathered waist. This dropped shoulder design includes several sleeve options. A classic cuffed sleeve, sleeveless and a gathered hem sleeve that can be varied in length and finish.

Alea offers two collar options, a classic shirt collar or a modern variation of the stand up collar. Both variations are designed to be worn open or closed. The pattern includes an optional slanted patch pocket with flap.

How will you wear your Alea? So many options packed into one pattern.

At Marsha Style we love a good hack of our patterns. The talented designer of the Grace Dress, @abby_sews, created a square neck hack of the design that we had to share with you all. It was so adorable that we decided to add the additional pattern pieces to the Grace PDF Pattern and provide detailed sewing instructions below. If you previously purchased the Grace PDF Pattern you will receive an email with a code to access the updated pattern. If you have not received your updated code please contact me here. The additional pieces are in a separate A4/US Letter file so there is no need to reprint your patterns.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

The updated Grace PDF Pattern that includes the additional pattern pieces.

Size 2 to 16: 2.3mts of fabric – yield based on that is 1.4mts wide

Size 18 to 22: 2.7mts of fabric – yield based on that is 1.4mts wide

Size 24 to 30: 3.1mts of fabric – yield based on that is 1.4mts wide

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut 2 x front bodice pieces on the fold
• Cut 2 x back bodice pieces on the fold
• Cut 2 x straps (see strap length guide below)
• Cut 2 x skirt (View A skirt pattern piece with skirt template attached to top edge)
• Cut 2 x patch pocket:(W) 24cm x (H) 28cm OR (W) 9 1/2″ x (H) 11″

SEWING INSTRUCTIONS

1. With right sides together, fold straps in half length wise and stitch using a 1.2cm (1/2″) SA.
2. Turn straps right side out and press ensure to roll out seam to the edge.

3. Grab 1 x front & back bodice pieces. With right sides together join straps to the bodice 1cm away from the armhole.

4. With right sides together join both sets of front & back bodice pieces at the side seam.

5. Turn the bodice without the straps joined wrong side out and slip over the top of the other bodice. Tuck straps down and pin neck edge and armhole. Sew together using a 1.2cm (1/2″) SA. Trim seam back to 6mm (1/4″).

6. Edge stitch around the neck edge and armhole pushing the seam to the left. You won’t be able to get into all the corners and will have to do this is 4 stages. Press bodice. The side of the bodice that has the edge stitching will become the inside of the garment.

7. With right sides together, sew side seams of the skirt together using a 1.2cm (1/2″) SA. Finish seams using your preferred method. OR you can sew side seams together using the French Seam method in the Grace PDF Pattern.

8. Change your stitch length to 5mm and add 2 rows of gather stitch to the top of the skirt. Change your stitch length back to 2.5mm.

9. With right sides together pin the skirt to the bodice at the side seams. Pull gathers until the skirt fits the bodice. Stitch skirt to bodice using a 1.2cm (1/2″) SA. Iron seam up into the bodice.

10. Put the dress over the ironing board with the wrong side facing up. Fold, press and pin bodice lining to cover the skirt seam line preparing to ditch stitch the lining to the dress.

11. Turn dress right side out and transfer pins to the right side of the garment ensuring you have caught the lining on the underside of the garment. Ditch stitch lining in place. If ditch stitching is not your thing you can hand slip stitch the lining in place.

12. Fold the top of the pocket 2.5cm (1″) down to the right side. Stitch down on sides using a 1cm (3/8″) SA.

13. Turn top of pocket right side out and iron the remaining raw edges in 1cm (3/8″).

14. Decide on pocket position on your dress, pin and edge stitch in place.

15. Check the length of your dress and hem using a 3.5cm (1 3/8″) double turn hem. Give your dress one final press.

Congratulations! Your square neck Grace Dress is now complete. We would love to see your makes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram using #mssquaregrace and tag @marsha.style and @abby_sews.

DISCLAIMER: WE HAVE NOT TESTED ALL SIZES IN THE SQUARE NECK GRACE DRESS HACK. PLS TOILE YOUR SIZE TO ENSURE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE FIT BEFORE CUTTING IN YOUR FINAL FABRICATION. WE WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THESE PATTERN PIECES. THE ORIGINAL GRACE DRESS HAS BEEN TESTED IN ALL SIZES.

We put a lot of time, effort and money into creating our home made wardrobes and in 2021 I really wanted to focus on making items of clothing that could be worn over and over again.

Below is an overview of my most worn and sewn Indie PDF Patterns for 2021.

First up is the Pomona Pant by Anna Allen Clothing. This elasticated pant and short pattern is the boom. It’s an easy sew that would be suitable for beginners. It is a wardrobe staple and can be easily updated to a paper bag waist or draw cord waist. Next time I sew this pattern I will be sizing up 1 to 2 sizes but keeping the cut elastic to my size. This pattern is amazing in linen!

One of my favorite tops for 2021 is the Tie Back Top by @thats.sew.sandy. This top is not going to be for everyone as it can’t be worn with a bra. It’s a go to piece for me on weekends in spring and summer. @thats.sew.sandy has created a tutorial that can be found in her highlights. I did have to fiddle with the elastic length around the body to get in comfortable. My version is made in a linen viscose gingham that I purchased whilst in Barcelona a few years ago. Every time I wear this top I always get compliments or people asking were I got it from. It is appropriately tagged with a KATM “you can’t buy this” tag.

Disclosure…. I did release 3 sewing patterns in 2021 so quite a few of my makes revolve around theses patterns.

Next up is the Shameka PDF Pattern hacked into a skirt and top. As a skirt and top there are so many opportunities for use. I can wear these as a set or individual pieces paired with other items in my wardrobe. The Shameka Top is a summer go to top for me. It’s easy to wear with a little design twist to elevate the everyday top.

This next dress is new to my wardrobe, only a little over 1 month old but has been worn numerous times already. It’s a super fun hack of the Cortney PDF and Leila PDF Patterns. You can read all out how to create this hack here.

And then there’s the Grace Dress created in collaboration with @abby_sews. The Grace PDF comes with 2 views. My personal favorite is view B as pictured below with the waist ties. This dress has seen multiple outings from work to shopping adventures to lunches with the girls and dates with my man. The Grace PDF Pattern has surpassed even my expectations with its endless opportunities to hack and mix with other patterns to create new styles such as my recent Cortney X Grace maxi dress. PS there is a 20% discount coupon CORTXGRACE valid on both the Cortney and Grace PDF Patterns until midnight Tuesday 18th Jan 2022.

The Tatjana Trouser by Just Patterns is another stand out make and PDF Pattern for me in 2021. I’m not really a slacks girl but love this style modified into a tailored jean. I have written a detailed blog post on this make which you can read here. You can also see how I do a little tuck and roll to change a wide leg pant into a fitted ankle pant.

And finally my favorite pattern for 2021. Maybe it’s because it consumed the later half of 2021 for me. It is the Cortney Top. I love the drama of the sleeve. I love that is can be worn with an open V neck or a more conservative round high neckline. I wear this gingham version all the time with jeans and shorts. The Cortney PDF Pattern has also formed the bases of my favorite 2 dress makes for 2021, my Cortney X Leila babydoll dress and my Cortney X Grace maxi dress.

So that’s my round up of my most worn and made PDF Patterns for 2021.

Well hello 2022!

First things first… Sewing this Storrs of London cotton lawn gifted from Maaidesign was an absolute dream. And sorry to say but the Solstice print that I used for my dress has since sold out! The hand feel is creamy and velvety, the print is bold and beautiful and for all of my Aussie sewist you can now purchase a select few Storrs of London fabrications through Maaidesign in Australia.

I don’t know about you, but when I have a beautiful fabric to sew the pressure to sew something amazing is real. I want to make sure every detail of the design and make is perfect.

On my previous blog post you can see how I have combined the Cortney PDF Pattern with the Leila PDF pattern to create a fun babydoll dress with so many gathers and so much fullness. This make sparked an idea to calm down the gathers and fullness to create a maxi dress.

The Grace PDF Pattern also by myself in collaboration with talented Abby was the perfect companion to the Cortney PDF to achieve this look.

As a starting block for the bodice I used the bodice pattern pieces that I’d created for my Cortney X Leila hack. Please see that blog post for the details. I then placed the Grace bodice pieces over the top to work out the width that I needed to fit with the Grace View B skirt pattern pieces.

I ended up reducing my bodice pieces by 2.5cm (1”) through the shoulder to the waist as folded in below. When cutting out I created a straight line from the neck point to the shoulder point.

I opted to use my short Cortney sleeve again as it is seasonally appropriate for my coastal location. The idea of a long sleeve Cortney X Grace hack is very appealing that I will probably make in Winter. I also omitted the collar and created a bind tie exactly the same as the Cortney X Leila hack.

The neck tie gives me the option to wear this style as a V neck or more conservative round neck. I will probably add a little hook and eye to close the front V slightly more when I’m feeling something in between.

For the skirt I used the Grace View B pattern pieces without any changes. I opted for an elasticated waist instead of the ties given the neck tie. It may have been tie overload with both. And the elastic waist is not firm. It’s a loose fit to pull the waist in but not hugging.