If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings books or movies, you’re probably a fan of hobbits, those charming folks whose ladies wear very cute pastoral outfits. With the new Rings of Power show coming out soon I thought this would be a good time to show you an easy hobbit lady outfit. Many of the hobbit women wear a 4 separate garments: a blouse, a bodice that laces up the back, a skirt, and an apron. To simplify the sewing and getting dressed, I decided to turn the last 3 items into one zippered dress. This dress also works great for a trendy cottage core look, and is a wonderful stash-buster ..read more

A few months ago I used the Wearing History Leslie skirt pattern to make a cute high-waisted 1950s skirt that also has some Edwardian vibes if made up in a long length. I was drawn to the high waist with the sweetheart shape and the column of buttons down the front. I used a green linen and top-stitched it with decorative vines in a lighter green to give it a bit of an elven feel. Keep in mind that the actual pattern (based on a vintage one) runs longer than the illustrations show. I made the shorter daytime length, and it still hits me mid-shin. The pattern is available as a printed and prin ..read more

Warm weather means pretty cotton frocks to me so I just recently completed this yellow floral dress, inspired by the cute “milkmaid” style dresses. A lot of cotton prints are a bit thin and require some lining, and I have a special trick to save time by using my serger instead of cutting out the lining twice (later in this post). Note: I am a member of the Janome Maker program and this skirt is sewn on a Janome Skyline S9 and a Janome FA4 serger. (This post is sponsored by Janome but all content and opinions are mine). The dress is made of 100% cotton and the yellow print has ..read more

Last year I had the wonderful privilege of being one of the finalists selected to be in the Her Universe Fashion Show (HUFS), and then ultimately one of the winners! The show is normally held yearly at San Diego Comic Con during the summer but the applications open up in the spring. Since this year’s show announcement is coming up, I thought this would be a good time for me to write up a post about my experience and the many questions I’ve been asked since last summer. (If you want to see the FAQ that includes what the show is, how the contest is run, any advice, etc. please see the second hal ..read more

I was making a Borgias-inspired Renaissance dress and decided to lean into to the green gold color scheme and make it a historical Loki variant costume. I wanted a Renaissance gown but being shiny and pretty was more important to me than historical accuracy so this isn’t pegged to a specific decade, but rather a look inspired by both the Borgias HBO show and the character Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The dress is made from beautiful green and gold shot raw silk suiting. The bodice uses the same fabric but with a silk/rayon organza burnout overlay, and the lining is a black cotton ..read more

Winter is here and I wanted a cute and cozy accessory that was a nice shawl, but also a surprise hood and scarf! I made this out of a wool knit jersey but other soft fabrics with a bit of drape would work as well. I added some pompom trim for whimsy but that is optional; this surprise hood would work well untrimmed, or finished with decorative stitching or other touches. This was inspired by Victorian mantelets with front lappets, knit sontags, chic old Hollywood head scarves, and modern cozy. Note: I am a member of the Janome Maker program and this project was sewn on a Janome ..read more

I made this fantasy costume back at the start of the year and realized I never wrote up a post! With the 20th anniversary of the Lord of the Rings films coming up, this is a good time to finally blog about this dress with elven vibes. I had fun walking around in nature, pretending to be regal, and hope to wear it to an actual event some time! I made the main body of the dress using an embossed navy blue velvet, and the cape is a sheer netting with silver glitter stars. I created moon phase appliqués out of silver glitter heat transfer vinyl with my Silhouette machine to decorate the front of ..read more

Last weekend I was invited to a hobbit picnic full of food, friends, and hairy hobbit feet! I didn’t have time to make a dress so I put together an outfit using items mostly from my closet. I’ve gotten questions about where I got my items so I will list my sources so you can put together your own hobbit costume! My dress is an embroidered dirndl that I bought secondhand from eBay, but it was originally made by a company called Ernst Licht, an Oktoberfest/Tracht supplier. My blouse is originally an Amazon one that I modified. It is called the “Floerns Women’s Square Neck Puff Sleeve Button La ..read more

As someone who loves both fall and Halloween it is the perfect time of year for me to make a cozy robe made of super soft Cuddle minky fabric using my Janome Skyline S9. The print I chose is called “Eye of Newt” by Shannon Fabrics. A lot of robes are only a single-layer but I wanted to have mine lined with a plush fabric for extra warmth and luxury. I used “Luxe Cuddle Glacier” (a textured black minky fabric) for my lining. Note: I am a member of the Janome Maker program and this skirt is sewn on a Janome Skyline S9. (This post is sponsored by Janome but all content and opinions are mine). Al ..read more

I adore the red and white toadstool mushrooms known as Amanita muscaria (aka fly agaric) and wanted to make a cute skirt inspired by them. I’ve worn it in my photos with a monogram cardigan and big fluffy petticoat for a 1950s style look, but this skirt could be styled with a romantic shirt and a flower crown for a cottage core outfit. The front half of the skirt has a flat waistband for a smooth look while the back half of the skirt has an elasticated waistband for comfort and for adjustability! Note: I am a member of the Janome Maker program and this skirt is sewn on a Janome Skyline S9. (Th ..read more