I pulled this dress out of the closet yesterday as I was getting ready for church. I made it over three years ago as my final project for the Sewvivor sewing contest, and it is still a favorite. Even though I love it, I haven’t had much opportunity to wear it because it fits just right. Luckily, this morning when I pulled it on, it fit! I’m almost finished nursing baby Plum, and although my body is not at all the way it was before my babies (let’s be honest, it never will be and that’s okay), the dress fit. Yay!I’ve made a lot of clothes for myself these last several years. Gosh, even looking back through my archives on this blog send me spinning a little bit! Some have been wonderful, all have taught me amazing lessons and techniques to better my craft, but only some–few actually–have stood the test of time. Through my closet purging and most recently my adoption of a capsule wardrobe, my idea of my own style and the clothes that feel like me is becoming more clear than ever. That feels exciting and wonderful. I can also feel that with conscious creation of pieces that will stand the test of time, I can build a deliberate, quality, beautiful wardrobe.Stripes and pleats fit the bill. Stripes for sure. I loved pulling on this dress that was born in my head as a design and created during nap time in the ten-square-feet of my old sewing closet back in a time that now feels so far away. It makes me happy to be making things I love, some of which will follow me on pieces my life’s journey. I hope to make more that will.

I draped the design for the dress, and didn’t make a pattern, but if you’d like to make something similar, this Perfect Pleats Skirt DIY can definitely help at least with the skirt!

Also, my friend Morgan of Pepper Design Blog just had a beautiful baby girl and asked me to be part of her Motherhood Series. My interview tells some about my days as a mom and bits how I try to make it work.