Throwback Thursday: Grown-Up Cambie

I just got a promotion at work (a pretty sweet way to come back from vacation) and it’s time for me to be a boss-lady once all of the paperwork is finalized. This week’s TBT is a Cambie dress I made from Sewaholic Patterns in the spring and it looks all nice and office-appropriate and screams I’M A GROWN-UP! even with the sweetheart neckline.

Every girl needs pockets in her dresses.

The only issue I had sewing this was getting the gathers on the sleeves to look decent. I must have ripped, sewed, ripped, sewed a bajillion times. Ugh. But the rest of the dress was easy breezy and I learned a new technique for installing the zipper + lining all with the machine that’s easy and looks wayyy better than my sad hand-stitching. Tasia has a tutorial on how to do this here, if you’re curious!

I have to admit, I was a little inspired by Andrea from Four Square Walls (one of my favorite blogs!) if you can’t tell…

I used what I’m guessing is some kind of wool blend since it’s a little itchy. I’m so bad at telling fabrics apart. I got it for $2.99/yd at SAS here in Tucson. If you’re ever in Tucson or Phoenix, OMG that’s the best place EVER. They sell mill end fabrics on the cheap and even though you have to dig, you find some real awesome stuff!

Random holes in the front skirt I didn’t notice until after cutting. I guess that’s what happens when it’s $2.99/yd. Good thing there’s nothing fray check can’t fix!

Guts front

Guts back

I lined it in Bemberg Rayon and only had enough for the skirt. I had to run to Joann’s to buy more and decided on 4 yards of black as I had other projects in mind, so that’s why it’s a bit multi-colored on the inside. I think it looks pretty cool and gives me some ideas for a possible color-blocked Cambie in the future.

Under stitching on the neckline FTW

I’m actually working on another Cambie as we speak – not color-blocked – that has the gathered skirt option. I’m a little on the fence about it but we’ll see how it looks once finished. I’m not used to crazy frou-frou girly stuff and the super full gathered skirt is teetering on frou-frou to me.

Now I need to work on more I’M A GROWN UP projects as most of my work clothes are getting tattered or too tight (thanks, aging and I guess beer… sigh).

Are you working on fun work clothes? Tell me all about it in the comments!

-RED