DIY Lookbook: From My Sewing Machine to Summer Streets

Sewing clothes so much fun, but I also love, love, love styling the garments I make. Since I enjoy styling so much, I really enjoy making lookbooks so I’m sharing the outfits I made and wore this summer, highlighting some of my favorite self-made garments. I discuss everything from a green linen dress I reimagined into a breezy summer look to a canvas bag with faux suede accents that was a challenging yet rewarding project. I also talk about my design mistakes and how I turned them into fun, wearable details, along with my love for creating clothes that are both stylish and comfortable.

Transcript

Hi everyone, my name is Teria with Peace and Make, and in today’s video, I’m going to talk about what I wore this summer—specifically the things I made and wore myself. One thing I like to emphasize is that not only should you make your own clothes, but you should also wear them! I do wear ready-to-wear clothes from the store as well, but I take a special interest in the things I make. Honestly, I love them so much more.

So, I’m going to go over four different patterns, share the outfits I made from them, and talk about how they made me feel special.

I’ve got my handy notes with me, so let’s dive in. First up, I call it my “green dress.” It’s from Butterick 11836. I sewed View A, and I really love this dress. What’s interesting about this pattern is that it’s not actually a dress pattern—it’s meant for a jacket. When I first saw it, I thought, “Okay, this is a jacket,” because it has different views for pants and a shirt. But I really liked the jacket design, and I wanted to turn it into a dress. Let me tell you how I did that.

The fabric I used is a linen-cotton blend, a lightweight fabric, which is one reason I was able to transform it into a dress. A heavier fabric, like a thicker cotton or linen, would have been better for a jacket. I could technically still wear it as a jacket, but I prefer it as a dress right now. I also added a belt—I didn’t use the pattern’s belt; instead, I made a longer one so I could tie it in a way that fit my waist better.

I also shortened the length of the dress to suit my style. It’s just a really breezy dress, especially for where I live, which is in a hot climate. Walking around in this is so much more comfortable than something heavier, especially with polyester in it. This dress is breathable, easy to wash, and easy to iron—what’s not to love?

For styling, I paired this dress with blush pink shoes. Sometimes I like to wear colors that don’t quite match because I’m not a fan of being too matchy-matchy. Blush pink is a great neutral that works with a lot of different colors, so I thought it was a fun contrast against the deep green of the dress.

I also carried my Dax bag, which I’ll talk about next!

The Dax bag is a pattern by Heather from @sewinginverses, and you can find the pattern on her Etsy page as well. I really enjoyed making this bag, though it was definitely challenging. This was my first “real” bag, my first big girl bag, and it pushed me to get better at bag-making.

The exterior is heavyweight canvas, with faux suede accents, and the lining is quilting cotton. I got the hardware for it too. The style was inspired by a bag I saw at a Ralph Lauren outlet store. I loved the classic stripe and trim down the middle—it’s so elegant.

One thing I’d change next time is how I finish the bottom of the bag. I like to carry a lot of stuff in my bags, and when I do, the bottom tends to sag a little. It’s not a huge issue, but next time I want to make the bottom more secure and flatter.

The pattern instructions were really easy to follow—if I can make this bag, so can you! But if you’re just starting out with a sewing machine, I’d recommend practicing on a simpler project first. That said, it’s a great entry-level bag-making project once you have a bit of experience.

Next up is a shirt I made, which I call the “blue shirt with a slit.” It’s a self-drafted pattern I created a couple of years ago. I wanted to experiment with drafting a pattern from an existing shirt. I had this yellow knit shirt that was too small for me at the time, but I loved the silhouette, so I traced it and used that as my base.

The fabric I used for this version is a jersey knit. I’ll admit, the process of drafting this was a learning experience. At one point, I didn’t account for my hips when making the pattern, so the shirt wouldn’t fit over my bottom. The solution? I added slits on the sides. The slits not only made it fit, but they also became a design detail.

Sometimes you make mistakes while sewing, but instead of throwing it out, think of ways you can turn it into something stylish. I do this all the time. It’s one of the things I love most about sewing—finding creative solutions.

This shirt also reminds me of the 90s, which I love. I grew up in the 90s, so I’ll always be drawn to those styles. It’s a simple shirt, but the slits and the fabric choices make it interesting.

Another fun thing about this shirt is that I was practicing some fabric Tetris. I didn’t have enough fabric to cut the front and back on the fold, so I pieced them together and added a seam down the middle. It worked out perfectly, and I learned a lot from it.

I also added binding around the neckline and armholes to finish it off. If you want to make something similar, you can check out the “Me 2046” pattern by Nikki from @beautejadore on Instagram. Her pattern is similar to mine, and you can easily modify it to add binding and make it sleeveless, like I did.

Now, let’s talk about my “black leggings.” These are based on Simplicity 8424, but I made a lot of adjustments. The fabric I used is a faux suede Ponté fabric. The Ponté part is important because it gives the fabric the stretch needed for leggings. If you just use regular faux suede, it won’t be stretchy enough.

I made these leggings a few years ago, and they are still one of my favorite pieces. I got the inspiration from a pair of pants I saw at Ann Taylor while I was in Las Vegas. I loved the sleek, fitted look, but I wanted to elevate them with the faux suede texture.

I did a muslin first, and I’ll admit, the first attempt didn’t work out. But I learned from that and eventually made the final pair. They fit perfectly, and I love how versatile they are. Leggings are still my go-to, and even though wider-leg pants are coming back, I’ll still be rocking my leggings and skinny jeans.

This next shirt is my “button-up pink blush shirt” made from Vogue 8777. I used a sheer poly fabric I’ve had in my stash for years. The fabric was actually from a store that’s no longer open. I originally wanted to make a blouse with bell sleeves, but I didn’t buy enough fabric, so I ended up turning it into a button-up shirt instead.

I love making button-ups! In fact, they’re my second favorite thing to sew after dresses. For this shirt, I hand-stitched the buttonholes because the machine I had at the time wasn’t working with the lightweight fabric. I used a book of embroidery stitches to guide me, and it was a fun, albeit tedious, process.

This shirt is very versatile. I can wear it with a white or gray top underneath. It’s sheer, so it’s perfect for layering. I’ve even thought about wearing it in winter with a long-sleeve shirt underneath. Just an idea if you want to make a sheer top work year-round.

One thing I’ll mention is that the sleeves are a little tight. I made this shirt years ago, and I’ve since learned how to adjust the fit better. So now when I make button-ups, I make sure they’re more comfortable in the arm area.

Now, here’s the shirt I don’t wear much. I’ll show you a picture of it. This one is self-drafted. I had this idea for a shirt with a bow that loops in the back, but the fabric I used is a polyester that sticks to my body. I wanted it to flow and move, but it clings too much. I also made the armholes a little too long, so it doesn’t fit as well as I hoped.

The ribbon in the back is heavy, and it pulls up on my neck, which I really don’t like. I’m just not a fan of turtlenecks or anything tight around my neck. I keep the shirt because it’s so beautiful, but functionally, it didn’t work out.

So, not everything I make turns out perfect, but that’s okay! It’s all part of the learning process. I hope you enjoyed today’s lookbook, where I shared the outfits I made and love wearing. If you sew, don’t just leave your projects in your closet—wear them, love them, and make them comfortable so you can enjoy them every day.

If you liked this video, please subscribe, like, and leave a comment. Let me know which outfit or garment inspired you the most, and what you’re working on. Even though it’s fall, if I get inspired to make something summery, I’m still going to make it!

Thanks for watching!!!