• Podcast Reviews

    “Love To Sew” Podcast Review

    Hey Loves,

    I hope you are having a great day thus far!

    I am sooo excited to start doing podcast reviews here on the blog. If you don’t know what a podcast it’s essentially a talk show in a digital format. You may be thinking well isn’t that what the radio is, but “unlike traditional radio, podcast hosts can produce shows in their living room on any topic they choose, without being shackled by FCC regulations. Today there are hundreds of thousands of podcasts floating about on the Web, covering every topic imaginable, including true crime, history, even gastronomy. And although podcasts are still a niche product, they’ve been steadily growing in popularity over the last decade alongside the smartphone.”

    I have been listening to podcasts for about 2 years now. The first podcast I ever listened to was Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. Once I heard that podcast I was addicted, at this point I think I’ve listened to about every episode on her show. From that point on and I would tell everyone I knew about podcasts. If I asked someone did they listen to podcasts and they said no, I would get so excited to give them recommendations! Lol That was when I knew I should just share my recommendations here!

    I would say within the last year I got hip to sewing podcasts! At first all I listened to was self-help, spiritual, business, or society and culture podcasts. I had no idea there were people making podcasts about sewing. Like why didn’t I search for this sooner!

    When I saw the “love to sew” podcast pop up I had to listen to it and I fell in love from the first episode. I’ve listened to a few other sewing podcasts (which I will also review) but if I had to choose a sewing podcast I listen to the most it would be the “Love To Sew” podcast!

    This podcast is hosted by Caroline and Helen and recorded in Vancouver. I often confuse the two, because they look and sound alike to me, but I believe its Caroline who runs a fabric store called Blackbird Fabrics. Helen makes and sells patterns so both of them are incredibly knowledgeable and heavily involved in the sewing community.

    What I like about the podcast:

    THE RELATIONSHIP– You can tell these two are best friends and their chemistry is great.

    TOPICS and GUESTS– The things they talk about are super relevant in the sewing community, from episodes on making swimsuits to the financials of sewing its clear these women are passionate about inspiring others to sew. The guests are also great. They have introduced me to some influencers in the sewing community I didn’t know about, so that’s always awesome.

    INFO AND RESOURCES– Free info, tips, and resources related to your hobby are always great. During this podcast I recommend you take notes and rewind if you need to. You can really learn a lot from this podcast if you are a newbie to the sewing world.

    CONNECTION– I think they make it a point to connect with their listeners which is so cool to me.  These ladies always welcome feedback, questions, and comments. They have a voicemail set up so listeners can leave a message, and possibly have it read on the show. They have Q&A episodes and they just are always so grateful, sweet. These ladies sure know how to make a listener feel appreciated.

    NOTES– Helen and Caroline are super giggly sometimes. Which I can’t even say is a bad thing because you can tell they are having fun and the vibes rub off on me. I find myself smiling for no reason while I’m listening to it. Sometimes they just giggle a lot. I remember one episode it felt like after every sentence they did this unison chuckle as a way to ease into the next sentence.

    OVERALL THOUGHTS– If you sew I highly recommend you take a listen to this podcast. It is full of tips, tricks, resources, and overall sewing info. I personally don’t have a lot of friends that sew, so this is a great way to feel like you have sewing friends. They make it seem like you’re just chilling hanging out with some of your sewing girlfriends.

    Helen and Caroline can be found on Instagram @lovetosew.podcast @blackbirdfabrics @helens_closet 

    Please drop a line or comment here or on my IG page and let me know what you all think of this podcast review! Thanks for stopping by. 

    Sources: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/download-listen-podcasts-android-ios-181517787.html

     

     

    Comments Off on “Love To Sew” Podcast Review
  • Pattern Review

    D.I.Y Simplicity 8413 Slip Dress

    Hey Loves,

    Welcome back to Nichelle B! Today I want to show you my latest and last summer make, this super cute slip dress. Slinky slip dresses are normally reserved for the bedroom but not anymore. Lingerie inspired pieces have made their way onto streets and runways with slinky, satin, and lace accented dresses and skirts popping up everywhere. Lace bralettes under blazers, slip dresses over t-shirts, silk robes or kimonos paired with denim, have become all the rage and I’m totally here for it. I think when done right it can be a really mysterious, sexy, chic look. However, I do think wearing lingerie out of the bedroom can be a bit tricky because you don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed and put on some tennis shoes. You also don’t want to look like you’re just out at the mall wearing a lace bra and some jeans. lol That’s why lingerie items should be worn minimal and/or strategically layered with your basic pieces like denim, oversized sweaters, and t-shirts.

    Examples below…

    So onto how I made this dress… The fabric is one I had in my stash for foreverrrrr, like at least 3 years. It was such a small amount I never knew what to make with it, but it was so beautiful I couldn’t get rid of it. I knew one day it would speak to me. lol This fabric seems to be some type of polyester, it is really thin and flowy. I made the longer version at first but I think with this print it was looking too nightgown-ish. If I had done the longer version in a satin type of fabric I think it would have looked fine.

    I used Simplicity 8413 to create this dress. This pattern did call for an invisible zipper but I did not use one. I just felt like its already kind of a loose fitting dress so why do I need a zipper. Without the zipper this dress still worked perfectly. However, just a note that I am slim (I wear a size 2) so for fuller figures and especially if you do the longer version, you may want to consider adding the zipper so it can fit over your hips.

    I dig this pattern, it has bias binding around the neck and armhole, and darts on the side. I finished the bottom with a rolled hem. This dress is perfect to layer with other pieces and transition to fall. I definitely want to make another one in a different fabric. Layer this slip dress with jeans, a denim jacket, or a kimono to switch up the look. Some pics of my version and how I plan now wearing it are below.

    How do you feel about wearing lingerie inspired pieces? Did you enjoy this post? Let’s chat! Leave a comment below!

    As always thanks for stopping by! You are appreciated!

     

     

    Comments Off on D.I.Y Simplicity 8413 Slip Dress
  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.

    D.I.Y Ruffle Wrap Skirt x Yellow Linen Top

    Heyyy loves!

    Welcome back to my blog thanks for stopping by! I am sooo excited it’s FRIDAY and I am officially done teaching summer (sewing, fashion design, and art) camp! Insert happy dance! Every summer I gain a new respect for teachers. Honestly, yall are the real MVPS and deserve major respect for what you do.

    So, details on this top and EASY PEASY skirt. I’ve blogged about this skirt before, last year. Click here if you want to see that post. It is literally the easiest, quickest skirt ever. I would definitely recommend this pattern if you are a beginner sewist.

    I told myself I wanted to start making more pieces that could be worn dressed up or down and both of these pieces are exactly that. So this top is Vogue pattern 8766. I’ve used this pattern before to make the top I wore for my birthday last year. This is actually a dress pattern, but if you just don’t add the skirt to the bottom its a top! lol Click here if you want to see the version I made for my birthday. The only difference between the two is I added ties on this top.

    The top was inspired by a Pin I had saved for a while. Check my IG page @itsnichelleb if you want to see the Pinspiration photo. I saw this pin and immediately new I wanted to make it, so I did. By the way, this is random, but can I just say I I LOOOVE PINTEREST! I’m not even going to go on a rant about why I love it. I’ll just leave it at that. lol

    So you saw it dressed down on my IG page now here is how I dressed it up with McCalls 7606. I’ve also worn this skirt dressed down with tennis shoes. I love mixing and matching my pieces. That’s the fun and satisfying part to me, I’m slowly but surely building my wardrobe.

     

     

    Comments Off on D.I.Y Ruffle Wrap Skirt x Yellow Linen Top