made by Julianne

1

MAKING SKINNY PANTS FATTER

14 December 2012 by Julianne

I had these pants for about a year, and never really wore them because they were so tight! I was told that they looked OK, but they were not comfortable. I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to adding in the side panels, but now they fit me great!

I actually unstitched the side seams (rather than cutting at the seam) and then added the 2.5″ wide strip of scrap jersey. This left a gap in the waistband, which I covered with this blue elastic I had lying around. Now I don’t ever need to wear a belt with these pants, because they are tight enough in the waistband but as comfortable as sweatpants!

Not only were the additional fabrics random pieces finally used from my stash, but they made these pants much more wearable. I’ve since given this treatment to other pants for a few friends.

In the same vein, I added a new hood to this shirt I always wear. And yet I don’t have a ‘before’ shot… I got it at Forever 21 about 5 years ago. It’s made from French terry and very comfortable, but the original hood was completely useless, and showed a lot of chest. I copied this hood from a thrifted Old Navy shirt. Basically this post is completely debunking the rumor that I never buy clothes.

Stash busting + improving store-bought clothes = win

2

STRIPE SACK DRESS

10 December 2012 by Julianne

This dress actually started off as a shirt that was cut a little long, and then I decided to add the horizontal band to the bottom. I’d never worn (or was interested in) a sack dress before, but I feel pretty chic and easy when I wear it. Although I feel it works best with these wedge heels, and I very rarely wear anything but flats. So it’s a date-night dress, and I kinda like having something a little special for special times.

This dress pattern is designed for striped jersey, and except for the contrast bands, the dress is all one piece. The back, sleeves, and front piece is shaped sort of like a Y, and the only seams are at the center front and at the sides. It’s extremely comfortable to wear, and I always feel elegant with all those stripes running across my body and meeting in a perfect V at the front. Needless to say, this pattern took a few tries to develop and I’m pretty proud of it.

Jason took these pictures at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. We went to see Smoke and Mirrors, which I designed costumes for. The magic show will be running in SM for a few more weeks, and then will move to the Road Theater in January, so check it out!

When I submitted my bio for the playbill I used Dodds as my last name, but my ad is for Julianne Siadek since that was after the wedding. Nice that they were on the same page!