………….Welcome To My Sewing Room (This post contains affiliate links)
Sewing World News~
Love Notions Dressy Collection~ 5 Patterns Just $5 Each!
The New Sale Collection is here!! Today, 11/6 through 11/13. Just one week only!
This mix of woven and knit dressier patterns will be great as you prep for the fancier moments of the next season: family celebrations, winter weddings, banquets, and all the holiday parties! These 5 “Dressy” patterns will be on sale for just $5 each (Digital)! Buy all 5 or just the ones you’re missing!
Here is a link to the entire “Dressy” Feature Collection.
Love Notions sewing courses are like having your own personal sewing teacher holding your hand every step of the way and there is an Octave Sewing Course available for just $15 during this sale. (that’s $10 off!). I highly recommend this course (in fact I recommend all the the LN sewing courses.)
You can purchase the Octave Coat Sewing Course HERE.
The “Dressy Patterns” are~
Chorus Top & Dress
The Chorus Top and Dress is a unique dress that has many options to choose from. Depending on options selected and fabric used, this dress/top can be casual or dressy. It’s comfortable to wear, flattering and fairly simple to sew~ you’re not going to be able to stop at just one. Ask me how I know? I’m also shopping for some new fabric for another dress to wear this winter! I’m thinking a really nice wool jersey would be perfect!
This is also my go-to travel dress. I take it on every single vacation I go on! My favorite versions are my ITY knit ones~ they are cool to the touch and work so great in hot weather. I’m also in the process of finding 2 new ITY prints to sew up for my vacation next May in Italy.
For complete details on the Chorus Top & Dress including fabric recommendations and sewing tips visit this blog post~
Late To The Party…..But I Finally Joined the Chorus!!
Palmer Dress
The Palmer Dress is such a classic and clean dress that’s perfect anytime of the year but it makes an awesome holiday dress! Depending on the options you choose and your fabric~ this dress can take you through all 4 seasons! Fabric choice can make the Palmer either dressy or casual~ the choice is yours! It’s a great versatile pattern that we should all have in our library! Personally, I can’t wait to make a version for spring! I simply adore the structured V-notch neckline (which is much easier to sew than you may think!). Simply put~ the Palmer Dress is a must have! For Spring, I’m thinking a nice ITY knit would be awesome!
If you need a quick~ and I mean QUICK~ dress for the holidays this is the one you want! Oh~ btw it’s so comfortable to wear too!!! I tested this pattern and I really enjoyed wearing this for the holidays last year. Sadly I can’t wear this one anymore (and it’s not a simple alteration) so I hope I can make a new one soon!
For complete details on the Palmer Dress along with tons of sewing tips for the Palmer visit this blog post~
Love Notions Presents…… The Palmer Dress
Encore Skirt
The Encore Skirt is a great updated classic skirt pattern with a really clever pocket construction. The pocket construction is fun to sew and adds interesting visual details. The possibilities are endless with the different body style and length combinations you can create. Using different fabrics can completely change the look of this skirt.
For all your holiday or special occasion needs, I think the Encore sewn up in the “right” fabric would be perfect! I can picture a soft corduroy or a wool plaid. I’d love to make a new one and pair it with the Metra Blazer~ how nice would that be.
For complete details on the Encore Skirt including sewing tips visit this blog post~
Love Notions Ends The Year With An Encore!
Octave Coat
The Octave Coat can be dressed up or down depending on your fabric choice. From a nice classic wool to a thick flannel and even a fleece your choice can give you a completely different look! Be sure to check out the Love Notions Facebook page (type Octave in the search bar) to see all the Octaves made by LN Ambassadors and customers.
I haven’t made the Octave Coat YET! However, I do have all my fabric together for it. I have a gray melton wool blend for the coat, a plaid flannel for the lining and a thermal satin lining fabric for the sleeve lining. I’m planning on making the shawl collar version with the tie belt. I’ve actually had this fabric for over a year now~ but I want to wait a bit before cutting into it.
Last year, I wrote a Weekly Stitch all about fabrics you could use for the Octave Coat as well as the lining. Be sure to check it out. (A few of the fabrics may not be available anymore, but similar ones are.). If you’re unsure what to use for yours ~ please give it a read.
You can find this fabric resource information HERE.
Tessa Sheath Dress
The Tessa Sheath Dress is a simple knit dress with lots of style. This dress has feminine shaping at the back and the pattern is packed with tips on customizing the dress to your unique shape.
This is the perfect dress pattern to use for that special fabric. This sheath dress lets the fabric be the star! It’s a classic silhouette that we all need in our closet. One of these days I’ll make one! Being retired, I really don’t have the need for tons of dresses in my wardrobe~ but I know that so many sewists LOVE this pattern. Want to see more~ visit the Love Notions Facebook group and type “Tessa Sheath” in the search bar.
New Love Notions Pattern Coming Soon!
Meanwhile~ I have gotten my hands on the new Cosette Set pattern and I’m excited to get working on it! I’ve ordered some Ponte de Roma from Raspberry Creek Fabrics, but while I’m waiting for it to arrive I’m going to work on a wearable muslin with something from my stash. I have some French Terry I can use~ which would also be another fabric you could use for this set.
I’ve seen several of the testers’ versions and they are really looking great! Some have used heavy double brushed poly, baby French Terry, French Terry
Need more ideas for fabric for your set? Check out some of these fabrics~
- Ponte De Roma Solids from Raspberry Creek Fabrics (310 gsm)
- Great selection of colors
- Ponte De Roma Prints from RCF
- Several of the current prints in the 2026 Club Collections from Fall or Christmas are also available on Ponte
- Cupro Double Knit Techno from Surge (240 gsm)
- Viscose Nylon Ponte from Surge (320 gsm)
- Ponte de Roma from Cali Fabrics
- They have a huge selection of designer deadstock stocks, a few stripes and textured pontes.
- If you really want to create your own unique Cosette~ you can have one of thousands of designs printed on Ponte de Roma at Raspberry Creek Fabrics. You can select one of their retired designs, one from the Designer Library or even upload your own design!
Love Notions Would Love Your Help!
Tami and Tessa from Love Notions are beginning to plan for 2027 to next year and would love your input! If you want to help us out here’s a 5 minutes anonymous survey to complete.
Pattern Emporium Friday 50% Off Pattern Is~ The Field Of Dreams Dress & Top
The Field Of Dreams Dress sewing pattern features a fully lined, darted bodice & tiered skirt.
Choose from 5 different bodice designs, narrow or wide straps, strap ruffle, a choice of necklines, high or low back, plain or button-up front. Then add the tiers to create your dream top or dress.
You can grab the pattern HERE. The Field of Dreams pattern is on sale for $6.50 USD
Remember PE in an Australian company so this sale will end Friday night at 10 PM EST.
Remember that since Pattern Emporium is an Australian company~ their seasons are opposite of ours here in the US. I’m taking advantage of these sales even though I won’t be sewing them up right now but I’ll have so many “new to me” patterns to sew next Spring and Summer! I have LOVED each of the PE patterns that I have made so far! I highly endorse them!
Raspberry Creek Fabrics~ New Flannel Shirting Is Here!
This week Raspberry Creek Fabrics released a whole line of lightweight 100% cotton plaid flannel shirting. Let me tell you~ you NEED some of this fabric! It is so soft, has excellent drape and is perfect for so many different garments.
When members of the promo team first got their hands on this flannel, some were confused as it didn’t seem like a true flannel. I assured them that once washed they were going to be thrilled. And let me tell you~ EVERY single sewist on the promo team LOVES this fabric!
I sewed my Navy and Lt. Pink plaid flannel into the new Love Notions Serenade Top and it’s the perfect cool weather top! Note that the pink is a “barely there pink. I think it’s my favorite of my Serenade Tops simply because of the feel of this fabric. Here is the link to the plaid I used.
Unlike other popular flannels (Robert Kaufmann and Cozy Flannel from Style Maker Fabrics) this is a lightweight flannel with excellent drape. The RCF Flannel is great for any pattern that requires drape. Think a Love Notions Caprice skirt with a ruffle, the LN Rhapsody or Timbre Peasant top, and dress with gathers! The possibilities are really endless.
The Details from RCF~
Our cozy Flannel Shirting offers classic yarn-dyed plaid and buffalo check designs on soft and versatile 100% cotton flannel fabric that’s warm yet breathable, making it perfect for year-round wear! As a shirting weight fabric, it’s perfect for button-up shirts, dresses, pajama pants, loungewear, matching sets, and more!
- 5.8 oz / 196 GSM
- 100% Cotton Flannel
- 57” Wide
- Yarn-dyed
You can find all the new flannel shirting HERE.
Upcoming New Retail Releases
- New Cargo Canvas ~Nov
- New Plaid Shirting ~ Nov
- New Houndstooth Cotton
- Valentine’s Day Club Collection
- New Chino Twill
- New Vienna Herringbone Retail
- St. Pat’s & Easter Club Collections
- New Twill Shirting
- New Bull Denim
- And More!!
What I Wore Last/This Week~
Honestly, I didn’t wear a ton of Me Mades the last 2 weeks. I love sweaters ~ it’s the one thing that I love buying RTW. So I did wear a lot of my cardigan sweaters (my favorite). We did go out for 2 bike rides this week~ so of course I wore Love Notions! I’ll try to wear more me mades next week!
- LN Aria Button Down ~ in a Robert Kaufman pink plaid flannel
- LN Rockford Raglan underneath in a rib knit
- Ln Oakley Vest on top in a fleece from Joann Fabrics
- LN Constellation Pullover ~ in a Sweatshirt Fleece from Style Maker Fabrics (2024?)
- LN Aria Button Down layered underneath in a cotton shirting from Style Maker Fabrics (2023?)
- LN Sloane Sweater ~ in a cable sweater knit from a small shop no longer in business.
- This is a funnel neck hack that I made. See the Blog Links below for details.
What I’m Sewing This Week~
Well the month of September and October I didn’t get much sewing done~ partly because I lost my “SewJo” and partly because I love nothing more than being outside in the Fall. The weather here has been so crazy~ an “Indian Summer” for us!
I thought that this was the week that I was going to actually get some real sewing done. Sadly that didn’t happen as my 17 year old cat, “Sarah”, who was my shadow, became seriously ill and we had to say goodbye to her. She suffered through IBS for the last 3 years and we had finally found a new food that was giving her some relief. However, it was short lived as she had a medical issue and declined in a matter of two days. She was partly blind and a little deaf~ but she followed me everywhere. She was a staple in my sewing room so needless to say~ being in my sewing room has been hard this week. Bonus photos below are of my little girl Sarah (she was only 5 lb).
I still need to get the buttons on the new Sweatshirt fleece Aria I made last week and get photos of that.
My Sewing Plans~
At this point I seriously need to apologize, as my sewing plans seem to be exactly the same each week. Again, I need to finish up my Christmas Promos for Raspberry Creek Fabrics! I vow to have them done by the end of next week~ I need to promise myself!
Next up is a new Grainline Thayer Jacket in “Cargo Canvas” ~ a new fabric that RCF will be carrying. It will be available in many solid colors and for custom printing on white. I’ve chosen Navy Blue and have a plaid twill shirting for the lining. I purchased some navy sleeve lining from Hobby Lobby (I actually love the polyester satin that the carry for sleeve linings). The plaid twill shirting is another upcoming retail fabric from RCF. This will get cut out this weekend and hopefully sewn up by mid week next week!
Here is a sneak peek of my Cargo Canvas (that hopefully will be releasing next week over at Raspberry Creek Fabrics.
The plaid is for the lining and is another new fabric line that will release from RCF. It is a cotton twill shirting. If you love working with all natural fibers~ these new lines from Raspberry Creek are for YOU!
My Fall Sewing List (subject to change~ LOL)
- New LN Cosette Set in purple Ponte de Roma from RCF on its way.
- New Plaid Cotton shirting from RCF ~ LN Aria Button down
- LN Oakley Vest~ one or two quilted sweater knits (placing order this week for fabrics)
- LN Aria Button downs ~ in a few solid colors for layering
- More LN Aria Button downs ~ in some awesome prints I purchased from Style Maker Fabrics in September.
Thanks for reading “The Weekly Stitch”! I’m so happy you took the time to “visit” my sewing room!
Mary Anne 🙂
Remember to follow me over on Instagram to see all my latest makes! @sewmarymac
You can also follow my Facebook Page~ Sew Mary Mac. On this page you will find information on my makes from all pattern companies. If I know of any good sales(pattern or fabric) I will also feature this information. I have had many of my loyal followers send me friend requests on Facebook. I do post in the Love Notions group under Mary Anne MacLean, however this Facebook account is private. There is no sewing content on that Facebook Account.
Pattern Links~
NOTE: These are affiliate links. It costs you nothing to purchase from these links but they do give me credit for your purchase and provide me with a small commission. This helps fund my fabric stash which allows me to continue to test and review more patterns. Using the affiliate link also helps me cover the costs of maintaining my website. I have tried to avoid placing ads on my website so using my link helps me to continue to do that.
I announced that the Ambassador Discount Code program ended as of 10/1/2026. There is no longer a discount code for me to provide to you. However, as this change has happened, going forward I would truly appreciate it if you used my affiliate links above to purchase any patterns so that I will get “credit” for the sale.(I do receive a small commission)
Again, in the future, please try to support my Sew Mary Mac blog by always using my affiliate links. Simply click on any Love Notions link in any of my blog posts and shop. Doing this can help me to keep my blog ad free! You can even save this link in your bookmarks which will always be my affiliate link ~ Love Notions Patterns.
Blog Posts~ These will give you more details on each pattern, my sizing and alterations along with sewing tips for each specific pattern.
- Love Notions Aria Button Down
- Love Notions Oakley Vest
- Read all about the Oakley Vest on this blog post. There you will find all the details on how I modified my pockets and collar(ivory sweater knit version)
- Blog post detailing how I quilted my own fabric for an Oakley vest for a Spring Oakley!
- Love Notions Rockford Raglan
- Love Notions Constellation Pullover
- Love Notions Sloane Sweater
Need a resource for your zippers for the Constellation, Oakley Vest or Clef Coat?Visit this Weekly Stitch Blog for all the details on which zippers I use and where I purchase all my zippers fro
Bonus Photos~
The bonus photos today are dedicated to my little shadow Sarah. She followed me everywhere. When I sewed, she HAD to be in the sewing room with me. Of course, always sitting on whatever I was trying to work on. If I was on my laptop~ she wanted to sit on the keyboard. She loved using my pin magnet as a pillow. If she couldn’t find me~ she would cry loudly until I called out to her, “Sarah I’m here” and she would come running. If I was outside on the porch, she sat at the door and waited for me to come back in. For years when I went out, as soon as she heard the garage door open, she came running~ sadly the last 2 years, she couldn’t hear that door open anymore. I would walk in and go over to her favorite chair and let her know that I was home. Her favorite place during the Holidays was always under the Christmas Tree~ I’m going to miss that this year!
