Welcome to My Sewing Room
Feature Friday Pattern From Love Notions
When I tested this pattern back in 2023, I gave it the “Sew Mary Mac” stamp of approval! I stick by that still!. The Lenox Top and Dress pattern is the $6 Feature Friday pattern today, 9/12/25. You use my code 10MARYMAC for an additional 10% off.
You may notice that the neckline on my bright pink Lenox if a tad higher than how it looks on others. I have raised the neckline on this version, to make it more suitable for me. For complete details on how I did this~ visit this blog post. On this post you will also see other examples of the Lenox top that I made during testing.
The Details
The Lenox Top and Dress pattern is such a versatile pattern. Designed for knit fabrics, it can be casual or dressy depending on your fabric choice. The princess seams make it flattering on all body shapes and sizes. It’s that pattern you didn’t know you needed! It’s a great basic~ that’s not so basic! It includes so many options you can actually mix and match them to create 30 different looks! If you’re a confident beginner, this should be next on your to-sew list! It’s a really quick sew which will make it easy to fill your closet with a few. For my next Lenox I want to find a perfect weight solid white! No boring white tees for me!
- Princess seams
- 2 Neckline options: square and sweetheart
- 4 Body styles: Midi and knee length dresses, shirt and cropped tops
- 4 Sleeve options: long, 3/4, short and puff short
What I Wore Last Week~
Last week was just a typical/normal week for me. I do always miss the excitement of a new school year beginning every September. And although I do miss the meeting new students and being in the classroom~ I don’t miss the 4:30 AM alarms!!!
- LN Timbre Top in Raspberry Creek Fabrics rayon challis (current retail)
- LN Aria Button down in Coral Madras plaid shirting from Style Makers Fabric
- Ln Aria Button down in cotton/linen shirting from Metro Textiles, NYC garment district
- LN Aria Button down in cotton seersucker from Mood Fabrics, NYC garment district
- LN Timbre Top in rayon crinkle from Style Maker Fabrics a few seasons ago
- LN Melody Dolman in rayon/cotton Chambray from my stash. (Honestly have no clue!)
What I’m Sewing This Week~
This week, I finished up all the strike-off for Raspberry Creek Fabrics Christmas release. This release has been pushed to 9/16. I’ve shared a sneak peek below.
- LN Constellation Cardinals and Holly French Terry from RCF
- LN Juliet Nightgown hack in Holiday Wreaths Cotton Jersey from RCF
- True Bias Marlo Cardigan in Winter Trees French Terry from RCF
I wound up having to reprint my Hey June Santa Fe top(my original was a victim of our basement flood). But, I got it printed and traced out a new size. After making my wearable muslin, I raised the front neckline 3/4″. I also graded in at the bottom edge to reduce the “flair” at the bottom by taking in the side seams 1/2″ on each side.
- HJ Santa Fe top in rib knit~ wearable muslin (NYC garment district purchase)
- HJ Santa Fe top in lightweight sweater knit from stash ( I think it was from Girl Charlee a few years ago)
- HJ Santa Fe top in Cotton Pointelle sweater knit from Style Maker Fabrics (available in coral stripe instead or a remnant of the blue strip). See Fabric Resources below. This needs to be washed before wearing as it has stretched out a bit during sewing.
Note about the Santa Fe Top~ if your fabric has stretch but not excellent recovery, you may want to size down. My old version were made in double brushed poly and had gotten too small. I thought I needed to size up, but as it turns out I didn’t need to because of the fabrics I was using. I learned this when making the rib knit striped version. So this is you PSA letting you to knot to make a muslin if you’re using a fabric you really love! The Santa Fe does require a knit fabric with some drape. Cotton Lycra wouldn’t be the best choice for this pattern.
I also took some time away from actual sewing this week to reorganize my sewing room, to pull out some of my fall fabrics and plan my Fall needs/wants. You can read more about that below.
My Sewing Plans For Next Week
I’ve have decided to move ahead with my Fall sewing plans, even though we will still be having some warm days. (And usually an Indian Summer yet to come.) I sewed up a lot of things this summer and will have plenty to pick from!
Rather than make weekly goals, I’ve set some goals for September and October. September and October are always busy months for me. I have my daughter’s birthday, my husband’s birthday and my birthday all this month. We also have a few getaways planned~ Block Island (RI) this month and Mystic, CT next. I also have a girl’s getaway in October with some of my retired teacher friends. I’ve gone through my fabric stash and pulled out the fabrics that I didn’t get to previous falls. These plans are pretty adventurous, so we’ll see how I do!
These are my Fall Sewing Plans:
- LN Aria Button downs
- Corduroy ~Woodland print that I purchased last fall from Style Maker Fabrics
- Sweatshirt fleece, pink plaid that I ordered from RCF
- Jacket hack in Navy linen~ just received from Mood Fabrics
- LN Timbre Top long sleeved button front version
- Block print cotton voile ~has in stash from Blackbird Fabrics
- Perhaps a Rayon challis version? Maybe I will shop for this.
- LN Constellations
- Navy Speckle Sweatshirt Fleece~ in stash from Style Maker Fabrics
- Oatmeal and Fuchsia floral sweatshirt fleece~ in stash from Style Maker Fabrics
- LN Clef Coat
- Gray Sweatshirt fleece~ in stash from ????
- Navy Boucle purchased a few years ago from Style Maker Fabrics
- LN Oakley Vest
- Sweater knit from stash~ I believe from Surge Fabrics
- Sage green quilted fabric ~Style Maker Fabrics from last year
- Fleece~ from Joann’s fabrics that I purchased just before liquidation
Here are a few of the fabrics that I plan to sew up in the next couple of weeks.
As you can see, I have a lot of fabrics in my stash from Style Maker Fabrics. They are truly one of my most favorite shops to buy fabrics from. If you sign up for their newsletter, you will receive a 20% coupon every year during your birthday month. My birthday is this month~ as you can see I always purchase A LOT of Fall fabrics(and never get around to sewing them all up!) You can read more about them on this blog post.
You can learn more about that here
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
The Love Notions links are affiliate links. It costs you nothing to purchase from these links, it just helps fund my fabric addiction which allows me to test and review more patterns.
To receive an additional 10% off the LN pattern price, use this coupon code 10MARYMAC.This coupon code can be used at anytime on any pattern….even a $6 Feature Friday pattern. My code does change quarterly, so please always check the newest blog post for an update if you find a code isn’t working.
Fabric Resources
Raspberry Creek Fabrics~ I LOVE the rayon challis from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. Every spring and fall they release new prints on this base. (Even with new releases, most prints stay for sale at retail prices). This block print floral that I sewed up into a Timbre top is available HERE.
I also love to order custom prints on their rayon challis. I find their challis less shifty than most and fairly easy to sew.
- Coral Plaid Madras cotton shirting is from a few seasons ago. It is no longer available, but this shop always has a great selection of cotton and flannel shirtings.
- Patchwork Rayon Crinkle is also from a few seasons ago.. I held onto it until I had the perfect pattern for it. The LN Timbre is so perfect for these rayon crinkles as they often stretch out when worn, so I find loose fitting tops more suitable for this type of fabric. All rayon crinkles are NOT the same. I have found some to be of lower quality that shrink. Style Maker Fabrics curates a great fabric selection that are all of good quality.
- Cotton Pointelle Knit available in coral stripe or a remnant of the blue. I love this fabric, however know that because it is all cotton is does shrink, has 100% stretch but doesn’t have the best recovery.
Read more about Style Maker Fabrics here. Style Maker Fabrics will be doing their big Fall/Winter release this month! I am always excited for this!
Edited- Fall fabrics are releasing on Sunday. I am not sure if there will be a swatch review this year or not. The owners have expressed that putting together this year’s collection has been challenging with delayed shipments, cancelled shipments and tariff issues.
However- something new this year will be an online planning seminar to help you plan for fall makes with intention. Visit their website for more details.
New York City Garment District
I am lucky to live close enough to take a trip into the Garment District whenever I want. I often shop when I’m in the city to meet one of my daughters for lunch or other event. There are so many fabric and notions stores. I do have my favorites, but I highly suggest that anyone that visits simply walks from store to store. I know that so many people want to visit Mood~ and I do shop there from time to time, but most of my fabric finds are from other shops. Mood can be very expensive. My favorite shops have a lot of designer deadstock fabrics which you can sometimes bargain for a lower price.
These are my favorite shops:
- Metro Textiles ~ Kashi the owner is the best!
- GrayLines Linen
- Chic Fabrics
- ADK Textiles
sewmarymac.com 