Does it seem to everyone else that the stuffy days of suits and pantyhose in the workplace are falling by the wayside? I know opinions about this vary, but I ab-so-lute-ly love it.

I've recently transitioned from a more "buttoned-up" workplace to one that allows me to dress for the day ahead. If I'm meeting with clients or representing the company, I tend to dress more traditionally professional. If I'm attending a community event, I dress for photos. If I'm planning to sit at the desk and slog through a mountain of work, I'm dressed for total comfort.

And jeans or leggings on Friday... lawd... I love my Friday leggings.

My current obsession with sewing knits lends itself nicely to this shift in the work-uniform dynamic. I can create pieces to dress up or down depending on my needs. And I never, ever sacrifice comfort!

That's one of the reasons that I'm in love with the full suite of patterns from Made for Mermaids and Patterns for Pirates. They are all designed with those must-haves in mind.

First up is the Patterns for Pirates Everyday Elegance dress... How beautiful is this dress??

(all the heart eyes is the perfect reaction!!)

It is full of little details that make it so special - yoke pleating, gathers at the shoulders, a buttoned tab sleeve... and such an easy make! I'll admit that I may have had to make it twice because of lazy poor  construction decisions... costly mistake but it was worth doing over again!

If you've been following the tour all week, you may recognize this perfectly fall-ish ghost crepe from Vinegar & Honey. While a departure from my knit-kick, it was the ideal woven for this silhouette.

Next up is a total comfort look - the Made for Mermaids Mama Joy with the Patterns for Pirates Cocoon Cardigan.

I made the dress to wear during the warmer months and paired it with this amazing cardigan for the recently cooler weather. You could literally whip both of these garments up in an evening. They are both such easy makes. Perfect for beginner and seasoned makers alike!

And... how can you go wrong with sweater knit and double-brushed poly? I snuggled all day in this outfit and it was work appropriate! Win-win!! The sweater knit is Girl Charlee and the DBP is Knitpop.

(I could seriously live my entire life in DBP... it's that ridiculous.)

And, finally, a winning casual Friday look. To be honest, I'd probably wear this gorgeous outfit during the work week, too. Actually, I did. On a Thursday. It's got all of the scandalous parts covered, right?

This cardigan is the newest Made for Mermaids release, the Mama Darcey. I've paired it with the Mama Courtney (sans knot) and the Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs. All SUPER easy makes and separates that can work in any number of outfits.

Holy moly... I love this sweater. I'm wearing leggings and knit from top to bottom and I feel GLAMOROUS!!!

You can find this sweater knit and wine cotton spandex at Girl Charlee and the distressed knit at So Sew English Fabrics.

I hope you've enjoyed our week of work wear during this blog tour! Which garments do you plan to incorporate in your professional wardrobe? If you've missed any of the days, you can find the posts here:

Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5

Now, bring on the weekend!

XXOO

Admittedly, I'm easily impressed. However, it takes a lot to knock my socks off.

Earlier this year, I discovered PDF sewing patterns and had that moment of, "Holy. Cow. This is freakin' genius!" One file... every size you could ever need... yours to print as many times as you'd like... and, I'm soooo late to the game!

Needless to say, I've been making up for lost time and have quickly fallen in love with a few designers. The sisters behind Made for Mermaids and Patterns for Pirates have quickly captured my heart. Their designs are timeless, easy, and packed FULL of options. If you've never used PDF patterns, these ladies have generously provided a few free patterns to get you started (and they are pretty fabulous!!).

It was a magical moment for me when I was invited to test the newest addition to the Made for Mermaids collection - the Mama Kourtney.

The pattern features options for tops, tunics, and dresses in sleeveless, short- and long-sleeves. There is even a girls' pattern!

I'm still blissfully living in my "leggings are pants" fashion world so the sleeveless tunic was a perfect match for my current lifestyle. Not to mention that it's still a bajillion degrees here in the south.

I used a cotton rayon blend from Girl Charlee that had just the right amount of drape. I think the tiny flower print gives it a great vintage vibe.

Overall, this make couldn't be simpler. From cut to hem in less than an hour! That is, if you don't sew the arm binding to the neckline and the neck binding to the armscye. With a serged seam. And solidly impale your finger with your seam ripper. Then, it might take you a few hours longer.

Don't sew when you're exhausted, friends. Just don't do it.

The feature that elevates this pattern is the sexy little hemline knot. Looks complicated. Is actually super simple. The directions are very easy to follow and Megan provides the perfect video to make it even simpler.

Made for Mermaids patterns are color-coded, rather than sized with traditional numbers. I cut a pink for this top and made no alterations. It's a little large for my taste under the arms so I will likely take it in a bit for my next make.

You can download this essential pattern here. It's on sale separately and part of a bundle with the girls' pattern.

Grab your pattern today and be sure to share your makes with me! Happy sewing!!