The Green Capsule Wardrobe: sewing 6 versatile summer pieces & experimenting with size-adjustability 

The ruffle one top looks amazing on you! Seriously. I don't think it draws attention to the hips at all. It's really flattering and suits you.

That ruffled bodice makes your hips look smaller, not larger. Draws attention closer to the waist area and by slightly increasing that area it decreases the hips It's kind of amazing that that doesn't mean your waist looks larger. I just think it's more flattering than you're giving it credit for.

Love the skirts. You really don't need to make the entire pocket out of your fashion fabric. You just need a small placket. Not only are you using a lot of fashion fabric, they often don't hold up to the wear and tear for a pocket. Not to mention sometimes bulky.

I’m only a few minutes in but I love that you are recycling the fabric from the plum skirt! I always feel bad when I waste fabric on an item I don’t like. upcycling is the best!!

The drawstring in the back is actually genius for size adjustability. Because elastic can wear out due to washing and then you would have to open up the waste band again and put a new elastic in. I've had this in multiple bought skirts and pants, such a pain to redo. But a drawstring can be sturdy material that will last multiple washes :D

As soon as I saw the green ruffled bodice, my immediate reaction was “oh my god that looks amazing!” It looks great on you, and is very flattering. But I understand that if *you* don’t think it’s flattering it doesn’t really matter what everyone else thinks. Nonetheless, my favorite item in the video

I want to commend you on your details, pattern adjusting and sewing expertise. I love how you press, top stitch, stitch in the ditch and finish your hems!! Your workmanship is top notch and you have a wardrobe that is fabulous and just for you :) ALL your pieces are beautiful and I love the mix and match. Well done!

The weird bubbling at the top of your lace-up backs might be because you slashed and spread your center-back pattern piece all the way up to the shoulder seam. That adds an extra wedge of fabric up there to flop around that doesn't get gathered up under the ribbon/elastic when you lace up the back because your lacing starts halfway down the back. It might be better to go back to your original center-back pattern (i.e. 2:23 in the video) and slash and spread your pattern piece into the side-back seam, at the level where the highest lacing loop will be attached, instead of up into the shoulder.

I love your whole wardrobe. I think you are one of the best pattern makers on the net that I have seen. You put so much careful finishing into your work.

I can't tell you how excited I was to see that shoelace fitting solution for your skirt. It's genius, and my next skirt will absolutely have that in it. Is there any way you can show a close up of each end? (or is there a closeup of that somewhere else?) I've really enjoyed your capsule sewing especially the explanations of whys and hows of each process. Thank you.😃

I love when you do your hair in the milkmaid braids, it’s so cute! Especially with the bangs

I really like the pale green shirt with the ruching under the bosom! It's interesting how (to me) the chest looks much larger in the other shirts. I always assumed ruching would add size but I suppose the structure of the band at the waist or something makes it more minimizing. Looks Fabulous!

the top of the ruffle green bodice looks like it wants a couple of little box pleats just to give the extra fabric a little direction on how to lay gracefully. Also to me it draws the eyes to the waist and not the hips.

These are great! I love the colors you use for your wardrobe. I’d love to see you try hand smocking for adjustability. One of your crop tops with a smocked back panel would be awesome!

Your channel is going to get so many more subs over the next year, I guarantee it.

I constantly reference your circle skirt video. You’re one of my favourite sewing RU-vidrs to watch :D beautiful garments Mariah!

I really enjoy the practicality of your sewing videos! I feel like most RU-vidrs just make specialty items

The green ruffled bodice reminds me of Peter Pan and I absolutely love it.

I adore the ruffle top. It doesn't draw attention to your hips, it draws attention to your fabulous hourglass figure. You look stunning! 🥰❤

You deserve way more subscribers than you have. This content is so educational and I really wish I had this when I first started. It’s always a joy to watch you create something amazing even if it’s not perfect. I think all the pieces came out beautifully. I’m self taught and I guess I’m close to being intermediate at sewing right now. These vids are so inspiring and give me the things I never thought to even consider when making a garment. So thank you for being so detailed I love it! P.S. RIP to those poor birdies💔

I love your videos so much. All the careful planning and follow-through is so educational and satisfying to watch. I don't know of anyone else who shows that it's actually possible to have a completely homemade wardrobe that's so beautiful and fulfilling to make! I've been sewing all my life, but you've inspired me to start making my own clothes with the goal to work on my own fully homemade wardrobe 🙂

I’ve never seen a turkey be affectionate! How cute! Also, all these garments look great!!

That second skirt with the slit is perfection and I love the fabric xx

I love your approach to experimentation and the rating system! I can’t decide if the plum top or the gathered midriff one is my favorite from this video. On the shirt dress idea: have you considered either using a half slip as the skirt (whether you make it or thrift one and attach it) or making the skirt in a contrasting fabric that you would actually wear as-is?

I love your long videos where you experiment patterns!!

Whoa… I don't think it's ever occurred to me to clip something before sewing it!! Galaxy brain 🤯✨

I thought that your videos about capsule wardrobe projects were perfect, but this time you took it to a whole new level. 🤩 Awesome!

I actually really like the lighting of your modern machine - it might not look good in person (idk), but in the video its such a warm light and feels super cozy - like candlelight almost!

Super interesting commentary on your patterns and adjustments. Everything looks so flattering on you, and I love how your make decisions about each garment and its wearability. Thank you for sharing.

Everything looks wonderful. The size adjustability is a great addition to your patterns while still keeping the original lines

love our talent. I enjoy watching your videos. The adjustable skirts are genius. Am i the only one who thinks that they would work as a maternity skirt worn backwards, if the need arose?

i *also* bought linen sheets from target and was frustrated when the fitted sheet wore out in less than a year! now I'm using the less-threadbare sections of the sheet to make some basic linen shirts 🤷

suggestion - weskit. - blouse that the bodice is more like a waist coat/vest, but but has blouse sleeve all from same material, usually fits over skirt or pants.

Okay, but that alternative shoulder strap method.... totally awesome!

Snap I love these pieces, I swear I WILL sew my own clothes one day in the near future. I swear it!

I love these new additions. The flower skirt is so swishy and beautiful

The laced back is darling! I immediately thought of a pattern in my “soon” list. Vogue 9009, from the 80’s or so. It’s three vests or blouses and the longer one was already going to be my Nicole Rudolph pirate waistcoat, inspired for daily wear. I could also do a lace up back in the princess seams. I won’t add extra fabric so I avoid the bunching up. It’s just for embellishment so I’ll just fit it. I wish I could have chickens! Edit. 1994, I finally found it on the envelope.

Petition to re-name the ruffle bodice the Shire Bodice

you are the only youtuber Im interested in

I think the light on your machine looks beautiful.

I am having a struggle with raccoons myself, trying to keep them out of my garden. Sadly, my next door neighbor lost over 30 chickens, but I still have my 7 chickens. I have a durable coop for mine. I do plan to let my chickens roam the garden area this winter, they are great at clean up and preperation for next spring. I have to find a way to get rid of the raccoons though. A momma and baby was actually climbing my greenstalk garden tower a couple of nights ago. I love the ruffle bodice, but I also understand we all like different things. I am inspired to make one of those now. Someday, I will get a zipper foot for my sewing machine and try to put zippers in clothing. What is your favorite 'must have' foot for your machine? It would be interesting to see a video about sewing machine accessories and what you find most useful.

I definitely agree about the quality at 🎯 lol, I bought a pair of tights, and washed them one time and they were so pilled that I just threw them out, meanwhile my decade old pair of tights that I wear all the time is still going great after I darned a couple wholes at the toes

Wow, thanks for this interesting wee adventure. Peplums/ruffles. You said you dislike drawing attention to your hips - that's fine and it's abs fine for you to respond to what YOU see in the mirror any way that suits your body. But peplums have (as you rightly observe, for a few hundred years) been used to minimise attention to large hips, by making the waist look smaller. As you probably know, in the past those tiny waists were 'created' by padding areas such as bust and hips rather than (as many folk nowadays think) tight lacing. Another device for visually narrowing hips (and tummy as I used to do for years) is to have a top longer at the middle front and shorter at the sides (I even made them v shaped). So... perhaps try a peplum deeper at front and rear and with narrower 'ruffles' at the sides and front and see what that does for your body?

I'm so sorry about your lost ones, but everyone looks like they're recovering well. Cant wait to see more of your creations!

Great video. I love the explanation of why you make the choices you make. I try to made modest clothing when everything mass produced does nothing to cover up things like cleavage (G cup). This is why I can been seen in overalls most days during the growing season. Gardening is truly constant experimentation. I am always working to refine what I plant, how I amend my soil. What fruit we actually eat (we do not like eggplant, waste of space to plant it) This year I planted way too many peppers and tomatillos, but I can make salsa verde and will once it cools down.

Wow, I bought linen sheets from Brook Linen and the bottom sheet lasted about two months. Cheap linen, you can feel the difference from their linen and my linen from Lithuania. I don't even like the feel of it. I made my husband some yoga pants from the top sheet and a dress that is up at my store. sigh. Next time I'll buy European linen and do a flat sheet seam. Worst $200 I ever spent. These are just lovely. You're still one of my favorite channels!!

The ruffle looks great. From what I’ve heard, gathers/ruffles ratio is 1:1 1/2. They all look good. Sending best wishes from Down Under 💖🌺🌸💐🇦🇺😎

I just love the ruffle top! I don't think it looks bad on you at all. It's probably my favorite one so far 😄

These are all amazing! I especially love the bodices and the way all the colours go so well together.

i adore how we all like different things. i love the fullness of the ruffle on the green vest top.

genuinely love the green ruffle one, it looks so good!

Everything looks so great! I love how thoughtful and well planned your wardrobe is. The little back ruffles on the tops are so cute!

The ruffle bodice looks great.

I like the ruffled top on you! It's nice that you can tuck it in as well! On the chicken update: my mom has 18ish hens and like 5 roosters and she's keeping maybe 2.

As usual, I love everything you do. The flowered skirt was my favorite, but then I wasn't wearing it. I have the same body type, so I know how you feel trying to dress is rather difficult. I always look forward to your videos.

Loving how all the pieces turned out! To take the lightbulb out of the modern sewing machine you just need to reach with your fingers from the bottom next to where the needle comes out, just twist and wiggle the lightbulb a bit and it should come out, maybe putting the machine on its side could help, but i could change my two machines' lightbulb like that, hope it helps

I've been really enjoying this set of summer wardrobe videos (and I hope you're planning to make similar ones for fall!). I don't know if it's feasible, but it might be very educational to do a full wardrobe try-on video with every combination from the skirts and tops videos. We've seen a few combinations, but it would be neat to see the whole set.

The carnation skirt is so lovely! I will absolutely be making one like it, sans bow, when I have time to sew again. My garden is taking up every minute of my day right now. But no complaints! And no need to apologize or explain, I also sew like that, working on multiple projects and rotating through as I make. I find I simply cannot work on just one thing at a time. The Gathered Underbust looks great, especially with the Carnation skirt. Sorry about the raccoons, but loved how Turkey went running for you.

Bunny!!! I like the geometry of the pattern-making. So cool

Just logged on after waking up at 3 AM by my cat, and can certify this made my day...

The Mum fabric looks wonderful with the plum top.

I think you should call the gathered under bust bodice your milk maid bodice. It's perfectly beautiful on you! The ruffled bodice looks fantastic on you!! While you feel it accentuates your hips, what it is actually doing is defining and minimizing your waist. Not that your waist needs minimizing, but I think it looks very feminine. The neckline and armholes look perfect. On looks alone, I give it 5 stars on the front. Your skirt fabrics are gorgeous! I love how well everything coordinates! I love your chicken and homesteading update at the end!!!

Love these! So glad you upcycled the purple! I say take off the green ruffle in the front, if you don't like it. Maybe a gentle flounce would suit your taste better? Love the gathered one so much!

i loved watching this, sewing videos are usually hard to follow for me since i'm especially bad at sewing, but in this one i felt like i understood everything, even if i'll never copy it lmao. my favorite piece was the green ruffle bodice, i was surprised when you didn't like it as much as the others, it looks so good!

I love the adjustable skirt! And the gathered top is amazing I have been wanting to pattern and make that style for a while !

I ABSOLUTELY love everything about your videos, thank you so much for making and sharing them 😊

Your construction is at another level. 👍

Great tops. I like the one with under bust gathers. The back could use a bit more refining perhaps. And great idea to build in expansion. You could draft a peplum that’s not ruffled, but just slightly flared to fit the hips, or just a slightly longer base pattern for tucking in, and it would to take you into the winter months.

Beautiful pieces. They fit you well, suit you well and go together well. Looks, like your new approach to designing the perfect wardrobe for yourself is a success! I got a tip regarding doing narrow hems more quickly. It's called the 'ban roll technique'. It's probably not suitable for very steep curves, but for a skirt hem, it should still do. There are a couple good instruction videos here on RU-vid.

The green bodice, you could maybe put a small box pleat in the back by the neckline. It's common in mens shirts to have a pleat under the back yoke, to give the body room, and it would tidy up that excess fabric.

I like the dark green top just as it is. 💖 I would give it 5 ⭐s. It has that 18th century look and fits nicely. Maybe change the puff in the top of the back. Otherwise it's great. 🤗💖⭐

I think the ruffle pattern is totally cute, I think anything that makes it off is that the color is a bit dark.

Great job. On the green gathered blouse, It looks a lot like a choli. They are made size adjustable by just tabbing the side seams

I’m a third of the way in and I have learnt so much and I’m so doing this!!!!!!!also. You can sometimes be able to take sheets that last a year and a half they will refund you

So inspiring and also practical! Can't get enough of this series

I hope your husband truly appreciates your every quality!

my mind is blown by the drawstring at the back. so simple and genious at the same time! I have to start doing that for my skirts

The fitted and gathered top is my favorite, it looks amazing on you! And the striped skirt is very nice too, the pattern is really pretty.

aw, im sorry about the turkey, that's always the worse when that happens. i hope the adjustments with the roosters goes well! on another note, i loved the clothing pieces made today, especially the belted shirt! i love watching your sewing, and i totally understand hopping back and forth between projects. and that last skirt looks amazing! looking forward to more videos, and chicken updates as well lol

I love the skirts and all the tops!❤

Love the color choices

I love the ruffled top! You and I have very similar figures, and I think the lower center and ruffle is a good way to make a short waist look more balanced. I also love an hourglass silhouette, which the ruffle does nicely, but of course that's a matter of taste. I also love the slightly longer bit in the back -- it reminds me of those Victorian swallowtail jackets. I am definitely going to try something similar. One thing I have been for a bit of size flexibility in summer dresses is to cut the back as if for darts (i.e. cut the pattern as-is) but instead of sewing the darts closed, I sew in a piece of elastic at the waistband or sew in some rows of shirring with elastic thread. It's just enough to account for those monthly fluctuations, or a bit of slouching comfort, without requiring any extra fabric.

The green skirt fabric is gorgeous and the gathered back waistband was a stroke of genius!

Thank you for this video they are lovely and this was the prompt I needed to make myself the wardrobe basics I had been putting off rather than the pretty dresses in my head. For me that's leggings. :) I made 3 pairs today and finally threw away the very old pairs I had when I was buying clothes back in 2017.

Love them all!

I love purple and green together. Perfect.

I love the adjustability that you did in the green striped skirt.

Love the ruffle top! It looks awesome on you and is beautiful ❤❤ I mean they all looked wonderful but I think that was my favorite 😍

I like the ruffled top on you. It makes you look longer waisted.

I love the enthusiasm you have for your projects. Please take or leave my comments. Its always fun to sew up new stuff and if I could afford it, I'd do nothing else. Most of my projects are done for long term wear and use. Some of my blouses worn weekly and washed weekly are still in great shape. I think that the green top with the small ruffle is the most flattering one you've made. It doesn't draw attention to your hips like you think. The banded bottom top is nice but the bottom band should have been done with a light interfacing, then the seam trimmed in a beveled manner to break up the thickness. One suggestion is to spend some time going through the Vogue pattern books and studying the patterns suited to your body type. It really is worth the time. Then also style styles suited to your body type online. Then you can make adjustments to your patterns to better suit your tastes. For blouses... Try looking into fitted ones with front and back darts. I have a rectangle body shape and that style gives the illusion of having curves.

I think the ruffle suits you. It dies draw attention to your hips. I think it draws the attention to your waist with the v neck.

I loved this video, so many great ideas. Your pinning is just so exquisite it makes me happy. Best wishes

I love the herringbone and the green striped skirt, might make something similar for myself at some point!

I know exactly what sage green linen sheets you're talking about. I got the same ones from Target and had the exact same issue with the fitted sheet. By the time I got replacements (same linen sheets in a different color, which might have been a mistake now that I see this sheet set might just be poor quality all around) it was too thin to do anything with, but I've kept the top sheet in my fabric stash for use later. Bit of a bummer tho

i love the ruched / gathered top so much on you!! it's my favourite you've made so far i think and it also looks excellent with the skirts you showed it with! i would be interested in seeing all the different combinations with the tops and skirts at the end of a video once, kind of like a lookbook, if you feel like it :)

I really like the green ruffled top. I can see why you’d want to refine the pattern but it looks kind of like a vest which I think is cute!

The dark green ruffled bodice: I think it would look interesting to have the ruffle be wider (or even switch it to a pleated piece) and to also have the seam where it attaches be more of a V shape.

I like the bubble (at least on camera) for the green ruffle bottom top. It fits with the drawstring area. All the tops and bottoms look amazing.

As allways you made me think I need to buy more fabric, love the skirts ❤, 20 years ago I'd say "more crop tops please", but after my second child was born that changed a bit, but there is allways a way to go arround that.

J'aime beaucoup ce que vous faites, y compris la presentation de votre travail. Vos jupes et hauts sont très beaux, ils vont, juste dans mon goût. Merci!