About the Stonemountain Spotlight

For each Spotlight we choose a specific pattern, fabric, or sewing technique, and invite the shop staff to each make their own version. We love seeing how everyone interprets the project, adding their own unique style, and we love sharing what everyone has made. This month we invited each of our participants to select their favorite Lady McElroy fabric and a pattern from the shop to make a garment of their choice. We were absolutely blown away by the staff’s creativity, and we’re so excited to share our projects with you!

Meet Lady McElroy

Lady McElroy has become one of the shop’s most beloved fabric lines during the years we have carried it. Lady McElroy fabrics feature unique, contemporary fashion prints in a variety of consistently high-quality, wearable substrates like cotton lawn, rayon challis, 100% linen, and many more. We import all of our Lady McElroy fabrics directly from the company in the United Kingdom, and Stonemountain & Daughter was selected to be the exclusive U.S. retailer of a group of Lady McElroy cotton lawns—we also carry several Lady McElroy fabric substrates that you won’t find anywhere else in the U.S.! We are thrilled to be able to bring these gorgeous, high-quality fabrics to our community of sewists—these are beautiful fabrics that we all love to sew with and wear, and we think you’ll love making them a treasured part of your wardrobe, season after season!

All about our staff projects

Alex sewed the Sew House Seven Burnside Bibs in Cruise Linen – Kiwi, adding a few inches to the length. She says that Cruise is the perfect medium-weight linen: “The fabric was easy to work with, not slippery. It washed nicely and feels comfy to wear.” Alex didn’t love the process of sewing this garment, finding the steps tedious. She’s still experimenting with the perfect styling for these overalls: “It seems to work best with a simple tank or t-shirt underneath, so as not to detract from the bibs.” 

Amy wears the Decades of Style Decades Everyday – Peaks and Valleys Pants in Sovereign – Stretch Cotton/Tencel Twill – Saffron. While she doesn’t usually wear elastic-waist pants, Amy thought that these cheerful yellow pants would be a perfect fit for work at the shop, and we agree! Amy liked the weight of the fabric, saying, “It’s a versatile weight for pants and skirts.” Of the pattern, Amy says, “I lengthened it to ankle length. The construction was easy, and the stretch material was also easy to handle.”

Anna wears The Ellsworth by Merchant & Mills in Lady McElroy – Cotton Lawn – Tulip Ballet – Green. She says, “This garment is almost my usual style, I love button downs and boxy ones at that! Usually I would go for a plaid, but I wanted to mix it up with this oversize tulip print. While it’s such a bold print, it somehow comes off as professional, so I could imagine wearing this out to a nice event!” Anna appreciated that The Ellsworth’s sizing allowed for some flexibility: “According to my body measurements I should have made a size 22, but the fit has so much ease that the 18 was great. I think next time I’ll shorten the sleeves, since I don’t know if I love this length.” Anna found the cotton lawn a breeze to sew with, as it didn’t slip, grow, or fray. “I haven’t had a sewing project in a while, as life has gotten in the way! This was a manageable project to get back into practice! It used some not so basic skills, as well as simple enough shapes that it didn’t feel overwhelming. This was my first time using a Merchant & Mills pattern, and while I found some of the language confusing, I was able to look at blogs of other folks who had made it and get some additional info!”

Ashlee wears the Closet Core Pauline Dress in Lady McElroy – Rayon Crepe – Pimpernal – Ebony. “I love square necklines and puffed sleeves, but I don’t usually wear this much of a print.” Ashlee adapted the pattern to remove the back zipper closure, instead creating a faux smocked back—this involved sewing several channels for 1/4″ elastic to achieve a perfect fit. Ashlee is super happy with her fabric choice: “I love rayon! It has such wonderful drape, and the swish factor is high.”

Caroline made the Sew House Seven Burnside Bibs, lowering the bib by about 4 inches to create a suspender-like look. She used the Lady McElroy – Monsal Textured Linen/Cotton – Oxford Navy, of which she said, “The Monsal is such a lovely texture! It has such a nice drape while still having a nice weight and opacity.” While sewing this project, Caroline realized that her Burnside Bibs are a spiritual successor to a jumpsuit she made four years ago: “The jumpsuit of yesteryear (which was the 1930’s Sweetheart Overalls by Decades of Style in a floral quilting cotton) was one of my favorite pieces in my closet, but my personal style has evolved over the years. These overalls are a more androgynous and updated style, but I think they will serve the same purpose in my closet! They will be a go-to, comfy, easy garment that always looks polished. And I can pair them with pretty much any style of shirt. I am looking forward to styling them with a white shirt for a sailor vibe!”

Edgar wears the True Bias Nikko Top in Lady McElroy – Viscose Jersey – Cobra Corsage – Chantilly Cream. Inspired by the amazing knitwear created by The Mob Studios, Edgar used the Nikko Top pattern as a starting point for their garment. They cut their Nikko pattern pieces out of Lady McElroy viscose jersey, chopping up the larger Nikko pieces and then sewing them back together. They added neon green thread and hand-dyed ribbed knit fabric details for even more visual interest. This knit fabric is lightweight with a crepe texture, and Edgar said, “It was very easy to work with, especially if you serge your seams.” Lighter colors are a departure from Edgar’s usual look, but they’re having fun experimenting with them!

Gillian made the Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks in Lady McElroy – Cruise Washed Linen – Hunter Green. Gillian says: “This linen is a really lovely heavier medium weight that sews and presses well. It’s the perfect fabric for casual yet elegant pants! Because of the weight, it doesn’t shift around as much as some other linens I’ve worked with.” Gillian prepared the linen for sewing using Sandra Betzina’s method, which worked perfectly. She says: “I’ve made a lot of linen pants, but I was drawn to this pattern because the seam lines and construction are a little different than anything I’ve made before. I love how deep the pockets are, and that the pants are designed to be rolled up for a casual look. I can see myself wearing these everywhere—to work, to run errands, etc! I’ll probably wear them with t-shirts a lot of the time, but I’m also thinking about making some Remy Raglans (also from Sew House Seven!) to pair them with.”

Hulda made the Closet Core Elodie Wrap Dress  in Lady McElroy – Stretch Cotton/Spandex Twill – Cobra Corsage – Chantilly Cream, adding shoulder pads for a perfect fit. Of the stretch twill, Hulda says, “It was very forgiving fabric, easy to sew. It’s light enough and has enough drape to work well. That said, I’d like to make it again out of a lighter substrate like viscose or silk.” Hulda recently got a new serger, which helped speed up the process of sewing Elodie’s many seams. Hulda loves the result and the opportunity to explore: “I love Spotlights. These projects get me out of my lane, into a more experimental place. I’m usually not a fan of most prints, but I have always wanted to make a nice wrap dress. I’ll wear it at my husband’s family reunion. I hope no one is afraid of bugs and snakes!”

Kristen wears the Tilly and the Buttons Pearl Cardigan in Lady McElroy – Symphony – Viscose/Spandex Heavyweight Jersey – Rose. Kristen made the pattern as written, grading between a size 3 bust and size 4 waist, and removing a bit of length for petite fitting. Kristen found the Symphony jersey easy to work with: “This fabric really behaved nicely under both the sewing machine and the serger. And the “heavyweight” quality was stable, easy to work with, and was great paired with a pattern that needed more structure than a simple t-shirt. The pattern is written so that you don’t need anything but your home sewing machine and a ballpoint needle. I used my serger, which was great but definitely not required. A chopstick came in handy while turning the straps right side out.” Kristen plans to wear her cardigan with a skirt or jeans, layering it over a tank top in warmer weather and over a long-sleeved top in cooler weather. She says, “I love it so much I’ve already cut out a second one!”

Liz wears the Chalk and Notch Marcel Dress in Lady McElroy – Cotton Lawn – Monarchy. Liz says, “I used the Marcel dress pattern and did some mods! I removed the side panel tiers, swapped the fabric shoulder straps for eyelet ribbons, and added a lace trim to the bodice. The process involved lots of trial and error, and the dress turned out totally differently than my original vision. I felt like a maniac by the time I finished because it went through so many iterations and I spent so many hours trying things that ultimately didn’t work. But I didn’t give up, finished sewing at 1:00 in the morning, trimmed my bangs, and when I looked at the dress in the morning I felt pretty great about it. Sometimes it just be like that.” Liz found the cotton lawn crisp and easy to sew with, and a perfect match for a pattern like the Marcel. She says, “I always like to have fun in my clothes and this dress is very fun to wear! It’s perfect to wear in the summertime with my Crocs—they go with everything! Because it has a free waistline, I’ll be able to wear it at any size.” 

Maddie used the Friday Pattern Company Wilder Gown pattern, modifying it into a short-sleeved summer top. She selected Lady McElroy – Viscose Crepe – Polished Pebbles – Wine for her project, which she discovered to be  the perfect fabric to use for creating the drawstring tie at the neck. She says, “At first I debated making this piece as a dress, but the colorful nature of the fabric made me interested in sewing a short, fun top instead, which can be styled with shorts, pants, or a skirt. I had fun tweaking this pattern so that it fit my proportions and wants/needs in a summer top. I like that I can wear it with pants or shorts and feel dressed-up and comfortable at the same time.” Helpful hint: A seam ripper comes in handy for the beginning step of this pattern!

Molly used Lady McElroy – Symphony – Viscose/Spandex Heavyweight Jersey – Maroon to create a mashup of the Tilly and the Buttons Erin Dungarees with the True Bias Ogden Cami. She says, “I actually wanted to make a “dupe” of the Free People Hot Shot Onesie, but I wanted it to be more fitted. I feel like it came out just like I was hoping it would, and it sewed up relatively quickly.” Using the Erin and Ogden patterns as a starting point, Molly did a bit of drafting to bring the two pattern pieces together. Symphony jersey was a great match for her project: “It was extremely easy to sew with, so it’s ideal for a beginner who might be new to sewing with knit fabrics. Since it’s a heavyweight knit fabric there isn’t any curling at the edges and it doesn’t need to be pinned a lot like other rayons. It holds its shape, but still has a good amount of drape to it since it’s a blend.” Molly loves how versatile her jumpsuit is: “I tend to gravitate toward really feminine or really stretchy, comfortable pieces. Since I have a young child, it’s a perfect “momiform”—it’s easy to (literally) run around in, plus it’s really simple to style in any season. For warmer weather I would throw on a tank top and sandals, or for cooler weather I would layer up with long sleeves and boots. Honestly, I think it could even be dressed up if I were so inclined.”

Priya created a Friday Pattern Company Donny Shirt out of Lady McElroy – Cruise Washed Linen – Port. We’ve been seeing some great examples of the Donny at the shop, mostly in prints, so it’s fantastic to see a stunning, solid-color linen made up into this pattern! Priya found the Cruise Washed Linen easy to work with, with a nice texture and versatile medium weight. This shirt isn’t Priya’s usual style, but they plan to style it with jeans for an easy everyday look. 

Rebecca decided to work with the Lady McElroy – Cotton Lawn – Pantherine Quartz fabric, creating a super-fun dress! Starting with the True Bias Ogden Cami pattern, Rebecca shortened the length of the cami and added a gathered skirt to it. Of the fun and bright pink leopard print fabric Rebecca says, “This fabric is lightweight with a crisp hand, making it easy to work with and put through my sewing machine. I would say this dress silhouette is probably my usual style, but the leopard print is something new for me. I think styling it with a white sneaker will work for the current hot summer and adding a denim jacket will take it into the coming cooler months.”

Sab wears Friday Pattern Company’s Saltwater Slip in Lady McElroy – Silk Stretch Satin – Watercolour – Mystique. Sab says, “I loved this fabric because of the beautiful way it drapes, but the spandex also gives it the right amount of stretch to be super comfortable and easy to work with.” She made a few adjustments to the pattern as written: “I wanted a closer fit, so I took in the bust and waist on both the side seams and center back. I also changed the back of the dress to have more of a low back. There were no closures in the dress, but I used my technical skills with French seams on the side seams and center back.” Sab loves that her Saltwater Slip is so versatile: “I love that I can dress the dress up or down. Because of its comfortability, I can slip it over my head and wear it with sneakers for an everyday look. But I can also wear it with heels and accessorize with jewelry for a more formal fit.”

Shannon wears The Sunday by Merchant & Mills in Lady McElroy – Stretch Polyester Velvet – Opulence – Silver. Shannon wanted a create a duster to wear year-round with a laid back look. Shannon says, “I thought that it’d be a fun challenge to use a fabric and color that I do not typically wear, but that was a mistake. Because I do not typically wear velvet or silver, halfway through while I was getting frustrated with the sewing process, I ended up abandoning all hope that this would be a wearable garment. In retrospect, I should have used a linen or a cotton, something I’d be more inclined to wear again.” Shannon found both the fabric (which was slippery and shed fibers) and the pattern (which had minimal instructions) challenging to work with: “Both the pattern and the fabric are not for ‘confident beginners,’ they are for intermediate sewists.” If you attempt a similar project, Shannon recommends that you “Go into it knowing that you need a serger, a decent rotary cutter, and patience.” 

Suzan wears the Sew Liberated Strata Top in Lady McElroy – Rayon Challis – Paradise Botanics. “The beautiful tropical flowers printed on the most divine soft viscose rayon ever!” Suzan says of her top. “Once I tried on this Strata top, I realized that I may need many more of these! It really could be the backbone of my next wardrobe update for summer and fall.” Because her Strata top was inspired by her time visiting and living on Maui, Suzan wanted to share the work of one of the members of our Stonemountain community, Julia Allison Cost, an alumni of our sewing school and an incredible artist and fabric designer who lives in Upcountry Maui. Julia shared some great places to donate to: the Hawai’i Community Foundation (Maui Strong), the Maui Food Bank, and the Maui Humane Society.

Vicki created the skirt from the Friday Pattern Company Saturday Skirt Set in beautiful Lady McElroy – Viscose Challis – Lakeside Blooms – Peach. Vicki says, “I fell in love with this fabric the first time I saw it, but was unsure of using it because I don’t usually wear such large prints. I’m so happy I tried it. The skirt pattern with no center front or back seams and long length really let the fabric shine. The fabric is the story in this garment!” Vicki used a Pin-It hemmer to create a perfect hem on her skirt, which was a snap with this viscose challis substrate. She says, “The fabric is gorgeous, so every minute of working with it was visually pleasing. It handled really well, so it was also technically pleasing.” This style of this skirt was a departure for Vicki, who said, “The spotlight gave me an opportunity to experiment and I’m so pleased. I don’t usually wear such a big print and a long length. I’ll wear it everywhere!”