I’ve recently had the delight of sewing up several of Rebecca Page’s patterns and have the absolute pleasure of being included in her Turning the Page: Sewing for the Changing Seasons Blog Tour. For the blog tour I wanted to share with you a simple business casual capsule wardrobe that looks great together and can be suited for the warmer or cooler weather of Spring and Autumn. The outfits are great by themselves but versatile enough to be mixed with other elements you may already have in your closet.

I’ve included the Paige pencil skirt, the Brielle blouse, the Chloe cami, the Cora Cocoon, and the Circle Cardie in this capsule wardrobe. Both the Brielle and Chloe were sewn up twice so in total there are seven articles of clothing shown. The cardigans let you stay warm on cool crisp mornings or in air conditioned offices while also being easy to take off and carry on your way home in the heat of the day. If you live in a warmer area you can leave off the cardigans and then you only need the three patterns to duplicate this look.

All the outfits shown below include the Paige Pencil skirt. I used a simple black gabardine suiting for the skirt with a sheath fabric for the lining to make it easy to match the skirt with any color top I wanted to wear in the future. The Paige Pencil skirt includes an optional bow that can be tied in the front or back depending how you feel that day. I sewed the bow using it’s full width, but there’s also detailed instructions on how to make it with half the width if you want a smaller bow. You can easily make this suitable for cooler weather by pairing it with tall boots, stockings, or tights (especially if fleece lined). If you want a different look with these tops Rebecca Page has many other bottoms you can sew up.

Paige and Brielle

I’m going to start by showing you the Paige pencil skirt paired with the gorgeous and flowing Brielle Blouse. I took advantage of the billowy sleeves and the amazing drape included in the pattern by choosing to work with chiffon. As the chiffon is see through I wear it with a simple store-bought knit camisole underneath. This is a look that I’m extra excited to wear on a warmer but breezy day as the wind will have a wonderful cooling effect with the chiffon. You could choose to wear the blouse tucked into your skirt, perfect for showing off the bow, or flowing over your skirt, which may look better if you left off the bow.

The sleeveless version of the Brielle Blouse would be perfect at the beginning of Autumn or the end of Spring when the weather is warmer… though you can add a jacket or cardigan to make it work on the chilly mornings. This was the first time I worked with chiffon, but the instructions were able to walk me through how to sew it up beautifully. I decided to take it a step further by making my own bias tape out of chiffon so the edging would match the drape of the blouse. Again I wore it with a simple store-bought knit camisole underneath.

Cora Cocoon

While the seasons change the Cora Cocoon cardigan is a must to keep you warm on those chilly mornings before the day heats up. It can be sewn up with light to medium weight stretch or knit fabric which is great for warmer days when using a light weight fabric or for cooler days when you use a thicker fabric. Just remember you get more drape if you use a lighter weight fabric. I chose to sew it up with single brushed poly and it’s incredibly cozy without being too warm. I chose to create it with long sleeves and followed the pattern’s directions with no alterations.

Circle Cardie

The Circle Cardie was sewn up specifically for this blog tour. With the changing seasons I knew I’d need cardigans to keep warm in the mornings and I had enough of the single brushed poly leftover after using it for the Cora Cocoon to let you see how these two patterns compare. I sewed up my Circle Cardie in the longer length with long sleeves to be extra cozy. The pattern itself includes two different lengths, three different sleeve styles, and has three different hemming options included… though I chose to hem mine with a rolled hem which isn’t included. I love how many different styles can be created out of a single pattern!

If you throw a cardigan on you may want to move the bow to the front.

Paige and Chloe

The Paige pencil skirt looks incredible when paired with the Chloe Cami! The cami pattern includes two different lengths of straps so you can do single or double straight strap or make the second strap longer and do a half or full crossover. The short and long layer lets you mix and match fabrics. I made my Chloe Cami from crepon and used a rolled hem to finish the bottom of the layers. I didn’t stay-stitch my neckline, the pattern includes these steps to make it simple, so I ended up pleating the front and back of the cami and then decided to also alter the center back crossover straps. I followed the rest of the pattern as written and used a short front outer layer and a longer inner layer.

I also sewed up the Chloe Cami a second time. This time with the same chiffon I used for the Brielle blouses. Like the crepon version it’s hemmed using a rolled hem. I stay stitched the neckline this time and chose to use the single strap crossover back option for the straps. As the chiffon is see-through I altered the cami to be three layers instead of two. I used my plum chiffon for the short outer layer along with the long middle layer. I then hid another long layer behind them made from the black chiffon.

Best part is the bow stays in place and yet you can easily switch it around whenever you please.

I hope this helps inspire your own wardrobe. I love how these patterns are great when paired together creating the perfect work, social function, or date night attire while also being versatile enough to pair them with other items to give a more casual look. If you want to check out the individual blog posts they include The Paige Pencil Skirt, The Brielle Blouse. The Chloe Camisole, and The Cora Cocoon. I haven’t blogged about The Circle Cardie but the direct link can be found here.

Please visit all the stops on the Turning the Page: Sewing for the Changing Seasons Blog Tour with Rebecca Page. Don’t forget to comment on the blogs each day and enter a Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win some fantastic prizes from our fabric sponsors!

1. August 20: Rebecca Page (Intro), Sewjourns, Soul fed on Thread
2. August 21: Sarcastic Sewist, PatchWitch, FlaxfieldSewing by Anca
3. August 22: Princesse et Tresors, Bellephant, The ScattySewer
4. August 23: BigFlyNotions, Stitched by Jennie, Millie’s Place Handmade
5. August 24: Sweet Sprocket, Australian Sewing, Advice & Inspiration, The Sewing Unicorn
6. August 25: LIVIALITY, Diskordia’s Curvy Sewing, Simply Kyra
7. August 26: Seams So Lo, Middle River Studio, Jot Designs

Seweird Fabrics has even offered a coupon code during the Turning the Page: Sewing for the Changing Seasons Blog Tour with Rebecca Page! The tour only lasts for one more day so you have until tomorrow to use RP15 for 15% everything in the shop (excluding the preorders).

Feel free to share in the comments below, on my Facebook page, or through Instagram. I hope you have a great day!