KCW Day 1: The Marina Romper

Day 1 of KCW and I finished this little jumpsuit.  This is the Marina Romper, by Calie Faye Collection.  Originally this was meant for the 4 year old, but after trying it on, she refused to take pictures.  So here it is on her big sister.  It's a little short on the torso, but otherwise fits S pretty nicely. 

Their dad says the romper looks like a clown outfit.  I sorta think he has a point.  But aside from that, I quite like this outfit.  The pattern calls for wovens, but I made mine in a soft cotton knit, and it worked beautifully. 

So Day 1 of KCW is in the books! 

The Mimi Dress!!!

My baby is turning four this week.  Here she is a couple of months ago wearing the Mimi Dress Pattern by Filles et Maman.  I love this chic little dress.  It's made entirely out of knit but is constructed as you would a woven dress.  The collar is interfaced to make it easier to sew.  And the best part, Mel shows you how to turn the button loop tube in the most clever way.

I added flat piping to the collar and sleeve cuffs to differentiate those features from the rest of the dress.  I think my favorite part of this dress is the asymmetrical peter pan collar and the keyhole opening underneath.

There is also an option for a collar-less top, or a dress, or a collared top.  Plus long-sleeves.  You can mix and match to your heart's content.

She looks very Parisian, don't you think?

The Aster Cardigan: Willow & Co. Glamping Collection

I'm sure you've heard by now of Willow & Co and their soon-to-be-released spring collection of patterns.  If not, you should definitely check out their blog.  So today I get to tell you about the Aster Cardigan, designed by Vanessa of lgb studios.  I've been following Vanessa's blog for quite a while and was so excited to see this little cardi coming out as a pattern.

It's such a simple and elegant design and is sure to become a staple in any little girl's wardrobe.    I can see myself making many more in the years to come.

Are you excited yet?  I sure am.  The whole collection is making its debut in one week.  Let the countdown begin.

A couple of Heidi and Finn Tops and Dresses

I'm a huge fan of Heidi & Finn and have been for a while now, ever since I made the urban hoodie when S was so little.  I had the opportunity to test a couple of their new patterns, the Tulip Top/ Dress and the Pintuck Blouse/Dress. 

This is the Tulip Dress.  It has a curved yoke, dolman sleeves, and an A-line shape.  The fabric is a sweatshirt knit that I found at Girl Charlee.  It's a thinner fleece so it works wonderfully with this style. 

Next up is the Tulip Tunic.  This one I made using two different knits, a floral and a solid.  You can definitely see the yoke detailing here.

And here's B in her Pintuck Dress made from Heather Ross Jersey Knit that I found at Lima Sews Etsy Fabric Shop. This dress has a keyhole closure in the back with a bias tie, making it perfectly suitable for both knits and wovens.  I love the clean lines of this dress and the pintucks on the neckline adds just the right touch.

And finally, here's the blouse version, again in knit, this time an interlock remnant that I found at Jo-Ann's.

Both patterns were really easy and so quick to make.  And as always, Christine, the designer of Heidi & Finn, explains things beautifully and simply. 

On a side note, look how big B is getting.

The Birthday Dress: Violette Field Threads Maggie

 

 

Sometimes I apply for pattern testing calls not really thinking that I will be able to make the cut.  Especially when its a pattern maker like Violette Field Threads, who are extremely popular with a huge following.  So when I got the email right around Christmas, I was pleasantly surprised and even happier when I opened the file and found the dress that I was to make. 

 



This is the Maggie Dress.  It has a high-low hem, split sleeves, a contrast belt, and unique shoulder detailing.  It can be made in woven or knit; I chose to make it in this super-soft floral jersey from Girl Charlee. 

I love the flowy-ness of this dress and I think it works beautifully in knit.  As with all VFT patterns, the instructions are clear and concise, and they break it down for you so that even beginners can follow along easily.

And oh yeah, they have the women's version of the Maggie Dress too. 

Some Selfish Sewing in the Midst of KCW: Blank Slate Rose Tee

From time to time, I get to test patterns for Blank Slate Patterns.  Melissa is one of my favorite designers and is so generous with her talents.  She has  a bunch of freebies on her blog, including this blazer that I plan to make one of these days. 

This is the Rose Tee in women's sizes.  You can read about the little girl's version, the Pristine Swing dress, that I made here.  I actually bought this pattern a while ago, but when the opportunity to test the new and improved version came along, I had to jump at the chance. 

This is really an excellently written and drafted pattern.  The fit is perfect and flattering for a lot of body shapes and sizes.  It's basically a comfy dressed-up t-shirt and fits right in with my mommy wardrobe. 

Ok, back to kid's clothes, maybe.  

Fall KCW 2013 day 1: Brownie Goose and the Mean Princess knit dress

I am so behind on blogging my creations.  Technically, These dresses were finished in early October, but I'm still gonna count it as part of KCW.  I followed the directions for Amy's (of Brownie-Goose) sewalong almost to the t.  The only thing that is different is that I cut the normal waist instead of the drop waist.  The dresses are a mash-up of the lazy susan by Brownie-Goose for the bodice and the Taylor Dress by the Mean Princess for the paperbag skirt. 

  I had a little bit of trouble with the ruffles on the neck staying upright.  Someone suggested on the B-G fb page that a little bit of elastic would hold up the ruffles, which worked like  a charm.  Although the ruffles were a bit of a PIA, I love how these dresses turned out and the 50's ladylike vibe.

    

By the way, S's leggings are the Fancypants Leggings by Titchy Threads, the best-fitting leggings out there, in my opinion.

So hopefully I will post again tomorrow!

Shwin & Shwin's Fall Patterns



 Now that both girls are in school, I have 3 days a week to myself.  This first week was occupied with sewing up Shwin Designs' new fall releases, which I was lucky enough to test. 

First up, the Madonna Ruffle Top.  This is the short sleeve option using a light-weight floral knit I found at Girl Charlee, part of a birthday shopping spree from last spring.  I love the flowy, fluttery look created by the dolman sleeves.  And of course S loves the layered ruffles on the bottom.  The top is meant to be worn with bottoms, but, lengthened a couple of inches, could easily work as a dress too.

There is also a three-quarter sleeve option, which is my favorite.  I think I might have worn something similar back in the 80's!  The full gathered sleeves strike a perfect and totally unique silhouette.  I really, really love this look.

Next is the Paperback Cardi.  I made mine using a white double knit which is on the heavy side.  The contrast shawl collar is a jersey knit from Heather Ross's new Briar Rose line that I found at Lima Sews.

This looks equally stylish unbuttoned!  It's the perfect transition piece between fall and summer, when the mornings are crisp and cool and the afternoons are in the 80's.

Like Shauna, I thought that the cardi paired with the ruffled top is just perfect.  The whole outfit called for a side pony.

And finally, the Apple Loungewear.  I found a really soft and cozy boucle knit at JoAnn's and paired it with this purple and gray leopard print for the leggings.  There is a little metallic sparkle in the sweater that I knew would appeal to S.    

There are peekaboo pockets on the side that matches the leggings.  I love that both pieces are so comfortable and casual, but stylish all at once.

All these pieces are great for mixing and matching and layering.  Stylish, comfy and versatile; I find myself jealous of S's fall wardrobe. 

So that's it!  Hope your weekend is lovely.

Summer Sewing: Sporty Shorts by Rabbit Rabbit Creations

Remember that pleated skirt that I made for the first ever summer KCW?  Jasmin Walsh, the designer of Rabbit Rabbit Creations just released these Sporty Shorts,  They are such a quick and easy sew that I made 2 of them.    

 This first pair was done in a medium weight ribbed knit that I think I bought from the Fabric Fairy  ages ago. The waistband and bias trim is from quilting cotton from JoAnn's DS Quilts.  I love how cute and simple they are. 

 These shorts can be made from any combination of knit and woven.  For the second pair, I used chambray and quilting cotton again for the waist and trims.  This time around though, I added a little (self-drafted) pocket to jazz things up in the back.

Cute, right?  I just love everything in Jasmin's shop.  I think I am pretty close to owning all of her patterns.  

.By the way, that's a size 6 that S is wearing.  How did she get so big?   We have the first day of Kindergarten coming up soon too.   I'll keep you all posted on the first day of school outfit. 

Pattern Testing: Blank Slate's T times 3 and A Line A la Mode

Have you heard?  Blank Slate Patterns just came out with their fall line.  This is the Tee Times Three.  The pattern has plenty of options including 3 different neckline options.  Looking ahead to fall and winter, I chose to test the peter pan option with long sleeves. The fabric for this little top is a cute birdie print I found at Girl Charlee.  The white polka-dots look line snowballs, yes?  I kinda messed up on the peter pan collar though.  There's a neck band that is supposed to stay on top of the collar.  Since I was testing, I figured that it needed to be sewn down, and that Melissa just missed a step in the directions.  Either way, the shirt looks pretty darn cute.     

The back has a keyhole button closure for easy on/off.

 

This pattern is so versatile; there's also a plain t-shirt neckline as well as a hooded version.  The fit is easy and relaxed and the directions are clear and simple.  I would certainly recommend it as a wardrobe staple.  

 Next up is the A-line A la Mode Dress.   Can you tell I love me a peter pan collar or two?  The fabric is coordinating prints from DS quilts for JoAnn's.

The fun detail here is the exposed zipper.  I would say that Blank Slate Patterns has more of a relaxed fit, so you should probably size down if you prefer a more fitted look.  The great thing is that I can see S fitting this into next spring.

 So that's it.  Another great collection from Blank Slates.  Now I'm off to check out the Zippy Jacket.