A Jennuine Design: The Matinee Dress

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Spring in Oregon can be a little treacherous.  Often, it can rain days on end and you feel like it's just a sad continuation of the rainy season that we have nine months of the year.  Then all of a sudden, we get one glorious day when the sun comes out and the sky is blue, and the flowers start sprouting. 

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Timezone: Pacific Daylight Time

We took a trip to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival on one of those glorious spring days, and it was the perfect opportunity to photograph B in her new Matinee Dress, which I had the pleasure of testing.  Jenn is the author of the lovely blog A Jennuine Life.  The Matinee dress is her first foray into the world of children's pdf patterns, and let me tell you, the pattern and tutorial are so impressive, professional, and thorough that you would never guess that she is a novice.  The steps are fully illustrated with computer graphics and the directions are concise with just enough details.  I'm excited to see more of her designs in the not too distant future.

The front has a sweet boat-neck, a sash right at the empire line and a simple drop waist with a gathered skirt.  But then, she turns around and you get this:

Is that not the cutest?  I just can't get enough of the back view.  B is on the slim side for her size, so I added an extra button in the back to make sure that her skivvies didn't accidentally peak out.  Jenn has since added a section on customizing the fit of the dress.  But honestly, I like that it's a little on the big side.  She will definitely get more wear out of this lovely dress.  And she is growing so fast that she'll probably outgrow it soon enough.

I really wanted to use this Heather Ross floral for B.  There are little bees flying around amongst the flowers.  Her nickname is Bee and she is busy, busy, busy!  I found the perfect plaid from my stash to match.  I think it's Riley Blake.

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You can find the pattern on Etsy here.  It's on sale currently; just use the code MATINEE20 to receive 20 percent off.  Or you can hop onto craftsy and buy it at the already discounted rate.  And be sure to check out all the other tester's versions of the Matinee dress.  There are some crazy talented sewists/ photographers with beautiful children in this group.

I'll leave you with one last picture of B jumping for joy.

Heidi & Finn Ballon Top

I recently tested Heidi & Finn's newest pattern, the Ballon Top.  Here is a definition of the word "ballon:" the lightness and grace of movement that make a dancer appear buoyant.  Perfectly appropriate for this lovely top. 

So in a nutshell, the top is a basic tee with 3/4 or short sleeves embellished with 2 layers of chiffon (or any other type of light, floaty fabric).  The two layers of chiffon gradually lengthens in the back to form a high-low hem.

 

 I really do think this top defines the Heidi & Finn style, pretty but practical, functional and playful, simple and elegant.  The pattern includes a separate guide for the overlay fabrics and explains the different types of fabrics that can be used along with links to on-line shops.  Christine also does a great job of holding your hands through the process of sewing with chiffon. 

 

Both the knit and the chiffon are from JoAnn Fabrics.  You can read more about this pattern on the Heidi & Finn blog, along with more tester pictures.

Willow & Co. Fawn Lily Tunic by Rock the Stitch

I'm super excited to share with you my tester version of the Fawn Lily Tunic and Dress pattern, coming soon from the Willow and Company Spring Collection.  This pattern is designed by Rebecca Holmes of Rock the Stitch. 

I love everything about this pattern, the construction, the style, the various included options; it is just such a unique look that you can't find anywhere else.  And for a first pattern, Rebecca really knows her stuff.  Everything fits together so perfectly and explained so clearly.

The Wanderlust Collection's release date is April 22nd. 

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.

Another catch up post

I'm going to keep this post brief.  These are all tester pics spanning from fall to just before Christmas.  Above is  Peekaboo's Classic Jumper.  I loved this pattern but really should have made a size bigger.  S outgrew it within the month. 

This is B in Heidi & Finn's Slouchy Cardigan, size 3t.   The best cardi pattern there is, in my opinion.  Of course I had to make a matching one for S.

Here is Kikoi's Peter Pan Collar blouse.  I'm a big fan of their patterns.  Great fit, simple and classic styling.

This is Schwin Designs' Jude Jacket.  The wing embroidery is from Urban Threads.

The Desmond Jacket, also from Schwin.  I really do love the cut of this jacket.  The instructions for welt pockets are the best I've seen.

Ellie Inspired Urban Girl.  A classic, knit layered dress with lots of options.

 Here's another Kikoi Pattern, the Lily Ruffle Blouse.  I've had that fabric in my stash for maybe 10 years!

 And here's another reversible pinny by little kiwis closet and another chance to use my embroidery machine.

The Tilly Dress, also by Little Kiwi's Closet.  She grew out of this one fast!  Now it's in B's closet.

Goto Patterns' latest: the Belinda Dress, another fabulous pattern by the talented Andrea.

 

And one of my all time favorite patterns: the Gatsby Dress by Heidi & Finn.

 

Whew!  I think I might have missed a couple, but it's been a fun retrospective of the fall season and makes me realize how much I've accomplished! And a huge thank you to the talented designers for letting me test their wonderful patterns.

 

Some selfish sewing coming up, I promise!

 

 





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.  

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.