Stuff I've Been Making

 

Look, I've been busy making stuff!  These pictures are actually from last summer, spanning from late June till early September.  So without further ado.... 



 It's really rare that I make matching outfits, but this skirt by Ellie Inspired really called for a matching top.  The skirt, by the way, has built-in shorts, and it's seriously something that S wears every chance she gets.  The top was modified from Heidi & Finn's Summer Maxi Dress.  I added the butterfly applique to tie it in with the butterflies on the skirt, and used the orange plaid fabric for the bias binding on the bodice.

This one is a Blank Slate Pattern, the Sweet Pea Pajamas.  The fabric is a vintage Daisy Kingdom fabric that I got in a fabric swap. 

Another Ellie Inspired Pattern, this is the Primary Pinafore and Blouse.

 Shwin Design's Glass Onion Top is one of my favorite patterns.  Check out the back view!

 This crazy girl is modeling the Dandelion & Dungarees' Perfect Princess Peplum.  There's a women's version too that I'm dying to make.   

 Another PJ pattern, this one is Heidi & Finn's All You Need Jammies.  B wears this set every time it is not in the wash.  Made in knit, it is super-comfy and oh so cute!

And finally, Rabbit Rabbit Creations' Sweet Pea Dress.  I've had this pattern for a while now and finally had a chance to make it.  The pattern has just been re-worked and updated.

More next time!

8 Days A Week: A Pattern Anthology Collection for Women!

Ok, I had to end that title with an exclamation mark.  Since becoming a stay at home mom, I've had to re-think my wardrobe choices.  My everyday style lately is yoga/ workout pants, and some sort of knit shirt with a zipped up hoodie pulled on top for warmth.  Even wearing jeans feels like "dressing up" nowadays.

So when the Pattern Anthology designers began testing their latest collection for women, I was super-excited to be part of the testing team.  Their are 4 patterns in this collection: The Go To Knit Pants, The McCartney Jacket, The Marigold Dress/ Peplum Top, and the Neptune Tee.  Potentially, you can mix and match the pieces to get a complete wardrobe.

First up is the Go To Knit Pants.  The velour that I used for these pants were seriously a PIA to sew with; the fabric was slippery, thick, and super-stretchy.  Nonetheless, I persevered in spite of a lot of seam ripping and cursing, and the result is a comfy, soft, and cozy pair of lounge pants that is in high rotation.

This is the Marigold in the peplum view.  I love the details of this dress/top: the gathers at the shoulders, the stand-up collar, the A-line shape of the peplum, all combine to make a feminine and classic silhouette. 

And here is the McCartney Jacket.  I love how this jacket turned out.  I thought about making it in the solid blue, but then decided at the last minute to use this scrap of lace that I had left over from a previous project. I love the tone on tone and the texture the lace ads to the Jacket.

 

And finally, the Neptune Tee is a basic tee with cute triangle cut-out options for the sleeves and the neckline.  I made mine from this rainbow on black knit.  I opted for the triangles on the front neckline and the sleeves.  This is a great tee to dress up or down for every occasion. 

 

All these patterns come with loads of options, and for the next couple of weeks, are available at a huge discount as a bundle.  Check out the Pattern Anthology website to see all the options.

 

Make (Believe) Collection by Pattern Anthology



The gals of Pattern Anthology have done it again!  They've put together a truly cohesive collection with all the details and style that we've come to expect from them.  The collection comes with 4 patterns: the Bookworm Button-Up, the Adventure Tee, The Imagine Jacket, and the Explorer Hoodie.  This time around, there are a few different packages to chose from: but basically you can get the patterns for under $5.00 per pattern.  That's a steal in my opinion.  There's also an e-book of activities for children included in a few of the packages.  I've looked over the e-book and am so excited to get started on these activities.  Now that summer is here, my girls and I have a lot of time on our hands and its nice to be able to reach for a structured activity.  You can read more about the different packages  and the e-book here.

 

I was one of the lucky testers chosen to test all four of the new patterns.  If you've never tried a placket, or sewn a collar with a collar stand, or installed a zipper, these patterns are just the perfect place to start. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bookworm Button-Up includes boy and girl versions with 3 back options, 3 sleeve options, and 3 pocket options.  This is the girly version with bow sleeves and pockets, and a pleated back. 

 

 

My version of the Adventure Tee has rolled-up sleeves with button tabs and a hi-low hem.

 

I made 2 Imagine Jackets, one for each girl.  For S's, I used a super-soft brushed cotton and for B, a purple velour.  Both jackets have ruched sleeves and shoulder patches.  I love how different the jackets look with the different fabrics.  The jacket also comes with regular sleeves and a color-blocked shoulder option.

 

  And finally, the Explorer Hoodie is a comfy, loose-fitting top perfect for cooler months.  It has two zipper options: angled and straight.  I made mine in an organic sweatshirt fleece.

 

The Make (Believe) Collection is available for only 2 weeks, so get it while you can! 

 

(image from Pattern Anthology)

 

 

shwin designs spring patterns

It occurred to me that I never did post about the Shwin Designs' Spring Collection, some of which I tested.

The Georgia Twirl Tunic/Dress is one of my favorites in this collection.  The front is a simple sleeveless boatneck with a double circle skirt that can be made shorter for a tunic length or longer for a dress length.  I chose to make the tunic length to wear with leggings or skinny jeans. 

The back has a V-neck with button closures, the skirt can be left opened, which I opted for, or sewn together if you are making the dress version.  There is also an option for color-blocking the front.  It's a fun dress to play with mixing patterns and colors.

All the fabrics were bought from LimaSews Etsy Shop. 

 

Shwin Designs' Anna Top and Lucy Tunic

Shauna of Shwin & Shwin just came out with 2 cute patterns in women's sizes.  This first one is the Anna Top/ Dress.  I made mine a top just because tops are way more practical and has the most chance of being worn.  I found this cute blue floral fabric in the red tag area of JoAnn's.  I think it's cotton lawn and there's probably a little bit of synthetic fibers in there.  It's soft and light and just lovely for a summer top.  The top portion is chiffon, leftover fabric from a dance costume.

The pattern calls for folding the bias tape to the inside so that it is hidden; I changed it up a little by letting it show.  I just love this top, it's cool and breezy for summer, and the shape is simple and classic.  I might have to make a million more.

This next one is the Lucy Top.  Another classic, but modern style, it can be made totally reversible.  The underside of this top is a lovely blue voile from free spirit.  I haven't worn the reverse side because it ended up looking too much like scrubs, haha.  But anyway, the fabric shown is birch organic quilting cotton from Lima Sews.  These pictures were taken after a full day of the top being worn.  I look like a rumpled mess.  I had a little trouble with the button-holes and they ended up being too big for the buttons.  Next time I will try adding a little bit of interfacing to the wrong side to make sure the fabric doesn't stretch.

Here I am with Queen Elsa!

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!

 

 





Lovely RIta's and Endless Dress

 

 

Remember my last post in which I was debating between leggings and Peekaboo's Skinny Jeans?  Well, I decided to go somewhere in between in terms of complexity.  These are the Lovely Rita's by Shwin Designs

 

 

 

They were super duper easy though and took a couple of hours at most.  I love that they have just enough details to make them look polished and unique and still be an easy sew.

 



On reflection though, I probably should have done the topstitching in a contrasting color.  The pockets got a little lost in the print.

One more project to share: this is the Endless Dress by Jocole.  This is a pattern test for a new-to- me designer.  The pattern includes a bunch of options but you can also purchase an add-on that includes a pattern piece for a placket as well as instructions for a pieced chevron bodice, applique embellishment, and freezer paper stencil.  Seriously, the options are "endless."

Poor S had to model outside in almost blizzard conditions that day, thus the expression on her face.  I have some selfish sewing projects to share in a future post, but did you know it is almost time for another KCW?