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.

Pattern Anthology's W Pants

Have you seen Pattern Anthology's new fall collection?  It's called the Alphabet Collection and has some pretty cool mix and match separates.  I was lucky enough to test the W pants, designed by Melissa Mora of Blank Slates Patterns and Melly Sews.

I was asked to make the size 5 shorts option.  Unfortunately, they ended up being too big on S, but we have a neighbor that was able to fit into them.

That's a working zipped fly there.  My first.  It takes a little bit of effort, but Melissa explains it pretty well. 

And this is the reason these pants are called the W pants.  The pattern has options for 1 or 2 zip pockets, or welt pockets in the back.

 I love these shorts.  I'm planning on making a pair of the pants for S pretty soon.   

The Alphabet Collection is only available for the next couple of weeks at a discounted price and includes all four pieces.     Besides the W pants, the collection includes a jacket, a raglan tee, and a vest. 

And thanks to our sweet, goofy, neighbor girl for modeling.

Summer KCW: Origami Skirt and Nelle Dress

The last day of  the first ever summer KCW snuck up on me.  There's big changes with this season's KCW, a new interactive website, which I tried out for the first time today, and 2 additional seasonal challenges.  I'm not really sure if the old Elsie Marley flickr pool is still in use or not, but I kinda miss the blog links on people's projects.  Hopefully this feature will be added with the next challeng.

So anyway, I was pretty busy with a couple of selfish sewing projects, but I did manage to complete 2 items for S.  First up is the Origami Skirt by a new designer, Rabbit Rabbit Creations.

 

I absolutely love this skirt, so much so that I made the adult version for myself, in exactly the same fabric and everything, but more on that later.   It's a pretty simple A-line skirt with a flat front and elasticized back.  The peek-a-boo pleats just off center, though, is what makes this skirt truly unique.

 

So onto my next project: the Nelle Dress by Brownie-Goose.  This was my first Brownie-Goose pattern, and let me tell you, it will not be my last.  I loved the simplicity of this little dress. 

 

So that's it for Summer 2013 KCW!  Now to explore the website some more and see what other people have posted.

Some Midnight Sewing and Go To Carousel Shirt

Most of my sewing happens after 8pm at night, when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet.  I love those hours to myself, and they often last after midnight so that I can complete a project and leave it on the stairwell next to the girls' room for them to find the next morning.  It's a nice surprise for them to discover something new.  

Sometimes though, the late hours result in silly mistakes that I don't discover till the next day.  Take the shirts pictured above.  The pattern is the Go To Carousel Shirt, part of the Pattern Anthology bundle that was released in the spring.  When I went to try on the shirts on the girls the next morning, I noticed that S's shirt seemed to be almost the same size as B's.  I chalked it up as the fault of the pattern because, in my experience, a lot of patterns seem to run short on the torso.  But as the day wore on, it became more puzzling to me that a size 5 would look exactly the same as the size 3.  I was pretty sure that I had cut the right sizes and not the same size twice.  Then I checked both shirts against the pattern just to make sure and they seemed fine.  As I mulled over the situation, it occurred to me that I must have sewn the size 5 front onto the size 3 back and vise-versa, and this was the reason why both shirts seemed to be the same size. 

So because S's shirt is so short, I decided to make a peplum that didn't turn out so well.  I might have to cut it off and start over with a new peplum, or she might have to tuck her shirt in.  I do love these little shirts though, especially the high neck and the gathers, and the keyhole in the back is a really cute detail. 

The shorts are from a Ruby Jeans Closet on Etsy called the Simply Sweet Shorts.  It's a really simple basic pair of shorts that have an optional ruffle and a couple of buttons. 

 

KCW  is coming up next week and both girls will be in dance camp everyday.  So excited to get some sewing time in the daylight hours.

Figgy's Scirrocco Dress

I've had this dress cut out for at least 2 months now and finally got around to sewing it up yesterday.  This is Figgy's Scirocco Dress made in rayon challis.  If you've never had the chance to work with challis before, it has a dreamy silky hand and a lovely, light weight.  More solid and resilient than silk,  this really is the perfect fabric for all those layers of flounces on the skirt. 

When this pattern first came on the scene, I was hesitant about the cutout on the back.  Remember my rant on modesty?  I even contemplated somehow covering up that little triangle of exposed skin.

 

 

But because I couldn't really come up with a decision, I decided to make the dress as-is and worry about it later.  Turns out, I really love that cut-out.  The twist on the back is a unique and lovely feature of this dress and that little triangle shows it off perfectly.   

S is looking like a big girl with her new haircut.  We are working on her angry, bored child-model expressions.  I hope to get her on this pinterest board someday.  Go check it out for a good laugh.