Fun Wardrobe Basics For My Sweet Little Valentines

I've been making the girls a lot of wardrobe basics like undies and socks...JubeJube asked me for some undershirts to keep her tummy warm she said. I looked in my pattern stash and saw that I had the Classic Camisole and Panties from Peek-a-Boo patterns (affiliate) so I decided to make some, for Valentine's Day.

And well since I was making the cami I thought I should make the matching set.

Each with their own special little details. The floral print fabric is a wonderful soft cotton knit by Riley Blake "Vintage Market", supplied to me by Threads and Stitches on Etsy. The solid knits are from my stash.

And how about that sweet heart appliqué, its one of those iron ons, and Amelia loved it!

Both Amelia and JubeJube so pleased to get such cozy Valentines.

Until next time, xx.

*This blog contains affiliate links meaning I make a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase through it at no extra cost to you.

For the Love of Dresses and Tunics

I'm so excited to be sewing for me again, AND another keeper I might add! Its the last day of the For the Love of Dresses and Tunics Tour featuring the PDF patterns of Love Notions. I get to show you the Pemberly Tunic I've made myself....and at the end of this post you get to enter a giveaway to win 5 patterns and a $50.00 gift card from Girl Charlee Fabrics! 

When I put this one together I was thinking date night out but this top is so comfortable that I can see it as a date night in. Pair it with leggings and get me some pop corn and I'm ready for movie watching all cuddled up on the couch.  

I made the 3/4 length sleeve and added the button tabs. I love that the bodice pattern pieces have two different sizes, regular bust and a fuller bust. Also included in the tutorial are details on how to adjust the front bodice pattern pieces to fit the way you need them to fit.

Pemberly is designed for woven fabrics, I went with a rayon spandex blend. 

I will need to make more of these, they're quick enough to make and I'll be able make a short sleeve version!

I was offered this pattern for free for the purpose of the tour, but all opinions are my own! 

This is the last day of the tour, so go back and see what you've missed! Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Also...enjoy 10% off  ladies patterns with the code "LADIESLOVE" in the Love Notions pattern shop!

Feb. 8th Pear Berry Lane,  Rebel and Malice,  Craft Blizzard

Feb. 9th Friends Stitched Together,  Bunch o Berries,  HattieLu Handmade

Feb. 10th Beri Bee Designs,  The Wholesome Mama,  Handcrafted by RED

Feb. 11th Phat Quarters Blog,  Sew Sophie Lynn,  Sew Starly

Feb. 12th Boutique Birdie,  Pen Seb & Rox,  Creative Counselor

Feb. 13th All Things Katy!,  Sprouting JubeJube,  Lulu and Celeste

Until next time, xx.

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MinShan Fabric Blog Tour.

I'm starting off by saying a huge thank you to the ladies over at Phat Quarters for invinting me on this tour to show off this beautiful fabric line by Lewis & Irene! Fabrics were supplied to me by Phat Quaters, but all ideas and opinions about the fabric line are my own!

Its so hard not to be inspired by an Asian theme when you take a look at this fabric line. This is the dress I felt most fit the ideas I had for Lanterns and Pink Lotus.

The pattern is Brooklyn by Sew Sweet Patterns. I felt it looked like a pretty little Kimono. Amelia was quite pleased with her dress and was overjoyed to see the mess of lanterns.

The fabric itself is beautiful and you can feel the quality, even after washing. No fadding and the colors are just sublime, just a bit of shrinking due to the fact that it is a 100% cotton fabric.

Lewis & Irene are donating part of the proceeds from this fabric line to Act for Wildlife, led by Chester Zoo in the UK to help protect Giant Pandas & Red Pandas in their natural habitat. For more information about this group click here!

You'll want to check out what other pretties can be found in the Phat Quarter Etsy shop!

Until next time, xx.

Boho Challenge with Jilly Atlanta's Charlotte

Amelia told me she wanted a shirt, she chose the fabric and sleeve length and I got to choose the pattern. As luck would have it, Jill set up another challenge in her pattern group on facebook, Jilly Atlanta Pattern Group. Make the pattern you want from my shop, make it pretty and make it Boho. And I think, I know that's what I did.

I decided on the new Charlotte pattern with short sleeves, as per Miss Amelia's request.

The embelishment at the front is the show stopper on this blouse. I love the frayed look so I didn't even use a rolled hem on the rows of gathers.


A little bit of cute silliness here...

Now back to this sweet pattern...
Back button closure, different sleeve lengths, dress and blouse lengths and sizes ranging from 2t to 8 years is what you'll get with this pattern, along with step-by-step photos included in the tutorial.

I love how it turned out and I'm so ready to make another for JubeJube seeing that she has now made a request of her own.

Until next time, xx.

Nivalis Tunic by Sofilantjes

I haven't been testing very much in the past year, but once in a while I like to change up my routine. AND besides when a pattern comes around that I just can't wait to try my hand at how can I not want to test it!

This is Nivalis, the newest dress/tunic pattern by Sofilantjes*. Its just been released so you can now get it in their shop, and if you act now you can also get it at a special introductory price of only $5.00 for a very limited time (offer ends February 10th, 2016)

I'm just so in love with the style of this collar. There's also a hooded option and a binding option for a more common neckline available with this pattern. Different sleeve lengths have also been added as options along with tunic and dress lengths.

The fabric I used is a cotton double knit that was originally from my aunt's stash and the buttons were from my stash. Its like the fabric jumped out at me and told me that it was time to get sewn up and I heard the squeal of those perfect little buttons that wanted to join in on the fun!

Some fun details about this pattern:

• Sizes range from 12 months to 14 years.
• Trimless pages, no more wasting time trimming those pages to tape together.
• Layered printing so you print only the sizes you want and need.
• Available in Dutch and English
• Step-by-step drawings and photos included in the tutorial
• Detailed fabric requirement chart in both imperial and metric.
• Measurement charts to ensure the best fit for each body type.

This pattern has also been designed to be easily mashed up with Hibernis, another pattern by Sofilantjes, just imagine what combinations can be made with those two patterns!

I love that JubeJube decided on outdoor photos and enjoyed the magical moment of the light snowfall. 

Until next time, xx.

*This blog contains affiliate links meaning I make a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase through it at no extra cost to you.

Sew Yourself Some Love 2016

Its no secret, I don't often sew for myself...but for this month I'm trying to do a little more for me. Its not selfish at all. Over the past years my body type has changed...a lot. I used to sew paper patterns for myself, always the same size with the same adjustments no surprises. With PDF patterns and my body type changing I felt it was harder to get a good fit so now that I've seemed to hit these two PDF's out of the park this is actually making me feel really good and embrace my curves.

The first patterns that I sewed up for this post are both from Jocole, the Shoreline Knit Tank and the Basic Briefs. Everyone deserves to have undies that fit, properly! I can't imagine I was still wearing my maternity undies up until now...yes I have a whole new stack of bottoms that I made from fabric that I've been hoarding for what seems to be forever!

I used fold over elastic to trim out the bottoms and the neckline and straps on the cami. For the hem I made a rolled hem with my serger. The fabric is from my stash, a netting that I've had since 2003 (the bill was folded up in the fabric).

Both patterns have a great size range (XS-XXXL), and the bottoms have so many variations...high wiast, hipster, brief, bikini, boyshorts...along with helpful hints on sewing up stretch fabrics. These two patterns are a good place to start to "sew yourself some love". Being comfy in your undies is key to making the rest of your clothing feel great.

So here's one more for you, the Slim Fit Raglan by Patterns for Pirates. Seriously, why have I not made this one for myself before!

Yes, that's me with an actual smile (see comfy undies that fit make for a happy lady!) BUT I'm also loving this top on me and its so comfortable, and I feel like I can leave the house with this on and not look like, ummmm I just got out of bed. 

We all need basics in our wardrobe and if you're looking around for a pattern to fill that need for a basic raglan tee, go with this one. Why...it has so many options included, different sleeve lengths, variations on the bottom hem and different lengths, even tunic length. Sizes range from XXS to XXXL. Features like no trim pages and layering to print only the sizes you want are including in this pattern. 

Sewing up these patterns has really been a way to do something to help me feel great about myself and like the way I look. When you feel great it shows in everything you do, and how you project yourself.

Go on, go sew yourself some love, ya know you want to!

Join us through the whole blog tour and don't miss a day!!!

Feb 1     Sew Thrifty

Feb 2     Feather's Flights

Feb 3     The Wholesome Mama

Feb 4     Sprouting JubeJube        

             Sugarplum Cuties

Feb 5     Shaffer Sisters

Feb 8     Mabey She Made It

Feb 9     Rebel and Malice

Feb 10   If Only They Would Nap

Feb 11   Sugarplum Cuties

Feb 12   Hibbadoray

Feb 15   Bee Quilted Beauties       

             Mabel Madison

Feb 16   Sew Starly

Feb 17   All Things Katy            

             Handmade Boy

Feb 18   Friends Stitched Together

             Lady And The Gents

Feb 19   Sew Happily Ever After

             Sew Like My Mom

Until next time, xx.

Fun Wardrobe Basics: Socks

You know when you go shopping at one of those high-end stores and they whole fun outfit including the matching socks is out on display and it makes you want to buy the whole kit and caboodle. Yup, that's me. I've always wanted to add the matching socks to outfits I've made the girls and insted settle for plain neutral that wont stick out like a sore thumb.

I've found the answer thanks to The Wolf and the Tree patterns. Well no, actually Saskia has found the answer for me by creating a sock pattern! This is the Abby Trailblazing sock pattern and can be found in their Etsy shop.

I have to admit that I was just a bit worried that the girls would complain of discomfort with the seam, but no, not at all. Infact when JubeJube put on the first pair she exclaimed how comfortable they were and wanted to wear them to school.

I made the knee high option and for the first pair I used cuff method and sewed them up using only my regular sewing machine to see how that would work out. The sock itself is a rayon blend and the cuff is a cotton lycra blend. Love the results and love that with Saskia's instructions are so clear on how to create these socks with just a plain machine.

I figured that if I'm going to try this pattern our properly I should also use the fold over hem option with the elastic.

I also decided to use my serger for these, just to see how that would work out...I may never buy another pair of cute socks again, I'll be able to make them without wondering if the pattern will work out.

Sizing is also very easy to figure out...measure your child's inseam and foot length and done! The chart is very clear. AND the layering feature is available on this pattern too so you only print the sizes you need and want. The size range on this pattern is from 0 to 14 (a total of 17 sizes!). Along with the knee high socks you also get the higher over the knee sock option, bobby and crew sock length, baby legs and leg warmers. If you don't want to be printing out all those style there's a fun little printing guide to only print out the styles you want to sew up.

By the way, The Wolf and the Tree just released the Going Rogue Sock pattern, adult sizes! I may just have to make some for ME now!

Just so you know, I did get this pattern for free for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are my own!

Until next time, xx