Sew Boxes – Seasons – Spring Reveal!

Sew Boxes Seasons subscribers around Australia and new Zealand have recently received their Spring Subscription Boxes! That means we can now reveal the top secret contents – or “What’s in the Box”?

But first let’s meet the Style Contributors! These ladies have spent a lot of time with Sew Boxes Owner and Creator Leesa, coming up with ideas for the Seasons subscription! I have loved meeting them all and creating new long distance friendships! We help search for the ideal patterns to fit the design brief and the season, we help each other with fit and to make and adjust toiles, make decisions on colour and prints, learn and share new sewing techniques and we’ve had a lot of fun along the way!

So here is the first reveal of the contributors Spring outfits!

So let me tell you about the Spring Box contents! Like the first Winter Seasons Box subscription, there are 3 PDF sewing patterns included to make the perfect outfit. There is also a collection of cool sewing gadgets, haby and notions to help you with this project and many more projects to come! I love the surprises when the box arrives!

The first pattern is the Marbella Dress by Itch to Stitch. We searched for a dress pattern suitable for spring, that could be dressed up for a day at the races or for a simple lunch with friends or family. It had to have options to fit and flatter many shapes and sizes, which was no mean feat! We all loved the Marbella, but knew with a second skirt option, it would knock the brief out of the park! So Leesa contacted Kennis from Itch to Stitch and she was excited to draft and add a second option to her pattern.

The original skirt is a tulip style skirt, but I chose the new half circle skirt for my outfit. I love this dress! It is definitely one I can dress up or down and will get lots of wear out of! I used a textured woven fabric I found at Lincraft one day wandering around in a 40% off sale. I love the yellow and I am proud of making myself something in a plain, rather than a print for once! I am a print addict, but I am trying to put together a handmade wardrobe with more versatile pieces.

I loooove that it has pockets, I am absolutely adding pockets to anything I make myself from here on in! I lined my dress bodice and left the skirt unlined. After talking to the other girls that made more than one dress, they said that the lined method was definitely the easiest, so that was a lucky guess (and a free tip for you)! I just folded my bodice lining under and attached it to the shell by stitching in the ditch of the waistline seam. It was a great pattern to make and fit. The bodice includes cup sizes A-D so no modification or fitting was needed for me other than to remove a small wedge at the top of the back bodice either side of the zipper.

Next up is the Lotus Blossom Shrug by Rabbit Rabbit Creations. I made the plain bound version of this, but you can also finish it with a ruffle around the neckline. I used a blue and white stripe ponte knit which could either have come from spotlight or lincraft… Don’t make me swear either way! It is super comfortable and such a fast sew! The ponte makes it quite warm and I have been wearing this cardi with many other outfits.

The third pattern is the brand new Roll With it Tote and was made on request by Lisa from Two Pretty Poppets! I have never made a handbag so I can’t tell you how proud I am of this project! I absolutely love this bag and the pattern is impeccable! If you are not a bag maker and are keen to give it a try, I can highly recommend Two Pretty Poppets! I made the smaller of the 2 sizes included in the pattern and used a poly/cotton print I bought from Lincraft. I also purchased pre made bias and made my piping to match.

Overall I was thrilled with how my outfit came together and am excited for the weather to warm up so I can wear it over and over again!

Thanks for stopping by!
Warmest wishes,

Brooke x

Idlesunshine

Welcome to Twig + Tale Blog Tour

So have you have seen the news? Our beloved Big Little Patterns has had a makeover! They are now known as Twig + Tale Patterns. I love the new name, it is a perfect representation of the beautiful whimsical designs Lisa creates.

To celebrate the new look we would all love you to join in the celebrations! Across the world, sewing bloggers are showing what the brand Twig + Tale means to them! With the generous support of Art Gallery Fabrics, we hope you love all our creations!

We love Twig + Tale patterns in our house, there’s something for everyone! I first came across the designs when I applied for my very first PDF pattern tester call for the Wild Thing Hooded Scarf for my littlest Miss! What an adventure that began for me from there! I was wanting to sew more for my children, and I knew testing patterns would give me the motivation I needed! I also recently tested the Pathfinder Vest for my middle boy! So it seemed fair that this next outfit was made for my eldest 🙂 Thank you Lisa for starting me on this journey!

We have hit Spring here in Australia and the weather has been beautiful, but Spring can be unpredictable and stormy too! The wind was blowing and my girl was so happy to be cosy in her Crossroads Vest!

This pattern is a free add-on variation to the Pathfinder Vest I showed you above (modelled by my boy)! If you already have the Pathfinder Vest pattern, you can subscribe to the Twig + Tale Newsletter here to download the additional instructions and pattern pieces for free.

It is a unisex pattern with many options, such as the round hood I have added, the pixie style hood, flutter sleeves and a pleated back option. You can also create a Wild Things Vest! My eldest is 8 (that’s basically an adult isn’t it?), and really liked the simple design we chose here. She likes classic design with a bit of interest, so the gorgeous tulip shape front was a hit.

I had THE HARDEST time choosing an Art Gallery Fabric to match in with the other fabrics I already had planned. Have you ever lost an evening, or maybe a whole day drooling over the collections on their website? I was up till the wee hours of the morning making that difficult decision, but I think it was worth the lack of sleep to see this combination come together!

This fabric I chose for the lining is the stunning Wild Posy Luminous, from the Forest Floor collection by Bonnie Christine! These fabrics not only have the most beautiful prints, they feel like silk to touch. AGF quilting cottons aren’t like regular quilting cottons. They are lighter and smoother and are beautiful to use for clothing.

But the best news is that by using snaps on the Crossroads Vest, it makes it completely reversible! Two outfits in one, just like that!!

The outer fabric for the vest was given to me by my Mother In Law. She cleaned out her sewing supplies earlier this year and gave me most of her fabrics, which she had collected over time. Who knows where this gorgeous wool came from or how old it is, she doesn’t remember exactly, only that she most likely had plans to make it into a coat for herself…

I’m so glad I got to make that happen for her granddaughter, it is so very pretty!

I whipped up a cute knotted headband (I didn’t use a pattern but I’ll get back to you soon with a tutorial). I accidentally made the headband large enough and with elastic at the back, so that it fits me too! Look, I didn’t mean to make it for me, but it’s so damn cute, I’m totally claiming it as mine now haha!

I love the mix of old and new. Most of my projects have a hint of vintage to them or upcycling! I love that Twig + Tale shares the same ethos! Did you know that the average Australian buys around 27 kilograms of new textiles each year and then discards 23 kilograms into landfill? I’m sure the statistics are similar in most parts of the world, but this is a big reason why I love shopping in charity stores and upcycling. It’s another reason why I love Twig + Tale patterns, they have lovely fabric recycling guides included in their patterns, to show you ideas to reuse garments and up cycle blankets etc.

Why would you let fabrics like these go to waste when they can become new works of art?

The burgundy corduroy fabric came from my op shop travels (or thrift store adventures, depending on where in the world you come from). I am in love with this outfit all together!

These Pixie shorts are so adorable! I love them with long socks or winter tights, but my girl will wear them though the warmer weather with sandals as well! I plan on making some chambray ones for summer too!

I made her a basic white long sleeved shirt to wear under her Twig + Tale ensemble, all fabrics again sourced from a local op-shop/thrift store!

This girl is quite the performer and enjoyed a little song and dance as we took these pictures! She was laughing and enjoying twirling about in the wind!

Twig & Tale is a place where imagination runs wild and is for everyone who shares a love of creativity and an adventurous spirit—beginner sewers especially! It’s a celebration of the innocence of childhood and the wonder of nature. It’s about comfy clothes and warm things like hugs and capes and coats. It’s about handmade, love, and imaginary play—featuring classic, simple patterns that inspire us all to tell a story.

Thank you so much for stopping by my entry for the Twig + Tale Welcome Blog Tour!

Here’s the exciting part – DISCOUNTS AND GIVEAWAYS!!!

Twig + Tale is giving you 20% off the Wild Things range of patterns to get your Halloween sewing on track (or maybe just because they are super cute and you need no convincing or excuse to neeeeeeed them 😉 )! No code is needed, you will see the marked down prices on the patterns, and you have until Midnight Friday PST to grab the discount.

Thanks to Art Gallery Fabrics and Twig + Tale, you also have the opportunity to win this great prize!

What would a Blog Tour be without a giveaway!

Art Gallery Fabrics is kindly sponsoring 2 yards of Art Gallery fabric of your choice. To make the prize extra sweet, we are also adding a collection of 5 Twig + Tale patterns of your choice.

International entries are very welcome. Our bloggers come from every corner of the world to celebrate the global nature of Twig +Tale too.

Enter using the rafflecopter below.

(The winning entry will be checked to ensure all criteria are met).

**********a Rafflecopter giveaway**********

****************************************

 Blog tour overview page

Monday: Falafel and the Bee – Handmade Boy – Sew A Little Seam – Sew Shelly Sew

Tuesday: Naeh-connection – Khadetjes – Paisley Roots – Vera Luna – Inspinration

Wednesday: Skirt Fixation – Mend and Make New – Idle Sunshine – NZ Green buttons – Candice Ayala

Thursday: Vaahtokarkkimonsteri – Lulu & Celeste – Sprouting Jube Jube

– Life in our busy household – Elephant Dimples

Friday: Pattern Revolution – Milk Monster Momma – Small Steps Big Noises – Fliegfederfrei

Saturday: – Made by Sara – So Popo Sew – Big Little Tales – Needle and Ted

Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour

I am so excited to be first up on the very first Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour!

We are excited to showcase the summer patterns & also offer you a special discount code and a giveaway!!

Welcome to sunny Australia in Spring! In the interests of full disclosure, the whole of our beautiful country doesn’t look exactly like this, but the part I come from certainly does! I happen to be on holidays at the moment enjoying the gorgeous Port Macquarie area in NSW, which is right near where I lived as a child and where my parents grew up.

Litore & Solis by Sofilantjes

My family have had an awesome few days away to celebrate my husband’s birthday and declared it even better than our big holiday to Fiji! Sheesh… I wish we’d known sooner that we could have saved all those $$$$$ on airfares, accommodation and passports haha! Why do we take overseas holidays when we have all this at home though? They could be on to something…

I have been admiring the sweet Sofilantjes Dutch designs, for some time. The brand really hit my radar when I saw the Solis Tunic & Dress release. I bought the Solis straight away, but I had been waiting for warmer weather to sew it up. As you can see here, the warmer weather has well and truly hit! My other choice for the tour is the Litore Tunic & Dress and I think they look awesome together – without being too matchy matchy, which we all know would not be “cool” at all!

We are pretty lucky in Australia to have the beautiful weather and landscapes that we have! The trip we took for my husband’s birthday was a last minute decision, so these dresses of course came with us. They are easy to pack and don’t need ironing as they are made from lovely comfortable, wrinkle-free knit (YAY)! The stripe I used is a ponte, lined with plain white cotton lycra, the skirts are silky, poly lycra florals and I think the green is an ITY (don’t hold me to it, I picked up a huge bundle of it from a charity shop for a few dollars, so it had no label).

Each dress pattern has several skirt options. The Solis has a pleated skirt & circle skirt as well as tunic length options. The Litore has a high/low circle skirt, handkerchief and an A-line maxi. All the skirts are interchangeable between the two patterns which make them great companion patterns. I decided to use the straight circle skirt from the Solis for both dresses, for a cohesive look.

Solis & Litore by Sofilantjes

I found these pattern’s fit together perfectly and the instructions very clear. I am absolutely loving sewing knits at the moment and I don’t know why it took me so long to become a convert. I also love the opportunity these dress patterns give you to pair together different fabric combinations. I think this stripe and floral combo looks awesome and so did my girls! I love that they coordinate so well without being an exact match. I can actually see these being worn for Christmas. They epitomise the kind of Aussie Christmas we enjoy – relaxed and comfortable with a bit of style!

Inseam skirt pockets

I love that the skirt has pockets, I can’t believe I didn’t ask the girls to put their hands in them for a picture, I guess they were too busy clowning around for me to remember!

You see, I have this one girl who is an absolute professional, doesn’t need any instructions… So sensible, mature beyond her years…

Then I have this other gremlin, who we will call a free spirit! I’ll just include this angelic, full of life picture, not the ones where she wants to climb and balance on the edge of everything, scaring the life out of me! We were all dressed ready for dinner, so I wasn’t in the mood to jump in the river to fish her out haha!

But this is her all over – her poor big sister is saying “Whoah, hold on!”, while she is just going for it! Nothing stops this girl haha! She can do anything (even with her eyes shut lol)!!

Please don’t fall in kiddo! The sensible sister always has a hold of her wild little sibling!

I know my pictures all seem to be of their backs, but with these patterns it’s all about the funky back features!! The Litore has these gorgeous double cross straps. I added regular elastic to the straps to help them retain their recovery and not get overly stretched out. The pattern suggests clear elastic, but I didn’t have any in my stash and regular braided elastic works perfectly.

The straps connect to the front with the shoulder tabs (shown in my version in the floral fabric). I like the simple front shape with good coverage.

The Solis has this funky t-bar back design. This works really well on my narrow framed 8 year old. As I said – I am a sucker for a cool back design ❤

The front is again a smooth and simple shape design, with great comfortable coverage.

I actually made both dresses in a size 4 width with 6 length as per the pattern and their measurements. Both my girls are a similar size (at age 8 and 5 – ridiculous I know 😉 so they can swap and wear either dress as they feel like it! The patterns both include sizes 12m – 14 years, so you have a great range to work with!

Follow along on the Sofilantjes tour and catch the other bloggers from Down Under! You might be from our hemisphere, excited to see a tour that relates to our season.

Maybe you are from another part of the world and are excited to see how we interpret the Sofilantjes brand and what our part of the world looks like?

Later this week you will see posts from other Australian and New Zealand bloggers. Make sure you follow along for more chances to win!

Monday Idle sunshine

Tuesday Horris And Deedle

Wednesday Little Cumquat, Bartacks and Singletrack

Thursday Tea, Dust and Stitches, Brave Fabrics

Friday While she was sleeping, Mend and Make New

Thanks for visiting and let me know where you are from, and whether you have heard of Sofilantjes before. If you have sewn any of their patterns, which are your favourites?!

So here’s the exciting part for you guys! I have a giveaway for you and a discount code!

Enter below to win a copy of the sweet Litore Tunic & Dress Pattern

**********a Rafflecopter giveaway**********

**************************************

Sofilantjes is also offering you 15% off for all of their summer patterns (including the Domis and Semper). They have bundles including the Aura.

The code to use is DOWNUNDER. This discount expires on October 16th & is valid on summer patterns only.

Warmest wishes,

Brooke x

Idlesunshine