Simple Life Pattern Company Holiday Blog Tour 2019

Welcome to the Simple Life Pattern Company Holiday Blog Tour! This is my third time on the tour and I feel so honoured to be asked each year. Stick around because we have giveaways all week long as well as a discount code to give you 40% off all SLPCo patterns!

When the invitation comes, I always seem to be on holidays #sorrynotsorry! We love travelling in our caravan. This year we were travelling 8,500km around central Australia to see Uluru which was amazing. The service out there was worse than I imagined which made choosing fabric & patterns difficult, so I had to wait until I got home to get started.

We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia and Christmas is in the heat of our summer, so my pattern choices may be a little different to my Northern Hemmisphere friends. I think that adds to the fun and you get to see many interpretations of the holidays!

Christmas is very relaxed in Australia, so we dress for comfort. Being Summer, I chose Maggie’s High Waisted Shorts and the Autumn Knit Shift Top to wear underneath. Both patterns have many options included.

I chose the low waistband option on the shorts and left off the pockets as I thought the checked fabric I had chosen might get a little busy. I chose a simple hem, because I knew my girls would like that, but there is also an elastic bubble hem or cuffs.

I made the simple unlined Autumn top, which is a great staple t-shirt pattern. I made it using a rayon spandex which has great drape. As you can see though, the Autumn can go from simple to WOW with inserted ruffles and can also be made in a dress length, sleeveless and with long sleeves.

The only change I made to the pattern was to use 38mm (1.5 inch) elastic in the back waistband instead of narrow elastic, as I thought I would prefer that look.

We are counting down the weeks till Christmas here! It’s our favourite time of year. We spend a few weeks at the beach in our caravan and even wake up Christmas morning there. 

The summer heat has come early and we are in the middle of a catastrophic bushfire event. Pics were tricky to get in this weather, so we had to settle for full sun (which I hate for taking pics). We were on our way to a party and the girls decided to keep their outfits on instead of getting changed which was cute!

I can see my girls wearing these outfits and both pieces seperately quite a few times over the next few months.

I made them a matching headband each because I love a put together outfit! They look sooo cute. Maybe in your part of the world you could make a long sleeved Autumn shirt and team your outfit with thick stockings and boots?

Keep your eye out in the Simple Life Pattern Fan Group on Facebook for these great giveaways all week long!

To see all the beautiful makes from our team of amazing bloggers, click through the links below.

11/11 Boo + Lu — Idle Sunshine

11/12 Kutti Couture — Pear Berry Lane

11/13 Candice Ayala.com — It’s Liesel

11/14 Kainara Stitches — SewSophieLynn

11/15 Sunflower Seams — Sew and Tell Project

If you’d like to recreate one of our looks be sure to grab your patterns while they are on sale for 40% off!!! This is not a typo lol!

Use the code: slpcorocks

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers.

One Thimble Is Back!

Issue 21 – Spring 2019

Our favourite sewing e-zine is back from a little hiatus! The buzz has been so positive and it’s been lovely to see everyone was as excited as I was about its return. I am thrilled to have brought together some of my blogging friends to share their favourite patterns from the new Issue! It’s the first time I have coordinated the One Thimble Blog Tour and we are excited to share everything we have made.

One Thimble is back with a new format and a broader appeal. A new more affordable version with so many great features. The new patterns list has changed from 10 for a sale price of $25, to 4 new patterns & 4 hacks for the new low price of $12. It’s great value and also gives confidence to sewists out there that are not quite sure about tweaking the fabulous patterns they already own.

New patterns included in Issue 21

#131 Drop Crotch Trackpants by Thread Faction (2-14)

Cinnamon Tote by Salt & Pepper Patterns

Camden Dress by Jilly Atlanta (2-14)

Elliot Romper by Tadah Patterns (0000-4)

Pattern Hacks based on existing

One Thimble patterns

Miss Olivia Dress Dolman sleeve and knee length hem hack

Piccolo beach mat with new carrier added

Archie shirt pocket hack

Monster Mash Pinny hacked to childs apron

I was excited to be asked to be a stylist for this issue, showing my take on some of the patterns and talking about how I approach sewing as a busy Mum. I made my girls the new Camden dress by Jilly Atlanta, myself the Miss Olivia by 1 Puddle Lane and the new Cinnamon Tote by Peppa n Salt Patterns!

The Miss Olivia was originally in Issue 16 of One Thimble, but it features in the current issue as a dolman sleeve and knee-length hem hack. I love a good pattern hack and am a big fan of flying by the seat of my pants (let’s call it a mix of experience, mathematics and no fear), but it was nice to follow instructions to get the perfect result.

So next on my list I think I will make the #131 Drop Crotch Trackpants by Thread Faction and the Archie Shirt by Ainslee Fox with the pocket hack… What’s on your list?

For your chance to win a copy of the new One Thimble Issue 21 – Spring 2019 please enter the rafflecopter prize draw here – Open until 12am Friday September 6th AEST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We have some amazing bloggers joining in to share their makes this week. We were excited to celebrate the release and relaunch of One Thimble. Be sure to check each one out on the tour and show them some love.

August 30

Idle Sunshine

Rebel & Malice

Marvelous Auntie M

August 31

Sprouting JubeJube

{Spools+Oodles} of Fun

September 1

Needles to Say

September 2

Max California

Lily Shine Creates

September 3

Candice Ayala

Stitched by Jennie

September 4

GAAFMachine

September 5

Beri Bee Designs

Idle Sunshine Tour Wrap Up!

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers.

Fabric From Utopia in the Week From Hell

This picture really sums up our week! I received a package of really beautiful fabrics from Utopian Threads to create to my hearts content, and then a few things didn’t quite go to plan…

The short version is that my girls got sick, I sewed through my finger making this dress (snapped the needle off straight through the nail and out the other side), we had a car accident on our way to take some pics and then when we finally got to take pictures, this kid (who still had a temperature), stepped straight in a mud puddle!!! I’m not kidding! BUT like I said, I had these really beautiful fabrics to play with, so it wasn’t all bad 😉

The first fabric I have to share is a gorgeous pastel Mermaid Scales in Swim 220gsm SPF50+. I first thought I’d make some swimmers, but little Miss decided it needed to be activewear. We met in the middle and I made this cute Kyra crop hack by Simple Life Pattern Company, some Boo Pins and some Boo Swimmer Bottoms. 2 in 1! That made us both happy! I am the master of fabric tetris (takes a curtsy)…

We found a beautiful wall for pictures right near where my kids play basketball! It was a fantastic match for this print, I couldn’t believe it! It was a PCYC and it had lots of figures painted on it, but with some creative cropping and framing when photographing, it looks pretty amazing.

Next up was a gorgeous Whitewash Roses in Lime printed on cotton lycra 220gsm. My girls were scrolling through my instagram page and decided it had to be a Tadah Vetur Dress! They love the cowl neckline and thumb cuffs! It’s such a comfortable and cosy dress, but so cute too.

My third project was made in a Cotton Sateen 150gsm in a Mod Floral Print. It would have made a beautiful skirt or a stunning dress with pleats! My big girl could see it as overalls, so I suggested the new Tadah Mykonos Romper! I tested this pattern recently, but I haven’t shared any photos yet. Mostly because I spilled a full cup of coffee on it before I could sew the button holes and hem… What is going on with me lately?

I made this version in a generous size, as I do with a lot of my sewing, because I don’t like my kids growing out of my handmade too quickly! It will work well in winter with a long sleeve tee, long socks and boots, then hopefully when spring and summer roll around again it might still fit! I love a matching headwrap, it’s an awesome finishing touch to an outfit.

Finally I decided on the Simple Life Pattern Company Norah Dress for this Funky Cotton Poplin 140gsm in Neon Sorbet! I wanted a fun design to go with this fabric. My girls don’t really like pretty dresses, but give it a bit of edge and you’ll win them over.

SLPCo Norah has a round or square neck option, integrated cap sleeves and various back strap configurations. I chose to use black grossgrain ribbon instead of making straps and ties. It was a great shortcut. It wasn’t enough to save me from sewing right through my finger though! That’s the first time I’ve done that and it’s quite a shock when it happens lol! I’ll spare you the details but I was lucky to avoid getting any blood on the dress, only for my girl to cover it in mud right when we were taking pics haha!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Preorders are open now for all these gorgeous prints and more! All designs are offered on the following bases … Cotton Poplin 140gsm, Cotton Sateen 130gsm, Cotton Sateen 150gsm, Cotton Lycra 220gsm, Bamboo Lycra 200gsm, Swim Lycra 220gsm, SPF50+ Rating.

Pre-Orders close on the 5th April. Afterpay, Zip, Paypal, Bank Deposit, and Layby are all avialable! PRE-ORDER LINK

I hope you like what I came up with for these fabrics! It’s so fun to decide what you can make when a fun fabric suprise arrives. I love to make something to show off the awesomeness of the fabric, while making sure it is something my girls will love to wear ❤

Warmest wishes,

Brooke x

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers.

One of a Kind!

Wow! It’s week 4 of Project Run & Play – The Aussie Edition. I’m so incredibly proud of the 4 competition entries I’ve created over the month, and very excited to be in the Grand Final with such talented designers. This weeks theme is ‘Signature Style’ and I knew from the beginning this would be the hardest theme yet. This is so hard for me to pin down and put in a bottle – I am such a style chameleon! I call myself a style ‘appreciator’. If I like it, I like it, but don’t ask me to explain what my style is. Every item I make is really One of a Kind…

Let’s talk about the things I can list about my style! I like clean lines, colour and contrast, angles and stripes, fancy backs, easy to wear modern, yet timeless style & I LOVE upcycling. I don’t really like ruffles, characters, pink or anything really girly. Is it any wonder my girls are the same! Their tastes and style really come through in everything I’ve made in this competition, or why would I bother to make something that wouldn’t get worn again? I guess you could add practical and wearable to that list.

So I decided to create my signature style from completely upcycled fabrics! This is something I do all the time and it is a challenge I love. There is not often an outfit I make that doesn’t have at least an element of upcycling to it! This is the ultimate One of a Kind! It’s very hard to replicate, especially when I don’t often leave a pattern alone as it is intended. I can’t help but make a tweak, because I just love to create something that nobody else will have in their wardrobe!

It took me such a long time to settle on this combination, because I keep everything as an opportunity to be upcycled! I started with a ladies dress that I purchased for myself for $10 on a sale rack, (but I’ve recently lost 16.5kg so it was headed to the thrift store/upcycle pile). I used a pillow slip for the watercolour stripes, which was gifted to me as a queen quilt cover set from a friend (who knows I love upcycling and free fabric). Then I put it together with this sunny vintage yellow sheet I purchased from a thrift store that I’ve been saving for a dress for myself! It is my absolute favourite vintage sheet in my stash & I am praying I still have enough for a dress of my own!

 I absolutely love this combination all together and the patterns I created! I started with the Simple Life Pattern Company Lucy dress when I drafted the yellow dress. I widened the shoulders and reshaped absolutely everything to get started! I took out the side seams to maximise the stripe effect, then I did some crazy colourblocking and added an exposed zip! I was pretty proud just to work out how to construct this dress for starters!

 

 

I drafted the dolman dress using the neckline and armhole measurements from the Little Lizard King Bristol tunic as a guide so that I knew they would be wide enough to wear in a woven fabric. I scooped the back out to make it interesting and added some ties to keep it in place. I ran up some cute headbands to pull the look together. That is another part of my style – a put together look.

 

You can see how windy it is on the hill by the ocean in King Edward Park. The dresses were blowing around wildly in the breeze, but it was worth it to shoot the blue and yellow alongside the red in these flowers! 

 

Thank you all for your support throughout the competition, I’m thrilled to have made it this far as a humble hobby sewist! It’s been an honour to have competed against such amazing Aussie pattern designers and friends, and it has inspired me to learn and grow in the future. Now make sure you head over to the Project Run & Play Blog to cast your votes! It’s the very last week, so it’s our last chance to make it count! Thanks so much!

Brooke xx 

Salty Hair & Sandy Toes

Welcome to Week 2 of Project Run & Play – Surf & Sand! My babies love the beach! We spend most of summer there. We pack our caravan and set up beachside for 3 weeks over Christmas. Swimming, fishing, exploring, riding skateboards and bikes all day long. We hang out with friends from home and friends that we have met over the years there. The days are long, lazy & hot!

My girls are all about comfort on holidays, so shorts are a must! I drafted this pair starting with the Little Lizard King Newport Shorts. I changed the waistband height, added length and hemmed them without adding the cuffs. These are exactly the kind of shorts my girls love (I was actually inspired by some RTW pairs they have) and so I will be making plenty more! They are beautifully comfortable to wear, made from a soft, drapey rayon.

To make this sweet cropped top, I used my dress pattern from last week as a starting point. I created a narrow centre placket, curved the bodice to a sweetheart shape, made longer skinny straps and added a wider, flounce layer to the front for some visual interest. I made it from a lovely soft chambray. I drafted this so she can pop this on and off over her head, without fiddling with buttons, which she loves. This is just like the outfits my girls drool over on the online surf stores.

I love how casual, comfortable and cool this outfit is. It’s perfect for summer and cute enough to be worn for any occasion.

I couldn’t take you to the beach without some swimwear could I? I started with the Boo Designs classic swimmer briefs and gave them a retro feel with a little extra height, a slightly lower leg cut and some fabric splicing. I lined the front of both the top and the bottoms (and I love that part when you work out which order to put them in to enclose all the seams neatly). The halter top I drafted myself using the width of the Boo Designs swimmers as a starting point. Once I was happy with the shape and pattern I spliced a V into the front and added a ruffle by cutting a V shaped ruffle! I am thrilled with how these turned out.

Next she requested a beach cover up, “just like yours Mum”. I used my favourite ladies tshirt pattern, the Little Kiwis Closet Cuffed Dolman as my starting point! I cut a much narrower neckline, changed the shoulder angle and lengthened the sleeves. Then I cut down the centre front and cut from the front neckline down to the centre front to create the smooth cardigan shape. I added some fringing I’d taken off a store bought ladies tank (loved the tank, did not love the fringing on it)! It was the perfect finishing touch for this!

They were so patient to have their pictures take, when all they wanted to do was rip off their clothes and jump in! So that’s what they did! They swam for an hour in the baths before I dragged them out to get some burgers for tea! It was a perfect balmy summer Sunday evening. ❤

Now the girls are arguing over both outfits, so I have to make them another set each! I’d love you to check out all the entries this week, so head over to the Project Run and Play blog to vote for your favourite!

Simple Life Pattern Company Holiday Blog Tour

I am thrilled to be returning on the Simple Life Pattern Company Holidays Blog Tour! I love the challenge of creating something special, and this amazing group of makers always push me to challenge myself!

As with all the best blog tours, we have a discount code to give you 30% off all patterns, as well as a giveaway! Read through to the end to get all the important details!

Oh my stars, where do I start ? If you love to hack and mash patterns with a little bit of problem solving thrown in, you will love this project!

My personal challenge for this year’s post was to make something amazing enough to take its place in the SLPCo Holiday Tour, while at the same time making something really wearable for my girls.

That sounds pretty easy surely? You see most little girls love dresses and feeling like a princess! Not my girls… They like denim shorts and Mickey Mouse T-shirt’s! Oh and tie-dye, if it’s tie-dyed they will wear it! #eyeroll

Simple Life Pattern Company Holiday Blog Tour – 2017

I made the most amazing special occasion dress last year for the tour. It was such a rewarding and sentimental project, but it has stayed hanging lonely in the wardrobe pretty much ever since! This year I decided something a little less formal was the go…

I always get some input from my girls when I’m sewing for them, so I set out to lose myself on the Art Gallery Fabrics website to give them a few options to choose from! I love when AGF sponsors my blog posts with fabric, there are so many amazing collections to choose from!

I decided on a two fabric combination to make matching, but not quite matching dresses. I love a pop of contrast! I wanted to make a combination that looked bright and festive without pigeon holing it as a “Christmas dress”.

I gave the girls a few options and I’m so glad we all agreed on this combination as our favourite! It is from the Trinket Fusion Collection and the WHOLE collection really spoke to me! Those earthy autumnal colours are my happy place.

My eldest loved the “Flower Glory Trinkets”, she is a retro/vintage loving girl after my own heart! This print was originally designed by Bonnie Christine. My youngest chose the gorgeous red geometric print called “Wallpaper Trinkets”, originally designed by April Rhodes. Together they are a match made in heaven!

To create these dresses I used the bodice from the Simple Life Patterns Laguna Dress and teamed it with the skirt and pockets from the Newport Dress! Easy right? Then I decided to make things a little more complicated…

I decided to remove the partial placket opening from the back of the dress and add a full placket down the centre front! I wanted to use my contrasting fabrics and I thought this would be a great feature.

So step one was to calculate the centre of the back bodice and cut it as one piece on the fold. Then I cut the front bodice main & lining as 2 pieces each, instead of on the fold. I also added 1″ in length to all the bodice pieces, just because I felt like it would work…

I decided I wanted my finished placket to be 3cm wide, and then calculated the width of my placket pattern piece by doubling my 3cm and adding 2 seam allowances of 1cm each. So I cut my placket pieces 8cm wide and roughly estimated the length by adding the bodice and skirt heights together and leaving myself a few inches extra, just in case.

I had to recalculate shoulder strap position taking into account the changes I had made, and started construction by sewing up my bodice quite like the Laguna pattern instructions, leaving the centre front unsewn.

I then cut the skirt front piece down the centre and added the pockets as per the Newport pattern instructions. Then I sewed the side seams and gathered my skirt to fit the bodice using 2 rows of gathering stitches. Once the skirt was attached to the bodice I interfaced the centre 6cm width (and full length) of my placket pieces. I then folded and ironed 1cm seam allowances along both long edges and then pressed it in half lengthways, wrong sides together.

To attach the placket I lined up the long raw edge of the placket to the centre front of the dress, right side of placket laying on top of the wrong side of the dress, making sure to leave an inch or 2 overhang for both the top and bottom. I stitched in the first ironed fold (1cm from the edge). Then wrapped the placket around to the front, folding over the top and bottom and wrapping it inside the placket. The seam allowance stays folded under and you topstitch from the front to finish it. If you pin it carefully, those stitches on the back should stitch in the ditch and look pretty neat from the back as well as the front.

Now is about the time you discover you have lost your snap pliers!! Oh my gosh I spent days looking and they have obviously gone on vacation somewhere! Then after you panic and search for a couple of days, you remember you actually have a big snap press you’ve never even tried! So I got that together and got both dresses done, but only one would snap up! I have no idea why!! They were both Kam branded snaps… but those tan/mossy ones were a complete failure! I then made such a mess removing the snaps in the press, I really just wanted my pliers 😦

In the end I didn’t have quite enough red ones to finish it off, but a couple of maroon ones on the back will never be seen! Shhhh!

After the snaps were complete I hemmed the dresses by folding under the overlocked edge and then doing a 3cm hem. I figured I had a little extra length after I lengthened the bodice, and I like a deep hem.

Photos were then put back day after day… The KAM snap stuff up… dance rehearsal day, a reunion catch up at the beach (but the beach had washed away so that didn’t work as a location either)… Early morning was super foggy before school… Stress levels were rising!

FINALLY! These smiling faces braved a swarm of mosquitoes which required a quick location change before we got the shots we needed. I told you this project really tested us!!!

They insisted props were necessary for a Christmas themed shoot! It was just the fun we needed to finish off ❤

Patterns provided by Simple Life Pattern Company:

Simple Life Pattern Company Newport Pocket Top & Dress

Simple Life Pattern Company Laguna Double Flutter Panel Pocket Dress

Fabric provided by Art Gallery Fabrics:

Trinket Fusion Collection – Flower Glory Trinkets & Wallpaper Trinkets

 

If you’ve found some inspiration here, or from the other ladies on this tour, head over to Simple Life Pattern Co for their winter sale!! All patterns (minus the brand new Betty) are on sale for 30% using code FALLINTOSLPCO. Sale ends the 12th at midnight so get shopping!

 

 

Blog Tour Schedule

November 5 – Kutti Couture – SLPCO Team

November 6 – Wonderfully Handmade – Ammon Lane

November 7 – Kainara Stitches – Idle Sunshine – Pearberry Lane

November 8 – Sew Twirly – Sew Sophie Lynn – Bonnie and Blithe

November 9 – It’s Liesel – Candice Ayala

For your chance to win a

$30 Harts Fabric Voucher

and a $50 SLPCo Pattern Voucher,

don’t forget to enter the

Rafflecopter giveaway!

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers.

Little Lizard King Bristol & Newport

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to share these pictures with you! I made this sweet set using the Bristol & Newport patterns by Little Lizard King and I can’t wait to show you how cute they are together!

First up let’s look at the Bristol! It’s a woven top & dress in sizes 12m – 12 years. The dress version includes a simple skirt, ruffle skirt and double layer skirt options. I chose to make a tunic length top to pair with shorts.

It has a curved front bodice, which creates a high-low hem, perfect for showing off your favourite shorts.

It’s winter in the southern hemisphere right now, but this makes the perfect outfit teamed with tights, boots and a warm hat! It would also look great with a pair of leggings or jeans in winter! I can picture a faux fur vest over the top for a little extra warmth too.

I love the 3/4 sleeves with ties, it’s such a cute feature. This gorgeous floral print fabric comes from Dizzy Daisy Fabric and is called Hannah Blue.

The pattern calls for buttons & buttonholes, but I have an assorted rainbow of Kam snaps on hand which I love to use! Snaps are so easy and fast to apply, they are great to have in your stash.

The ties in the sleeves are a great match for the tie sides of the Newport shorts.

The Newport shorts can be made in the same great size range 12m – 12 years. They have a flat front waistband, elastic back and a bubble hem with 3 choices of hem finish.

They can be made with a regular straight cuff, a button tab hem or the ties that I chose to make.

I used a Linen-Look Cotton called Mellow-Yellow from Dizzy Daisy. I find it a little scary trying to guess when ordering coordinating fabrics online, but I think these two fabrics work beautifully together!

Just look at those bows! Don’t these patterns work beautifully together?

I tell you what else works beautifully with this outfit, how gorgeous is this hat? I bought quite a few balls of this mustard coloured wool last winter for my lovely mother in law to make me a crocheted necklace I had seen a pattern for. I bought way too much wool so I have a full collection of mustard accessories now!

My MIL loves to crochet and knit and recently asked what else she could make from the left over wool, so I suggested a “slouchy lacey hat”. She didn’t have a pattern that would work, so she ducked next door to her neighbours house. She found a great lacey hat pattern deep in her files (the suitcase in the spare room) and added a little extra to get the slouchy look I requested.

It is exactly what I imagined and it looks like I either have to buy more wool or share it! You definitely have to wear your hair out under a hat like this and I didnt want the outfit entirely covered by her hair, so I got the curling wand out to shorten it up!

Oh hang on a minute, there’s 3 Kangaroos and 5 deer watching us! We shot these pictures at the end of our street where there are often deer wandering around.

I only had a 28-75mm lens on me, so I can’t show you any closer, but look at that white deer! We have a few of them.

Ahhh! Then some other mysterious creature kept making noise in the long grass behind me and she got out of there quick smart! Look at her move! That’s Australia for you my friends! 😉

Out of the long grass, feeling safe again!

Oh look, you can actually see she has on some little brown boots. These were a recent purchase and they are getting a workout! Brown boots were really hard to find this season, but they really are the most versatile shoe for winter!

Oh this girl is such a gorgeous spirit! Don’t worry, we didn’t let the curls and outfit go to waste, she insisted we take her out for dinner so she could show them off! I couldn’t argue with that request! ❤

Warmest winter wishes!

Brooke x

Idle Sunshine

Little Lizard King Malibu

Oh gosh it’s good to see the sun shine! It’s been a rainy, miserable couple of weeks here. The rain has been lovely, but we are pretty soggy now. It would be nice to be able to send those rain clouds west for a good drenching!

I hate to send my kids out to freeze for the sake of a blog post, so I delayed taking pictures of this pretty set until today. The sun shined all day, the wind finally dropped from the gale force it’s been blowing and this gorgeous hedge down the end of our street is blooming right on cue! I wish it bloomed all year round, it is absolutely stunning (and would make a very convenient backdrop for me haha)!

I made this gorgeous top from the Malibu pattern from Little Lizard King. It can be made as a dress as well, and while my girls don’t wear many dresses, I can definitely picture them both wearing this! I am picturing a cool blue, maybe a chambray, but the options are truly endless. It comes in sizes 12m – 14 years and also has optional flutters for the straps.

This set I made is an upcycle! I upcycle all the time, but until my previous post I had never thought to record the before and after. I love that idea, so you will see it a lot now! You can see I started with this thrifted chiffon dress ($1), ladies pants ($3) and some yellow & white voile from my stash. I purchased the thrifted items years ago and I am enjoying attemping to shrink my upcycle pile.

I paired the Malibu top with the shorts from the Little Lizard King Charleston set! They are adorable! I love the tulip style hem and the wide waistband. The ladies pants I cut them from were made from a heavy stretch fabric, so these are very comfortable! I added some buttons as a feature that also came from St Vincent de Paul. I believe they were also upcycled from a garment that was unfit to sell. You can also see the tiny rolled hem I kept from the hem of the original dress.

I love the back of the Malibu! This chiffon version is very soft and drapey, and I also sized up a little so that it will still fit when summer rolls back around here. The ties pull it together nicely at the back though and this set will fit her for a year or two! She is very happy with it and is still wearing it at home tonight (with the fire going don’t worry)!

How lovely is this bow tie back? And how lovely is this hedge? She had a lovely time playing with the flowers and the petals that carpetted the ground.

Look what I found just for you Mum! ❤

I really enjoyed making this set and my girl assures me she loves it! It all came together perfectly with excellent instructions. I can’t wait to make some more dresses, tops and shorts for summer! Bring on summer already!

Bring on sandals, bare legs and braids. Sewing for summer in the middle of winter is tough!

Let me know what you want to see next?

What inspires you to sew? Is it the pattern, the fabric, the season, or the occasion?

Warmest wishes,

Brooke x

 

 

Little Lizard King Bellevue Dress

I’m excited to show you all this gorgeous dress, made from a new pattern by Little Lizard King! It’s called the Bellevue and the exciting part is that it is the first design by the lovely and talented Natasha Chrismas of Ellie’s Handmade! I’ve been a long time fan of Natasha’s work (if you are a handmade enthusiast I’m sure you are too), so I was thrilled when she asked me to take a look at her first release!

The Bellevue was a double release available in a dress and romper version. The dress includes sizes 12 months – 14 years, the romper in sizes 0-3 months – 4 years.

Photo credit – Natasha Chrismas

It has these gorgeous cross back straps with the option of single or double ruffles. You might have noticed my girls don’t wear many dresses these days, but Miss 6 is turning 7 next week and she decided she wanted a birthday dress. Seeing as though I was sewing for my little firecracker, I decided to experiment and leave the ruffles out of the equation. She loves it and I am happy knowing it will be worn more than once! Why, oh why must they grow up and ditch the dresses and frills?

 I could have moved the straps over to meet the edge of the bodice, but that might have left them too wide on her shoulders. I could also have trimmed down the bodice to meet the straps, but I quite liked the idea of this modern look.

The straps cross over and tie in the back through two loops, it also has an elastic casing across the back. Both these features allow for a comfortable and adjustable fit, that will grow with your child.

It has a nice full gathered skirt, with the option of a double ruffle hem or a contrast band.  I made a simple skirt, but made it for a size 9 (the bodice I made for their chest measurement which was a size 6). It is designed to be a retro above knee length, but I made it so it would fit both my girls, and being an adjustable fit bodice it will fit them both for a while with this added length.

I bought this quilting cotton fabric to make myself a dress, I loved the birds and flowers in the print. I think I might have enough still left for me… I hope! It was printed off grain a touch, which made cutting tricky for this OCD pattern matcher, but I got there in the end. It would have been really obvious if I hadn’t gotten that hem straight in this print!

We gave it the twirl test, even though it is a gathered skirt, it still passes!

I said to her as she was running down the stairs before we left to “Slow down”. It’s something I say a thousand times a day to her, usually right before she falls over… I kid you not, her response was – “Life wasn’t meant to be slow Mum”!!!

Miss almost 7 is clearly growing up… #mouthfullofmissingteeth ❤

Have you made a Bellevue Dress or Romper yet?  You know if my girls weren’t almost 7 and 10 already (with opinions and long legs), I’d be squeezing them into that romper with ruffle sleeves and a ruffle butt!!! IT IS ADORABLE!!!

Some of those awesome features that might get you over the finish line:

• PDF Printing Layers
• Measurement Chart for Rectangle Pieces
• Line Drawings
• Recommended Fabrics
• Table of Contents
• Glossary of Terms
• Printing Layout
• Print Guide
• Fabric Requirements
• Size Chart and Finished Measurements
• Cutting Chart
• Cutting Instructions

Congratulations Natasha on your new position as a designer with Little Lizard King and your first pattern releases! They are absolutely gorgeous, with clear and comprehensive instructions. Highly recommended.

Warmest wishes,

Brooke x