Simple Life Pattern Co – Special Occasion Tour

Welcome to my stop on the Simple Life Pattern Co Special Occasion Blog Tour. The calendar keeps creeping closer and closer to Christmas and the party season, so this is perfect timing to get some beautiful inspiration for the holidays, especially when you can shop all the patterns for 20% off! (Use code: SLPcoSpecial)

When my friend Becca from Sunflower Seams asked me to join in the tour, we were on a 3 week trip travelling thousands of kilometres in our caravan. I had blown out the data allowance on my mobile phone, but I said yes, stole my husband’s phone and started scrolling immediately through the SLPCo Pattern shop!

I picked out my favourite patterns that I thought were right for the theme, then I let Miss 9 choose her favourite from the snapshots (that are most likely still sitting on the camera roll on my husband’s phone).

She chose the Lexi Strappy Back Maxi Dress which I love! It has a V-neck bodice at the front, a cutaway side with no side seam and 3 straps on each side at the back.

I raised the front a little and created a curved front neckline, then used some vintage silver braid I had in my stash for the straps. They were wider than the straps in the pattern and I didn’t have enough of the braid to do 6 straps so I chose to do 2 each side instead.

I was covering a snap with fabric to match at the back, and the dress was all but finished, when I noticed that one of the straps was starting to fray! When I looked a little closer, all the straps were pulling out of the bodice… I was devastated!

I had zig zagged back and forth over all the ends and thought I was clever for thinking to do that, but I think the zig zag was too wide to be effective enough.

I unpicked the bodice just in the parts where the straps attached and created some new straps with the chiffon I used for the skirt. Then I hand stitched them into place, closing the bodice at the same time. I actually love how they turned out.

I found it a little scary working with these delicate fabrics. I like to iron the heck out of everything I make in each step to get a great finish, so I was scared I was going to melt this dress every step along the way!

I am trying hard to sew from my stash (which is beyond ridiculous by the way) and when digging through bags and tubs of fabric, my eyes went to this crinkle chiffon straight away. It came from some bags of remnants that my Mum bought from a lady who worked in a fabric store. When looking for options for a coordinating fabric, I found this shantung and lining which was actually left over from when Mum made my bridesmaids dresses around 12 years ago! So I guess that makes this dress extra special ❤ .

It is really warm here at the moment and being spring the Jacarandas are just beautiful. If it is cold where you are, a maxi is great for hiding tights underneath, and a faux fur Juliet cape (which is a free pattern) would look beautiful over the top.

I thought it made a beautiful flower girl dress and so we made a posy to take along for our pictures. I took the pink and purple blooms from a beautiful bunch of flowers my friends gave me for my birthday last week. They were the flowers from the bouquet that lasted the longest, as well as matching the dress best! Isn’t it funny how those things work out…

To see all the special makes my friends have been making on this tour please make your self a cup of coffee and click through the links below. Or if you would like to hire out this cute little flower girl, we can arrange that too!

November 13 – Kainara Stitches – Ammon Lane

November 14 – Sew and Tell Project – Lace and Pine

November 15 – Sunflower Seams – SewSophieLynn

November 16 – Wonderfully Handmade – Idle Sunshine – I am Mami de Sofiona

November 17 – Pear Berry Lane – It’s Liesel

Now for the fun part!

There are TWO ways to win in this giveaway!

While both giveaways are open to everyone, contestants outside of the U.S. will be responsible for any excess shipping and fees and subject to the sponsors’ shipping guidelines.

Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win the following.

One winner will be chosen at random after the Rafflecopter closes.

1 winner of the Rafflecopter will receive:

5 Patterns of choice from Simple Life Pattern Co.

$50 Gift Card from Cotton Coterie with FREE shipping

$50 Gift Card from Little Feather

***Click here for a Rafflecopter giveaway***

Already sewing for the holidays with Simple Life Pattern Company? Share what you make for a chance to win the Link-Up prize!

One winner will be chosen at random after the link-up closes.

1 Winner of the Link up will receive:

5 Patterns of choice from Simple Life Pattern Co.

$50 Gift Card to Harts Fabric

$50 Gift Card to Sincerely Rylee

$30 Gift Card to Punkin Head Threads

Enter the Linkup HERE!

 

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

One Thimble Issue 17 – HOLA!

“Hola!” and welcome to my stop in the One Thimble Issue 17 Blog Tour! One Thimble Issue 17 (Summer 2017) is available now and I can’t wait to show you what you’ll find inside!

One Thimble is a Digital Sewing Magazine produced in Australia. Each One Thimble E-zine features 10+ patterns, applique/embroidery files and sewing/creative articles from contributors from all over the globe. The theme for issue 17 is, “Hola!” and it happens to celebrate One Thimble’s 4th Birthday!

Here’s a list of the patterns included in the latest edition:

• Big Day Out Denim Jacket– Ainslee Fox – size 3-12
• Give Piece a Chance – crop top and skirt set – Duchess & Hare – size 2-12
• Nori Dress – Paisley Roots – size 2-12
• Port Street Shorts – Ainslee Fox – size 3-12
• Embroidery – Molly & Mama – hand stitched
• Taco Time Applique – One Thimble – interactive applique
• Sol Dress – Tadah – XS (8) – XL (16)
• Festival Clutch – Little Moo Designs – two sizes
• Posse Cadet Cap and Visor – Apple + Fig – baby to adult
• Overall Winner- Katy’s Lotus pincushion
• Winner of People’s Choice- Sarah’s Fabric Wrap Bracelet
• Winner of the Scrap buster Category- Kellie’s Teacher gift pack
• Winner of Something Special- Kira’s Miss Blossom Bunny clutch
• Winner of the Quick Sew Category- Megan’s fruit bags

I happened to test and promote 2 patterns already in the lead up to the Issue 17’s release, so I’ll show you some pictures of those in a minute, but the feature of today’s post is the Nori Dress by Paisley Roots.

It is getting rarer and rarer to catch my girls wearing a dress (other than for special occasions when I put my foot down lol), but this was an absolute hit!

Obviously if you have a fussy customer like me, then fabric is going to be the toughest choice. All the other hard work is done. Your girls will love this trendy look, with side cut outs, halter neck and swingy circle skirt!

I adjusted ours to tie in a bow at the back rather than slider rings at the neck. I am making an effort to sew from my stash and if I’d driven the 40 minutes to spotlight just for sliders it would have cost me a hundred or so $$$ in fabric that I would have “needed” while I was there. I just cannot be trusted 😉

I have had all of these fabrics in my stash for a couple of years. I have used them all before for different projects, but never together. Planning fabric combinations is my favourite part of the process, laying out options and switching coordinating fabrics led me to this combo that I knew my girl would love.

We spent this morning at a local event at a park to welcome Santa to the shopping centre.  We met some friends and the kids enjoyed the dancing, singing and rides on show! We got a bit more sun, than I was planning on, then we went for lunch with friends afterwards. It was one of those beautiful unplanned days that totally go off the schedule you had in your head. I was starting to worry, but I still managed to get the dress made and photographed well before the sun went down that evening, so it is pretty quick. I used snaps instead of buttons and button holes which saved me a good amount of time too.

My favourite way to hem a circle skirt is to use bias tape. I didn’t have enough mustard yellow in my stash, so I had to be happy with over locking and turning it up this time. If I’m being completely honest I will probably go back and do it with bias when I get some, because I am a details person and it hurts my eyes!

Here’s a pic of what your dress could look like if you follow the instructions with the sliders on the straps, just for comparison. It looks so fabulous in stripes!

I’ll leave you with some pics of the Ainslee Fox Port Street Shorts and the One Thimble Taco Time Interactive Applique I made in testing before the Issue was released. My boy loves when I sew for him and he seriously loves this outfit!

I used a spider web printed canvas for the shorts with a black drill waistband. Then I finally did some form of applique like I have been promising (still havent attempted FMA haha)!

I had fun putting together all the colours for this project and even dyed some calico with tumeric to get closer to the colour I wanted for the taco shell. I love to dye with natural colours like tumeric, tea and coffee. It’s another way to avoid going shopping too (when you can’t be trusted like me)!

I have so many more items on my to sew list! I can’t wait to make some fruit bags and some visors for starters. Now I know I have some hand sewing projects for Christmas holidays sorted when we are camping with the hand stitched embroidery project and the lotus pin cushion! Not to mention the Jacket, clutch, ahhh everything!!! It is another amazing issue.

Now if you are a One Thimble fan or have been enjoying my One Thimble posts, you will want to check out the OT Sewing Enthusiasts Facebook Group, as the 4th Birthday Celebration prize is ALL 17 ISSUES!!!! I kid you not…

For all the stops on the One Thimble Issue 17 Blog Tour Celebration, be sure to click the links below!

Warmest Wishes,

Brooke x

11/9/2017

Pattern Revolution

max california

Once Upon a Sewing Machine

11/10/2017

Made by Sara

Elli & Nels

Katewillknit

The Crafting Fiend

11/11/2017

Call Ajaire

Stitches by Laura

Beri Bee Designs

11/12/2017

Stitched by Jennie

That’s-Sew-Kari

Sew Cucio

11/13/2017

Sprouting JubeJube

Idle Sunshine

Happy Okapi

GAAFmachine

11/14/2017

Inspinration

Rebel & Malice

Curtiepie

11/15/2017

Seams Sew Lo

Snickerdoodle Stew

Lulu & Celeste

Kathys Kwilts and More 

Flit & Bloom by Patty Young for Riley Blake Designs

I’m so thrilled to be showcasing the latest fabric designs by Patty Young  for Riley Blake Designs! This is Patty’s 20th fabric collection, so it feels a little extra special! The collection is called Flit & Bloom by Patty Young for Riley Blake Designs.

I made these two sweet Harper dresses by Modkid Designs. Modkid is Patty’s pattern design company, and I thought that was a nice fit!

We’ve just been travelling for 3 weeks in our caravan around some beautiful parts of Australia, which I will have to share some pictures of soon. I took my sewing machine with me to make these dresses! I had visions of beautiful scenic photos and I had them all finished apart from the buttons and button holes, but I decided to use snaps. I didn’t have snaps and pliers with me, so I had to wait till we got home to actually finish and photograph them.

Then of course when we got home it rained…. So those beautiful photos had to head undercover! I snapped a couple in the wind in between showers,  but as you can see it was just too miserable, cold and blowy.

I chose Bloom Blossom Henna Pink with Bloom Oh-Gee Teal as trim  for this dress.

and Bloom Blossom Henna Teal for the second dress with Bloom Oh-Gee Pink for trim.

I love making matching dresses that don’t quite match. My littlest loves to twin with her big sister, but her big sister isn’t quite as keen on the idea. This is a happy medium for them, and I love to see them coordinate!

Make sure you head to the Modkid Blog Tour Post very quickly for your chance to win one of 3 half yard bundles from the Flit & Bloom range.

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Thank you to Patty & to Riley Blake for supplying these gorgeously soft anf beautiful fabrics! My girls wore their dresses all day and they looked stunning. After a full days wear and driving in the car they were suprising not creased much at all!

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Below are the other participants from the tour, so for more beautiful insiration head over to see their posts!

Monday, Oct. 9th – Coffee + Thread

Tuesday, Oct. 10th – Lily Shine Creates

Wednesday, Oct. 11th – The Eli Monster

Thursday, Oct. 12th – Tye Dye Diva Patterns

Friday, Oct. 13th – Pattern Revolution

Saturday, Oct. 14th – Idle Sunshine

My Favourite Things

So the theme this month on the Sewing With Ti Blog Tour is “My Favourite Things”! This category is so hard for someone like me that just loves EVERYTHING! So I decided to make myself one of my favourite patterns and get my bum moving on my kids favourites, for their summer sewing too!

This is the Little Kiwis Closet Women’s Cuffed Dolman! It is a great relaxed dolman tee in a longer tunic length with a curved hem. It also comes in a dress length option which I chose to make here. I was sent this gorgeous Pink Aztec Rayon Spandex by Orinoco Designs to showcase for a current fabric pre-order and I knew it would be a perfect match!

The drape is perfect for this pattern and it is a great print for young and old. My girls loved it, but I had to (very unselfishly) show you all how great it was made up as a grown up piece!

I wasn’t a complete monster though… I saved the girls a few scraps and I used some straight away to run up this cute top! It’s the Little Kiwis Closet Choose Your Adventure Tee & Dress. I created this cute cap sleeve and pocket and added it to this royal blue cotton lycra I had in my stash. I think this is perfect for the theme – as one of my favourite things to do is mash and tweak patterns!

I used the flutter sleeve pattern piece from the Poppet Peplum pattern and added an inch or 2 to the centre so that it would fit the armscye perfectly. I lined the “flutter/cap” with some white cotton lycra to give it some body before attaching it. I absolutely love how this turned out and it just covers the shoulders nicely to protect them from our harsh summer sun!

Then we of course had to have some pics together, because – matching!

It was so cold! You have to remember it’s winter here at the moment and it was 7:30am before school! We are so lucky to have such mild winters, but boy was it fresh and frosty this morning!

I have a few more scraps left, so I used a tiny bit to jazz up this plain tank as well, but I will not waste a bit – it’s too cute!

Next up I want to show you a sneak peek of the girls version of the Cuffed Dolman! It’s in testing right now and is looking just as awesome as the women’s version!!!

This one I upcycled from a women’s large tshirt we found (stripes are her favourite) and I made the regular cuffed sleeves.

There is a long sleeve version too that I’ll share with you soon and you can also opt to leave the cuffs off altogether and just hem!

You can see from my upcycle that the back of the shirt has a centre seam. I hope this means that the manufacturer is being frugal with fabric! I love to upcycle as a way to reduce landfill and to get awesome cheap fabric.

This length is perfect with tights and I will make her some dolman dresses for summer as well. I know I live in them, so I am betting my girls will too!

Here’s an essential shot of my stripe matching – I’m sorry but if you are sewing stripes, they just have to match 😉 ! It also shows the cool curved hem.

Next up are some more great basics! I love to make pretty dresses, but my girls just want to wear shorts and tees! So while I never thought I’d make basics when you can get them cheap from Kmart, I love that they get something amazing and unique from me, with great quality fabrics and no exploited labour. Except for me of course… They fully exploit me!

This is the Pearlie Peplum and Scuttle Shorts from One Thimble Issue 16! This issue has only recently released and I am sewing my way through it! These patterns will be on high rotation! I used another Orinoco Designs print from a previous round for the bodice and the front panel of a tshirt I upcycled did the peplum skirt front and back.

The Pearlie Dress & Peplum is by Peach Patterns and I have lengthened the bodice here by 2 inches to bring the peplum down closer to her natural waist. This is just a personal preference. When I made the dress previously I used the size 7 length skirt, but because I added length to the bodice here, I used the size 5 peplum skirt length.

I teamed it with the Scuttle Shorts by Ainslee Fox Boutique Patterns. I made the basic version here without any pockets or colour blocking and they were soooo fast! This girl looooves her knit shorts so I am going to make a full rainbow of these! This was a knit my Mum grabbed from Spotlight for me. As a bonus, they don’t take very much fabric at all!

Check ’em out – they’re adorable!

 

Ok so let’s recap a few of my favourite things…

• The LKC Cuffed Dolman
• Awesome custom print fabric
• Pattern hacking
• Matching my minis
• Upcycling
• Stripe matching
• Little Kiwis Closet
• One Thimble
• Sewing things my kids will actually wear

Did I miss anything? I’m sure my girls have their own list to add!

 

If you’d like to see what everyone else on board has chosen to share this month, you can view their posts here! Each post will go live on it’s date in August.

 

Tuesday, August 1st: Intro ***You are here. 😀, Tenille’s Thread

2nd: Stitching At Night

3rd: Sewing By Ti

4th: Needles To Say

5th: Very Blissful

Sunday, August 6th: The Fairy Dust Bin

7th: Anne-Mari Sews

8th: Sewing With Sarah

9th: Thats Sew Lily

10th: Stitching at Night

11th: EYMM

12th: Sew Sew Ilse

Sunday, August 13th: Lulu & Celeste

14th: Seams Sew Lo

15th: Tales From a Southern Stitching Mom

16th: Stitching and Making

17th: Creative Counselor

18th: Ma Moose

19th: Kainara Stitches

Sunday, August 20th: Embrace Everyday

21st: She Who Sews

22nd: Idle Sunshine

23rd: My Heart Will Sew On

24th: Lovely For Life

25th: Margarita On the Ross

26th: Anne-Mari Sews

Sunday, August 27th: Made By Melli

28th: Adventures with Bubba and Bug

29th: Auschick Sews

30th: Me Made

31st: Living in Twinado Alley

 

Warmest Wishes,

Brooke x

Idlesunshine

 

One Thimble Issue 16 – Under The Sea

Oh my gosh! Where do I even start? One thimble Issue 16 is here and it is bigger, brighter and more beautiful than ever!

Included in this issue are 11 awesome PDF patterns for the ridiculous price of AUS$25:

High Tide Trousers (NB-12)

Triton Tank (1-12)

Scuttle Shorts (3-12)

Hally Dress (1-12)

Miss Olivia Dress (Ladies AU 6-20)

Pearlie Dress (1-12)

Makana Mermaid Skirt (2-4, 5-7, 8-10)

Melody Mermaid Tail (3-8)

Mermaid Pocket Doll & Shell (handsewn)

Murray is a Merman (Free Motion Applique)

Meg is a Mermaid (Free Motion Applique)

What a steal! It’s a gorgeous collection that will fill your wardrobes full of practical warmer weather staples! The Under The Sea theme is designed with comfort and fun in mind for our upcoming Australian Spring. Don’t think that if you are headed into Fall that this magazine is not for you though, One Thimble is very versatile and has something for everyone.

I have absolutely jumped on the One Thimble Fan-wagon this year and with each Issue I have sewn more and more! So far in testing this issue I have made 2 Triton tanks, 2 pairs of Scuttle shorts, 2 Hally dresses, a Pearlie dress and 2 Makana Mermaid skirts! I am proud to say that I have contributed another article to this issue as well, looking at mashing sizes in PDF patterns for the right fit! So grab your coffee and vanilla slice, we could be here for a while with all the pics I have taken!

First let’s take a look at the Hally Casual Dress! These dresses were such a fun project! They were designed by Jen of Ainslee Fox Boutique Patterns in sizes 1-12, who also happens to be the Editor and Creator of One Thimble.

I love the loose comfortable fit and the combinations are endless with fabric mixing here!

Magic Method 1

I made one using the magical first binding method and then we also decided to try a traditional bias method, so you can see both versions here.

Traditional Method 2

It has a simple elastic back with no buttons and zips!

If I’d had enough 1 inch gingham, that would have been my pick for this dress, so don’t be suprised if you see that version pop up soon!

I’m putting a little grid of pics in here, because you’ll be scrolling for days if I add all our pictures individually 😉

Next up is the Pearlie Dress & Peplum in sizes 1-12 by Peach Patterns.

It is a dolman style tshirt dress with a gathered skirt. There are 2 fit options to choose from and we chose the slim fit. It includes 3 pocket styles, but we chose to leave the pocket off for this version.

It is a super comfortable dress and a nice fast sew. This is my girls’ favourite style, they are into simple design and it lets you mix fabrics to change up the look. I can see a million combinations for this dress.

I love the high-low hem which curves up to the side seams. I also love her styling, and she loves her new tie dye socks with a cause from Help Astrid!

Every outfit needs matching bows, so I fussy cut these from the same gorgeous pastel rainbow leopard cotton lycra I used for the bodice!

Next up is the Triton Tank! It’s a casual knit pattern also by Ainslee Fox Boutique Patterns. It works best with fabrics that have a fluid drape (which you can actually read all about in the article on page 64)!

It can be made in sizes 1-12 and I love the roomy fit. This outfit made my kids so happy, they are all about the t-shirts and shorts! It doesn’t matter how many pretty dresses I make, they will always go straight for the basics! Can you blame them – look how comfortable they look!

That is definitely my new mission… Sew all the basics!

The Scuttle Shorts are also by Ainslee Fox Boutique Patterns and team perfectly with the tank. They can be made in sizes 3-12 in knit fabric. As you can see here, they are a unisex pattern in 2 lengths (Shorty & Jamaica lengths). I made both of mine with the panels and pockets, because they are so cute for colour blocking, but there is a simple plain option too, that would be a super fast sew.

My guy loves both this tank and shorts, I had to keep hiding them until we got a chance to take photos or he would have worn them out!

I’m sure you can spot sand and bark all over them from their little adventures this afternoon! This spot on the bay is just gorgeous and full of old trees to climb on.

We happened to hit this spot right on low tide on the most beautiful winters day! It was 4:30pm and it was so warm (25C)!

If you happen to visit us in the near future, you may find us back at that spot, with some deck chairs and drinks next time I think!

I have to show you our Makana Mermaid Skirts from testing too! They totally deserved their own blog post, because I  took so many cute pics of them in testing! This particular weekend we happened to experience some horrendous weather associated with an event known as an East Coast Low. Think Winter on steroids – RAIN, WIND, COLD! I also happened to be sick as a dog to match the weather! I dragged myself out to get the pics and we jagged a tiny bit of sunshine! My husband couldn’t believe we were going to the beach, but I knew we would sneak them in.

 

Now I know you’ve seen a lot, but every Issue I have said that Free Motion Applique is on my to-do list, so if we roll around to the Issue 17 tour and it hasn’t happened, give me a virtual tap on the shoulder and maybe a bit of a glare or something… I’m saying it – I will be FMA-ing that damn gorgeous Meg the Mermaid come hell or high water! So keep me honest and make sure it happens!

We are very lucky (and SUPER EXCITED as you can see below…) to be giving away a copy of Issue 16! So click the Raffle copter link below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you like the fun things I’ve made to celebrate this issue!

Make sure to stop by the other bloggers to see what they have made!

Blog Tour Kickoff

Pattern Revolution

8/11/2017

Sewing with Sarah

GAAF Machine

8/12/2017

Call Ajaire

Happy Okapi

Idle Sunshine

8/13/2017

Pear Berry Lane

Candice Ayala

Needles to Say

8/14/2017

House of Estrela

That’s-Sew-Kari

Made by Sara

8/15/2017

Little Cumquat

Beri Bee Designs

Once Upon a Sewing Machine

8/16/2017

Sprouting JubeJube

Sew Haute Blog

Lily Shine Creates

8/17/2017

Lulu & Celeste

Adventures with Bubba and Bug

Curtiepie

Laela Jeyne Patterns Summer Collection Tour

Welcome to the last day on the Laela Jeyne Patterns Summer Collection Tour! I’m so happy to be joining my lovely sewing friends to promote their Summer Collection Release! There are 6 new patterns now available and I was lucky enough to test the Lily Blouse.

It is winter here currently, and as much as I wish I was in my swimmers, I love that this pattern included a long sleeve version! This pattern is exactly my style, I had been on the look out for a while for something just like it!

Laela Jeyne Lily Blouse – Idlesunshine

You’ll have to excuse my windy photoshoot, my hair and blouse were blowing around everywhere! I used a polyester that I purchased to make a Laela Jeyne Tula! So it was funny it got used for another LJ pattern instead!

Laela Jeyne Lily Blouse – Idlesunshine

 

I love the simple shape, the relaxed fit and the exposed zipper! With sizes 0-26 and bust sizes A-E you are set! Silly me was on my way to work – so I styled as I normally would and went on my way, without considering that my necklace might be hiding those neckline darts, so I’ll pop in a line drawing too. That will show you the short sleeve version, the sleeveless with a collar version and the gathered front option! I love a pattern with options!

Laela Jeyne Lily Blouse – Idlesunshine

The fit is great and I can’t wait to make some more! I ordered some gorgeous red floral rayon to run up a second one with a modified hem for the tour, but it took 2.5 weeks to get here, which was way too late for me to be able to use it! Also in that package was some dance fabrics I needed for a costume for an eisteddfod on Monday! Needless to say, we are now borrowing a costume, but that’s another story! I will get onto that second Lily blouse and post those pics soon, but that fabric company wont be getting a plug here! 😉

Thank you for dropping by today! Here are all the posts included in the tour this week!

Also be sure to head to the Laela Jeyne Blog for a RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!!!

Monday

Anna’s Heirloom Boutique – Swimming in a Sea of Estrogen – Olive Ashby

Tuesday

Mahlica Designs – Pear Berry Lane – Sewing with Sarah

Wednesday

Sewn at Seams – Nini and Ash – The Crafting Fiend – Sew a Piece of Joy

Thursday

I am Mami de Sofiona – Sew and Tell Project – My Heart Will Sew On

Friday

LoveThings – Idle Sunshine – Lovely for Life – Neva Couture

Simple Life Pattern Co – Sew Caroline Collaboration

Sew Caroline and Simple Life Pattern Company are thrilled to be announcing an amazing new collaboration of Mommy and Me sewing patterns!
They teamed up to bring you six awesome new patterns! SLPCo took the Sugar Pop Top, Magnolia Shorts and Waterfall Tank and downsized them to fit the little girls in your life. In return, Sew Caroline took the Ayda Top + Dress, Molly Top, Dress + Maxi and Tammy’s Tulip Shorts and upsized them to fit women. It’s a match made in heaven!

I’ve always loved the simple design of the girls Ayda so I jumped at the chance to try out the women’s version! I love an interesting back design, it is my favourite feature.

I decided to make the sleeveless version from this awesome green floral rayon woven. I bought a truck load of it because I just loved it! It is super slippery and floaty and and amazing! You can also make a cap sleeve or flutter sleeve version.

You can see this fabric drapes a little in the back (especially with my posture in this shot) because of the nature of the rayon and it being cut on the bias. It was quite a cowl when I first pinned it, so instead of sewing the back pieces dead flat across the bottom, I angled the corners downward slightly to flatten the fit of the back V before attaching it to the skirt.

I took a tiny bit of length off the bodice which is an adjustment I always make for my super high waist (but it didn’t need much at all) and otherwise I made up the size M without any changes.

I made the circle skirt  rather than the gathered skirt because

a) I had plenty of fabric

b) I love the twirl and silouette AND…

c) I really dislike gathering skirts to attach to bodices haha!

What sewing technique is your least favourite? I love the look of gathers, but I put them in the same category as button holes… Not my favourite things to do, probably because they take time and patience – 2 things I am kinda short on 😉

I hemmed the skirt with yellow bias tape which you can see peeking out here. It is my favourite way to hem a circle skirt and it gave me a little extra length because I raised the waist and I am fairly tall. The fabric width wouldnt allow me to make it any longer than the exact pattern piece and the fabric is directional.

There are so many other awesome bloggers on tour this week highlighting these great new patterns so go and visit them all!

May 15

Pattern Revolution

Call Ajaire

May 16

Blue Wren Handmade

Stitches by Laura

May 17

Rebel & Malice

All Things Katy!

Sewn at Seams 

May 18

Adventures With Bubba and Bug 

Idlesunshine

Tina Sew Tiny

May 19

That’s-Sew-Kari

Pear Berry Lane

Pattern Revolution

Ruby Rue Creations

 

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

Sisboom Angie Pattern Hack-A-Thon

Hi everyone! Welcome to the first stop on the Sis Boom Patterns Angie Hack-A-Thon Tour! I am so excited to show you my version of the Angie, it’s definitely my new favourite dress.

You might remember in my recent post from the Just For Me January Tour that I am an Angie fan and that I planned to make one in knit fabric!

With most things in life, I like to do a bit of research and then just give it a go. Usually that works out fine… In this case I think I pretty much nailed it!

Let’s take a look at a picture from the original pattern to get a feel for the bones of the dress.

Sis Boom Patterns Angie Dress Pattern

Here’s where the “Hack” comes into it. I decided to make a knit version instead of woven for my hack, partly because I love the drape and most definitely for the comfort and fit. I also decided to reverse the height of the necklines and make the front a high neckline and the back low. I used a quarter circle skirt instead of a gathered one and I added cap sleeves!

I cut out all my pieces for the bodice and basted them together with my sleeves to make sure they worked and I was shocked, {cough!} I mean not suprised at all that they did! I unpicked the bodice and remade it with my serger/overlocker (because unpicking overlocking stitching is not fun, so we like to avoid that).

I made the same size I made last time as the knit was fairly stable and not super stretchy. I used the full width of the front darts, but not the back as that made the front & back width match, which made matching the skirt easier.

Here’s how I reversed the necklines. Cutting out my front piece above, will you just look at those fancy schmancy pattern weights! I laid the back piece on top, matching the shoulders, just to use the neckline. I folded the rest of the pattern out of the way. I did the same process for the back bodice piece, but next time I may make it even more of a dramatic plunge!

I bound the neckline by using a strip of the knit about 2cm wide or 3/4″ and applied it like bias tape. I sewed it on the outside of the neckline right sides together, flipped it up and over to the inside of the garment so that could not be seen and sewed it down. I stretched the binding like you do when you are doing neck bands etc on knit, but I think next time I might not stretch it much at all.

For the sleeve I used a cap sleeve pattern I had from a t-shirt dress I had made recently. I hemmed them before attaching. The head of the sleeve ended up a little big but with a little pleat at the top, it fit perfectly.

To match my sleeves and side seams nicely, I always tack them together first using the sewing machine and check they line up perfectly before I overlock all the way from the sleeve hem to the bottom of the bodice (see below).

I cut out a quarter circle skirt from a woven dress pattern I had made before and sewed up the side seams. Then I just trimmed a few cm from the top of the skirt until the circumference of the skirt matched the circumference of the bodice. I added the elastic to the back waist per the pattern which gives it these sweet gathers and a slimmer silhouette overall. I didn’t hem the dress as the knit does not fray. If you cut it nice and straight it’s absolutely not necessary (yay)!!

This was quite a fast project! The next time around will be even faster now that I have tested it all. I’d love if you’d leave me a comment and let me know what you think or what you would do to “Hack” your Angie!

Play along all week with my sewing friends and be prepared to be inspired by their incredible ideas! You wont believe how different each dress looks all made from the one base pattern. Keep up to date by following the Sis Boom Patterns Blog!

Warmest wishes,

Brooke x

 

Striped Swallow Designs – Highlander Dolman and Rhapsody Joggers

Hi everyone! It’s been a little quiet around here while I settle back into working and studying hasn’t it?

I’ve been keeping very busy behind the scenes in my spare time. Alright, let’s be honest, I’ve been sewing instead of doing my house work, because there is no longer any such thing as “spare time”!

I’ve been busy putting together my first reviews as part of my new role on the Pattern Revolution team (you will hear more about that soon!!) and I’ve also been doing some pattern testing too!

Speaking of pattern testing… I have been bursting to show you this new outfit from Striped Swallow Designs! They recently released the Mainland Collection which includes the Highlander Dolman and Rhapsody Joggers for Women and now the girls bundle and patterns are ready in their store too!

I absolutely love this outfit! The Highlander Dolman has a t-bar back option as well as ties but as you can see in my version I chose a single back strap.

I used a grey marle and a red and off-white stripe tshirt jersey for the front and back (both sourced from Spotlight). These fabrics don’t have a lot of stretch, which is fine for a dolman, but I made sure to use my floral rayon spandex as the binding, as it has the stretch and recovery needed for the job.

I made my daughter the size 5 width and used the size 6 length per her measurements and the fit and shape are both great. You can choose from sizes 2-14 and I really love how the colour blocking worked in this outfit.

Ok let’s tuck the top in so we can see these pants!

For the Rhapsody Joggers, I used this awesome rayon spandex I had in my stash from Lincraft. It feels sooooo beautiful and I am very jealous that I dont have enough to make myself a pair!

I decided to use the same stripe from the back of the Dolman as contrast pockets, which along with the floral binding on the dolman, really helps link the outfit together without it being too matchy matchy!

I made the size 6 width with the 6x length per her measurements. WHAAAAAAAT??? My girl must be growing finally! The fit and length are perfect and with sizes 2-14 to choose from, and size blending instructions included in the pattern, you’ll get the perfect fit too.

I really don’t have much else to say about this outfit, other than – I love it, she loves it,  it’s ridiculously comfy and it looks ridiculously awesome!! I’d love to hear what you think of my crazy fabric combinations though! Knits are really expensive in Australia and we don’t have anything like the range my friends in the USA have! I often fill online carts with fabric from US stores because they are so cheap and beautiful. Then you click checkout, you add your address and then you just about faint from the postage cost! So if someone can find me a fabric sponsor I’d be super grateful 😉

Make sure you keep in touch on instagram and facebook!
Warmest wishes,

Brooke xx

idlesunshine