Welcome back! If ever there was a reason to dust off the ol' blog again, my friends at Raspberry Creek Fabrics would be a good one! Happy to be part of their blogger and promo team again this year, and excited to share some of my own favorite things as part of their Favorite Things blog tour. I've settled on a favorite pattern company, favorite fabric from RCF, a favorite notion to share here - but it was a tough choice! It's been a crazy couple of months and honestly, at this point my favorite things include a messy bun, comfy shorts, and not wearing a bra. 😂 Miss P, however, is in full tween mode these days and likes to get dressed for the occasion - even if the occasion is hanging out in the family room, arguing with her brother, and reading an entire book before bedtime. She's still all about the rompers and the new Sunday Romper (aff. link) from Love Notions Patterns (aff. link) was in testing while we were starting to decide what to sew up for this post, so she asked if she could pick fabric for another one of those. I used the kids size range for her, but there's also a Sunday Romper (aff. link) in ladies sizing from xs-5xl.
We're both huge fans of double brushed poly (dbp) and love it for pretty much year round wear. It's got a nice weight and is pretty stable so it holds a press and is easy to sew, washes beautifully with no fading or shrinkage, and is super soft and comfy to wear. It's called double brushed because the fabric is, well, brushed. On both sides. (Single brushed poly is only brushed on the right side of the fabric.) There are approximately one zillion beautiful prints as part of the CLUB line at Raspberry Creek, but my girl is decisive and settled on this one pretty quickly.
For this romper P decided that she'd like the cropped pants with the tank, and of course we needed pockets. I broke out one of my most favorite notions, Dritz Washaway Wonder Tape, to help get the placement of the pockets just right. As you can see in the pics, the Wonder Tape is a double sided tape that's only 1/4" wide, so it fits nicely on the pressed sides and bottom of the pocket. I use it to apply the pocket to the pants and it holds it in place so I can topstitch the pocket.
The tape will dissolve and wash away the first time it goes into the washing machine, so it doesn't affect the fit or drape of the garment. It actually adds a touch of stability to a drapey knit, too, which is nice if you have a sewing machine as I do that sometimes likes to chew up knits.
(Side note about these pants - this romper is such a great fit and style that we've been making separates from the pants for Miss P. I use the pattern as printed and remove an inch from the rise, and then sew and encase 1" elastic into the waist. Great fit for cute summery, beachy pants and super quick sew, too!)
I had a little less than a yard left over from Miss P's romper, so I decided to treat myself to a matching tank. I used the free (you can get the code from the Love Notions Facebook group) Laundry Day tee (aff. link) in the tank view, with a slight mod to widen the straps and narrow the hem. It's a great go-to in the tank view since I can wear it as-is during the summer months and then wear it layered with a cardigan or hoodie during the rest of the year. Love Notions is one of my all-time favorite and most-sewn pattern companies, for my family and for myself. The drafting is fantastic, the fit is always spot on, and the styles are modern yet classic enough for everyday wear. Since they're so well-drafted they also make a great base for hacking into other designs or making various modifications. The shorts I'm wearing here are actually a modified pair of Allegro shorts (aff. link) - I blocked the front section to have roomy pockets that extend vertically from the hem and they're a new favorite!
The weather has been crazy with the humidity and afternoon/evening thunderstorms lately and I decided to just set up the tripod and get some indoor pics with the remote this time. My kids think the remote is the most fun thing ever so I charged the battery, cleared the memory card, and let them have at it. P did a great job with her own pics, and I love the fun expressions we managed to capture of the two of us. Pretty well sums up the craziness in our house these days!
Hope you're all faring well in these unusual times - please make sure to check out the other stops on the Favorite Things tour this week. So many great ideas and patterns being shared, and even some fun tutorials!
Tuesday: Life Sew Savory, Made By Kates, and SewSophieLynn
