One Thimble magazine, Vol. 8

I'm back with another One Thimble review - this time, I've gotten to try out two of the more than a dozen patterns included in Vol. 8, which was released today. One Thimble is an Australian e-magazine that is chock full of brand new pdf patterns and feature articles that are perfect for both the home seamstress and small business owner. After having the chance to review patterns from previous issues, I'm totally hooked. (Disclaimer: I was provided these two patterns at no charge for my review. All opinions are 100% mine, and I'm under no obligation to purchase the complete magazine. I will, though, since I'm always so pleased with the articles and patterns,)

The first pattern I picked to review was the Amber Swing Dress by 1 Puddle Lane, which caught my eye as a great back-to-school knit dress for Miss P. The swing style, with a more fitted upper bodice and flared skirt, is very trendy right now, and I knew that my girl would love this with a pair of leggings and bright sneakers. I was right - this is just her style, cute but comfy. I like to let her pick some of her fabrics and lately she's been wanting more black clothing. I'm not a huge fan of black clothes on little girls (she's not quite 6 yet), but the solid cotton lycra was the perfect blank slate for the lines of this dress. We picked a bright rainbow yarn dyed stripe for the sleeves, which I lengthened about two inches to be elbow length (the pattern includes multiple other sleeve lengths and a puff sleeve as well). I also freehanded a giant heart applique, which I fused to the dress front with fusible adhesive (Heat n Bond lite) and then topstitched in place.

This was a quick sew and the fit was great. I sewed a size 4 with added length (her chest measures 22" around and she is about 45" tall) , and got a cute mini dress that fit Miss P quite well. The pattern includes sizes from 1-10 and three different views - I sewed up the basic view but there are hem frills and ruffles included in the pattern as well.

For my second pattern, I opted to sew the felt flowers from Molly and Mama. I've made felt flowers in the past, and this pattern blows them all away. Hands down. this is the best assortment of flowers with clear and concise instructions to make assembly easy and painless. This could save you hours of Pinterest-ing through broken links and is a great base for so many other projects as well. The flowers and succulents included are recommended for use on a headband, hair clips, and a little wristlet (bracelet); I could also see using them as a brooch for a winter coat or hat among other things.

Wool felt is recommended over craft felt, and I tried various flowers using both. I had some wool felt on hand as well as a reasonably decent quality craft felt. The wool felt flowers definitely have more heft to them, and feel a bit more sturdy and stable. Some of my craft felt petals feel a bit fragile - which is not always the best idea in the hands of a five-year-old! Miss P didn't want a soft headband for these, so we added a few to a satin covered plastic headband (I like to buy them here, from Sunshine Shoppe Supply) and did a few on alligator clips as well.

I love how these turned out, and the sheer variety of flowers included makes this pattern a definite necessity. I know I'll get a lot of use out of both of these patterns, and Miss P loved them too, so it's a win all around.

You can buy and download the latest issue of One Thimble (along with back issues and single patterns) here, and please make sure to check out the rest of the tour, too. :) AND, there's a giveaway with a free copy of Vol. 8 below - good luck!

8/13 Pattern Revolution, Call Ajaire, Happy Okapi

8/14 Rebel and Malice, Handcrafted by Red, Lily Shine Boutique

8/15 Lady and the Gents, Horris and Deedle,  Bee Quilted Blog

8/16 Create 3.5, Lulu and Celeste, 

8/17 Beri Bee Designs, Finn's Door

8/18 Hibbadoray, HattieLu Handmade

8/19 Made by Sara, Snickerdoodle Stew

8/20 Stitches By Laura, That's Sew Kari

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EYMM Anniversary Blog Tour: Back-to-School Maxi!

I'm happy to be participating in the anniversary blog tour to celebrate two years of EYMM patterns! I've sewn quite a few of Kymy's 43 (!) patterns already - our current favorites are the California maxi and the brand new Capsule Skirt - but have been meaning to sew up a Carlie's Dolman for Miss P for ages. This was the perfect opportunity!

The new school year is still more than a month away here in New Jersey (we don't start until September here!) but we've started to prep a bit already. Miss P is headed to kindergarten and her countdown has begun in earnest - she is SO excited! We're beginning to think about school clothes and my little lady asks "can I wear that to school??" about every new outfit that comes off my sewing machine. We don't have uniforms here so it's mostly anything goes, but it still needs to be school appropriate. She's had a serious obsession with maxi dresses this summer, and the California halter has been one of her favorites. As in, might not survive to be a hand-me-down that's how much it's been worn - that kind of favorite. :)

I thought this tour would be the perfect chance to mash up two of Kymy's patterns to see if I could come up with a maxi that would be great for back-to-school and slightly cooler weather. I used the Carlie's Dolman view D (crop top version) for the top, and used the size 3/4 since I didn't want the bodice of the dress to be super roomy. (I also made the neckline smaller using the tips included in the pattern - this worked well for my narrow-shouldered girl.)

For the skirt, I cut my California maxi dress pattern piece at the line marked for the elastic and used the bottom portion only. I cut the skirt with a size 4 width and a size 5 length to accommodate her height. The skirt was wider than the bottom of the bodice so I gathered it lightly before sewing the skirt to the bodice. I used a 3/4" seam allowance for this step and pressed the seam allowance up toward the bodice. I sewed it in place to form the elastic casing, and then threaded the elastic through. Miss P loved the finished dress and was happy to try it on. I'm not so sure she'll be able to wait until school starts to wear it, though!

Join EYMM and 24 fellow bloggers as we celebrate the first 24 months of our pattern shop with a huge sale and giveaway!  There is also a GREAT giveaway at the bottom of this post. Don't wait because you don't see sales like this often from EYMM and it will be over before you know it!

*NOTE* The links below won't show the tour posts until 11am PST on their day of the tour, BUT you are welcome to click through and check their blogs out at any time.

7/27
Connected by a Thread, Pattern Revolution, The Wholesome Mama

7/28
Climbing the Willow, Rebel & Malice, Hibbadoray

7/29
Pretty & Precious Clothing, Sprouting Jube Jube, Call Ajaire

7/30
Once Upon a Sewing Machine, Swoodson Says, Blessed X Five

7/31
Beri Bee Designs, Sewing the Seasons, Sew Outnumbered

8/1
Creative Counselor, Lulu & Celeste, Analog Bytes

8/2
Handcrafted by Red, Boutique Birdie, HattieLu Handmade

8/3
Capture, Craft & Cook, Welcome to Our Crazy World, Create 3.5

Not only is there an AMAZING blog tour going on but 1 lucky winner that leaves a comment below between now and 8.3.15 will win a FREE EYMM pattern of their choice!!!!  Which one would you pick?

Then hop on over to EYMM to check out the awesome SALE, and an even bigger celebration giveaway with over $1000 in prizes.  There will be 40 winners in all.

Blog tour time: For the BOYS!!

For this week's blog tour excitement, I was invited to participate in project from an awesome group of designers at Sewing With Boys - the collaboration is called "S is for Sewing" and includes 4 full patterns that are great for back-to-school. Also included are great tutorials from a number of other designers and bloggers. And it's ALL for the boys - how great is that??! I've mentioned before that I love sewing for my little guy (and the feeling is mutual, so I want to enjoy that while I can!) and it's no secret that patterns for boys are far more limited in scope and design than those for girls. 

All of the patterns included in this e-book look great, but I selected the Radical Raglan hoodie from Jonie of Knot Sew Normal to sew up for A this week. It was a HUGE hit and is jam-packed with options. I sewed up the size 3 based on his measurements (this is his typical size for RTW and handmade) and the fit was great. It's definitely a closer-fitting garment than many boys' hoodies and has great lines. I used microfleece with cotton lycra for the accent fabric. If I used a heavier fabric or one with less stretch, like sweatshirt fleece, I'd definitely size up. The length was good and the waistband was perfectly snug but not tight; I did shorten the sleeves by 1.5" and kept the cuffs - it was good to know that they were a little long so if I wanted to omit the cuffs another time and just hem the sleeves it would work well. 

The front pockets are a key feature of this pattern, and they're great. My guy couldn't keep his hands out of them - I used the microfleece for the pocket lining so they'd be nice and cozy. The size is generous but not ridiculous, and the hand opening is just right for little hands and their cars/Lego/rocks/other assorted treasures. I added a patch to ours, since A loves when I do that - I like to stock up on woven prints like this one so I can just applique a small piece. This particular print is Stenzo, and is still available at Mabel Madison (use the code savemm through 7/31/15 to get 50% off the entire shop!!). 

The main modification that I made to this pattern was the neckline. The pattern is drafted with a cool asymmetrical button placket, and a strap that extends from one sleeve/bodice seam to cross over the placket and snap in place. I COULD NOT convince my stubborn kiddo that the placket wasn't "crooked." I guess 3-year-olds just aren't into design concepts yet lol. So I decided that since this hoodie was for him and I would love if he actually chooses to wear it this fall, I'd just leave off the placket and strap.

Instead of just attaching the hood to the existing neckline, I scooped the neckline and the tops of the shoulders a bit deeper and serged a neckband to the new neckline. I used a 2" wide strip of ribbing, and cut it to about 80% of the size of the neckline. I attached the hood directly to the seam allowance (from where I attached the neckband to the shirt) and then topstitched to help keep the seam allowance tacked down. I left a gap between the ends of the hood at the front so it wouldn't feel constrictive around his neck, and also since I plan on using this for layering over tees when the end-of-summer chilly mornings start showing up around here. 

It's probably pretty obvious by the pics that the finished hoodie was a big hit with my little guy. Taking photos was unusually easy, and he's already asked for another one (he's got specific fabrics in mind, of course!). I'm glad he likes it since I do, too - I love that there are lots of design options included, but the basic pattern itself is so well-fitting that it's easy to customize and make it exactly how my kiddo wants it to look and feel. The pattern was provided to me for my participation in this tour, but all opinions are mine (and those of my little guy, too). He was compensated with a handful of jelly beans, but not the spicy red ones. He hates those. ;)

Make sure to check out the other stops on the tour - today's the last day for new posts, but there are lots of amazing ladies who've already shared their takes on the S is for Sewing e-book patterns. 

July 13th

Pattern Revolution

Sewing Mama Raeann

Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts

July 14th

From-a-Box

Lulu & Celeste

July 15th

Huisje Boompje Boefjes

The Berry Bunch

FABulous Home Sewn

House of Estrela

July 16th

Mae & K

Oh Sew Boy!

Wild & Wanderful

July 17th

create3.5

Call Ajare

The Wholesome Mama

Rebel & Malice

Handcrafted by RED

It's Blog Tour Time Again - Simple Life Pattern Company Mash-Up Tour!

The Simple Life Pattern Co. has only been selling patterns for the past six months, but they've made a huge splash in the pdf pattern world. And for good reason - these patterns are fantastic! They're well-drafted, stylish, and the perfect mix of frilly (pleases my girl) yet practical enough for everyday wear (pleases me).

When I was invited to join their mash-up blog tour this week, I agreed without hesitation and then turned Miss P loose on their website. To mash-up a pattern, I usually use components from 2-3 patterns and blend them for a new look. I think it's a great way to extend the life of a pattern and get even more use from it without looking like I've made three or four of the same dress. (Not that there's anything wrong with that. We've got plenty of "duplicates" in our wardrobes here - it's just nice to get a little bonus add-on from my pattern purchases, too.)

Miss P immediately fell in love with the Lilly Lapel Dress, and what's not to love?? It's GORGEOUS. I reminded her that we live a pretty casual lifestyle with no upcoming big events, and since it was really the pieced version of the skirt that caught her eye we decided to make it a standalone skirt. It was a no-brainer to pair the adorable Cheyenne Ruffled Top with it for a sweet ensemble that is totally wearable but fancy enough to please my little lady.

To make the skirt, I opted for the smaller of the two sizes I was considering and went with the 4T. It left me without enough ease in the waist/hips for her to still be able to pull it on once I added an elasticated waistband, but was a little shorter and less full than the size 5. I pieced the skirt together per pattern instructions (which are so detailed and easy to follow) and then started to draft my waistband.

You can see in the photo above that I serged along the top of my pieced skirt - there are a LOT of seams involved because of all of the panels, and I found that finishing the top edge just cleaned it up a bit as I prepared to add the waistband. I cut my waistband to the circumference of the top edge of my skirt (plus seam allowance) by 4" tall. I sewed up the side seams, pressed in half along the long edge, and also pressed one edge under about 1/4" before attaching the raw edge to the top edge of the skirt. I pressed that seam up and folded my waistband down along the crease I'd pressed down the midline, and then topstitched the waistband in place, leaving about 2" open to thread my elastic. I used 1" elastic, cut just a touch shorter than my daughter's waist measurement. I also stitched just along the top edge of the waistband, about 1/8" from the edge, to help keep the casing nice and snug for the elastic. I hemmed the skirt per pattern instructions but it would look very cute finished with bias tape also!

For the Cheyenne tank, I cut the sleeveless view in the size 4 with added length since I wanted it to be a nice slim fit to tuck into the skirt. Miss P is right between the size 4 and 5 these days, so I can go either way depending on what type of fit we're looking for. I wanted a little cap sleeve to make this a little more of a transitional outfit since the skirt will be perfect for fall, so I made a faux sleeve from the arm band. I simply serged the band onto the tank, right sides together, and instead of wrapping it to the wrong side to finish the arm opening as binding I just pressed the ends under asymmetrically and hemmed in place. I tucked just about 1/2" under at the shoulder, and then tapered down as I approached the side seam/underarm. At that point there was less than 1/2" of the band VISIBLE as the rest was pressed under. Once I hemmed, I just trimmed away the excess knit. It's subtle but I like the way the "sleeve" extends just a tiny bit beyond the ruffles at the shoulder.

Miss P's next request is for me to use the bodice from the Lilly dress since she loves the lapels - and mash it with the tiered maxi skirt from the Mia's Dress. This girl is definitely not into the subtle these days!

Thanks again to Katie, Kimberlee, and the team at SLP Co. for inviting me to join you this week - this was a lot of fun for us! Make sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour, too!

The Sofilantjes Summer Surprise Anniversary Tour!

Thanks for stopping by to visit Day 3 of the Summer Surprise Anniversary Tour! The tour was arranged by Deb of Sprouting JubeJube and is to celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of Sofilantjes Patterns and the Summer Surprise Dress and Top. It's been a great year for Anne and her pattern company, and I'm excited to be joining the tour. I've had this pattern since it was released last year, and Anne has made some great updates to it in time for the celebration this week - including enabling the layers feature for printing only your size, which I LOVE and appreciate.

Miss P lost her second tooth today! :)

There is a huge size range (from 6 months to 12 years) AND Anne has drafted the pattern for regular sizes and slim sizes as well. This means if your child's chest measurement is different from their height measurement, you won't have to mix and match multiple sizes to get a good fit. Miss P's chest and hips measure 22", but she's nearly 45" tall, so I often have to do a bit of mixing and matching. For the Summer Surprise, I used the slim size 4, and the fit was spot on. 

I decided for this tour to mix things up a bit more, though, so I added the Gemini skirt pattern (view A) and made a cute blousy dress for P. I started by cutting the top about an inch shorter - I could have shortened by another two inches or so, but I wanted the top to blouse over the top of the skirt, since it's so fitted. I used the Gemini skirt in the size 5/6, but I'd say in the future I could even go up another size.

For the waistband, I cut two bands (at half the height of the Gemini pattern piece, since it wasn't going to be folded over as in the pattern) and encased my elastic between them. I basted the top and bottom of the waistband closed, and attached the top of the waistband to the shirt hem (I used a long basting stitch to gather the hem of the shirt to fit the waistband) and the bottom of the waistband to the skirt waist.

I used 1.25" elastic for the waistband and used the same measurement that I typically use for skirts/shorts for Miss P - I think next time I'll make it about an inch bigger, since this sat a little snugly on her. Of course, it may have been that we were taking pics in the evening and she'd eaten a huge dinner! ;)

Overall, it was an easy sew - the instructions for both patterns are clear, well-written, and easy to follow - and the finished look is what I intended. I love the details on the Summer Surprise top; the bow detail in the back, the width of the bands on the neck and arms, and the pleat in the front at the neckline all make for a unique but very wearable garment. I'll be making more of these for sure!

Please make sure to check out all of the stops on the tour, and enter the daily giveaways, too - there are great prizes to be had!

Inspinration - The Craftiness in Me - Van Je Veel - Boutique Birdie - Tory Frail Designs - Wining Wife - Keep Calm and Carrion - Moon Star - Circle Meets Line - Amazing Adventures with Buba and Bug - Manning the Machine - Sugarplum Cuties - House of Estrela - Create 3.5 - Handcrafted by RED - Lulu & Celeste - Rebel & Malice - Two Novembers - From a Box - Sprouting JubeJube - Maryall Made - Phat Quarters - Knot Sew Normal - Sew Happily Ever After - All Things Katy

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