Mystery Challenge: People and Moments in Time

Wow, this challenge totally stretched my creativity!  Hi! And welcome to my May Mystery Challenge post.

The current challenge is Moments and People Throughout History, and the very awesome Tasha from Friends Stitched Together gave me my topic... Mrs. Jackie Kennedy.  

I will freely admit, I considered asking for a different subject as I was finding myself less than inspired... but I decided that it was a great chance to get my creative juices working and that I wasn't going to back down.  I actually bought fabric three times for this challenge.  I started with a pretty black stretch taffeta, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with it, and it was just SO DARK.  So then I picked a pretty powder blue satin, but I kept staring at it with no real inspiration, so I tried one more time.... and ended up with a bright coral taffeta AND an idea.  That other fabric will find its project soon lol.

Meet my Miss Kennedy:

  

She may not be *quite* as elegant and graceful...

  

So Mrs. Kennedy... the picture perfect First Lady.  Perfectly put together and inspired a generation of fashion with her iconic looks.  So I attempted to create a child friendly version of one of her iconic dresses that has the Kennedy elegance and timeless fashion.  Here is where I got my Kennedy Inspiration from... (photo courtesy of the JFK library). 

Now, while Mrs. Kennedy is wearing an Oleg Cassini in apricot colored silk... Inara is wearing the slightly more accessible "Calypso" taffeta made into a modified "Jackie" from Muffin Head Patterns.  And I paired it with some stretch crushed panne gloves using the Princess Plum Dress Up Gloves from Zuzzy Patterns.

In order to complete the look, we added some *pearls,* white dress shoes, and a little clutch.  

And put it all together and we have my silly Miss Kennedy, as I have been referring to her since.  She found it a ton of fun to be able to dress up and play the sophisticated girl.  She even curtsied to her friends she saw while we were in town.    

The pattern had the shape I wanted before even starting, which made the alterations easy.  The designer helped me reshape the neckline (I was worried I'd mess it up lol).  And then I used the gathered skirt that is part of the pattern and did some big pleats on the back and for the front I did a large pleat in the middle.  And then I made a narrow bow to attach to the front, though I only pinned it on, as I was worried it would get ripped off when she wore it to school.  

 I think that the dress its just a lovely look on Inara and since she is my little fashionista, even though her fashion is a bit ecclectic, I think that a Kennedy look is perfect for her!

So thank you for stopping by to check out my creation and I hope it gives you a bit of inspiration!

Make sure you check out all the other bloggers posting with their awesome categories too! I've been totally wowed by everyone so far!

 

5/25│ The Berry Bunch - Frank Lloyd Wright │ Sew Not Perfect - Lucille Ball, I Love Lucy

5/26 │ Create 3.5 - George Sand

5/27│ Zoe and Ted - Suffragetes

5/28│ House of Estrela - Woodstock/Fall of the Berlin Wall  │ Pen Seb Rox - Piet Mondriaan

5/29│ Friends Stitched Together - Impressionist Movement │ Wining Wife - Judgement of Paris

5/30│ Super Stay at Home Mommy - Madame Tussaud │ Keep Calm and Carrion - Jackie Kennedy  │ Gloria June - Florence Nightingale

5/31│ Sofilantjes - Andy Warhol │ Busy Little Bee - Marie Antoinette │ Amanda Rose - March 9, 1959 Barbie

6/1│ Pienkel - Bianca Jagger │ Huisje Boompje Boefjes - Anne Frank

6/2│ Taking it Up a Notch - Queen Victoria │ Amazing Adventures with Bubba and Bug - 1964 New York World Fair │  Kelly's Sewing Creations - Steampunk Mary Queen of Scots

6/3│ Mae & K - Tesla │ Pretty Little Blog - Moon Landing │ Knot Sew Normal - Lutie Eugenia Sterns

6/4│ Sew Starly - Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II │ Hibbadoray - Amelia Earhart │ Sew Far North - Countess Markievicz (1868-1927)

6/5│ Made By Sara - John Dillinger/Roaring 20's │ Friends Stitched Together - Prohibition/Roaring 20's

6/6│ Country Bella - 1900's World's Fair/Art Nouveau │ Lulu and Celeste - Rosie the Riveter

6/7│Sew Domesticated - 1960's/Civil Rights Movement │ Rebel and Malice - French Revolution/Joan of Arch │ The Fabric Hoarder - Gypsies

Summer Surprise Anniversary Tour

Hi! And welcome to Day two of the Summer Surprise Anniversary Tour for Sofilantjes.

Let me start with a huge thank you to Deb of Sprouting Jube Jube and Anne, the designer behind Sofilantjes for letting me participate.

 
One year ago I applied for a pattern pre-test for a new designer.  The designer seemed really friendly, and I was excited to see something new.  I even wrote a review on my blog about it.  And right then I was hooked on Anne and her way of testing.  She was sweet, involved, friendly, and over the top to make sure that the pattern fit just right.  I've loved spending the last year sewing more of her patterns and watching her style and shop grow.

So here we are, one year later, and I'm excited to tell you that Anne has revamped and updated the pattern a bit and here's what you get:
The pattern comes either bundled or in two size ranges 6mo-7 or 7-12, and the pattern has skinny sizing from 12mo - 12 that is included.
The pattern comes with three lengths - top, tunic and dress
The pattern is made for knits and has a pretty inverted pleat on the front and bow detail on the back.
Layered print option.

So elegant lol

Since this is a blog tour and Deb said to be creative... and she has 5 traditional Summer Surprises that she wears all the time (we really like this pattern lol), I decided to fancy it up a bit.  Using the pattern pieces for the top, I took a few inches off the bottom of it and added a circle skirt.

Quick interlude to tell you about the fabrics... I used the Art Gallery Petal and Plume knits from Whimsical Fabric for the dress.

 As soon as I applied for the tour, I ordered these fabrics, even though I wasn't sure yet how I planned on *hacking* the pattern. 


If you've never used Art Gallery knits before -- they are ah-mazing.  So soft and nice to work with.

 The twirl is just fantastic.  An Inara fancies herself a princess with her elegant summer dress.... which I think explains her choice of head-wear.

Seriously, the epitome of elegance.

In order to celebrate the Sofilantjes anniversary, this pattern is on sale.  The code "Anniversary" will get you 25% off on the pattern on the Sofilantjes website.  AND to make the celebration even more awesome, there is a giveaway every day for the duration of the blog tour.  Here's today's giveaway:

 Day 2 giveaway

-Serger Pepper Designs, winner's choice
-Lily Bird Studio, winner's choice
-Cole's Corner and Creations, winner's choice
-Paisley Roots, All Spice
-Kelly J Designs, winner's choice
-Laela Jeyne Patterns, winner's choice
-KB Stitch Design, winner's choice
-Sofilantjes, winner's choice


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to check out all the other awesome bloggers for more ideas on how to be creative with this pattern AND to enter all the giveaways for the week!

Congrats to Anne for such an awesome first year, and I wish you many more!

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 Bubba 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

Women's Bundle Up Blog Tour: Jillian and Clemence

Have you seen enough BundleUp awesomeness yet?? No, of course not!

Seriously though, this bundle has been one of my all time favorites... so here I am to show you a little more of the bundle up on me.

Here I am wearing my Jillian Top from Greenstyle Creations and my Clemence shorts from Filles a Maman.

Let's start with the details.  First the Jillian.
Sizes: XXS to 3XL (bust 32" - 47")
wrap style racer back outer tank can be made in knit or woven
Inner tank, can be done as a tank, sports bra, or bandeau and is made from knit
REALLY fast to sew, and not a big fabric hog at all

And the Clemence:
Sizes: 00 to 24 (hips 33.25" - 52")
Short or Bermuda length
3 different style accents: 2 scallops and 1 flap
Made for wovens, and look really nice in a stretch woven. 

 

How am I doing at not looking awkward?  Justin is out of town so I hired Inara to take pictures for me.  She's not a half bad photographer for being 6.  She tells me that I'm "super weird" in front of the camera, though lol.  

I'd say that the sewing time on the Jillian was probably about 90 minutes for both pieces.  I did the bandeau for my inner tank, using a plain black cotton/spandex performance knit.  For the outer... This is exciting for me... I dyed my own fabric!!  The print is a custom knit from The Fabric Igloo, but because I never remember to order pre-orders when I want them, I actually got it from the host's Hyena Cart (Knits & Giggles).  I ordered one of the dyeing kits she stocks and got my fabric, gloves, mask, dyes, and soda ash all in a nice little package.  

Kind of neat, right?  So I took this pretty innocent looking white and black fabric and gave it a very *me* twist.  I'm kind of addicted to dying things now, and I really love the personal touch it gave this shirt, without it being over the top.

Jillian What I loved: I will definitely be wearing this shirt a lot this summer (I like how my tattoo shows, hmmmm.. I feel like that's an awesome trend with this bundle too!), and I love how it fits, an I definitely love all of the options that are included in it.

Jillian What I'd change:  There is only one thing that I would probably constantly change when making this.  The waistband is cut on the fold, so there is only one seam when its sewn.  I put this seam lined up with one of the side seams, but the obsessive part of my brain wants the seams to be symmetrical, but I feel like that is just me being a bit weird.  

And my awesome shorts.   I actually pre-tested this pattern.  I made the Bermudas for the pre-test because I am a bit self-conscious about my thighs, and I will tell you that SO much care went into making the fit just right on this pattern.  There are instructions on how to adjust the waist, so if you're like me and your hips are significantly bigger than your waist, your shorts won't fall down!  (Don't laugh, the struggle is real :p)

So for this post, I originally was going to make another pair of Bermudas, but it's been warm, and I really want to own a couple pairs of actual shorts... so I went for it!  And I really like them.  I used a stretch denim with a sort of tie-dye looking print on it that I found at Joann's. 

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm pretty, bottom heavy, so I HATE making bottoms for myself out of anything other than knit for PJs.  I can only fit a couple brands of store bought jeans that will fit over my hips and not be all weird and huge at the waist.  These shorts fit amazingly well.  I followed the instructions for adjusting the waist that are included in the pattern, and I am 100% sure that they aren't going to show my underwear when I sit, and my hips fit!

Clemence What I Love: I love how easy it is to adjust the shorts to make them fit nicely at both the hip and waist.  And I love how easy the pattern was to follow.  And that there are multiple lengths included.

Clemence What I'd Change: I think my next pair, I may cut them just a little longer than the short pattern calls for.  But, the pattern does have a length chart, I just didn't measure myself first!

And just to crack you up... Photographer Inara choce the pose.... She said I wasn't being cool enough with my awesome outfit... so here you go... BundleUppers UNITE!  (She calls is the Superhero pose)

 

So the bundle is almost over, but there have been lots of blogs of all the different patterns... so check them out!!

 

Mimi's Mom - Baby Fish Designs - The Wholesome Mama - Gloria June - Sew Happily Ever After - Manning the Machine - Sew Like My Mom - Sproutign Jube Jube - Keep Calm and Carrion - Friends Stitched Together - Thread Riding Hood - Gingerbear Hibbadorary - Pensebrox - Sew Starly - If Only They Would Nap - Handmade Boy - All Things Katy - Bunch-o-Berries - Bee Quilted BeautiesSew Thrifty - Made by Sara - Feathers Flights - Mabey She Made It - Mae and K - Sugar Plum Cuties - Rebel and Malice - House of Estrela - Phat Quarter Blog - Sofilanjes


And then... make sure you BundleUp! 

Women's Bundle Up Blog Tour: MODKid Women's Malibu

Good morning!  Welcome to Day Three of the Pattern Revolution Women's Bundle Up Blog Tour!

I'll be posting a bit this week to show off the patterns I've sewn from the bundle, but let's start here with the gorgeous MODKid Malibu.  

*Disclaimer, I am totally and completely awkward when it comes to photos, so enjoy my attempting to follow Inara's instructions to "pose pretty."  

The details:
Sizes XS to XXL (30"-42" Bust and 32-44" Hip)
Made for knit fabrics
Two back options (crossover or solid)
Two lengths (mini or maxi)

I did the mini-length with the crossover back.  I am kind of at the top end of the fit for this pattern, and I feel like I could have taken it in a little, so there is definitely some give room if you're worried that it won't be big enough, don't worry!  In fact, my hips are definitely outside the measurements and I was a little worried that I might have to adjust the skirt, but it didn't need it.

This is me attempting to listen to Inara's constant critiques of me posing.  She was standing off camera on her play set yelling down at me.  She goes "Mom, your dress is pretty, how about you pose pretty too? AND take that frumpy sweater off."

Apparently, she doesn't love my cardigan... but it was a bit chilly, and I wanted to show that it layers up nicely for cool summer nights!

The pattern gives instructions for either using FOE for the binding or doing a knit binding.  I thought a pretty lace edged bias would look cute.

What I loved: I love that the back shows off my tattoo, while still allowing me to wear a bra.  I also like the A-line skirt shape, which I find to be much more flattering to my body type than a straight or gathered skirt. I also like that it has a solid back option for more modesty, if that's what you're looking for.  Also, this I thought was cool, the pattern gives 3 cutting lengths for the skirts: petite, average, or tall.  Which meant that I wasn't cutting a skirt that would end up being 3" too long, because I'm kind of short.

What I'd change: This one comes down to body type, I think, but when you add the elastic at the waistline, it gives the dress a better shape, but if you're like me and have a natural waist that is significantly smaller than your hips, it almost pulls the bodice up a little too far.  So I think for the next one I will shorten the bodice a little bit, so the crossover in the back sits more flat when worn.

This is my first MODKid Women's pattern, and I'm really happy with it.  I found the instructions to be easy to follow and understand, and the dress came together in about two hours from print to hem, which is amazing for a dress for me!

If you're still deciding which patterns to bundle up, this one is a yes from me!

And if you need more opinions and to see more options on all the patterns included (which come on, we all need to see more inspiration!), make sure you check out the rest of the bloggers on the tour

I've found that the best way to see all the posts, is to make sure you're following the Pattern Revolution Facebook Page!  

**Last disclaimer... this pattern was provided free to me in exchange for blogging about it, but all opinions are my own, and I picked it because I loved the teaser pics!