Pattern Review: Love Notions Miss Mary Mack

I think this pattern is going to be a year round wardrobe staple here.  Lots of options, fast to sew, and really cute...

The Love Notions Miss Mary Mack Tunic is here.

The options:
Sizes 12mo - 14
Two bodice styles: curved and straight
Four sleeve options: gathered cap, short sleeve, flutter sleeve, and long sleeve (five if you combine the flutter and long which looks awesome)
Made for knits

This is Inara trying to look artistic while keeping the sun out of her eyes.  For this one the Fancy Nancy Fabric is a tight rib knit, and I did the bottom of the bodice in a stretch velvet to keep the "fancy" theme going.  The pants she's wearing are the Maxx-ine pants (also from Love Notions, and they have these crazy cute zippers on the sides)

Between sewing and cutting the pattern took less about 1 -1.5 hours to make.  The Short sleeves went a little quicker than than the long sleeve with flutter.  And on the purple one, I used clear elastic to gather, and that was much faster than using gathering threads like I did on the teal one.

What I loved: The flowy fit is great, without looking too wide on my slim kid.  And I love all the sleeve options - it makes it perfect for all year.

What I'd Change: I wish I had more clear elastic to gather the second top that same way.  It makes the knit gathers look so nice and even and I don't have to mess with gathering threads AND it stabilizes the seam.

Since Inara won't wear jeans, we have a rule that if she wears leggings to school her tush needs to be covered. So shirts like this are awesome, because they are long enough to cover her tush with leggings without having to add a skirt.  The shirt is great for highlighting prints and you could even fancy it up with a lace overlay on the skirt part.

Here's my best endorsement too... The teal fabric is from Peru.  My parents brought me back a meter from their last trip and I can't get anymore until they go again.... This fabric has sat on my shelf getting picked up and put back for a year... and I cut into it for this pattern because I love it and Inara loved the pattern and the fabric!

So... its on sale through Saturday and is available here.   I totally recommend getting the Maxx-ine pants and skirt to go with it if you don't have that pattern yet!

**Note: links to Love Notions site are using my affiliate link, but all opinions are totally my own! If I didn't love it, I wouldn't promote it!

Pattern Review: Love Notions JamJams

Hi! Welcome to my third post about the Bundle Up!  You're running short on time if you want to bundle, so let me tempt you one more time.  Today you get to see three patterns

Love Notions JamJams - which I was a tester for
and two patterns which I made from my bundle purchase (yes, I liked the bundle enough to buy!)
EYMM Harems
Jocole Wide Leg Pants

First up, I tested this pattern and totally love it.  Here are the Love Notions Jam Jams

First, the details

Size 2- 14

Shorts or capri bottoms

drop shoulder top with gathered back

Perfect for mixing, matching and upcycling

What I love: Like all of the Love Notion patterns, this includes some great tips for working with knits, so if you are new to knits, this is a great place to start.  The back toke and ruffles make this pattern perfect for mixing and matching different prints and my daughter loves the fit of the top so much she wears it to school!

What I'd change:  I think the capris run a little long on Inara... though she's also not very tall.  Either way, for our next pair, I'll make the capris a 5 in length, but the fit is otherwise spot on.  

And... because I want to make sure that you don't think I'm just promoting the ones I got for free.. I did actually like enough patterns in the bundle that it was worth it to purchase.  Here was my theory.. If a normal priced pattern runs $8-$10, then I'd need to like at least 5 patterns in the bundle to make purchasing all of the remaining ones worth it.  Because at $44, that would equate to around 5 full priced patterns.  Either way, I liked enough and bought the remaining 7 that I didn't have... and here's what I had time to sew this week...

Inara is wearing the Jocole Wide Legs and Connor is wearing the EYMM Harems

First up, the Jocole Wide Legs:

Sizes NB -14

Work in knit or woven for the pants

Short, capri, or pant lengths

Knit waistband in various widths

two pocket types

What I loved: The fit on these pants is fantastic... they cover her tush nicely without being weirdly baggy on the upper part.  The big patch pockets are an adorable detail, and we both we swayed by the wide leg cuteness.

What I'd change: Actually, the only change I'd make is to shorten them by 1", but again, my kid isn't super tall.

And Connor is rockin' the EYMM Harem Pants:

Sizes NB - 18

Work in knits or woven.  

capri or pant lengths

multiple waistband options

multiple hem options (elastic, normal, cuff)

What I love: The fit on this is fantastic.  I am not a super fan of Harems, but the drop on these is nice... they don't look silly, and instead have a nice baggy fit that are great for crazy toddler play.  In fact, they are laid out to wear to toddler tumbling tomorrow!

What I'd change:  This one is total stupidity on my part, but once I got done, I wished I'd done the cuffed version, but I'll make him another pair tomorrow with cuffs!

Anyways... today is your LAST chance to Bundle Up!  So jump on it and grab yourself some awesome patterns!

Pattern Review: Flyaway Cardigan and Saucy Skirt from Dandelions 'n' Dungarees

Okay, so I went to bed last night planning on finishing up a smaller set this morning and then adding some quick pictures and posting, BUT then I got to looking at the smaller size range of this pattern and decide I would be doing a huge disservice to everyone with littles if I didn't show you how awesome the tiny size was too.  So here are the two newest releases from Dandelions n' Dungarees.

There are two patterns being shown here in size 6: Flyaway Ruffle Cardigan and the Saucy Skirt.

These patterns are available in three size groupings
Baby: NB - 18mo
Girls: 2 - 7
Tween: 8- 16

Can you tell how much she loves it??  As soon as photos were over it went right into her little pile of clothes to wear the next day.  Perfect for fall in the Pacific Northwest... just add leggings!  How great is it that this coordinates with her hair too?

It's such a lovely pattern, and here was the kicker for us... even with making the ruffles, the entire outfit was done in under 3 hours.  And, another equally cool aspect is that the skirt has multiple options included that make it so versatile.  During testing we had a Princess Party to go to and Inara wanted a frozen themed skirt to wear, so I grabbed the flannel lined satin from Joann's and some pink costume satin I had laying around and whipped up a woven one with a simple yoga waistband... (yes I left the serger edges sewing.. we were leaving in 45 minutes and I was in a bit of a rush lol)

The pattern is just so sweet, and we know how much Inara loves twirl, right? So how perfect is this:  

She may have twirled until she fell over...  I may have laughed a little.  

I also wanted to show you another way to to the ruffles... so here is the cardigan and skirt in a size 3 (for Connor's little girlfriend)... the tie on the skirt is done in grosgrain ribbon instead of the tie AND the ruffles on the back are done with ruffle fabric... so if you're in a big hurry for a super cute outfit, this saved even more time..

The skirt on this one is done with a semi-sheer shimmey slub knit, as are the sleeves on the cardigan... I was hoping they gave up a sort of shimmery fairy quality... we'll see what Evie thinks when she gets them!

AND, here is what decided to buy last night and cut out and sew this morning... (yes, I liked this pattern so much that I went out and bought another size grouping)  because I really wanted to show one more way to do the ruffles... and my friend has a new baby that NEEDS this outfit.  This is the Newborn size (HOW CUTE AND TINY) and the ruffles are made from an eyelet lace that I had in my stash.  It was already slightly gathered, so I just sewed the strips on as they were.  

So there are lots of great options for embellishing the back of this sweater, and they each give it a unique look.  

ALSO, you can do different neck closures... which is a cool way to personalize the pattern as well.  For Inara's a did a button and loop as the pattern is written.  A couple of testers extended the neck binding and used it to make ties at the neck.  And for Evies I did a pom-pom to look like the one's on Tink's shoes and for the baby one, I extended the binding to make a tab on on side and used KAM snaps. 

I just cant gush enough over this pattern, and I really wanted to show off the tiny size BECAUSE right now there are some awesome sale bundles going on in the Dandelions n' Dungarees Craftsy Store.  For only $9.00 you can get 2 size groups of the Flyaway Ruffle Cardigan and for $13.00 you get from NB through size 16.  And the same sale is on for the Saucy Skirt as well.  So while they are on sale for the release, you should definitely grab the bundles as the savings are HUGE.  (Sale ends Sunday!)

And after you grab your patterns, please come join the Dandelions n' Dungarees Facebook Group to show off your sews!  

Thanks for stopping by to see what I made!  

Perfect Pattern Parcel #5 Blog Tour!

Hi! I am really excited to tell you about Perfect Pattern Parcel #5. 

Last round was super successful, raising $1000 for classrooms in need!  This brings the total that the Perfect Pattern Parcel bundles have raised to over $11,000!  How amazing is that?  So not only are you getting great patterns, but you are supporting children's education.

This round here are the awesome patterns you get from the parcel:

Lily Knit Blazer by Peek-a-Boo Patterns

Everyday Yoga Pant for Girls by Greenstyle

Asymmetrical Drape Top by EYMM

Playhouse Dress by Fishstick Designs

Mimi Dress and Shirt by Filles a Maman 

BONUS PATTERN: Sunki Dress by Figgy’s

If this is your first intro to the Perfect Pattern Parcel, here is how it works.  You get to name your price for the patterns included in this bundle.  If you name your price OVER $28, you get the BONUS PATTERN... which is actually a double bonus this round, because it includes both size ranges.  So you get the Sunki dress in sizes 18mo through girl's 16!  After expenses, all remaining proceeds from sales go back into donorschoose.org to support classrooms in need. 

This bundle was super exciting for me, because I actually owned three of the patterns already, and all of the designers on the list are ones that I love showing off my creations from.  For this post, I want to talk about two of the patterns... mostly because they made the cutest outfit together....

Check out my wild child rocking the Asymmetrical Drape top and Everyday Yoga Pants..... entire outfit... cutting included -- under 90 minutes.  Awesome.

Asymmetrical Drape Top from EYMM
Sizes: NB through 18 teen
Two shirt asymmetry options
Two bottom finishing options
Clear, simple instructions that are easy for even a knit newbie to follow.

 The knit I used on the top was the slinkiest, slippiest, staticy-est (I know those aren't words, but you get my point...) fabric that I've ever sewn.  Inara found it in the clearance bin at Walmart, and said it was *so soft* she just *had* to have it.  So we got it, and she just loves the shirt.  I dreaded the idea of hemming it, so we went with the banded bottom and used a nice black ribbing to match the neck binding.

And the pants...
Everyday Yoga Pants from Greenstyle Creations
Sizes: XS-XL (approximately girls 4 through girls 14)
Multiple length options: short, capri, or pant
Fast sew, with yoga waistband
Easy to follow instructions

 It's still relatively warm out here, so I went with the capri version.  They are meant to be made with fabrics that have some good stretch and recovery on them, and as I attempted to explain this to Inara, she was already pulling this dance wear lycra print off the shelf.  So I think she understood the lesson at least.  They are a little bright, but they totally fit her personality, AND they match her hair.  The fit on these is perfect without any adjustments, and Inara loves the comfort of the yoga waistband.

If you're on the fence, you will not regret grabbing this Pattern Parcel.  It's a great collection for those mostly knit lovers, with a great bonus sophisticated pattern too!  I'll be back later in the week to show off some more sewing from this bundle as well!

If you're decided already... hop over and grab the bundle:

But, if you're waffling, make sure you check out the rest of the tour, it will definitely convince you to get it!
Parcel #5 Inspiration Tour Schedule:

Friday, September 19 Pienkel || Cookin' and Craftin'

Saturday, September 20 Sew Busy Lizzy || The Life Of A Compulsive Crafter

Sunday, September 21 Keep Calm and Carrion || Felt With Love Designs

Monday, September 22 Radiant Home Studio || Sewing Sober

Tuesday, September 23 Sew Fishsticks || La Pantigana || Amanda Rose

Wednesday,September 24 Shawnta Sews || Sprouting JubeJube || Knot Sew Normal

Thursday, September 25 Make It Perfect || Mimi's Mom || Climbing the Willow

Friday, September 26 Needle and Ted || Our Family Four

Saturday, September 27 Froo & Boo

Sunday, September 28 Stitches by Laura || Vicky Myers creations

Monday, September 29 Cookin' and Craftin' || The Crazy Tailor

Tuesday, September 30 mama says sew || FABulous Home Sewn || The Inspired Wren

Wednesday, October 1 lady and the gents || That's-Sew-Kari || Sewing Sober

Thursday,October 2 Gracious Threads || Blogs Like A Mother || SewsNBows

Friday, October 3 sew chibi || Lulu & Celeste || Made by Sara  

 

Pattern Review: Go To Signature Dress from Go To Patterns

Sometimes its just fun to try a new designer, right?  I have this rather embarrassingly large collection of patterns... PDF and paper.  For a while I had two emails attached to my paypal too, so sometimes I would buy the same pattern on both emails not realizing I already had it.   This pattern is a new designer for me, who I had (a) heard lots of positive things about and (b) had previously shopped on her website.  A new friend asked if I had sewn any of her patterns, and it was sort of the perfect slap upside the head to get me out of this weird haze I've been in the last couple days.  Sewing is usually so cathartic for me, but I've had so much on my mind, I just couldn't seem to sit still to work!  So thanks... and you all get my fun review of the Go To Signature Dress from the lovely Go To Patterns.

 The details:
Sizes 12mo thru 12yrs
Three lengths: tunic, dress, maxi
Seven sleeve options: long, short, cap (binding/elastic/hemmed), ruffle, flutter. 
Hood option
Four pocket options: inset, ribbed, gathered, and kangaroo
Optional elastic casing for bodice.
Templates for elbow patches and applique

Okay, before I keep going - there are SO MANY combinations for this one, I was sort of floored.  I printed all the pages out and glued them all together (I'm sort of obsessed with my glue sticks lately), and stared at them trying to decided which one I wanted to to make.  The pattern pieces all went together easily and everything is clearly labeled so you know what to cut for each option you want.  In the end, I just cut everything out and gave up on decision making...

I started with the maxi length, ruffle sleeve (by the way, if you do this without a layer below it, you'll need to hem the rest of the sleeve opening), and I did the elastic casing. I was actually really excited about the elastic.  It's all nicely enclosed, so Miss Sensitive wouldn't flip out over the elastic being against her skin.

 Inara is a pretty standard size 5, and I made the size 5 in this going off of the size chart - its perfect.  The length is great - ankles, but not too long so that she trips.  And the fit is awesome - loose and flowy, but doesn't hang off of her at all.   

 

I used about a yard of jersey fabric for this one, since the skirt isn't wide it easily fit.   The sleeves are in a cotton lycra and the neck binding is a ribbing.  From cutting to snipping threads, this dress took about an hour, so really, if you're pressed for time - this should totally be in your pattern collection.  So then I decided I wanted to see what the knee length came out like.  

It's Inara approved.  For this one I did the knee length, cap sleeve ( I did a lettuce type hem on the sleeve) and did the hood and the kangaroo pocket with it.  I decided to leave off the casing on this one because I made it out of stretch terry so she can wear it as a beach cover up, and I thought the casing might be a pain to mess with at the beach. 

This is my favorite pose of the night.  She's such a weirdo.  She totally loved it though, and I like how even without the elastic on the bodice, it still fits nicely.  She totally missed the point though, and goes "MOM, its like a TOWEL - I'm gonna wear it after the shower!!"   So I guess she'll need another... and I'll probably have to make Connor one too so he's not all jealous.... are bath cover-ups unisex?  Sew time on this version: also about an hour.  Taking out the elastic saved some time, but adding the hood and the kangaroo pocket balanced it back out.  I had a yard of the pink terry, and I have some useable sizes leftovers from it, and the hood and pocket just took a small amount of the polka dot. 

Last, but not least - the tunic length, with flutter sleeve, gathered pocket, and elastic casing on the outside.  This one took scrap pieces of the cotton/lycra Alice print (all I had left, but Inara begged for something in it) and the main print was the last of this lovely interlock I had found at the Goodwill (seriously, it was like 2yds worth for $1.99 and then 50% off that... anyways, it matched everything and I'm sad I'm out of it!).  

Of course she is totally in love with the pockets.  I may go back and stick inset pockets on the maxi dress, since by the time I got to this one, I realized just how much she loves pockets.  The tunic length is just perfect too - covers her tush, so its perfect for wear with leggings. 



Thoughts on the pattern?  It's extremely detailed.  All of the different options are explained clearly, and there are extra tips throughout on changing it up (like how to make the elastic casing look pretty on the outside of the top).  The instructions are easy to follow, though personally, the two columns of instructions flusters me, because I have to scroll up and down and I'm afraid I'll miss something (I know that's silly, but we all have our idiosyncrasies, right?).  The detailing at the neckline is extremely feminine and gives a really nice look to the finished dress. 

If you're newer to knits, you will especially love all of the explanation provided about choosing fabrics and which stitches to use.  So if you're new and nervous, you can do a nice basic version, and do more with more of the cool add-ons as you get more confident with knits.   

I really enjoyed sewing this one, and each version took about an hour from the point I finished staring sadly at my dwindling stash, to the point that I snipped those pesky leftover threads.  So in a house where time is always a hot commodity, this dress gets plus points.  And, I just love all of the options that the dress has! I can't wait for fall so I can do the layered sleeves with it too. 

I'm already trying to decide which Go To Pattern to sew up next.  Maybe something for Connor?  That Study Hall Jacket looks ah-mazing!

Anyway, thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed the review, and let me know if I missed anything!

Mommy and Me for Mother's Day (courtesy of Love Notions Sewing Patterns)

Mother's Day is fast approaching.  Judging by the state of the house and the fact that my children seem to have lost their marbles this week, I am simply hoping to make it to Mother's Day.  For the rest of you, though, I wanted to show off my super fun Mommy and Me combo and excite you with an awesome giveaway.

Love Notions Sewing Patterns is a pretty new designer who has tons of yummy knit sewing experience.  The owner is a well known and respected WAHM who has (much do my delight) ventured into making some of her custom designs into patterns.  Her first pattern was the Everyday Play Dress, which Inara grabs out of the drawer whenever it's clean.

After that came the Girls' Trendy Tunic, which I was so excited to get to test.  And I even used the rest of my super awesome Unicorns In The Rain fabric (from Bamboo, Hemp, and Reprints) for it.  The pattern itself is really easy to follow, the sizing is perfect, and we all know how important pockets are, right?

It was a rainy week... do you like our impromptu photo studio?  (This was before I claimed the hall and repainted it).  It's meant to be tunic length, but Inara is a little small for her age, so it worked out nicely a shorter dress.  She still sticks shorts on under it, because she is for some reason always standing on her head, but the awesome part is that we will get tons of wear time out of this.

During the testing we did a lot of begging/hinting/whining for the pattern to be available in women's sizes.  Tami listened and came out with the Ladies' Trendy Tunic... (my first one was a little big - I kind of forgot that I lost some weight and did a size bigger than I needed...)

I really need to be less camera awkward....

And here is where my inspiration for this post came from... As I was standing in the hallway, awkwardly attempting to pose/look natural/will myself skinnier... Inara goes "MOM! I have that! In me sized!" and ran off to her room.  She came back out a couple minutes later and jumped into the pictures... She did fantastic, didn't she?

I totally loved the first one, but I wanted one that was slightly better fitting, so I decided to not be dope, and actually go off the measurements on the size chart.  The bust measurement is most important with this pattern, since it flares slightly.  Here is my second one, in the correct size (AND in my fabulous Dr. Who knit)

The Girls' Trendy Tunic is available in sizes 2 to 14
The Ladies' Trendy Tunic is available in sizes XS to XXL
Or you can save and grab the Bundle of both patterns
Pattern uses knit fabrics - (recommend 4-way stretch for the side panels) and you'll need a small piece of c/l or ribbing for the neckline of the ladies' (the girls' neckline is done with a really nice facing. 

Difficulty Level: Intermediate (adventurous beginners can take a deep breath, take it slow through the pockets, and watch the awesome video tutorial and you'll be just fine!)

Sewing time: We all know I'm not fast, nor do I sew uninterrupted, but I'd say either one takes about 90min-2hrs.

**The code "tunic" is still good on Etsy for 15% off your trendy tunic or bundle!

Now, this is the SUPER FUN part of the post.  Because Sunday is Mother's Day and every mommy deserves a great pattern to sew for herself.  And because I know you will all want to make this for your little ones too... Tami is letting me give away a bundle... so enter the giveaway to get a free copy of both the Girls' and Ladies' Trendy Tunics.  Winner will be announced Sunday.  Happy Mother's Day everyone!
a Rafflecopter giveaway