A new year with lots of excitement!

Happy New Year everyone!  I know I'm a little late, but better late then never, right?

Let's talk about my blog plans for the new year a little bit to let you know what's coming up this year..

 First, Project Quilting Season 6 is underway, and I am really trying to participate in every challenge this season!  Here's my favorite post from last season's food challenge.  The first challenge is trees... Here's what I've got so far... my friend Kim showed me a cool way to do the window panes, so I'll post it about it when it's done..

Next, I've determined that I own A LOT of patterns, so I have made myself a wish list of patterns that I still want.  Right now it has one from Blank Slate Patterns that I love after I found them when I made the Zippy Jacket, and one from Clobird Patterns that I loved when a friend posted the ones she's been making.  But my wish list is pinned up on the wall of my sewing room and I am NOT going to buy them until I do some pattern stash sewing.  

Christmas sew for Justin - Greenstyle Walbrook Boxer Briefs... there will be more of these!

So I am working on organizing my patterns in my drive and compiling a list of 25 new sews and 20 re-sews, and when I finish I will allow myself to buy my wish list... depending on how long it gets, I may cap it off at how many I can buy.  Then I will make another list and start again.  I've scaled down my fabric stash a lot this last year, so I may not do the whole no buying till I hit 100 items like last year.

Third, I have decided to do more reviewing as I go this year, and maybe a little less testing.  Things I liked, things I'd change, etc... and it'll start when I start my big ole' list.

Oliver + S Sleepover Pajamas 

Last, this is the most exciting part of this whole post I think...  I want to make sure that I reward my Welcome to Sewing Land participants over the next couple months, so lets start with the first four participants... From Installment One we have Kristie, Theresa, Cat and Ashley.  Sorry this has taken SO LONG ladies... but please check your emails for your $15 gift certificates to Whimsical Fabric!   

And if you want to get the most out of your gift certificate, if you join Whimsical Fabric & Me on Facebook, the owner posts sale codes and contests!  They sell patterns by some of the best designers, as well as fabric and notions... so its like a one stop sewist shopping heaven! 

Sleepy Kiwis Nightwear

Anyways, thanks for sticking with me through the year, and I hope this year will be even more fun and interesting for everyone and my little blog!

Filles a Maman Extraordinary Girl top and The Plucky Butterfly Beach to School bottoms

Perfect Pattern Parcel Blog Tour, Post #2: Maxwell Top from Shwin Designs

This is my second post about Perfect Pattern Parcel #4, and I will jump right in there by saying that you really should buy this bundle if you haven't yet!   If you missed my first post, check it out here to see Connor rockin' his Zippy Jacket. 


Pattern Parcel #4 is all about boys... Included in this parcel are the following patterns:

Maxwell Top by Shwin Designs

Zippy Jacket by Blank Slate Patterns

Schoolboy Vest by Sew Much Ado

Small Fry Jeans by Titchy Threads

Jet Pack Bag by Betz White

Bonus Pattern:  Knight Hoodie by Charming Doodle.

AND, if you're like me, you probably need an explanation of how this works...

You have until September 5th to purchase these patterns while supporting both the awesome indie designers who made them AND children's education equality, as after expenses are paid the remaining profit is donated to Donorschoose.org.  So there are 5 patterns included in the bundle and you kind of get to name your own price on this bundle (retail value is over $60).  If you pick a price over $26, then you get the bonus pattern.   It's back to school time, and if you're like this house, money is tight, but if you can, the Perfect Pattern Parcel people (say that one ten times fast?) would love it if you choose  to pay as much as you can so that they are able to donate as much as possible to Donorschoose.org, and organization that helps support children's education.

Connor LOOK AT THE CAMERA!!

For this second post, I've chosen the Maxwell Top by Shwin Designs to show you.  This pattern is pretty awesome, in fact, I like it so much, that I actually already owned it prior to signing up to blog about the Pattern Parcel.   

The details:
Sizes 12mo - 8yrs
made for woven fabrics
short sleeves
back yoke, lined collar, pockets and tab all make this perfect for a pop of contrast

I made my shirt in size 2 on Connor - he's really on the border of 18mo/size 2, and I think it could have gone either way,  but he'll get more wear out of the larger size.  I used some of his favorite Olaf fabric and paired it with a nice orange solid (I really wanted the Olaf to *pop*, so I changed to orange after originally picking blue).   The tabs on the sides are done using some cool twill tape that I had in my stash, and attached with two blue checkered buttons that I also had in my stash.  I waffled a bit with the front closure and ended up going with snaps, because i really liked the sort of urban look that they gave it.

Okay, silly show off close up here - check out how awesome that one pocket came out??? I totally nailed my fussy cutting!!  (dances happily)

I love the finished look this pattern has - from the facings to the decorative top stitching (I waffled here too, and I am really glad I went with the contrast instead of an orange) .  The instructions are easy to follow along, and the diagrams are clear and easy to undersand.  At one point I misunderstood something, I emailed the designer and heard back from her within minutes, AND she was very nice and sweet, even when responding to my ridiculous question.  In retrospect, it was a pretty silly question, so I'm really glad she didn't respond with "umm... are you sure you know what you're doing??" 

Total time spent on the pattern was about 2 hours including cutting.  I may have been a little slow, because I kept waffling on the details, and fussy cutting, but it still came together much faster than I actually expected!

So all in all, this pattern has actually sold me on Shwin patterns in general, not just for the great pattern, but when a designer takes time to answer and is happy and informative, it just wins me over.  And, its the second pattern I've sewn up from the Perfect Pattern Parcel #4 and I am just as happy with this one as I was with the Zippy Jacket.  I own the Knight Hoodie too, and that one is also a must have ... so really ... click my link!! <I don't get paid if you use my link, but I do get entered in a drawing to thank the bloggers>


And, if you're still on the fence...  Check out the posts from these other amazing bloggers (but hurry and buy it, because Parcel #4 ends on the 5th!):

Friday, August 22 casa crafty || Lulu & Celeste || Keep Calm and Carrion
Saturday, August 23 Max California || Amanda Rose
Sunday, August 24 little betty sews
Monday, August 25 Kadiddlehopper || Radiant Home Studio
Tuesday, August 26 La Pantigana || Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts || Friends Stitched Together
Wednesday, August 27 Make It Perfect || Modern Handmade || GYCT Designs
Thursday, August 28 Needle and Ted || Mae & K || Mimi's Mom
Friday, August 29 Pienkel || Once Upon a Sewing Machine || Friends Stitched Together
Saturday, August 30 FABulous Home Sewn || Gray Skies || The Crazy Tailor
Sunday, August 31 Nine Stitches || Max California || Oliver's Fancy || Friends Stitched Together
Monday, September 1 a happy stitch || lady and the gents || Our Family Four || Swoodson Says
Tuesday, September 2 verypurpleperson || Things for Boys || The Crazy Tailor
Wednesday, September 3 Our Family Four || Rebekah Sews || a happy stitch
Thursday, September 4 Sew a Straight Line || la inglesita || Made by Sara || Knot Sew Normal
Friday, September 5 Knot Sew Normal || Gracious Threads || Sofilantjes || Max California

Perfect Pattern Parcel #4 Blog Tour: Zippy Jacket

Hi!  Long time no see (I know you are all going, UGH again!), but I'm really excited to be back to blogging, and I'm slowly pulling myself out of the haze of personal issues that seem to have clouded my head lately.  And today I'm here to tell you about the Perfect Pattern Parcel #4 .  This is actually my first of two posts about Parcel #4, which is all about boys.  And it is pretty fabulous actually.


So let me start by explaining how this thing works... From now until September 5th you can purchase these patterns while supporting both the awesome indie designers who made them AND children's education equality, as after expenses are paid the remaining profit is donated to Donorschoose.org.  So there are 5 patterns included in the bundle and you kind of get to name your own price on this bundle (retail value is over $60).  If you pick a price over $26, then you get a special bonus pattern that is also VERY cool.   If you can, the Perfect Pattern Parcel people (say that one ten times fast?) would love it if you choose  to pay as much as you can so that they are able to donate as much as possible to Donorschoose.org, especially since it is back to school time!

The patterns for this parcel are: 

Maxwell Top by Shwin Designs

Zippy Jacket by Blank Slate Patterns

Schoolboy Vest by Sew Much Ado

Small Fry Jeans by Titchy Threads

Jet Pack Bag by Betz White

Bonus Pattern:  Knight Hoodie by Charming Doodle.

So for my first Perfect Pattern Parcel #4 post, I am going to show off my Zippy Jacket by Blank Slate Patterns.  I actually own a couple of patterns from Blank Slate, but they were bought on a whim and have sat in my MAKE THIS folder for way too long.  After making the Zippy Jacket, I went ahead and printed out the pieces for the other Blank Slate patterns I have.

Say hi to Connor, who is getting better at modeling, I think...  He was SO excited to put this one on and didn't fuss at all about the pictures.

First of all, the fit was spot on with the chart.  Connor is in the 18mo/2T and it fits him perfectly.  Second, the instructions were fantastic.  I love how each step is clearly and simply explained and the entire jacket can me made with a very finished look without needing a serger.

For my jacket I used a cotton-lycra knit from So Cheeky Fabric with a white wide-ribbing for the cuffs, bottom band, pocket bindings, and for the underside of the collar.  Start to finish the jacket took me under 2hours to make, which was surprising in itself.  I sat down to sew in the evening with a cup of coffee, since I looked at the jacket and thought, *I could be here a while.*  In the end, I finished the jacket, watched and episode of Dr. Who, made a birthday gift, organized my ribbon, watched another episode of Dr. Who, and then finally the caffeine wore off enough for me to go to sleep.

 I am still some what stunned at just how fast this was to sew. Especially with how darling the finished product is.

The pattern itself comes in four sizes: 18mo/2T, 3T/4T, 5/6, and 7/8. 
Comes with very clear and easy to understand instructions.
Nicely drafted and easy to piece printable pattern pieces.

And I know this is the boy's parcel, but this jacket is totally fitting for boys or girls, and I'm already planning out Inara's for this fall.

He looks so grown up here, right? He's puffing out his chest to show off his awesome ninja turtle Zippy jacket!  And don't let the zipper scare you, her instructions make it a total breeze!!  This one is a must have for the back to school wardrobe!







You really can't go wrong snatching this up during the Perfect Pattern Parcel #4 deal, and make sure you check out the other awesome bloggers over the next two weeks, who will all be showing off more of the patterns that are available in this parcel!


Parcel #4 Inspiration Tour Schedule:

Friday, August 22 casa crafty || Lulu & Celeste || Keep Calm and Carrion
Saturday, August 23 Max California || Amanda Rose
Sunday, August 24 little betty sews
Monday, August 25 Kadiddlehopper || Radiant Home Studio
Tuesday, August 26 La Pantigana || Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts || Friends Stitched Together
Wednesday, August 27 Make It Perfect || Modern Handmade || GYCT Designs
Thursday, August 28 Needle and Ted || Mae & K || Mimi's Mom
Friday, August 29 Pienkel || Once Upon a Sewing Machine || Friends Stitched Together
Saturday, August 30 FABulous Home Sewn || Gray Skies || The Crazy Tailor
Sunday, August 31 Nine Stitches || Max California || Oliver's Fancy || Friends Stitched Together
Monday, September 1 a happy stitch || lady and the gents || Our Family Four || Swoodson Says
Tuesday, September 2 verypurpleperson || Things for Boys || The Crazy Tailor
Wednesday, September 3 Our Family Four || Rebekah Sews || a happy stitch
Thursday, September 4 Sew a Straight Line || la inglesita || Made by Sara || Knot Sew Normal
Friday, September 5 Knot Sew Normal || Gracious Threads || Sofilantjes || Max California