Carina Gardner "Playdate Outfit" Pattern Review Part 2

I'm finally getting around to posting the photos of the outfit I made from the Carina Gardner Playdate pattern. It was a really fun and easy pattern to use. Before I was even done with this outfit for my older daughter I was planning another for my youngest.

I had just a couple of small issues that were probably just me not completely understanding not an issue with the pattern itself. I just had a tiny problem with the flutter sleeves and the finishing of the waistband elastic but figured it out easily on my own. Overall this was a great pattern and produced an absolutely  adorable outfit. The only thing missing is the fabric flower, I haven't decided if I want it on my blouse or on a hair accessory.  The fit is perfect and really flattering on my daughter.I highly recommend this pattern and  like I said I plan on using this pattern again(right away!) to make the same outfit for my younger daughter but perhaps  choosing the bermuda shorts rather than the capri.

And now my finished product!

Purchasing info for this pattern can be found  HERE

Thanks for reading and Happy sewing!

Libby Lu Designs Peasant Dress Pattern Review and a great new fabric source!

I didn't include it in my earlier post about PDFs because I felt that this Libby Lu Designs pattern needed a post all it's own. I found this pattern on Etsy while browsing PDF dress patterns. What made me click on it(other than it's just cute)is that 4 variations were included. I love patterns that you can put your own spin on or that offer the opportunity to make several from one basic design. 

You can find the pattern listing HERE 

First I have to say this pattern/tutorial was a joy to use. I have become quite at expert at telling a good tutorial from a bad, or at least which will work best for me and this one was fantastic. It comes with full sized pattern peices you print at home and tape together. The process was very simple, just match the lettered dots in the margins. It includes sizes 3-6 months all the way to 8 yrs!! The photos and instructions were clear and concise. I find that for me less is more, sometimes TOO much explanation trips me up. It was so easy it took me about an hour. I made the sleeves first as suggested, I made the short gathered sleeved dress for my 2 yr old and the 3/4 sleeved tunic for my older daughter. Next sew or serge as I did the sides. Then attach the sleeves. Last you made the neck casing, inserted the elastic and hemmed it up. So simple!

The dress I made for my 2 yr old little girl used only about a yard of fabric which is great because when I was sewing for her as a baby I could make just about anything from just one yard but now that she's older that's not always the case. I have yards and yards of single yard cuts in my stash, I mean like a lot, I have a serious fabric addiction! I love finding a project I can use some of those single yards and this one is perfect.  I selected Riley Blake's Sweet Divinity as the main fabric and Riley Blake's Quite Contrary Pink Dot for the sleeves. Here is my finished dress

My older daughter's favorite color is purple so I used a beautiful purple floral from Fabric Finders I had.Here is her Tunic

I recently ordered some Riley Blake from an Etsy seller, Skye Reve Fabrics,  who was just terrific.  When my order arrived quickly and wrapped in the most adorable packaging I was thrilled to learn she now has her own website AND she included a 20% coupon code for my first order.  Visit her shop HERE. She has a wonderful selection of fabrics but not too much that you get lost, very boutique-y. 

I odered  yardage of some Riley Blake fabric and a couple of bundles. Oh how I love love love bundles! All those coordinating fabric all put together for you, so much fun. Here's what I chose

Aviary 2 by Joel Dewberry

Tiny Town by Timeless Treasures

Thanks for reading, happy sewing!

Carina Gardner "Playdate Outfit" Pattern Review Part 1

I always have a couple of projects in the works that way I have a choice of what I can work on depending on my mood. Right now one of works in progress is an adorable yoke front blouse and capris from a pattern by Carina Gardner. I will admit I hadn't heard of her until I stumbled upon her pattern line while shopping for fabric at The Fat Quarter Shop a shop whose main focus is fabulous quilting fabrics but even those don't quilt will love this shop. They offer a wonderful selection of high quality cotton fabrics from a wide variety of popular designers and manufacturers. Among them are some of my favorites, Alexander Henry, Moda, Lecien and Riley Blake to name just a few. Here are some collections I'm loving right now that they carry,

 

The day I happened on the pattern I was looking for a line by Michael Miller called Strawberry Tea Party. My daughter saw it one day while I was shopping on Etsy. I LOVE Etsy, don't get me wrong, I sell there as well as shop  quite often but there is one little problem I've encountered while shopping for fabric specifically. It seems that in most cases sellers list only one yard at a time(to keep fees down, you are charged for each item individually as a seller) so in order to get the amount I need a special listing must be requested. It's kind of a pain as is checking out one seller at a time when purchasing from multiple sellers so when buying more that a yard or two I choose one of my favorite online fabric and supply shops. I have many listed in my sidebar. A quick search will give me an idea of which of my faves has the best selection of what I'm looking for. For Strawberry Tea it was Fat Quarter Shop.

So on to the project at hand. Here is the pattern  and here is the active link to the listing. It is $14.95 which is so reasonable when you see all the options included.

It has everything you need to make a couple different mix and match outfits. It includes the blouse, which is also offered as a dress in an above the knee length, cuffed capri pants and shorts. Lots of choices, my only problem was deciding which to make first. I decided on the combo featured on the front of the pattern.I'm also impressed with the easy to follow quality construction of the pieces. The blouse and dress are fully lined and the capris and shorts have a nice flat front with elastic in back for easy dressing and comfort. Carina has several other patterns that judging by this first one I will have to have. I love the whimsical but still classic style of her designs. They are understated yet still very sweet.

I decided on Strawberry Tea  Party  as the main print of the blouse and selected a tonal pink tiny gingham from Riley Blake's Quite Contrary collection for the contrast strip and fabric flower accent. I chose a solid pink from Riley Blake for the main fabric of the capris and the gingham for the cuff. Here are my fabrics,

So far I have cut all my pieces and started the construction of the blouse. The pattern is printed on regular weight office paper rather than the usual fragile, easily torn pattern paper that the big pattern manufacturers print their patterns on. This is a big draw for me as I usually trace my pieces onto pattern makers paper so I can use multiple sizes, I have two daughters and most patterns size range includes both sizes. What a pain in is to trace that super lightweight paper, it tends to shift and rip.

All this talk has made me really want to get to work on this sweet little outfit, both pieces are sure to be spring/summer staples. The top would look so cute with some denim or chino bermudas and the capris paired with a cute and simple tank or t will be a classic look you can wear again and again. Off to work I go, can't wait to see how it turns out and share my finished product!

Freebies!

In my research for all the links for my last post on my favorite PDFs I came across a couple of freebies I had to share!

 Ellie Inspired is another pattern line in pdf form you can buy online.Here is the link to the shop. They are darling patterns and I discovered they had a blog so I had to check it out and I am so glad I did! There are several amazing freebie patterns and projects, you can find them all Here.

My favorite is the Sweet Apple Frock, shown below

 

You can find the pattern here.

How generous of Ellie Inspired and Riley Blake Designs to share it with us!

What I've been up to.......PDF Patterns Part 1

Seems like forever since I've blogged and I really miss it, just haven't been able to find the time with the whirlwind that is my life. Some(or maybe more) of those who might be following my blog know that I have a son on the autistic spectrum. Lately and now that he is a teenager I've tried not to burden him with a label, like for example "I have a son who is autistic" it feels like stating it that way defines him by his disability  and there is a lot more to him. Anyway, it has been a really tough time for us as a family and for me and my son individually. I will try not to go into too much detail but let's just say that the transition to teenager has been a rocky one, lots of bumps along the way. I often feel like a failure as his mother and at a loss as to help him. It is during those times that my creative outlets, mainly sewing, save me. It is my refuge, my sanctuary. In my sewing room I feel like a success. I can take on a new challenge and succeed or at least my mistakes all seem fixable. In parenting I am so afraid that my mistakes can not be fixed and will do long term damage, I am very unsure of myself lately in so many ways. Not so when I am sewing or designing.

As someone who is not the most patient person I LOVE PDF(downloadable)sewing patterns. I can go in search of a new project anytime day or night and get it right away and just print it out. No waiting and I don't even have to leave the house, what could be better?  Most of my recent projects have been e-patterns, except for an Olive Ann Pattern that I have made about four times in the last month, more on that later.

I wanted to share some of my favorite e-patterns and where to find them. I'm all about simplicity right now, and trying to stay away from things that might frustrate me or make my sewing time anything but relaxing "me time". In general that means set in sleeves and certain tricky zippers. I'm also really into projects that can be done in an evening or two. I like instant gratification, and have a terribly short attention span, I'm not proud of it but I am honest and realistic. Sewing is my "thing", the one thing I take time to do just for the sheer joy of it so I want to keep it as fun as possible. In general I've found that most e-patterns cater to that mind set and are beginner friendly as well.

Etsy is a GREAT place for pdf/e-patterns the only downside is that there is a bit of a wait as you have to wait for the seller to process the order and email it to you. There are also sites/shops that offer instant downloads or nearly instant. I have found that many sources or sites offer many of the same designers. Some of the most popular for children are Whimsy Couture, Little Lizard King, Ginger Louise, Sis Boom, and Ellie Inspired  and for the more advanced seamstress, and one of my favorites for heirloom type sewing is Olabelhe. Most of them are available on Etsy but a lot of brands have their own sites too with quicker downloads, Little Lizard King for example.You can visit them here. I have made their apron knot dress, it was a big hit. Here is the link and pic

 

I also just purchased Millie's Market Dress here is a photo of it, so sweet! I plan on doing a contrast sleeve and maybe a sash at the waist.

Whimsy Couture is a very popular designer of children's, girls,  pdf/e-patterns. They have lots to choose from and are super cute and also really easy to follow and construct. I made their knot dress variation, they went together so fast I couldn't believe it, I made three over the course of two evenings. Here are photos of my finished product.

Whimsy Couture also has a great sewing blog, the link is in my side bar in addition to their pattern shop. Here is the shop link..

Another gem I found was the Olive Dress by Up Up and Away Patterns on Etsy. Easy and fun little dress to make and an added bonus was the price of the pattern, only $6!!! They have a great selection of simple and sweet patterns.  Here's my take on The Olive

Two online sewing boutiques that I just love carry a fantastic selection of pdf/e-patterns from a wide variety of designers and offer quick downloads. 

The first is Sew Mama Sew, that is an active link to the pdf landing page. I have a special place in my heart for them because they are local and the customer service is fabulous. They offer just about everything you need to make adorable one of a kind pieces for children as well as women. GREAT fabrics!  I really like their boutique handbag patterns.

I've saved the best(in my opinion)and my favorite for last. Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops is THE place for simply precious boutique patterns, they have an amazing selection of paper patterns as well and they carry Olabelhe Patterns in paper and e formats. My words can't do Olabelhe justice. They are incredible. Here are a couple of their designs.

So there you have it, just a few of my favorite PDF/E-Patterns. Tonight I'm taking on another, The Brynne Dress from Brynnberlee on Etsy. I just found this shop and I love it. All the patterns are just $6 but I got a bundle of three for a mere $12. Here is the Brynne Dress one of three wonderful patterns I chose.

I plan on doing it in a line of fabrics from Riley Blake I just got, I'll share when I'm done :)

Sewing Blogs(or things I look up when I can't sleep)

It's 2:37am, I'm wide awake and unlike most nights that I'm awake at this hour I haven't yet slept at all. It's very common for me to be woken from a deep sleep in the wee hours by one of my children, aches and pains from TMJ or by my own worry that I have or will forget to take care of some important task. Most nights I will sneak out of bed rather than toss and turn at the risk of waking my sleeping husband and tip toe down the hall to my sewing room, my very favorite room in the house. I may sort through patterns looking for my next project, pin or cut a pattern or organize the many rubbermaid tubs overflowing with  fabric I have stacked up in the dormers on either side of the room. Rarely do I actually sew, I'm far too afraid the sound of my machines will wake someone and I will lose the peace and solitude I find only in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping.

Tonight(or this morning depending on how you look at it) I am parked on the comfy sofa that sits against a large window at the far end of my creative sanctuary surfing sewing sites and blogs. I am always on the lookout for people who share my passion for sewing and places to shop for fabrics and supplies online(oh the shopping I do when I should be sleeping!)  not to mention my slight obsession with sewing tutorials! During this late night session I happened upon several that were fantastic and had some of everything, day to day life, projects, patterns, tutorials and info on where to find fabulous fabrics and supplies.  Many of the blogs I read and follow make me wonder why I blog at all. They are just incredible and leave me wondering how the heck these women can not only find the time to make all these gorgeous things but then to also blog about  their projects in such a way that makes you feel you can do it too!

• Made is one of the best out there. I can't figure out how Rae, the blogger, does it! She has a fabulous eye and natural sense of style. Modern and fun nothing fussy or over done.
• fashioned by meg is similar to Made By Rae, a blog created by a mom. You are somehow able to be a bit in awe but still relate to her like one of your girlfriends. Great pattern reviews!
• Little Big Girl Studio lots of fun and easy tutorials for girls and accessories.

• Fabric Shopper Online A-MA-ZING a blog all about fabrics, what's new, what's on sale, where to find it EVERYTHING you need or want to know!
• Sew Liberated A blog so detailed, beautiful, and full of knowledge, expertise and talent that it nearly made me want to just stop trying because I'll never reach that level.....................BUT,

Then I remembered one of the things I love most about sewing and creating things in general, there is ALWAYS room to grow and learn and that progress is what keeps me coming back to my machine over and over again.  There's nothing quite like taking on a project you're unsure of, you don't  know if you can do it. It looks too difficult, it requires skills or techniques you haven't yet mastered or maybe haven't even tried. Then you get started and while it may be challenging, even hard at times you find if you just relax, take it slow and keep at it you CAN  do it. It might not be perfect that first time but you learned so much and next time youll be that much more confident.

3:47am time to try the sleep thing again!
         

Fun with fabric scraps

Anyone who sews knows that in a very short time one can amass a pretty big fabric scrap stash. I cannot bear to  get rid of them but since I don't quilt(yet!) I'm not really sure what to do with them. 

On my weekly Target trip I came across some nice quality white towels on clearance. I snatched them up even though we didn't really need them. Then while straightening up my sewing room I came across my plain white burp cloths and had a thought, I could embellish those towels the way I do burp cloths for my Etsy shop with fabric ribbons and embroidery! The bonus to this was being able to use some of my scraps. Here are a couple I've done.

I found another project for fabric scraps. Often times when cutting patterns you are left with narrow but long strips from along the edge of the fabric. I found a great project for those strips from one of my favorite sewing for children books, Making Children's Clothes(I discuss this book in detail in my earlier post about favorite sewing books.). It is a cute little scarf, here is the project in the book

I decided to make the scarf in polar fleece rather than the wool the book suggests. I also made it easier by cutting my circles out using my Cricket and ironing my fabric onto Heat and Bond.

I detail how to cut fabric on the Cricket in am earlier post, HERE is the link.

I think the scarf is adorable and Nat loves it! I used fabric from Riley Blake, the collections they come from are Quite Contrary and Summer Song.

So there ya go, a couple of ways I found to use some of my huge stash of scraps. 

A New Project

My latest project is a jacket for my oldest daughter who is 5 1/2. With my recent success with collars and sleeves I wanted to kick it up a notch and make something really special. I also wanted to use a fabric kit I recently bought from my FAVORITE fabric store onlineFarmhouse Fabrics.

 I talked a little about Farmhouse in my post on Heirloom Sewing for Children. I am absolutely in love with their fabrics and trims, they also have an amazing selection of patterns. I had been going to their site often and drooling over the fabulous fabrics, mostly high quality imports, for a while before I placed my first order. I finally decided I HAD to have several of their fabrics bundled as "Garment to Go". They consist of  a yard or two of coordinating fabrics along with buttons and trims, brilliant I have to say! Here are a couple that I recently purchased,

and the description ,

Coat Kit". "Lime Sparkler" includes: 1 yard (60" wide) spring green cotton velveteen; 1 yard (60") pretty lime, and yellow cotton print for lining; nice white 4-hole buttons! We suggest Children's Corner pattern, Robin's Jacket, or Gail Doane's jackets from her book, "Sew Cute Couture" for this fabulous combination! Click for close-up view. 

This one, though out of season I couldn't resist,

"Garment to Go". "Beach Vacation" includes: 1 Yd. (60" wide) sea shell pique; 1 yd. (45" wide) pagoda pink broadcloth; 1 yd. fine white twill; 1 1/2 yds. of white grosgrain pleated trim; 3 yds. pagoda pink piping; 10 white 2-hole buttons, and 4 shell shanks. 

Back to the project,  I decided to use the first kit, the coat kit for, well,  a coat! The two fabrics are incredible, I mean really really beautiful and the finest quality. The velveteen is to die for. I figured that this was the perfect color palette to usher in the new year and look forward to spring. I've got my materials all I need is a pattern.

I am a big fan of Sew Mama Sew. It is an online sewing store and a terrific blog, it is also local here in the Portland area. I was browsing there and came upon the perfect pattern for my coat and a huge bonus, it was a PDF download so I didn't have to wait for it to arrive. It's a darling little reversible coat, just perfect for my fabrics. Without further ado here it is

Reversible Girls Jacket 3-9 Years ~ Bettsy Kingston PDF Sewing Pattern

A simple and wonderful reversible baby jacket with peter pan collar and long sleeves. Beautiful and easy to make with a relaxed fit. The pattern is designed for use with a sewing machine. An overlocker is not required.

Here is the link to the patterns listing on Sew Mama Sew. So off I go for a late night of sewing in a quiet house once all my children are fast asleep. Stay tuned for pictures of my progress and finished product!
'

Great books on sewing for children

Not long ago I started collecting sewing books, some reference but mostly books with specific projects that include full size patterns. I LOVE them and when you factor the price of one pattern(up to about $15) a book with 8-10 patterns for $25 is a GREAT deal!

I wanted to share some of my faves. The first is called Making Children's Clothes and right now it's on sale on Amazon for only $13.57. The title is an active link straight to the listing on Amazon.

 

I LOVE this book, it is probably my favorite book for all around sewing for kids as it includes basics for both boys and girls. It includes the full sized patterns for everything in the book, the downside is that the patterns have to be traced or copied onto pattern or tracing paper because all the patterns are overlaped onto one another. I have made a couple things from this book and plan on making many more, I honestly like and would make EVERY garment in this book. It contains 25 projects for children 0-5. The baby patterns are adorable, unfortunately by the time I bought the book my baby was too big :( It includes all the basics for a complete wardrobe from pants to tops, dresses to pajamas. There is even a great little dressing gown(robe). I  love the accessories as well. There is a simple appliqued scarf and fabric headband with a couple variations. I have made probably 10 of the headbands to match outfits for my girls. I tried long and hard to find images from the book but to no avail so I'll just say a bit about the projects I like the most and have made. The first thing I made was a simple little cord skirt with a banded hem of printed fabric trimmed with velvet ribbon. It took less than an hour and is adorable.I'd show a pic but it is buried in the laundry somewhere. I also made the simple lined a- line pinafore dress that is embellished with yo-yo flowers with grosgrain ribbon stems. Again, it was very simple and the instructions were clear and easy to understand with photos. I highly recommend this book, it is great for all skill levels and has something for everyone.

Little Girls, Big Style by Mary Abreu is another of my current favorites. If you click on the linked title it will take you to the listing on Amazon where you can see pages from the book. The basic premise of the book is several  basic designs that have several variations. The book includes the full sized patterns for the basic pieces and step by step instructions with photos for making the variations. There is the "Barely Basic Bodice" that makes 8 different variations. I used this pattern for my first project from the book, the Pocket Pinafore. Here is my finished product

This little piece took only a little over an hour. Other basics from the book are the peasant top/dress which has 5 cute variations. There are also pants in 6 variations and 6 skirt styles. I especially like the "On the Border Skirt" which is an adorable drop waist skirt made of two fabrics and with a ruffle trim between the two, it's my next project from this book. Over all this is a good book with lots of great ideas for spicing up the basics. I will be honest though, I am not a fan of  the big ruffle look so some of the styles I'm not interested in but other than that, great book. Here are a few photos from Little Girls, Big Style

Everyone knows that little girls LOVE American Girl dolls so what could be better than a book filled with patterns for matching girl and doll outfits! There are lots of great doll pattern sources out there but I especially like All Dolled Up by Joan Hinds again the link goes to Amazon. I just recently bought this book so I haven't made any of the projects yet but I do have a few faves here are a few

t shirt dress

cupcake apronjumper

 The book includes the full sized patterns and a bonus DVD with tips and techniques from the author herself. I have read through the book and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. I'm excited to make the matching aprons they are so sweet. I also want to make the tshirt dresses because I love to reuse and upcyle old clothes, especially Ts.

While gathering the info and links I happened upon a few other books I just have to have! One of them is an upcoming release titled Oliver +S Little Things To Sew, made by the pattern company Oliver +S. Very excited for this one, off to preorder :)

Practice makes perfect

I was on a mission to conquer my big sewing fears, invisible zippers, collars and set in sleeves.Believe it or not I have managed for the most part to avoid them altogether. I make mostly sleeveless dresses and jumpers or had elastic waists in the pants and skirts. I can sew zippers just great into bags and such but a nice invisible zipper in a garment? A totally different story. I'm not sure where my fears of these came from. Perhaps hearing my mother grumble under her breath while sewing a dress for me or maybe just from other sewers? I honestly don't know where, when or how the fear of these sewing techniques started but I know I have avoided them like the plague.

 I recently decided to conquer my fear and just go for it. I started with a a sweet little vintage blouse with slightly puffed sleeves(there was a margin of error allowed in the puff) and a darling small pointed collar. The collar was
 a bit tough to get to lay flat and the bias tape to cover the seam was kind of tricky as well but not AT ALL how difficult I thought it would it would be. Next the sleeves. I gathered at the top and figured out how to place the sleeve against the shoulder so that when turned right side out it would be in place properly and pinned it into place. I have to say that THE most difficult part of sewing the sleeve in was that I was making a size 3 blouse for a toddler, so tiny. With the extension table off I tried to put it around my sewing machine in a circular fashion but it was just too small so I had to go very very slow and make sure nothing got caught so it would lay flat for me. For some reason I just couldn't believe I had done it right, it seemed too easy but when I had gone all the way around the arm, took it out and turned it to the right side miraculously it was done right and looked ok! Could it really be all there was to it? I was so proud! It wasn't perfect, not by any means. The  puff was a bit irregular from the difficult position I had to sew in but my daughter can wear it, that's what counts right? Here it is, I haven't finished it yet with buttons, I want to find just the right ones :)

I was so impressed with my first real attempt that I chose another pattern to try flat lying sleeves thinking they would be much harder. This time a vintage dress from a 1966 Mc Call's pattern.

This dress had both sleeved and a long invisible zipper, it would be a disaster, right? Determined to give it my all I decided NOT to make it from muslin but rather from a darling navy and white pindot. I checked online for tutorial videos and referenced a couple of my sewing "bibles" The Vogue Book of Sewing and The Dressmaker's Bible and decided to go for it. I basted the back closed and pressed the seam out. Next I placed the zipper and sewed each side to the proper side of the seam. So far so good(LOVE my Bernina zipper foot!)Last was top stitching around the zipper on the outside. That was a bit tricky but I did it and the end result again was satisfactory, not the best but wearable for sure. Here is the dress.

So all in all I am pretty pleased with the end results and I'm so excited that from now on I won't be held back by limitations in my sewing. Bring on those darling little peter pan collared dresses! Practice DOES make perfect, well ok, practice makes wearable, at least for now :)