Roly-Poly-Along

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Cherie

Have you seen the Roly Poly Pinafore pattern by Imagine Gnats? It’s a super cute, simple and versatile piece that is perfect for layering, adding fun details and showcasing awesome fabrics. Rachael of Imagine Gnats and the creator of this pattern has rounded up some of her friends to help show off all their versions of this fun pinafore! I decided to make one for Yuki to use as an apron/art smock!

(Rachael was so kind as to gift this pattern to me, but all opinions are 100% my own)

The pattern range is size 6 mo-10! That means it’ll basically last me forever! I made it in size 2 which was the perfect fit her Yuki now, though if I had thought about it more, I probably shoulda made a 3 since this is meant to be an smock worn over clothes. Oh well, guess that means I’ll have to make another one soon

The pinafore is fully reversible, and one of the best parts is begin able to mix and match and pair fabrics together. I chose a bright reddish-orange to go with this cute raindrop fabric. Somehow when I saw the fabric, it reminded me of painting. The large pouch pocket is not part of the pattern, but something I added myself for Yuki to hold paintbrushes, chalk, pens or other art supplies in.

The pattern comes with in seam pockets, which I omitted for this version, but is definitely a great option if you’re making this as a tunic.

For the other side, I used a cream linen for the main fabric and some cute Japanese print that I got at Daiso (the Japanese equivalent to a dollar store) for the pocket and fabric covered buttons. I love the little pleat in the middle and the sweet criss crossed back.

The pattern is labeled “beginner” and I definitely think that if you are just starting out, this is a great project for you. It was very fast and simple to sew and the results are just so cute. Even though I had always intended for this to be used as an apron/smock, I had a hard time letting Yuki get too messy in it! :P

Unfortunately, I only got a few pictures of Yuki in the smock so far, but the fit is great and she loves having a special apron like mama!

And it kept her shirt clean while being stylish! Score!

*Edit: HEY! More pics! We did a little morning painting and got more shots of the Roly Poly Art Smock in action *

(Someone needs a hair cut!)

I know she’ll get a lot of use out of this and I look forward to whipping up a few more! If you’re interested, you can buy the PDF pattern here. And be sure to check out all the other stops on the Roly-Poly-Along blog tour. It started yesterday and will continue for three weeks! My current favorite is this adorable raindrop pinafore by Stephanie of The Crafty Kitty. TOO CUTE! And looking at the other bloggers joining the tour, I know there is bound to be a lot of other awesome and creative pinafores. OH and many of them are giving away copies of the pattern too (like the link above), so be sure to check out details on the blogs for your chance to win!

Thanks Rachael for the awesome pattern!!

Happy sewing

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Oliver + S Spring Pattern Preview: Pinwheel Dress + Tunic

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Cherie

Last week I got to share my version of the new Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress + Tunic. This week, Kristin, Jessica and I are sharing the Pinwheel Dress + Tunic (both patterns are available for sale on the Oliver + S site now)!

This is the 2nd of two new patterns being released by Oliver + S this spring. This pattern comes with two pieces, a tunic and a slip dress, meant to be layered or worn separately. Jessica blogged her awesome combo of the two pieces yesterday. And Kristin made a cute summery sleeveless tunic for her little one. I went with the simple slip dress with no modifications.

The slip dress is a pretty fast and easy sew. The way it is constructed with straps sewn in between the dress and the facing is pretty brilliant – I love learning new things like that! The hardest part for me was attaching the flounce to the dress, but just follow the directions, take your time, and snip the curve a TON (this will all make sense when you’re sewing it ).

To take my Pinwheel in a different direction from the other girls’ versions, I made a sweet and simple linen version in ivory.

For the bias tape, I used this gorgeous Nani Iro double gauze Little Letter bias that I bought from my favorite Nani Iro supplier, Miss Matatabi. I had been saving it for the perfect project and I just couldn’t pass up this opportunity to compliment the clean linen with this sweet floral trim.

I made the dress in size 2T and it’s a tad bit roomy on her. It would probably look better if I had gone a size down, but I’m positive this will fit her for a looong time!

When I first saw the pattern, I could definitely see the appeal, but it wasn’t necessarily my style. I’m so glad that I had this opportunity to sew it up though because I ended up really enjoying both picking out the perfect fabrics to make the garment “me” and the whole sewing process.

When this picture was taken I had just asked Yuki what she thought of the dress and she looked down and said, “It’s beeautiful!“ Hee hee.

This pattern is now available in paper format and PDF so head over to the Oliver + S site to get your copy now.

Oliver + S Spring Pattern Preview: Roller Skate Dress

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Cherie

*UPDATE – The Roller Skate Dress + Tunic pattern is now available on the Oliver + S site! It is available as a paper pattern or PDF pattern. Head over there to get your copy!*

So I haven’t been blogging much recently, but I’ve been busy with some really exciting projects that I’ll be announcing within the next few weeks (including my first blog series)!

The first of those projects was the opportunity to share with you a new Oliver + S spring pattern that has yet to be released! If you sew kid’s clothes, you’ve surely heard of Oliver + S patterns. And if you’ve heard of them, I’m sure you’re a big fan AND know that they are releasing two new patterns within the next week! So when Liesl (the creative mastermind behind Oliver + S) asked Kristin to sew up the new patterns to share with readers and customers and Kristin asked me and Jessica if WE wanted to sew them with her – I’m pretty sure I shrieked. You would too, wouldn’t you??

And so I present to you, the last stop on the Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress + Tunic Rolling Tour! The Roller Skate Dress + Tunic is one of 2 new patterns being released for the spring line. It is a simple and adorable addition to any spring wardrobe and is a pattern I can imagine sewing up over and over again in different variations. The pattern comes with 4 views or styles. View A is a dress and you can see Kristin’s sweet floral version here. View B is a dress with a visible yoke and I think this version that Liesl made is particularly cute. Jessica made a reversible version of View C, which is a tunic (totally loving the gorgeous tribal print she used).

And I made View D, a tunic with the visible yoke in contrasting fabric!

This pattern is really a simple and fast sew, but produces a stylish and professional looking top or dress, which is my favorite kind of pattern! It’s fully lined, has faux cap sleeves and an elastic waistband for shape and comfort.

It closes in the back with a simple button and button loop (no zippers or button holes!), so that makes this pattern appropriate for beginners.

I love the optional visible yoke – it adds a nice finishing touch. My V notch on the neckline got a little deep because the first time I sewed it, it was crooked, so I had to make it bigger to even it out. My advice if you do the notched neckline is to really take your time with it. If it’s off even by a little, it’ll be very noticeable!

I made it in 2T and it fits my daughter perfectly. I was a little confused by the chest measurement listed for the finished garment because it seemed way too big, but I realized that that’s the measurement before you add the elastic. So just go with the body measurements table (or whatever size you normally sew with O+S patterns) and you’ll be good! This style is very forgiving in fit.

This pattern delivers all the wonderful things you’ve come to expect from an Oliver + S pattern. It’s professional and beautiful, with great diagrams and directions. There is so much useful sewing information in each pattern that you always come away feeling like you’ve taken a class or learned at least one new sewing technique.

I used this really cool fabric by Tula Pink called Sea Stripes from the Sea Water line. I picked it up from one of my favorite Bay Area fabric stores, Stonemountain and Daughter. I was drawn to the creative print and bought a bunch, not knowing what I was going to do with it. I really love it with this simple pattern though!

And seriously, this pattern has so many possibilities. When trying to decide what fabric to use, I picked out a huge stack from my own stash that I thought would look great as a Roller Skate tunic. The hard part was choosing which one to go with. But the good news is you really will sew this pattern over and over again – it’s just a great staple to have in your collection.

In other news, Yuki has started to explore new modeling poses. In this one, I’m pretty sure she’s channeling Em’s dancing spirit.

(I did not prompt her to do this – she just started doing it on her own!)

And I don’t even know what this pose is about, but hey – I’ll take it!

So there it is, the Roller Skate Tunic (View D). The pattern will be available through the Oliver + S website starting tomorrow. I bet you already have something perfect for this little dress or top already in your stash, so you’ll be able to get started right away!

If you haven’t already, stop by skirt as top and a little gray to see their awesome versions of this pattern!

Thank you, Liesl and Kristin, for letting me sew this incredible new pattern to share with everyone!

Next up, is the Pinwheel Tunic + Slip Dress!

Sweetheart Bubble Dress and GIVEAWAY {closed}

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Cherie

The Sweetheart Dress is a pattern I’ve had my eye on for a long time, and what better time to sew one up than just in time for Valentine’s Day!? What, you may ask, is so “sweetheart” about this dress?

Well what is NOT sweetheart about this dress? It’s seriously adorable from the front and then BAM! – that heart cutout in the back is just pure sweetness!

The Sweetheart Dress pattern is designed by the super kind and talented Shannon of luvinthemommyhood. If you ever go around her blog, you know that she is such a warm person and not only does she sew, but she’s a crazy amazing knitter too!

This pattern is a relatively quick sew, probably appropriate for an intermediate beginner. It is a PDF pattern, so you can download it to your computer and print it out at home. The pattern has very few pieces to cut and none that have to be taped together, so that made things even simpler and quicker!

The way Shannon instructs you to construct the bodice was completely new to me. I like learning new and different ways to do things. Though I have to say, I had some trouble getting my arm holes top stitched nicely and looking clean. It’s probably my least favorite part of the dress (I know you probably can’t tell from here, but if you looked close up, you’d see some slightly wonky stitching).

There are a couple of modifications I made to the pattern. The most obvious change was making it into a bubble dress! I know bubble hems have been popular for a long time now, but I never really had any desire to make one until I saw this dress by An of StraightGrain (she has a free pattern for a bubble skirt)! After I saw the Sweetheart Dress pattern and picked the fabric, it seemed like it was just begging to be a bubble dress! I’ll explain more about how I did it below.

The other things I did differently was to sew the skirt to the outside of the bodice with piping and then I hand stitched the bodice lining to the inside of the dress. I just knew that with the double gauze fabric, it would probably look cleaner without the extra top stitched line.

For the closure at the back of the dress, instead of doing a button with a loop, I hand stitched hook & eye closures to the inside of the dress. Great idea, in theory. It looks nice, but because the back of the dress is so open, it moves around a bit and the closures kept coming undone. Soooo, probably don’t try that one folks. I ended up adding a fabric covered button and button loop the way Shannon instructs (after these pictures were taken) – which looks just as nice. Shoulda just listened in the first place . . .

EDIT! Veronica from SewVery said that she used hook closures and it worked beautifully! You can see her dress here. Maybe I should have just used some pliers to close up the hooks a little.

So to make my Sweetheart Dress into a bubble dress, I used An’s tutorial for reference. You’ll want to cut your main skirt piece exactly the way the Sweetheart Dress pattern instructs you to. Then you’ll need to cut a lining skirt piece.

(like my awesome graphic?)

Basically, I cut 2 isosceles trapezoids with the following measurements. The bottom of the skirt lining was 10 inches less than my main skirt pieces. So since my main skirt piece was 29″ wide, the base of my skirt lining was 19 inches. The height was just one inch less than the height of the my main skirt. The main skirt piece was 15″, so my lining piece was 14″. The width at the top, is the same as your bodice piece, so use that for reference. Here’s what my lining pieces looked like:

(disclaimer: these measurements worked for me, but I do not guarantee that this formula will work for other sizes. sorry!)

Once you have your pieces, sew up the dress using Shannon’s directions for the bodice and An’s directions for the bubble skirt. Pretty easy modification – super cute results!

Sweetheart10 I made this dress in size 2T. It fits wonderfully when on, but the bodice is a bit snug getting her into it. Because of the design of the dress, I’m not sure how you can open up the bodice any deeper. Maybe place the heart cutout lower? Otherwise, it looks great on.

The fabric I used is Nani Iro Pon Pocho. It is double gauze and I loooooooooove it. I picked it up during my trip to Japan over the summer. I still have quite a bit left, so I’m excited to use it again. Doesn’t it just kinda make the dress? The only thing that I’m a little baffled by is that after washing and drying the dress, everything just looked flat and smushed (look at the very first and second photos up top – see the difference?) Is this normal? Does it have to do with the fabric? Any way to get it to fluff back up??

ANYWAYS. This dress is perfect for Valentine’s Day which is coming up SOON. And not just that, but it’s an adorable party dress, so I’m sure your little one could get plenty of use out of it all through spring and summer.

If you’re ready to buy the pattern and sew it up right now, head over here to purchase the Sweetheart Dress.

OR if you want to try and win a copy of this pattern for FREE, Shannon is so generously offering the Sweetheart Dress pattern to THREE lucky winners.

TO ENTER: {GIVEAWAY CLOSED – find out if you’re a winner here}

Leave a comment on this post. You can leave a comment about anything, but if want a prompt, how about: Who do you want to sew this dress for and what kind of fabric will you use?
One entry per person.
Winner will be picked at random.
Open to US and International residents.
Giveaway will be open until Sunday, February 10 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced on Monday, February 11.

So go ahead and buy your fabric this weekend, then come back on Monday to see if you’re one of the winners!

Wheeeee!

This pattern was given to me for this review. All opinions are my own.
I am an affiliate of Go To Patterns.

Geranium in Eyelet

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Cherie

Another Made by Rae pattern is heeeeere! I cannot tell you how much I love all of the patterns by Rae that I’ve tried so far and this new one is no exception. It’s called the Geranium Dress and it is an adorable dress pattern for sizes 0-3 mo. to 5T. I feel like this is a really amazing must-have dress pattern for your collection.

Geranium2

I was lucky enough to be able to test this pattern and decided to use this grayish-lilac eyelet that I’ve had in my stash for awhile from Fabrix (I got it for cheap!). I lined it with a plum fabric and I love love looove the way it came out!

Geranium1

My favorite part is all the variations that are included in the pattern so you can construct the perfect dress or tunic for your little one. You can get a little look here at all the options.

There are 3 sleeve options, 3 neckline options, 2 skirt options, 2 length options, and an optional patch pocket. With this one pattern you can make a million variations!

For my first Geranium, I chose a notched neckline with flutter sleeves, a gathered skirt and in dress length. It’s my favorite combo right now, but a mini-Washi dress is hard to resist too!

Geranium4

Geranium5

The pattern is of extremely high quality, which is what I’ve come to love about and expect from Rae. It’s well written with great diagrams and photos and extremely helpful hints. The dress is a pretty fast and simple sew, and yet it yields gorgeous results, which in my opinion, is really the best kind of pattern.

Geranium3 Sewing with eyelet was a fun new challenge for me. It really wasn’t too difficult at all, but of course, required a few extra steps. For one, you’ll need more lining fabric than what the pattern calls for since you’ll have to line the entire skirt and I also double lined the bodice. After cutting out a lining piece for every eyelet piece, I basted them together along the edges and then sewed as directed. Because of all the stitching on the eyelet material, plus the lining fabric, it can get a bit thick in places, so just be aware of that and take it slow. One thing I had to do differently was instead of double folding for the hem and skirt seam, I just finished the edges with my serger and sewed it down. In the end, it was probably easier

Geranium7

If you’re not yet convinced that you need this pattern, go check out the Geranium Dress Flickr Pool or all the tester versions in this post. Then head over HERE to buy the pattern. And hey, you still have 24 hours to whip up that last minute holiday dress, right?!

Speaking of which – are you all done with your holiday sewing? I’ve gotten a few things checked off my list, but still have a few left to go, some of which will be sewn after Christmas! Better late than never, right?

Well, I may pop in over the next 2 weeks, buuuuut I might not. So until next time, please take care, stay safe and enjoy a beautiful and wonderful holiday season with those you love!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Maggie Mae Tunic and a GIVEAWAY!

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Cherie

*Unfortunately, this post was delayed due because we had a very long power outage and then I had to travel for work. Looks like the train (to crazy) is pulling in a little late and I’m so sorry!!*

I’m really excited to be the next stop on the Very Go To Christmas pattern tour! Go To Patterns really is the place to go if you’re looking for fun and classic patterns. They carry patterns for everything from clothing and gift bags to quilts and stuffed animals from a variety of great designers. Andrea is the mastermind behind the pattern shop and the blog, The Train to Crazy, and she’s created a really amazing collection of must-have patterns. It’s definitely worth checking out.

maggiemae1 I chose the Maggie Mae Tunic by Shwin & Shwin to review because it’s been on my to do list for a very long time. I actually purchased this pattern before KCWC in the fall, but never got around to making it until now. I wish I hadn’t waited though because I. Love. This. Tunic.

maggiemae5 I just think it’s adorable and I’ve thought so since I first saw the pattern come out. I love the colorblocking, the curved pieced bodice, the little cap sleeves, the pleats – I love how stylish it is, but still so appropriate for kids (Shwin & Shwin has a knack for designing kids patterns that balance style and practicality). And it really can be made for any occasion – from casual playwear to special occasion – depending on the fabric you choose. I used this gorgeous Kaffe Fasset woven ikat and shot cotton that I picked up at Stonemountain & Daughter in Berkeley.

sneakpeek

maggiemae3

The Maggie Mae can be made as a tunic or a dress (the version I made is the tunic) and comes with inseam pockets and buttons in the back.

maggiemae4

This project is a good intermediate beginner pattern. The construction is fairly simple even with the curved bodice piecing. You’ll have to do some pleating and of course buttonholes, but if are comfortable with those things, you can sew one of these up in a snap.

Despite that, this project was a little bit of a nightmare for me to sew up (at no fault of the pattern – purely my own stupidity). I just wanted to share the story with you so you know that I have really bad sewing days too. Because this pattern is pretty simple, I was excited to get it done quickly. Well I was finishing an edge with my serger, which I’m still learning how to use, when a corner of the bodice was gobbled up into the serger with the slicing blade on, so SNIP! Off goes a small corner of the bodice.

Then, it literally took me forever to get my pleats looking good – centered, evenly sized and spaced. Unfortunately, there are no pleat markings on the pattern, so you have to figure it out yourself and I don’t know why it took me so long – but I must have pleated, pinned, basted and torn them out 5 times before I got it just right.

When I was just about done, I accidentally hemmed the tunic up in a thread that stood out a lot more than I expected and I didn’t like it. As I was tearing the hem out with a seam ripper to do over, I tore a small hole in the front of the dress at the hem line. WTF – is this project trying to kill me!? Have you ever had a project like that? Where everything goes wrong? And to top it all off, I had meant to make this a dress and didn’t realize until I put it on my daughter and her booty was hanging out the bottom that I had used the tunic measurements instead!!! Haha, seriously, I was having issues that day. BUT, despite all that, I still looooooove the way it came out. So all of that to say, even if you’re a complete knuckle head like me, you can still make this adorable top/dress (just make sure you’re reading the appropriate measurements off the chart depending on whether you want to make a skirt or a tunic).

maggiemae6

I made the size 2T for my 2 year old and it fits her pretty well. The only thing that I would change if I make it again (and I’m sure I will), is to lengthen the top bodice piece just a little bit to make the armhole a little roomier. It fits her just perfectly, if not a little snug there. Otherwise, the sizing seemed just right.

maggiemae2

I love that there are sooooooo many possibilities with this dress depending on what coordinating fabrics you choose. I’m already dreaming up combinations for the next one. What colors/prints would you choose?

Well lucky for you, you have a chance to win an amazing giveaway prize and trust me, you’re gonna want to win this.

Enter to win a shopping spree at GoToPatterns.com and Sew Fine Fabric!

THREE WINNERS!

Click here to enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter!

Go check out the rest of the Very Go To Christmas posts here:

Handmade Therapy Nov. 29th
a pretty cool life. Nov 29th
Sew Much Ado Nov. 30th
Simple Simon and Co Dec. 1st
One Little Minute Dec. 1st
The Cottage Home Dec. 2nd
Sew country chick Dec. 2nd
Nap Time Crafters Dec. 3rd
A Little Gray Dec. 3rd
skirt as top Dec. 4th
you & mie Dec. 5th
Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! Dec. 5th
Me Sew crazy Dec. 6th
see kate sew Dec. 6th
Delia Creates Dec. 7th

And what Yuki photoshoot could be complete without one of these pics!?

maggiemae_peek2

Haha – I love this kid. I hope you’re all enjoying getting ready for the holidays. Please go check out Go To Patterns – I’m pretty sure you’ll find so many things you love. And be sure to enter the Washi Giveaway here (ends Friday, December 7th at 5pm PST).

Thanks, as always, for stopping by and I hope you’re all having a great week

Perfect Polo

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Cherie

*Update! The pattern is now available HERE!*

A couple of weeks ago I got to test a Blank Slate pattern by Melissa of Melly Sews. It’s called the Perfect Polo and will be sold through the Lil Blue Boo shop ~~(it’s not there yet, but should be soon)~~.

Melissa’s patterns are great. I’ve also used her Toddler Blazer pattern before, and loved it (in fact, I have another one on the to do list, coming up). And I bought her Blank Slate Basics package when it first came out and though I haven’t been able to sew anything up with it, a ton of other people have and they all rave about it. I love that she demystifies intimidating techniques like collars and button plackets and zip flies and jacket facings.

This pattern, like the rest, is a good one to have in your collection. There are so many different ways you can mix up this pattern and who doesn’t need a few good polos?

The shirt features saddle shoulder accents, a collar and a button placket. There is a pocket on the chest and you can choose from short or long sleeves. You can also go with buttons or snaps.

The trickiest part of the shirt is the collar not only because the neckline comprised of so many pieces (so if you are slightly off in cutting or sewing, your measurements can be way off), but also, when using two different fabrics, the varying amounts of stretch make it difficult to get the pieces to match up. Melissa talks about this in the pattern directions. I ended up having to make a second collar because the first was way too small.

The only other adjustments I made to the pattern was the pocket shape/size (just because of my own preference) and the collar finishing. The pattern directs you to hand sew the inside of the collar, but I decided to top stitch around the entire collar instead. Because I’m lazy like that I like the way it came out – so it’s a good alternative to keep in mind, if you don’t like hand sewing/like the top stitched look.

Yuki really likes the shirt, especially tucking little pieces of paper into her pocket. She also likes saying, “Mama made it!” whenever people comment on her clothing. So much that she started telling people that I made her yellow rain boots (not pictured). Not true, Yuki, not true.

Anyways, keep your eye out for this pattern release – you will not be disappointed. And while you’re waiting for the pattern to come out, check out Alida’s awesome version (love that accent fabric!) and other Blank Slate creations in the flickr pool.

As we are entering holiday season, I’m finding my to do list longer than ever. Anyone in the same boat? How do you get it all done without going crazy? Suggestions are welcome

Wishing you a productive and peaceful week!

Washi in Blue

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Cherie

*UPDATE!!! The Washi Dress pattern has been released. Find all the information you need here. GO NOW. You won’t be sorry!*

Did you hear?? It’s WASHI WEEK! What’s Washi Week you ask? Well, the fabulous Rae, from Made by Rae, has an awesome new pattern coming out this week called the Washi Dress and she’s posting a bunch of different versions all week. Ever since she posted photos of the original Washi dress, people have been going CRAZY asking for a pattern and waiting (not so patiently) for Rae to produce a pattern. Well, ladies and gents, it’s finally arriving and it is soooooooooo worth the wait.

I was extremely lucky to be a part of Rae’s pattern testing group and I got to try out the original pattern. There have been many adjustments and improvements made since I tried the test pattern, but even in its draft form, the pattern was phenomenal.

The dress is super cute, simple yet stylish, and very flattering. It has a fitted bodice with a pleated a-line skirt, pockets and a unique cut-out scoop neckline. Shirring in the back assures a perfect and comfortable fit and makes it so you do not need a zipper or button closure. Genius!!! When I saw how professional Rae’s versions looked and considering how intimidating sewing women’s clothing is to me, I thought this pattern would be complicated. But it was surprisingly very simple to sew up!! Rae has labeled this pattern for intermediate sewers, but I think ambitious beginners should certainly give this a try. The trickiest part for me was learning the shirring technique. The rest was a breeze!

The pattern is extremely well written with clear instructions and awesome diagrams. Rae is extremely thorough in her explanations and really goes beyond regular directions to try and help with tips, suggestions and troubleshooting. There is a whole section in there about getting the best fit which I think will be very helpful for people who are new to sewing adult clothing (like me!).

I would definitely suggest making a muslin (Rae talks about it in the directions). This is one of those steps that I always skip, because I don’t like wasting the time or fabric. But coming from someone who hates doing it, JUST DO IT!! This pattern is pretty darn amazing, but no pattern can fit every woman in all our different shapes and sizes. I used some fabric from an old sheet and made a muslin using the front bodice piece and the back piece cut just below the shirring lines. This way I could practice a few lines of shirring and make sure the bust darts and shoulders fit well. Rae offers suggestions for adjustments if you find it necessary. I would have been devastated if I finished the entire dress only to find out it didn’t fit.

The one thing that I screwed up on my dress is the cut out at the neckline – it’s a bit puckered. I was rushing too much when I sewed it together (I’m sorry, I was really excited!) and couldn’t press out the wrinkles. Luckily, my fabric is dark and it’s not too noticeable. But I would recommend taking your time when you sew around the cut out, making sure your cut out is symmetrical and when you flip the facing in, that all your fabric lays nice and flat (this will probably all make a lot more sense when you are making your own).

I don’t have any specifics about this fabric, except that I bought it on my recent trip to Japan at Tomato. It is a navy blue border fabric with eyelet at the bottom and embroidered flowers all over. The print is kind of a funky mix of whimsical shapes resembling clouds, petals and pebbles. It was kind of a random pick when I was shopping and I thought I might make myself a skirt or something. But right after I got back from Japan, the opportunity to test this pattern came up and I immediately thought this fabric would be perfect. And luckily I had JUST enough fabric to do it. It turned out to be a really practical choice for me – neutral and simple, with a little bit of fun.

The Washi can be made as a dress or a tunic, and with cap sleeves or sleeveless. I’m already dreaming up different versions of Washis for me and ways to remix the pattern as well. I can assure you, there are more Washis in my future. Near future, I hope!

Overall, I really can’t say enough good things about this pattern. As someone who does not normally sew for women or from patterns, this one really gave me the confidence to do both. Now I’m psyched to sew more for myself! It’s a very quick and simple sew with impressive results – I bet you’ll get so many compliments when people find out that you made the dress yourself! And it’s a really flattering style for pretty much every body type. I love how it skims right over my tummy and hips. Serious WIN.

You can’t go wrong with Washi. It’s my new motto.

Oh and to see more Washi inspiration, check out Kristin’s awesome Washi, Emmmy Lizzzy’s THREE Washis, and the official Washi Dress flickr pool. I’m telling you, that pool is about to blow up with fabulous Washis.

Ok, ok. Now you can go.

Maxwell Top Pattern

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Cherie

One of my goals is to sew more clothes from patterns. So when the opportunity came up to be a pattern tester for some of Shwin & Shwin‘s new patterns, I jumped on it. These gals come up with some of the cutest patterns for kids! And there are so many amazing free tutorials on their site too. One of the patterns in their current collection is the Maxwell Top for boys and I LOVED it as soon as I first saw it.

I debated whether I should make the top a little more feminine by picking more “girly” fabrics, but decided to go with something simple and (in my opinion) gender neutral. I knew Yuki could pull it off. The fabric reminds me of a Japanese shirt, though I don’t actually know if the fabric is Japanese. I love the finished shirt and all the cute details.

It was my first time sewing a collared shirt so I had a little trouble attaching the collar. For that reason, I’d say this is a good intermediate or intermediate beginner pattern. Otherwise, the shirt came together nicely with pretty clear and simple directions.

I think she looks adorable! I know I will definitely be making more for her as she gets bigger. The pattern is for sizes 12m-5T! And it’s always great to find an awesome boy pattern. I can’t imagine there’s anyone who wouldn’t need this pattern!

Buy the pattern here!

The Saturday Blazer – Outerwear for PR&P

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Cherie

Yikes! I really fell behind on blogging this week. I had a tutorial lined up for this week, as well as projects from BEFORE Christmas that I haven’t shared and I certainly didn’t get to blogging about my Project Run & Play Sew-along entries before I posted them to flickr. I just BARELY made the deadline this time.

So the theme was Outerwear. I figured I’d probably make a coat of some kind, but I don’t have much experience making coats/jackets. I’ve made a hooded cape and a little coat, and though they turned out ok, I was just making it up as I went along and knew that I wasn’t doing it the “right” way. So I took this opportunity to learn more about jacket/coat construction (did you know how many pieces a basic jacket is made of!?? A LOT). I thought a little fitted blazer would be adorable on Yuki and I found this Toddler Blazer pattern by Melly Sews.

This is a super cute pattern for toddlers and young kids (the pattern is for 18m-4T). It was very easy to follow along and I highly recommend it! It’s $6 and you can buy through that link I posted above. I’m REALLY glad I decided to work from a pattern first because I had NO clue what facing was or how to sew it in and now I understand!

The smallest size is 18 months and even though Yuki is 17 months, she is small and is closer to a 12 month size. So I had to take the pattern down in size. I also wanted the blazer to have a fitted, slightly feminine look to it. I didn’t want it to look boxy on her, so I added a slight curve to the sides of the jacket to bring it in around her “waist.” It’s hard to see in in the picture, but I think it makes a difference. Of course, I made it TOO fitted. So now it’s snug when I button it over her big baby belly. Oops.

I used a gray bottomwear fabric from Jo-Anns because I love gray and it goes well with everything. The lining fabric was something that I had in my stash (also from Jo-Anns). I had bought it because I loved it, but had no idea what I was going to use it for. I love the bright splashes of color that it gives to the gray blazer!

I call it Yuki’s Saturday Blazer because that’s probably when she’ll wear it. Monday through Friday, while H and I are at work, Yuki goes to a nanny share a few days a week and is watched by H’s mom the rest of the week. We just dress her in comfortable “whatever” clothes because all she is going to do is eat and play and nap and roll around and get messy (which is generally ALL toddlers do). We never dress her up during the week. But Saturdays are for going out and doing special activities so I might dress her up in this. Sundays too, so maybe I should have called it the Weekend Blazer

So this wasn’t even meant to be my entry for the PR&P Sew-along, since I made it as practice. But I do like how it came out so I figure I might as well share it anyways. After I made the blazer, I applied the same construction steps but drafted a completely new pattern for a coat. I’ll share that one as soon as I can

Thank you Melissa from Melly Sews for the awesome pattern! I’ve learned a lot from you!

And here’s a little blooper from the photo shoot. I feel like I usually have one or two jewels that are just hilarious or cute – so I’ll start saving them for the end of each post:

Haha, silly monkey!

you and mie

let's make things

Category Archives: pattern review