Summer of Soleil - a Selvage designs pattern

Summer is FINALLY here, and after the winter we had, sewing a fun summery dress was exactly what I needed :) Thanks to Lauren of Selvage designs, I was given the opportunity to try out her debut pattern The Soleil Dress.......and IT IS GOOD....

It is a fun, Fast, easy and FAST to sew! I made mine is less then an hour (printing and cutting included)

I lengthened this one to maxi dress length with a slight hi-low hem, because I love this fabric, and my girl loves maxi dresses (and I don't have to worry about her showing her underwear when she sits down at school :) )

The open back is a really great detail (optional too). I did forget that since I made the dress maxi length, the added weight of the skirt would pull on the bottom panel of the bodice. Because of that, the open back was waaaaay too open, so I added a couple of buttons to hold it in place and keep the gapping in check :) Worked like a charm AND looks cute

Seriously a great pattern, cute details with pockets to boot (and good sized pockets....perfect for holding treasures) and FAST (did I mention that?) I love how easy it goes on (pull over the head) and how comfy it is for my daughter

So go and get yourself a copy and make 1 (or 10) it really is a perfect summer dress

~Christine

Last Day for Sew Fab Bundle - Get it before it's gone - Frozen project wrap up

It's THAT time...the last day of the Sew Fab Bundle Sale....don't miss out on a great deal!
Just to remind you...

For one week only, you can have nineteen patterns (plus a fun bonus pattern), chosen specifically for this sale, for only $29.95!  That's over 80% off the retail value of the bundle!  Plus you can enter to win one of two amazing sewing themed giveaways!

For less than $30 you get a library of sewing resources that you can use over and over again.

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 I thought I would post a wrap up of all the fun Frozen themed items I made with only SOME of the patterns you will be getting in the bundle...

I started off the week making a really fun and versatile pinafore from the too sweets tulip pinafore pattern. I also included a Free elsa template to make your own

Next up was this awesome fold over clutch/bag made with LBG studio's pattern

Then I made a shirt that EVERY Frozen fan MUST OWN! and it was really easy, using the cupcake top pattern by Sewing Mama Raeanna

Next was the perfect on to go activity or ready to give gift , a frozen crayon wallet make with the gingercakes pattern

Finally, I made an extra special "Let it go" dress with the Norah Dress pattern by Mouse House creations. I also included a tutorial for a matching snowflake headband

It was a Frozen whirlwind of projects last week, but I think my girls were the happiest they have ever been with my sewing :)

So what are you waiting for...You can make all these, plus much much more with all the patterns in this seasons Sew Fab Bundle...Remember today is the LAST day to get this deal! 

This Sew Fab Pattern Bundle is only available for one week and will never be available again!  You can purchase the bundle from May 5th at 8 a.m. EST through May 13th at 11:59 p.m. EST and there will be no late sales offered.  Due to the nature of the sale there are no refunds. The pattern bundle expires six months from the end of the sale, so please download and save your patterns upon receiving them.

You don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to purchase a ready made collection of 20 PDF sewing patterns from 19 of the best designers out there!

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~Christine

Glamping - A willow & co collection

A big thanks to Laura from Craftstorming and the Willow & co. team for let me go glamping with them!
I have to say, it was really hard for me to choose only a few patterns to sew...I really wanted to sew them all! (and I probably would have if my time was unlimited...AND I probably will anyway...who needs sleep?)
I started with picking a bunch of fabrics I loved, and decided on the Ash Top, Kudzu cargo pants (skinny) and the Aster Cardigan

WoW!!! that's pretty much sums it up! These designs were fantastic. Very professional, well explained and easy to sew...but not sooo  easy that they were boring.

The Aster Cardigan came together so quick, I think I will have to make like 5 more (my girl LOVES cardigans)

I made the collar with a fun animal print knit, and made the Ash top to match. The pattern calls for wovens, and since I used a fairly thin knit, I just omitted the elastic and hemmed the edges instead. I also changed the halter to a tie back. I Loved the way it turned out.

Next the pants! Now these were awesome...a little more time consuming, But so worth it. I love all the little details that make these look so professional. And the best part......elastic waist!

And to complete the glamping outfit I made a sequined fanny pack to match

A girl need some place to keep all her treasures while on the trails right?

A sparkle fanny pack AND a latte...what else does a girl need??

And finally, a few funny bug pictures... hahaha

Thanks so much again for the chance to sew this awesome collection! Can't wait to see what everyone else makes

~Christine

The fashionable Type - a Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy series

First off, I want to give a big thanks to Stacey from Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts for asking me to take part in this series. Such a fun and unique idea....it was a really super challenge to come up with something a little different

I had this vision in my head of an alphabet covered twirly dress, but (probably much to my daughterss dismay) I know my oldest already has a TON of dresses and actually wears leggings and tunics 90% of time. So when searching for materials I found this gem

It is a poly/cotton  vintage knit from Turkey! crazy cool huh?  It is super soft and covered type of all fonts and colors. I love how graphic the type is...you really have to look twice to realize they are letters and symbols

 I bought what was left and knew that some funky leggings were in order. And too go with the leggings I wanted a fun tunic. I self drafted a raglan hoodie (oversized so it is really comfy and has lots of wear) I used a heavy sweatshirt fleece so it doubles as a spring/fall jacket too!

I love how big and comfy it is! I added a hi-low hem for some coverage with the leggings

 I also lined the hood with the same fabric as the leggings

The other reason I made this one a little oversized was so I could add all the applique I wanted. A FULL alphabet in different materials and fonts wraps around the entire sweater. I did a monochromatic look so the effect is not too jarring with all the type.

Here is what I did

First I made a template of the entire alphabet in different fonts and sizes (I used fonts that were fairly thick and would translate to applique easily) You can make your own, OR download the one I used here. You can adjust the scale when you print to get smaller or larger letters depending on the space you are working with

Next I collected scraps of any fabrics that were black. I ended up with a collection of sweatshirt fleece (btw, this was the easiest to sew and cut, and worked out the best), satin and vinyl

I ironed on lightweight interfacing on the back of the scraps

Now the tedious part....put on a good Tv show or some music, and cut out all your letters that you printed (I left the centers in, and cut them out right before I traced them so the cut-outs were not as flimsy)

Then take your letters and trace them onto the interfacing side of you scraps...REMEMBER TO TRACE THEM BACKWARDS!!!

Using a sharp pair of scissors cut them all out. You can use an xacto knife, but I found it way faster and still good results with scissors

Keep on cutting until you have the whole alphabet... (just a note, in the pic below there are some letters that I made with quilting cotton, but I scraped them in the final design since they did not sew on the sweatshirt fleece nicely and made it pucker...)

Now the fun (and slight tedious....) part. Take your letters and pin (or tape if using vinyl) the letters into place

When everything is where you want them you can start sewing them on. SLOWLY. I used a simple longer staight stitch with a little less then a 1/4" seam allowance, and sewed around all the edges. Remember to change you needle and foot accordingly when you switch fabrics (like cotton to satin to leather etc.)

And that was it,  you could also do this to ready made clothing for an update.

Now go add some type to your clothes....:)

~Christine