Save the Date! Create Kids Couture Spring Fling Expo 2016

It's not often I make ready-to-wear pieces, but I made an exception for the Create Kids Couture's Virtual Stitch Spring Fling Expo. I was flattered to be one of eighteen designers picked to be in the showcase. The only criteria was all outfits had to be Create Kids Couture patterns, 3-7 outfits per designer, use flatlays/mannequins to show off the outfit, & all be "one of a kind."

I went with some of my best seller styles, but to make them unique, I opted to pick fabrics that were either limited edition or out-of-print & I added trims to give them a special extra touch.

Knit bodice/woven skirt dresses are a top seller in my Etsy store. With it being spring themed, I opted to go with the sleeveless Tabitha dress pattern. I used Art Gallery's limited edition Paperie line to make this dress. I added some lace between the dress skirt & ruffle to give it some dimension.

Size 5T

Close-up of the bodice

Next up is my Bethany/Dahlia/Mia mash-up in an out-of-print Verna Mosquera Rosewater fabric. This just screams spring to me with the beautiful jade green & floral print. I used a pop of pink/white pinstripe fabric for the sash & ruffle. Some lace along the bodice to create a faux bib & lace along the flutter sleeves to finish the dress. So sweet!

Size 4T. Can't have a flatlay without some cute shoes! These are Joyfolie Maya shoes in almond.

Close-up of the bodice

My third look uses another rare fabric with ballet dancers. I was trying to mimic the bodice on the ballet dancers in the fabric, so I decided to keep this dress relatively simple. I mashed the Amber dress bodice & skirt length with Hattie straps to create this look. I added a pre-made crochet bias trim as the straps, some lace to the the top of the bodice, & scallop lace trim at the bottom of the skirt. This set also includes a matching version for an 18" doll!

Last, but not least, I made a shabby chic modified Nova/Dahlia dress! Nova usually has flutters that run up the side of the bodice, but I knew I wanted to embellish the center of the bodice with the floral print & add some lace eyelet, so I subtracted the length of the bodice off the Nova straps & used the flutter length in Dahlia to make this work. Again, this is an out of print floral I found at Joann fabrics a few years back. Instead of doing three skirt panels, I kept the skirt all one fabric by doubling the back of skirt pieces.

The Spring Fling Expo will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2016. Please check out the work of all my talented designer friends as well!

Pattern Test: The Simple Life Pattern Co.'s Braxton's Blazer!

It's been a year since The Simple Life Pattern Company (SLPCo) released it's first set of patterns! I've been testing with them from day one, & have enjoyed seeing each new design they come up with. Katie & Laura, the two main designers, do a wonderful job creating classic, modern designs that my girls love. I'd say at least half our current wardrobe is SLPCo.

My first pattern test of 2016 for SLPCo was Braxton's Blazer. When Katie gave us a sneak peek of the pattern back around the holidays, I fell in love with the narrow, tulip back design. It was such a unique opening & I had not seen anything else like it. The pattern also has an open back option as well, which would look lovely for the older tween set. The sleeves come in 3/4 length, regular length, & a longer cuffed length & there is also an optional ruffle to jazz up the front of the blazer if you'd like. Bonus part is that it is completely reversible!

I picked the 5T, my youngest's size to test. She is my no-frills child, so I opted to go with the narrow, tulip back, regular sleeve length, & no ruffle. The pattern featured woven fabric, but since it is winter here in MN, I wanted to pick a little heavier fabric to keep us warmer. I ended up going with a tribal print corduroy that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby (SCORE!) & lined it inside with flannel. Both fabrics worked wonderfully!

The pattern sews up super fast! I probably spent more time cutting out the pattern pieces & fussy cutting the blazer pieces than I did sewing. Overall time spent working on this version was probably 2-3 hours.

So yes, I haven't figured out how to take indoor pictures. Our house get such poor light in the winter! I did get a new lens for Christmas, the 35mm f/1.8, which has helped a little. Much better than the lens kit that came with my Nikon.

But this is the fit on my youngest. Sleeve length is perfect--hits right at the waist as is the overall length, which hits just below the hip. There's enough room to layer as well.

Re-took pics another day when we had some sunlight! My original model was not being so cooperative, so I had to employ big sis as her substitute. ;) Thankfully, they are close to the same size (B's about 2" taller) so I can usually get away with her modeling a smaller size. But, you can see here what I mean about fussy cutting the pieces. I had to line up the back just right with the tribal print so it looked continuous vs. staggered & uneven!

Looks great layered over a dress too! My youngest is obsessed with this blazer. She attempts to wear it every day & I have to hide it just so I can throw it in the wash. I guess this means I have to make a few more for her & perhaps a matching one for big sis. :)

New beginnings

Wow. It's been nearly 3 years since I attempted to blog & not so successfully I might add! On the flip side, I have continued to sew almost on a daily basis & have added in the mix some photography (see below), which is an entirely different beast. Exposure, composition, shutter speed....eeks! This doesn't even tackle the post-editing aspect. But hey, at least I live in MN where it's winter half the year & I can justify spending my time on my "hobbies."

So what can you expect to see on my blog? My pattern tests (I current test for a handful of awesome PDF pattern companies), my photography journey, & maybe some food pictures because I also love to cook & bake. :)

Enjoy!

First time using my camera. This little diva claimed her feet were "too tired to walk" & that she needed to lay down & rest. Snapped a pic & it took honorable mention in our local magazine. Beginner's luck!
Serena Stripwork Dress by Create Kids Couture & fabrics by Jennifer Paganelli for JoAnn Fabrics.

My sweet, oldest daughter with the typical first born tendencies. I can almost always get her to try on a pattern test with some bribing. ;)
Adelaide dress by Violette Field Threads & fabric by Pat Bravo.

My sassy girl modeling her Back to School Dress. Bella Dress Pattern by Simple Life Company & fabrics by Michael Miller & Moda. Photo taken by me.

The Reese Dress--Reversible Corset Tiered Ruffle Dress

Earlier in the month, I stumbled on a blog, The Fashion Business Mentor, who was putting together a free workshop to help out small businesses. Essentially, it would be a collaboration of designers & photographers to showcase all our work. I was teamed up with two talented ladies--Bella Blossoms, who makes darling girls' accessories & Candace Rock Photography for pictures. The results of our collaboration are below. I think they're pretty amazing, but of course, I'm a bit biased. :)

I love the headband & bubblegum necklace Bella Blossoms created to match our dress! I used Create Kids' Couture's Primrose pattern to make the dress featured in the picture. It has an elongated sweetheart bodice, shirred back to a snug fit, & four layers of ruffles. I found some Annette Tatum Soliel fabric & thought the aqua/lemon combo was perfect for spring & summer. The last two tiers are Michael Miller fabrics, but I think it coordinates pretty well.

Check out a close-up of the ruffly goodness.

The corset can be tied either in the front or the back, so the dress can be worn in two different styles.

My favorite shot--a girl wearing the dress on a skateboard! Love it!

I do believe in fairies

I've been making my girls their Halloween costumes for the last 3 years. Most of it has to do with me being frugal. Why spend $20+ on an outfit they wear for one night? B was a very angry bumblebee her first Halloween. This was her first & last costume I have ever bought. :)

Fast forward five years. Livy, my younger daughter, insisted on being Tinkerbell. I was going to do the standard route of a green leotard & tutu & pair it with wings until this pattern came out--the Fairy Double Layer Princess Dress by Create Kids Couture. The angular strips of the skirt immediately reminded me of Tinkerbell. Lo & behold...

Photo by Emily Thurman Photography

One very happy three year old. And no, she's not that angelic usually. :)

"I'm just a girl from the village doing all right..."

"And then I became a princess overnight!" My girls are OBSESSED with Sofia the First. This is my first iteration of the Sofia the First inspired dress. I think the bodice is missing something, so I'll be adding some pearl buttons or perhaps some lace accents?

Even though this is for my youngest DD, this still looks pretty cute on my older DD. It's about a size too small, but she still managed to squeeze in. 

I used Violette Field Threads' Fiona dress pattern for the scallops, but used completely different measurements to make the dress longer. The bodice & underskirt are measurements from Create Kids Couture's Demi Ruffled dress. The flower applique I freehanded myself. It was probably the most time consuming part of sewing the dress. 16 teardrops & 16 triangular inserts....ugh! I also tried to roll hem the edges, which was a bad idea. Instead, Fray Block won out. Hopefully it holds out!

Welcome!

This is my foray into the world of blogging. I will try to document each article of clothing I've sewn for my two little princesses, the patterns used, & the fabrics I chose.