FO: Star Anise by Gracious Threads

I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to test the new pattern release for Jess of Gracious Threads.  I love so many of her designs and recently reviewed her Eclair Blouse.  But anyway the Star Anise Dress is gorgeous.  I love the simple clean lines and the slightly vintage look of this dress.  It is stylish but practical and I feel works well for both younger girls and tweens (it comes in sizes 2-12y).

As usual I made a mix of sizes for Miss M, with size 3 width and 5 length throughout.  This proved spot on for fit, with the waistband falling perfectly on the natural waist and skirt length spot on with no adjustments required.  There are many features of this dress that I love, the way the darts in the bodice and pleats in the skirt match with seams through the waistband for a continuous line is lovely and everything matched up perfectly first time.  The added detail of the fold back cuffs on the sleeves is also super cute.  In testing I did have a few issues with the cuffs being tight but that issue has been addressed and I feel was more of a problem for me due to mixing sizes in the way I did.  Next time I will check the measurements of the cuffs before cutting.  

The fabric I chose for our version is a vintage lightweight (almost sheer) cotton with an embroidered border.  I'm pretty sure my Mum bought this many years ago to make a dress for me, which makes this very special.  Due to the lightweight nature of the fabric I cut an entire second dress from white cotton and treated the two pieces as one throughout so none of the darts or pleats showed through.  

So here it is :-)

And just to prove that it is totally play worthy ;-)

FO: Fun Tee from Sew By Pattern Pieces

I must admit that I do love testing patterns but I am often a little hesitant to test for a new designer, I guess mainly because you never know what you are getting yourself in for in terms of both the pattern itself and the testing process.  So when I applied to test this tee shirt pattern I really wasn't too bothered if I got chosen or not.  Well now I am soooooo glad I was and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to review this pattern.  While I received a free copy of the final pattern all the opinions within this review are my own and I receive nothing for writing this post ;-)

So let me introduce you to the Fun Tee from Sew By Pattern Pieces.  First of all it is so nice to have a new designer on the block who has a really strong (as in 20 years strong) background in the industry, and this shines through in every aspect of this pattern.  How many tee shirt patterns are there out there? Loads.  How many girls tee patterns do you need?  Just this one really!  The Fun Tee covers sizes 1-12y and has 4 different sleeve options, short and long plain sleeves, short puffed sleeve and the simply gorgeous princess sleeve.

Ok so what sets this pattern apart, firstly the detail that went into the testing process, attention to fit was amazing and the thoughts of testers were carefully considered and acted upon, woohoo!  I have yet to make any tee that fits my DD as well as this one around the sleeve and across the shoulder (look I even took pictures to prove it!), to be honest I don't think I realised other tees didn't fit well until I made this one.  (and look at how nicely that neckband sits!!

When you buy this pattern you get so much more than just a pattern and tutorial, you get all of the following:

• Full measurement charts for both body measurements AND finished garment measurements, this means that not only can you work out what size you should make but also decide if you want to size up for a more relaxed fit.
• Detailed information on how to adjust the perfect fit you desire (including clear line drawings on how to do this properly via two different techniques)
• Extensive tips for sewing with knit fabrics which are worth reading through even if you have been sewing with knits for years.
• Information on how to calculate the stretch of your knit before you start, and then consequently what adjustments you may need to make to get the fit you want from the pattern.  This is something that was discussed a lot during testing and ALL that information is there for you.
• Plus of course a full and clear tutorial for all versions of the top with simple to follow line diagrams, including instructions for printing your pattern and layers feature for those who prefer to use it.

So onto some of the results.  I made two tops for DD, and from the size chart she is a size 3 with 5 length.  This first I really used as a muslin for size, and it's made from remnant of stable knit I had in my drawer for years (it probably came from Mum).

As you can see with fit was spot on, there is even a nice amount of length there for this child who is growing like a weed right now, and this plain long sleeved version makes not only a great basic tee but a fabulous winter pj top too :-)  

The second version I made I used a cotton/lycra fabric throughout with 50% stretch.  For this one I chose to do the princess sleeve and the only other alteration I made was to cut the size 2 neckband instead of the size 3 so that it sits nicely.  This is DD's absolute favourite top right now, she absolutely loves it and who couldn't love that sleeve.  

Over the years I have lost count of how many different tee shirt patterns I have tried out, everything from various pdf's, older paper patterns, magazines, the lot.  I am thrilled to say that this one will replace all of those for a simple girls tee pattern for many years to come.  I don't often make patterns more than a couple of times but this will be one of the exceptions to that rule.  I am so pleased that I discovered Lauren's patterns now and I look forward to seeing what she will come out with in the future. 

Finally if you join Lauren's facebook group, she will soon be releasing a free flutter sleeve add on for the long sleeved version of this pattern. So go pattern shopping and start sewing :-)

FO: Eclair Blouse by Gracious Threads (and GIVEAWAY)

Well I am still alive I just haven't been blogging (to state the obvious).  I have been crafting a bit and will catch up on a few things over the next few weeks but for now I want to share with you all this fabulous new pattern release from Jess at Gracious Threads.  I fell in love with this lovely summer top when I saw the pics, so nice to see something with a point of difference and I love the exposed zipper.

The Eclair Blouse is a woven summer top with exposed zip and bias facing at neck, armholes and hem.  It is fitted through the waist and has cute side vents at the hem which allow for easy movement even with the slightly longer length.

I let Miss M choose the fabric and I think it came out really cute.

The exposed zip and bias facings make this a pattern recommended as intermediate but I found the notes in the pattern very clear to follow and there is a link to a video to help with the zip.  I love that the zip has a zip guard as well to stop making any contact with the skin.

For Miss M, I made the size 3 with 5 length and the fit is spot on!  Fitted but not tight, and she loves it.  I love the modest length over leggings and the curved hem, total cuteness.

To celebrate this new release I have a copy of this pattern to give away.  Simply comment below with your favourite feature of the pattern and who you would love to make one for (and don't forget your email address so I can contact the winner), and I will draw a winner via random.org at 8pm on October 9th.  

In the meantime if you can't wait then go and buy it here and check out all the other awesome patterns Jess has on offer :-)

Little Kiwis Closet Bow Back Beauty Blog Tour

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and it has given me the kick start I needed to get back into blogging again.

I am always a fan of the patterns from LittleKiwisCloset and this latest release is no exception.  So what is the Bow Back Beauty?  Well really a better question is probably what isn't it!  This gorgeous pattern is a tee/peplum/dress and even onesie all in one pattern.  It covered sizes nb-12y and is even suitable for boys if you omit the bow from the back.  The other options include the following.
Sleeve options:
~ Sleeveless with binding
~ Short sleeves
~ Short sleeves with cuffs
~ Long sleeves
Skirt options:
~ Peplum
~ Dress
~ Hi-lo
~ Double peplum
~ Skirt + peplum
Bodice:
~ Natural waist length
~ Hip length
~ Onesie (nb-4 only)
Back:
~ Plain back
~ Bow back

So how do you choose just one option from all of that?  Well I decided to check out my list of what was needed in Miss M's wardrobe and go from there.  As we are going into winter I chose the long sleeve option and decided to make a tee over a dress as that is what she needed.  Also due to the cold weather we are expecting I decided to morph the plain back with the bow back to omit the open back but retain the bow :-)

Since it had been a while since I had made anything for Miss M I did a quick measure and chose to make her the size 2 with size 4 length and to cut the bodice hip length.  I let Miss M choose from a selection of fabrics and I must say she was thrilled with the result (and so am I).  I used a cotton/lycra 4-way stretch for both the tee and the bow, and the same white cotton lycra for all the bindings.  I found the printing, taping and tracing of this pattern all went very smoothly and the tutorial was easy to follow.  I really like the finish given of the binding technique used in the pattern.  It's not the induing technique I usually choose as it gives a slightly more bulky finish, but it was perfect for this particular top.
Because I wanted to morph the plain back with the bow back this meant that I ended up with 2 bound edges together at the front of the envelope neck, as this was bulky I offset them slightly with the bow piece in front and used the shoulder mark of the bow piece to match the backs/front before adding the sleeves.
Construction was very straight forward and I was surprised at how quickly this wee top went together considering the details that are included.  Really once you have bound all the neck/bow edges you are pretty much done.  The only other change I made from the pattern tutorial was that I sewed the sleeve/side seams before I hemmed the sleeves (this is purely personal preference).  Also I tried the tee on before hemming the sleeves and decided they were too long so I cut approx 4cm off before hemming.  I was surprised about this as I've never had to shorten sleeves for Miss M before, and it turns out I shouldn't have this time.  They have turned out a little on the short side now - gah!  I still love it and they look cute but next time I will leave it alone!  Other than that the fit is spot on.  It is nice and slim through the body and I think I may even size up through the body next time I make a tee, but I wouldn't if I was doing the open back version as I'm pretty sure adding any extra width would result in gaping of the lower back portion.
So here is our end result.

And even better now that you know that you need this pattern you can enter here to win a copy :-)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

FO: Otium

Once again I was thrilled to get the chance to test for Annemeike from Sofilantjes.  I love so many of her patterns and this one is no exception.  Otium is a sweet wee top with lots of options.  It has the choice of three sleeve lengths and can be made as a plain top, with a large diagonal cross front feature pocket or with a scoop back and bow feature.  This comes in both girl's (12m to 14y) and women's sizes (XS to XXXL) and they can also be bought as a bundle :-)
I made the plain short sleeved tee for Miss M in a size 2 with 4 length.  I'm hoping Miss M will get a lot of wear out of this if summer ever decides to arrive because it really is a sweet wee top.   It has a lovely relaxed fit but with shaping through the body in the larger sizes it doesn't end up looking big and boxy - woohoo.  And with a neckband and hem band it is a super fast sew.  I broke out the twin needle to hem the sleeves and then decided I'd use that to topstitch the neckline too and I'm really pleased with the result.

And here it is on Miss M, she does love it but was just tired and not really in the mood for modelling even with bribery :-)  The fabric is some I got in a massive destash a couple of years ago, it's a cotton jersey and I used cotton lycra for the bands.

I can see this top being a staple here as the fit is fantastic and the sleeve options mean it can be sued throughout the year.  Now I'm just waiting for the Christmas chaos to die down enough for me to make one for me.  Congratulations Annemieke on another fabulous pattern!

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to you.

Treble Clef Christmas Decoration Tutorial

As we head rapidly towards christmas and the end of the year here in NZ we are also heading towards the end of the school year which means teacher gift time.  This year Mr A has been learning piano from a lovely young lady and I wanted to make a wee something to say thanks and Merry Christmas. As a result I've come up with this paper treble clef christmas decoration.

TUTORIAL:

Materials Required:

Scrapbooking Card

Guillotine or Rotary cutter (or scissors)

Scissors

Pen

1. Cut a 1.5cm strip down the length of a 12"x12" square of scrapbooking card.  In this case I have some I had left over from craft projects last year that is patterned on one side and white on the other.  I used a guillotine for this step but you could easily use a rotary cutter or scissors.

2. As my paper was plain on the back I then wrote a message on the back of the card.

3. Using the template as a guide make small marks down the sides of the strip of card at the distances shown from the top, you don't need to label these as shown in the template but the labels will be referred to later :-)  Be sure to mark the top three positions on the ride hand side of the card and the bottom three on the left hand side as shown.

4. Now make a small cut at each of the marked positions from the marked edge to just past the centre of the card as shown.
5. Fold the card (white or wrong side up) so that the C and D positions match up and slot the two cuts together.

 6. Now fold position B round to slot into the cut at position F.

 7. Next match up position A to position E in the same manner.  At this point you can put a slight curve into the inner end of the card to continue the curve if you want to.

 8. Take the straight end of card and curl it around a pen to give a curved tail.  And you are done!

I used a needle to thread a hanging loop through the top of mine so that it could be used as a tree decoration.

This makes a quick, easy and cheap gift that your children can even make.  I love giving handmade gifts and I think the personalised message adds a nice touch.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you decide to make some decorations of your own :-)

Modern Belle : Lil Luxe Collection Holiday Blog Tour.

I have been dying to try many of the patterns from Lil Luxe Collection for some time now so I jumped at the chance to take part in their Holiday Blog Tour.

First up there are 2 things to note, I received a copy of this pattern in order to write this review but the comments here are entirely my own, secondly while this wasn't my first choice of pattern I am actually thrilled I tried it and in all kinds of love with this dress.
The Modern Belle dress has very sweet simple lines and just enough features to make it extra special but very wearable.  Here in New Zealand we have Christmas in the middle of summer (although noone has told our weather that yet) and most people don't go all out with special christmas themed outfits.  Because I wanted to make a dress that was able to be used throughout summer not just over the holiday period, but still had a holiday feel, I chose some lovely green whimsical fairy fabric and paired it with red/white spots. :-)

So the pattern? This went together really easily from pattern piecing, to cutting and sewing.  I was very impressed with the tutorial which covered everything thoroughly.  I love the detail of the lined bodice and the gathered side panels hang so nicely in this quilting weight cotton.  There are two options for the side panels (one being more full than the other) and I chose the less gathered version simply because I was running short of the spot fabric.  The dress still has a nice wee twirl though and it got approval from the small girl child.

It just so happened that as this photo shoot was needed we were also invited to meet Miss M's daycare class in the city and visit a local christmas shop and window display, so I took the opportunity to get pics at the same time.  It wasn't the best weather but she was a real trooper.

I'm really pleased with how I managed to fussy cut the fairies onto the sleeves :-)

On our adventure we checked out some local sculptures...

 ..and shook hands with one of them.

The kids all loved their visit to the christmas shop,

and then had a picnic lunch in the park.

If you have fallen in love with Modern Belle as much as I have you can purchase it here and until 11 Dec it is available at 30% off with the code "blogtour".  Also don't forget to check out all the other amazing creations in the blog tour and be inspired to sew for the holiday season.

Blog Tour schedule:

Monday, Dec. 1 - Rouche & Division Top

http://rebekahsews.com

Wednesday, Dec. 3 - Peek A Boo Hoodie

http://howimakestuff.com

http://needleandted.wordpress.com

http://www.thecrazytailor.com

Thursday, Dec. 4 - Alley Cat Romper

http://www.max-california.com

http://creativeneedleandthreads.blogspot.com

Friday, Dec. 5 - Reversible Crop Top & Dress

http://kimmiesewcrazy.blogspot.com

Monday, Dec. 8 - Modern Belle Dress

http://www.kiwicraftychemist.blogspot.co.nz

http://www.lisalisadesigns.com

Tuesday, Dec. 9 - Socialite Peplum and Dress

http://www.sewingsober.com

http://made-by-sara.blogspot.com

Wednesday, Dec. 10 - Two Haute Shorts

http://www.callajaire.com

https://gingerhousedesigns.wordpress.com

Thursday, Dec. 11 - Starlight City Dress

http://rebelandmalice.blogspot.combo

https://bonnieandlottie.wordpress.com

Along with the blog tour there is an amazing giveaway going on for you all to enter:

Here is the Giveaway Info:

$25 from Owl and Drum Sew very Modern (LIKE on Facebook entry, Follow on Instagram entry)

http://owlanddrum.com

$25 from Bobbie Lou Fabric Factory (Follow on Instagram entry)

http://bobbieloufabric.com

$25 from Imagine Gnats (LIKE on Facebook entry, Follow on Instagram entry)

http://imaginegnats.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally Jess from Lil Luxe Collection is starting a Monthly pattern of choice giveaway.  Every month she will choose one winner from her Instagram followers.  Followers must tag @jessbluxe with their Lil Luxe Collection pattern creation.  A winner will be chosen every first of the month Starting with January 1, 2015.

So with those formalities out of the way all that remains is for me to say go forth and read, be inspired, shop, sew and have a fabulous holiday season.