Pattern review: Fancy pants leggings

(Words at the bottom.)

Cute bum panel elevates the leggings to fancy pants.  Seriously, it's cute.

Hem by turning up and zigzagging.

Hem with a cuff.

So stinkin' cute.

Unhemmed and rolled for growing room.

Pattern:  Fancy pants leggings by Titchy Threads.  I got it as part of a Sew Fab pattern bundle a looong while ago.  Finally got up the guts to try it.  (I'm still a little afraid of knits, but this pattern helped build some confidence.)

Sizing:  The pattern goes from 0-3 months - 10 years.  I made the 3-6 month size (twice) and the 3T with the skinny legs width adjustment and extra length. 

Material used:  Some stretchy knit denim I bought even longer ago at Joann's.  It has spandex in it for good recovery and was pretty nice to sew with.  Unfortunately, it snags a little. 

Notions needed:  None, although you could put elastic in the waistband for extra staying power. 

Appropriately rated:  Yes.  Rated confident beginner and I think that's because of sewing with knits.  With a stable knit fabric anyone could make these.  They were easy and fast and now I want to make all the girls leggings.

Time spent:  An hour including cutting.  Fast!

Caveats:  The waistband didn't have a width adjustment line on it like the leg piece (and I forgot to adjust it), and since the material was so stretchy I really needed to make the adjustment.  They have a tendency to slide down.  I also could have put elastic in the waistband (one of the recommended options).  Another problem I had was the crotch blew out of the first pair the second time Stella wore them.  So, I shortened and widened my zig zag stitch so the thread wouldn't break and reinforced the crotch.  I didn't topstitch the butt seams, but that would have reinforced them as well. 

Comments:  Loved the pattern!  Instructions were complete and easy to follow.  Now I'm itching to make the skinny jeans from Titchy Threads. 

Pattern review: Oliver + s fairy tale dress

If you've read many of my posts, you might see a theme.  But if it's not broke, why fix it?  So, I took advantage of the 40% off Black Friday sale (or maybe it was 50% off, I don't remember) and bought every Oliver + s pattern I thought I would sew.  Yep. That was November of 2013.  I sewed up the first fairy tale dress in December (I have plans and fabric for the girls' Christmas dresses for next year) and I've never been so proud of something I've made.  It is beautiful, a perfectly fitting, fully lined, complete with crinoline dress.  Stella was just getting into "tutus" when I made this and this one has three! (The lining, tulle and dress.) The best compliment came when I overheard my Grandma (who has sewn a lot of little girl dresses) tell my Aunt (who also sews) that it wasn't handmade, and I got to pipe in and say, "I made that!"

Best feeling ever. 

And it's held up through a ton of washings (since I'm posting this in June and she wears it almost weekly).  Sadly, there hasn't been any in focus documentation of the fairy tale dress.  Aside for these grainy, poor lighting, bad hair, end of the day pics.  Oh well, you get to meet the dog.  Her name's Blue. 

 

 

(Check out the adorable sleeves!  One of my favorite parts of the pattern.)

 

Maybe I'll take some real photos and replace these.  Don't hold your breath.  Down to the nuts and bolts:

Pattern:  Oliver + s fairy tale dress

Size I sewed:  Size 2T width/ 3T length (I went according to the size chart)

Material used:  Quilting cottons from Joann's, tulle for crinoline. 

Notions needed:  An invisible zipper.

Appropriately rated:  Intermediate.  Appropriately rated, but as long as the sewist has made a few other projects Liesl describes all steps clearly.  The invisible zipper was a cinch with her instructions.

Time spent:  A lot.  Like, many evenings, naptimes and a car ride to finish the handwork (but, I'm pretty slow).  It's a very involved dress with lots of pieces to cut out and many, many steps.  Plus, the lining is handsewn to the zipper to finish the dress and the hem looks really nice when done by hand.  The result is only possible because of the effort and it's worth it. 

Comments:  It was intimidating to start this project after reading through the directions.  But I trust Oliver + s patterns, so I just kept following the directions and plugging away and really liked the end result (a lot, can you tell?).  The only part I didn't love was the tube sewn to the waist.  Mine didn't ever get very tube-like and I probably shouldn't have sewn it on at that point.  It is a nice touch on the dress, but the pale pink fabric I used was kind of thin and cheap and just didn't hold it's shape very well. 

If you're looking for an amazing fancy dress pattern, this is it!  I would 100% recommend it. 

Flip this Pattern: Heidi & Finn Colorblock Dress

I sewed this up as part of the francessuzanne Flip this Pattern Sew-Along.  It's the first one I've joined in the series.  Flipping a pattern makes me a little nervous -- I still feel like too much of a novice to change a pattern very much the first time through.  When I saw this pattern, my first thought was to make it out of knit and reversible -- that seemed like a wild enough flip for my skills.  Stella needs more everyday dresses since she often insists on wearing a "tutu".  But, I didn't have enough coordinating knit fabric on hand, and what I did have seemed like it would be a bit heavy doubled up.   I ended up sewing the shoulders in a woven solid, and the rest in a knit.  I've only sewn a few things out of knit, so I sewed carefully.  It turned out great! 

 

 

No close ups of the dress (and smartphone pics) and I learned my lesson about counting on a toddler for holding still for a half second or cooperating when I'd like to do her hair...

Stella picked out the cupcake button :) 

Only modification was only lining the bodice of the dress to keep it lightweight.

Curious about the dirt patch Stella was running around in?  Our future firepit!  We bought the supplies today and we're hoping to get it done next week.  So excited for backyard s'mores!


More about the pattern:

Pattern:  Heidi & Finn Colorblock Dress  

Sizing:  I sewed a 3T in a 4T length knowing it would be a bit big (room to grow!) and it fit fairly well.  The pattern didn't have a sizing chart, just finished garment sizes, but I messaged through etsy and got a quick response from the pattern makers. 

Material used:  Kona solid for shoulders and jersey blend knit from Joann's that had been in the stash for awhile.

Notions needed:  A button. 

Appropriately rated:  Yes.  A beginner pattern, although more markings on the pattern would be appreciated.

Time spent:  Only a few hours including cutting out. 

Comments: This was the first Heidi & Finn pattern I've sewn and I was impressed.  She has a lot of patterns, and I'm looking forward to making the jacket pattern I also bought.  The only grievances I had were that the pattern lacked any notches that would have been helpful when putting the dress together, and I couldn't figure out the middle back seam (steps 38-39) so I just sewed two seams instead of 1 and it worked fine.  I think I'll use this pattern again and  I would recommend it.

Pattern review: McCall's 6781

Joann's had a super sale on patterns.  75 cents each for Mccalls patterns!  Wow!  I am not a big fan of them, because they're always a bit like reading a foreign language and you can't just follow them step by step, but for that price I folded.  Plus, I had some really cute corduroy in my stash that was begging to be used.  I sewed up a tunic in a size 2 with a little extra length (although I had to shorten the sleeves a little). 

 

 

Here are some more details on the pattern: 

Pattern:  McCall's 6781.  I sewed up view c. 

Size I sewed:  Size 2, but added an inch in length, and shortened the sleeves slightly.  Still a little big even though the size chart said I should sew a 2. 

Material used:  Corduroy from Joann's (Maybe part of their doodles collection?  I think I've seen it there lately) and muslin for the contrast (bad choice there, but it was in my stash and it worked). 

Notions needed:  A zipper, and I added buttons on the front for cuteness. 

Appropriately rated:  No.  It said it was easy, but the pattern called for a lot of handsewing, and it had a zipper with very little explanation of how to put it in.  Maybe I'm just annoyed because it was my first zipper and it didn't turn out very well, but I wouldn't call it easy.  Certainly not fast. 

Time to make it:  Including cutting it out, it probably took 8 hours altogether, but I'm pretty slow. 

 Comments:  I swear, whoever wrote the pattern didn't actually sew it.  I think I'll sew it again, but I'll sew the one with the square neck, and use a smaller seam allowance in order to make sewing on the sleeves a little easier.  The pattern doesn't mention that the sleeves need to be gathered a little in order to fit (maybe that was my fault, though).   For the price, I would recommend it with reservations, but not to a beginner. 


Hope this helps!  Happy sewing!

 

 

 

 

 



Pattern review: Oliver + s ice cream social dress and tunic

So, the little girl needed a new dress to wear to Aunt Roommate and Uncle Tom's wedding.  Right?  And I really wanted to make one because I'm crazy and didn't have anything else to do.  Haha.  I looked through my patterns and decided to finally try one of the Oliver + s patterns I picked up on clearance at Creative Crafts last year.  They were only $4.50 each (normally around $15)!  I'm kicking myself for not buying more, but oh well.  I only had the larger sizes pattern, so I guessed on sizing it down to around a 2T, and made a tunic to check the sizing first.  I love, love, love the tunic.  I used some leftover fabric of some dresses and bloomers I made last year, and it is really adorable with some jeggings.  Little girl will wear this one a lot she looks so darn cute in it.  I adjusted the pattern a little with the dress, and tried color-blocking with a couple Kona solids (tangerine and pomegranate maybe?) and a print I got from Joann's.  I had made some bloomers last year out of the same pink, so we lucked out there.  Little girl loved her dress!  She calls it her "aunt roommate uncle tom wedding dress".  Bit of a mouthful.  I wish I had pictures of the little girl wearing the dress, but I don't think it would ever get blogged about if I waited for that.  Plus, it gets a few more berry and watermelon stains on them every time she wears it...

 

 

Stella wore the tunic in family pictures (the day before Charlotte was born), so I have some terrific photos of it.  We love Marci for family photos.  She can get real smiles and personality out of kids like no one's business.  And she has a fun blog.  Here's a few photos from that session:

Oh, the cuteness.  It's a bit overwhelming at times. 



Here are some more details on the pattern: 

Pattern:  Oliver + s ice cream dress sizes 5-12.  Blouse and dress with a button and loop closure and sweet v-notched neck. 

Size I sewed:  About a size 2

Material used:  Fabrics from my stash for the blouse and from Joann's for the dress (sorry, I don't remember what the dress print was called.)

Notions needed:  A button. 

Appropriately rated:  Rated advanced beginner, but I had no trouble at all with it, and I would consider myself a beginner. 

Comments: This was the first Oliver + s pattern I made and I've fallen in love!  I felt like I could learn how to sew from this pattern.  It turned out terrific, and I learned a few techniques from it that I'll apply in other projects.  I'd only sewed with Butterick and McCall patterns up to this point, and it felt like angels were singing the whole time I was sewing.   I would definitely recommend this pattern!

Mad for plaid (week 3 challenge of Project Run & Play)

Hi there!

Since I tend to complete most of my sewing when I have a deadline and the little girl could use a couple more winter dresses, I decided last minute to join in on the Project Run and Play fun. (As in, fabric shopping Monday, washed the fabric Monday night, cut and sewed the dress on Tuesday.)  This week's challenge was "mad for plaid".  Perfect for a Fall/Winter dress.  It took an hour of searching at Joann's because I was hoping for something heavier than a quilting cotton, but I ended up loving the fabric I got.  I used the Oliver + S Seashore Sundress sewing pattern, but only had the pattern for the larger sizes, so I used my best guess to size it down to around a 2T.  The pattern was terrific!  Easy to follow and with lots of helpful tips.  I think the results look professional :)

Here it is!

Little girl saying "hi"

The fabric was DS Quilting Collection Croquet Plaid from Joann's.  The shirt is from Gymboree. (I'm still too nervous to work with knits.)  The buttons were also from Joann's and I sewed them on with some blue thread for a little pop of color.  Here's a closeup of the fabric and the one place where the plaids matched on a seam.  I didn't think about the princess seams and the plaids not matching until I had cut out most of the pattern pieces.  Oops.  Thankfully, it wasn't too noticeable.

I made a little bow hair pretty to match.  So adorable. 

 

And the dress was fun to play in! Going down the slide...

Torturing Tin-tin the kitty...



 



And just being cute. 

Thanks for stopping by!






Here are some more details on the pattern: 

Pattern:  Oliver + s seashore sundress sizes 5-10.  Cute little sundress (or jumper in this case) with a dropped waist ruffle on the side front and across the back and hidden pockets in the ruffle. 

Size I sewed:  About a size 2

Material used:  DS Quilting Collection Croquet Plaid from Joann's (quilting cotton)

Notions needed:  Two buttons and thread

Appropriately rated:  Rated beginner, and I agree.  The only skills needed were gathering and buttonhole making, and the gathering was well explained. 

Comments: This is the second Oliver + s pattern I've sewed and they are terrific!  So well written and you end up with a really professional-looking garment.  The patterns are pretty spendy (I got this one on super sale), but I can always count on ending up with a garment I love. 

Favorite Zucchini Bread Recipe

I pretty much grow zucchini in the garden for making zucchini bread.  I'll sauté some every few weeks, but I'm the only one who likes summer squash in our family, so I'm not very motivated to find non-zucchini bread recipes.  Zucchini bread, on the other hand, is a family favorite.  I would be happy if no one else liked it, but I'm not that lucky. 

The little girl loves it!

More zucchini bread, please!

Uh oh... she dropped the last bite on the floor!

I love my recipe, it's from my Great-Grandma Stella and it always turns out moist and delicious.  It's not terribly healthy, but we only eat it three months out of the year and how can you mess with perfection?

Here's the recipe:

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. oil
3 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 t. salt
1 t. soda
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. orange extract
1/4 t. vanilla
1/2 t. lemon peel

2+ c. finely grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two loaf pans (about 9" x 5" and I use one glass and one metal pan since that's what I have).  Cream the sugar, oil and eggs together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well.  Finally, add the zucchini and blend.  If you use a little more zucchini, closer to 2 1/2 cups, then the bread will be more moist.  If all you get out of your zucchini is 2 cups, then that will work, too!  Split the batter between the two loaf pans and bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  A glass pan will take a little longer than a metal pan unless the metal pan is really heavy and dark.  Run a knife around the edge to help it come out easier.  I let it cool in the pan, but that's mostly because I'm lazy.  Just invert the pan and rap the bottom with your knuckles to get it out of the pan. 

I love to spread butter on a slice while it's still hot from the oven.  Yumm...

Happy baking!