Monday, February 19, 2018

Walking back in time with Tilly (Tilly Dress from MCM Studio Designs)



 I really do think I was born in the wrong era for fashion.  I’m obsessed with vintage styles so when Linda from MCM Studio Designs put out the tester call for the Tilly Dress, I was so excited to apply.  This dress is so so sweet and fit right into my obsession.   I made one for my niece, and she was so excited that she walked around the house showing everyone how “pitty her fowers” were.


Let’s talk about pattern details really quick:
  • Size ranges from 2T-6
  • Option for single skirt or double skirt
  •  Sleeve flounces
  • Back ribbon tie so no zips or buttons
  • Detailed illustrations for each step


My niece is a little so we did a size 2T for her, and she’s all about anything girly so I went with a cream underskirt and a pretty floral that I found at JoAnn’s.  It was perfectly darling for this dress.  We also did the double skirt option because I loved the look of it in the illustrations.


The pattern is rated as an intermediate level pattern, and I agree with that rating.  Some of the techniques used in the construction, HOWEVER, if an adventurous beginner wanted to tackle this pattern, I do think that it can be done.  And if you hit a speed bump, there are a lot of ladies on the chit chat group that would be able to help you through it. 

Construction is actually lot easier than it looks when the dress is done.  I love that part because it looks like it was so hard make, but Linda makes the dress construction simple and easy.  I also love that there are options for a single skirt and a double skirt so that this dress can easily be made for everyday wear or for dressier occasions.


The Tilly Dress just released today (19 Feb), and it’s on sale through the 25th for $5.  If you join the MCM Facebook group, there’s also a code there where you can get an extra 10% off if you buy through Etsy or the MCM Studio Designs webstore.   Here are the links for each of the places where you can buy your copy of the Tilly Dress today:



Don't forget to stop on by and join Linda's FB group to grab your coupon code and connect with other ladies who are fans of MCM Studio Designs.  We'd love to see your Tilly Dress and other MCM creations!  Thanks so much for stopping in!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim


Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Springtime State of Mind (Get Ready for Spring with Ellie and Mac)



So, just as we were getting used to the mild winter here in Oklahoma, February hits and we’re down to the teens some days.  I’m going to ignore it for now and focus on spring wardrobes!!  The Get Ready for Spring with Ellie and Mac tour that Seams Sew Lo is sponsoring was the perfect fix to my winter blah’s.  I am so excited to be today’s stop on the tour, and I’m so glad that you’ve stopped in to visit!  

My kids were all over it when I told them to pick out some fabrics for spring outfits.  My son went straight for the knits and found himself some cat fabric for his Conner shorts and Half Pipe tee.  My daughter decided to go a little more spring-y and chose a green with butterflies and hummingbirds for her Be Curious dress.  We originally planned for green to go with it, but she later decided on yellow because “pops more” (wiping away a little tear of pride here).


So, let’s start with the Conner shorts and Half Pipe tee that my son chose.  These are both knit patterns, and they are perfect for any kiddo who’s always on the move.  They are both pretty easy to sew up so these would be perfect for someone who’s ready to give knits a try and wants something quick and simple to make! 


The Conner shorts come in sizes 6-12mos through 10 while the Half Pipe (which happens to be unisex) ranges from 12mos to 14.  You’ll get some pretty good mileage from both of these patterns given the size range.  My son is a size 6 RTW, and the 6 in these patterns fit him perfectly.

He looks like he's up to no good here, but I promise he isn't!!
Both patterns are super quick to sew with the Conner having one pattern piece and the Half Pipe having 4.  I think the whole outfit took me about an hour to sew, and that’s only because I had to re-do the back of the shirt when I sewed one of the pieces inside out.  I used a Doodles fabric from JoAnn’s and a smoother, lighter yellow that I have no idea the source.  It was in my stash.  My son told me the best part is that he can wear the shorts either way since they don’t have a front or back on them…always thinking about how he can avoid changing his clothes if he doesn’t have to…


As I said, the Half Pipe is unisex so you can absolutely make this shirt for girls as well!  You have both long and short sleeve options, a solid or piece back , and optional applique sets if you want to do some cool stuff to showcase the colorblocked pieces.  I even saw some photos where ladies had used panels to mix and match for some really amazing results.


My son was over the moon in love with this outfit and had planned to wear it to church tonight until he found out it’s going to be freezing by 7PM.


Now, my daughter took more time to figure out what she wanted.  She’s kind of torn between totally tomboy to mostly tomboy with a dash of girl.  In the end, she went all the way to girly and chose the Be Curious Dress.  I personally LOVE this pattern.  It’s a gorgeous dress, and it’s perfect as a dressier outfit or as just a cute dress for everyday play.


The Be Curious is designed for cotton woven fabric, and it comes in sizes 12mos-12.  My daughter is in an 8 right now so I’m glad that I have a few more years with this dress.  She picked the flounce for the sleeves and asked if I could do a band on the bottom instead of a ruffle.  I used the ruffle piece to cut the bands and just modified the length to match the skirt bottom.  The end result ended up being the vintage length dress that made my daughter’s day. 


The pattern itself does not include instructions for the band, but it’s easy enough to do if you decide you want to go that route.  If you don't want the vintage look with the band, I would definitely suggest adding length to the skirt…or making a wider band.  I just folded the ruffle piece in half to make mine.


The dress took me a little bit longer because of the lined bodice and gathered skirt, but a confident beginner could easily take on this project.  I personally loved the button up back and the sleeve flounces.   I had intended to make some fabric covered buttons to match the dress, but I’ll just admit it now, I got lazy and went with little clear buttons instead.  I even used the sewing machine to put the buttons on because I didn’t want to find my hand sewing needles.  Super lazy, I know.  BUT, I loved the way it looked on the dress so I’m claiming that was intentional.  My daughter loved the length.  It was a happy accident that it was vintage length, but I'm also claiming that as intentional.


I was only going to do the two outfits for my kiddos, but I decided to add a dress that I made last week for me.  The Sunset Dreams Dress is probably one of my favorite makes for myself.  It’s a knit pattern, and it comes in sizes XXS to 4XL.  I made mine in a L graded to an XL, and it was oh so comfortable.  The fabric is a really light weight drapey fabric so I used a little heavier knit to line the bodice. 


I love that I have options…who doesn’t love options?  The pattern has 5 length options:  mini, mid thigh, petite, regular, and tall.  I made the petite because I’m 5’1 on a good day.  By ready to wear standards, 5’3 is petite so I’m shorter than a petite.  If I ever need a reminder that I’m short, putting on petite pants that are too long does it every time.  However, in this dress, the petite came to right above the knee.  YESSS!!  Perfect length. 


I used fabric straps with elastic, but you also have the option of using decorative elastic instead of fabric.  I ended up cutting about 4 ½” off my straps so definitely try the bodice on and pin the straps to it before you sew it together to get an idea of where to attach the straps.  I would also recommend putting it on with your bra so that you can move the straps around to where they will cover your straps.  I didn’t even think about that when I put my straps on so every once in a while my straps peek out. 


I really do love this dress, and as soon as I get the chance, I’m going to order some more knit to make me a few more of these before the warm weather hits again!


Now, let’s get some info here on how to get your copy of the patterns (patterns are 35% off all February. Automatically applies when you add them to your cart so no coupon code needed!) and how you can enter the giveaway that’s going on right now!  Please note that all pattern links in this post are affiliate links.  This means that I may receive a commission (at no cost to you) from your purchase of these patterns using the links I provide.  Just click on the pattern name and you’ll go straight to the pattern link:

Boys Conner Shorts:  Sizes 6-12mos through 10, designed for knit, one pattern piece, great for mixing and matching prints/colors, fast easy sew

Unisex Half Pipe Tee: Sizes 12mos through 14, designed for knit, pieced front bodice, short or long sleeves, optional hand applique sets, options for solid or pieced back bodice

Be Curious Dress: Sizes 12mos through 12, designed for cotton woven, vintage or knee length, ruffled or straight hem, four sleeve optons: long, flounced long, flounce only, sleeveless.

Sunset Dreams Dress: Sizes XXS to 4XL, designed for knit, 5 dress lengths: mini, mid thigh, petite, regular, tall, two strap options: fabric or decorative elastic

Don’t forget to head over to the rafflecopter giveaway to enter yourself for a chance to win a $35 store credit to Ellie and Mac!  Special thanks to Lo from Seams Sew Lo for sponsoring this blog tour and to Lindsay from Ellie and Mac for the awesome patterns and giveaway prize!  I appreciate you joining me today and please stop in with the rest of the tour to see what all of us have put together to get you in a springtime state of mind.  The link to the rafflecopter giveaway is at the bottom of the schedule!  
  1. February 3rd: Seams Sew Lo (Intro)
  2. February 4th: Seams Sew Lo
  3. February 5th: Violets and Jewels
  4. February 6th: Threadistry
  5. February 7th: Mama Can Make it
  6. February 8th: My Crazy Crafty Beautiful Life
  7. February 9th: Aurora Designs
  8. February 10th: Flaxfield Sewing
  9. February 11th: Floral and Flannel
  10. February 12th: FABulous Home Sewn
  11. February 13th: Minns Things
  12. February 14th: Our Play Place
  13. February 15th: Tenille's Thread
  14. February 16th: Seams Like Style
  15. February 17th: Hutsepruts
  16. February 18th: Candi Couture Designs
  17. February 19th: My Sewing Roots
  18. February 20th: Manning the Machine
  19. February 21st: Stitched by Jennie
  20. February 22nd: Kathy's Kwilts and More
  21. February 23rd: Sewjourns
  22. February 24th: Mermaid Mama Designs
  23. February 25th: Fee Bricolo
  24. February 26th: Oak Blue Designs
  25. February 27th: Big Fly Notions
  26. February 28th: Sewing Blue
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim





Friday, February 2, 2018

Wandering through the Reed's (Laela Jeyne Wanderlust Collection Reed Trousers)


My husband is such a bear when it comes to clothes shopping.  Either the arms are too short, the legs are too long, the rear is too tight…the list goes on and on.  When Marisa from Laela Jeyne Patterns opened a test call for the new Wanderlust Collection, I was super excited to see that there is a men’s pants pattern in the mix.   We’ve been searching for the elusive perfect pants for an age, and now that he’s slimmed down, it’s even harder because he’s a mixture of two or three different sizes.  However, the Reed Trousers…these pants…there is so much perfect going on here that I am almost excited to an unhealthy level of enthusiasm. 


Hi there, everyone, Kim here from Nini and Ash, and I am so excited to be one of the stops on the Wanderlust Collection Blog tour.  This season, Marisa focused on pants, and I fully intend to sew up a few of the women’s and girl’s pants at some point.  For today’s stop, though, I focused on the Reed trousers for men and paired it with the Emmett top (which happens to be one of my husband’s favorites).



So, first, let’s get some pattern details going so you know what you are getting:
  • Sizing from 32” to 56” so there’s a wide range of sizes that these pants can fit
  • Clear, concise instructions with photos/drawings for each step in case you’re like me and use the reference photos while you’re sewing
  • Layered printing so you only print what you want/need
  • Detailed adjustment instructions so you can get the exact right fit for your (or your model’s) body type
  • No trim pages so you don’t have to cut off any edges to make the pattern pieces line up

Since the start of the year, we’ve embarked on a journey to get ourselves trimmed down, and my husband has lost over 20 lbs so far.  This means pretty much all of his pants don’t fit, but it also means that he’s kind of in that weird "in between sizes" phase.  I made these pants in a straight size 40, and I cut a wedge in the back of the pants to make the waist smaller while still fitting the rest of him.  Really simple little fix, and it was perfect for getting a comfortable, smooth fit everywhere on the pants.

My favorite part on the pants was the welt pocket.  Usually my least favorite part to make, but these ones were actually really easy to do.  He picked a suiting fabric that was so easy to work with, and the instructions for the welt pockets made for easy sewing.  He opted against a button to close them because he never uses it.  He also didn’t want belt loops (which was happy news for me since I forgot about them until he asked if I had put them on). 


The pants overall took a bit of time to complete, but when you think about the welt pockets, the front pockets, the fly and fly extension...the extra time is well worth it because the end result is a sharp looking pair of pants that look even better than any pants you would grab off the rack at a store!  I will admit part of the extra time to complete was my fault.  I had to re-do the zipper when I didn't pay attention to what I was doing.  

The inseam for all sizes is 34” so it was super easy to shorten the pant length to his measurements.  I ended up shaving 2” off the length and using a 1” hem allowance.  He has a really long torso and arms, but he usually needs a shorter inseam on his pants.  The length on these hit him in a really nice spot, and the fit was relaxed but slimming on him.  I really love how they sat on him once he tried them on, and he was more than willing to pose for some photos with them...even if he took a business call just as the camera came out. :/!  I'll take what I can get considering how much I didn't pay him to go out in the cold and act like he was enjoying a spring day.



I paired this with the Emmett and went with the simple top with no buttons.  I did lengthen the arms because, again, he has really long arms.  This was a thermal knit that I got from Sincerely Rylee and was perfect to complement the light color that he chose for the pants. 

All in all, it's pretty much love around here when it comes to the Reed Trousers and the Emmett top!  He's already talked about his next pair of pants...if that means a trip to the fabric store for me, then I will absolutely make you another pair of pants, sweetie!!! :)!



As I said earlier, I am only one of the stops on the Wanderlust tour.  There are a lot of talented ladies who have sewn up each of the different pieces in the collection, and we'd love for you to stop in and see all of the collection pieces and the amazing creations that everyone has come up with.  THEN, you can head over to Laela Jeyne Patterns and buy the whole collection because I'm pretty sure you will "need" all of them once you see how beautiful all of these pants are.  My daughter has already asked for a pair of the Wren Skinny Jeans, and well, I need some new pants so I will have to grab the women's pants for myself!!

Take a tour with us and visit with some of our bloggers from the past few days:


Laela Jeyne Patterns Wanderlust Collection Blog Tour

January 30
January 31
February 1
February 2

Now, head over to Laela Jeyne Patterns to get your copy of the patterns!  Here are the individual links to each of the patterns in the collection and a little big about each of them. All patterns in the Wanderlust Collection are currently on sale for $5 each.  That's a pretty phenomenal price for four staple pieces in any family's wardrobe!  *Please note that all links provided are affiliate links:

Reed Trousers: men's classic chinos, fits hip sizes 32"-56, slim fitting and relaxed through the legs, designed for non stretch woven

Willow Pleated Trousers: paper bag pleated paper bag style, fits sizes 00-26, 3 lengths (shorts, cropped or long), designed for non stretch woven

Ivy Trousers: classic chino style, fits sizes 00-26, slim fitting and relaxed through the legs, 3 lengths (shorts, cropped, and long), designed for non stretch woven

Wren Skinny Jeans: skinny jeans, fits sizes 12mos-10, slim fitting through the legs, designed for cotton woven

Thanks so much for stopping along the Wanderlust Collection Tour!  We appreciate you spending some time learning a little bit about the collection and letting us share our creations with you!  Now, grab your copy of these patterns and share your creations with us on the Laela Jeyne Patterns Facebook group!  

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

OH!  I can't believe I almost forgot!  Laela Jeyne Patterns is also celebrating a 3rd birthday so Marisa also has a sale on ALL patterns in the store (bundles excluded)!  $5 for all individual patterns and $6 for all swim patterns...the sale ends tomorrow (3 Feb) at midnight EST, and you don't want to miss out on some fantastic patterns...check them out