Black Friday Fashion (Plaid and Boots Tour with Laela Jeyne Patterns)

Thanksgiving and Christmas crept up on me much faster than I intended for them to arrive so when my sister mentioned that there are only 5 Sunday's until Christmas is here, panic set in.  We're going to be in Georgia this year for Black Friday so we decided to trek to the mall a little early, and well, if you HAVE to go shopping, you might as well look amazing doing it, right?  So, yes, I absolutely
made us new outfits.

My daughter opted for the Little Birdy top and pants.  We're kind of fairy crazy around her so, when Michael Miller agreed to sponsor the tour, I knew that we needed some Holiday Fairies!  I really love the vintage look of the Little Birdy set.  We went with the long sleeve option, and Nini was adamant that she didn't want bias tape on the cuff.  As a compromise, we shirred the bottom of the sleeves.  I paired the top with some champagne fairy frost, also courtesy of Michael Miller Fabrics...perfect!

This set comes in a wide range of sizes (6M-14) and is pretty true to size.  My girl is in a size 7 ready to wear, and the 7 in this set fit her like a glove.  The Little Birdy top can also be made as a dress so this pattern is very versatile.  There are buttons on the back of the bodice, but you could probably also use snaps if you wanted to.  I opted for some vintage buttons that I had from my grandmother.

Then, there's my boy.  Ash is my "rough and tumble, noise with dirt on it" boy, and I love that about him.  For him, I went with Charlotte sweatpants (one of the unisex options with the Deluxe Charlotte pattern) and the Emmy tee (also unisex up to size 6).  The cool thing about both the Charlotte and Emmy is there are mommy and me options for them!  You can grab the Taylor leggings for free if you join the Laela Jeyne Patterns Group, and the Emily is the Mommy version of the Emmy.

The beauty of these patterns is that it's easy to custom fit them to your child.  My son is on the smaller side for his age. He's 6, but wears a size 5 with a size 4 length on pants so it was nice to be able to tailor them to his size.  Thankfully, being super tiny is one of his favorite things about himself because he's pretty sure "sissy stole all the tall beans".

Starting to fade on the shopping adventure

Again, you get a pretty wide size range with these patterns.  Both range from 6M-14 (unisex up to sz 6).   They're also both very quick sews so these are easily going to become well loved in our house this winter when it gets cold out.  In all, both took about an hour and a half from start to finish...including cutting the fabric.  He doesn't like elastic around his ankles so I just hemmed them across at the bottom, but the pattern does call for elastic at the ankles.

Quite over shopping and photos...

I made myself a Samantha Swing top and some Dani woven joggers.  I am a huge fan of both of these patterns.  The Samantha has both a standard sleeve option or a racerback option. You can make either style in tunic or dress length.  I went with a standard sleeve and used a panel from another tour sponsor, Moon Man Printing.  If I could spend half my day just sewing, I would be in bliss so I love the panel that Myrna sent.  The fabric is so soft, and there was enough left over that I could make the neck band from the same fabric as the panel!  I paired it with a Nicole Miller floral knit from JoAnn Fabrics.  I added two inches to the length because I do like my shirts to come a little lower in the front.  This shirt is so comfortable that I'm not sure that I want to take it off. ever.

Both of these patterns come in a large size range (XXS-3X), and again, the Samantha is such a quick sew. It took about an hour to finish to include fabric cutting time and a few starry eyed moments when the TV caught my attention.  Just a quick note about Marisa's patterns that I think deserves a giant head knod is that they are almost all no trim.  This means no time is needed to cut the edges so you can line them up.  I just run a glue stick up the side and match up the lines.  It's such a cinch to piece together the patterns, and the pattern instructions always include very detailed illustrations if you're like me and appreciate the visual references!

The Dani joggers are designed for woven fabrics, and I have about 10 pairs of these.   I opted for some black peachskin, and it was so amazingly soft and drapey.  Marisa does everything she can to make sure that her patterns are a good fit for any body type so this pattern has rise adjustment and "mommy belly" adjustment instructions.  I did both of these, and I really could live in these.  They fit so much better than any pants I have from the store.  I also chose to add the pockets to mine but you can skip that if you want.  These also have a maternity band option for soon to be mama's so that makes this pattern doubly versatile!

As a little bonus, here's a shot of the recently released Sydney Slouchy Raglan.  My husband rolled his eyes when I told him to take a picture of it, but he still did it so he couldn't have been that annoyed, right?  I wore this one with a pair of jeggings when I went back to the mall today to scope out some stuff for the kids! This is one of my favorite tops.  Off the shoulder or v-neck option, option to add a hooded cowl, 3 sleeve lengths, swing or slouchy silhouette...seriously a great pattern.  I didn't make this one for the tour but I figured I'd throw it in here since I wore it out today and was not so secretly excited that I saw one in a store that was almost this same exact style for about $35.

All in all the outing was a lot of fun, even with two very "over it" kiddos by the time we were finished. The mall was partially decorated for Christmas so I'm finally starting to feel like the holiday season is upon us...if you disregard the 81 degree weather we've had here in Oklahoma this month. Ash didn't even last the whole trip before he laid down and closed his eyes!  Thanks so much to Marisa from Laela Jeyne Patterns for hosting this tour and for inviting me to blog along!

We're right in the middle of the week, and there are some amazing bloggers still to come.  As you are checking out the different ideas everyone has come up with, don't forget to enjoy a special coupon code to celebrate the season and the tour by using coupon code P&BTOUR20 for 20% off your cart at the Laela Jeyne webstore!  You can also get yourself entered into the rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win one of three prize packs:

Rafflecopter Giveaway 

If you haven't had a chance to see the first two days' bloggers or you would like to see what's still to come, here's the complete line up with the other blog stops on the tour that you won't want to miss!

Monday

Kaleidothought  - Idle Sunshine - Allie J.

Tuesday

Sew Pinspired - SewSophieLynn - The Wholesome Mama

Wednesday

Nini and Ash - Sew and Tell Project - Sweet Red Poppy

Thursday

Pear Berry Lane - Paisley Roots - Threadbear Garments - Lace and Pine Designs

Friday

Olive Ashby - Sunflower Seams - Elegantine

And I'd like to send out a very special thank you to our tour sponsors for providing the fabric for our creations!  It really has been so awesome to see what everyone did with their fabrics!  

Thanks so much for reading along and Happy Sewing!

Blessings, 

Kim

Taylor made for me (Taylor Leggings from Laela Jeyne Patterns)

The one clothing item that I completely love but don't necessarily love on me would be the legging.  I'm pretty vertically challenged measuring in at a whopping 5'1"...this means by the standard, I am actually 2" shorter than the petite size. :/!  So, yay, there's that!  However, Marisa over at Laela Jeyne Patterns decided that her Charlotte leggings needed a big sister so when she posted the tester call for the Taylor leggings, I urghed and arghed over it before I decided to go for it.  The beauty of making my own leggings is that I can tailor the Taylor to fit me, and these fit like a glove!

Before I go too far, let's do my usual rundown of pattern details:

- Three lengths: ankle, cropped, and below the knee

- Tapered waist so you can get the best fit

- Maternity band option!!

- One piece leg so you only have the one seam on the inside

- Really quick sew (I think it took longer to glue the pieces together than to sew them!)

- Layered pattern pieces so you only print the size you need

- Mommy tummy adjustment tips 

- No trim pages (still one of my favorite features about LJ Patterns)

As usual, this pattern didn't disappoint!  I love how they fit on me, and the rise was high enough that I wasn't worried I'd be mistaken for a plumber when I bent over to pick something up.  I made mine up with a brushed poly floral knit from Knitpop, and it was so so yummy!  They literally felt like silk when I put them on.  I may or may not have slept in them and then rolled out to school the next morning in them when I dropped the kids off...

These leggings are such a fast sew.  I think it took me about 45 minutes from cutting the fabric to sewing the last stitch on the hem.  My husband isn't a big fan of florals or leggings, but even he was pretty impressed with these ones.   We're calling that a win for sure!  Looking at the other tester photos, these leggings really looked amazing on all of the ladies who tested.  I was so excited about these that I actually even had my photographer take a photo of my tush in these. HA!

Being that there are three leg lengths, these are really a great pattern for every season.  I would definitely pay attention to the stretch factor and recovery on your knit, though, when you are picking out a fabric for these.  And for ladies who are growing a life in their belly, Marisa included a maternity band option.  I remember living in leggings when I was pregnant, and I seriously would have made one for every day of the month if I had this pattern a few years ago!

Now, if you've read this far, let's get you some info on how to get yourself a copy of the Taylor leggings for free!  Marisa is offering this pattern to her group members, and you can grab the code from the pinned post in her group! These pair perfectly with the new Sydney Slouchy Raglan that she also just released and listed for a special release price of $6.50!

Thanks so much for reading along, and sew yourself a pair of Taylor's today!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

Willa be ready for the cold? (Willie and Billie vests from Laela Jeyne Patterns)

Well, Oklahoma fooled me again for a few days.  We had finally started seeing fall weather here in the land where the wind really does sweep across the plains, and I was so excited I put away the summer gear and pulled out the boots and jeans.  It was perfect weather for the new Willa and Billie patterns from Laela Jeyne!  I couldn't wait to finish my testers so that we could layer up and enjoy the crisp weather, and while I was a little nervous about making myself a vest pattern, I will tell you that these patterns do NOT disappoint.

So, let's run through each pattern really quick:

On the Willa, here are a few basics:
- Large size range: XS to 3X
- Princess seams for a more streamlined fit
- Optional welt pockets
- Can be made with our without a layer of batting for cooler weather
- Fully reversible option depending on zipper choice
- Detachable hood
- No trim pages
- Clear illustrations for each step

And for the Billie:
- Large size range: 6M to 14
- Princess seams for a more streamlined fit OR
- Basic vest option up to size 6 (this makes a perfect unisex pattern for the little guys!)
- Optional welt pockets
- Can be made with our without a layer of batting for cooler weather
- Fully reversible option depending on zipper choice
- Detachable hood
- No trim pages
- Clear illustrations for each step

When the technicals came out for the Willa, I couldn't wait to figure out what fabric I wanted to use. Then, my kids saw them and had to have one so I signed up to test the Billie vest as well.  I didn't even wait to see if I was going to be able to test this one because I was absolutely buying the pattern so I might as well be ready.  

For the test, I made 4 vests: 1 for me, 2 for my son, and 1 for my daughter.  I tried so hard to squeeze in a second one for my daughter, and I just didn't have a chance to do it with fall festival prep. I couldn't find that special fairy sparkle that stops time so I had to give up the ghost on Nini's second vest, but it WILL happen before the end of the week.

I would definitely rate this pattern as more advance due to the princess seams.  They aren't hard, but it does help significantly if you have a little bit of experience doing them.  It takes just a little extra time and work but well worth it for the finished vest (after size 6, the only option is a princess seam to accommodate the female form).

Alright, so this vest took a little extra time for mine and my daughter's because of the prep that goes into stay stitching the princess seams and getting the notches cut before you can assemble, but it wasn't too time consuming.  I think I finished mine in a few hours once I got started...(part of that time MIGHT have been spent staring at the TV watching Stranger Things).  The most tedious part for me was the bias tape because I made my own instead of going to the store and buying it like I originally planned.  I was able to make some continuous binding by using the square method so that helped a lot with getting the tape put together.

For all of my vests, I opted to not do the reversible option so I just used a plain separating zipper, but you can buy a reversible separating zipper and voila!  two vests for the work of one.  I do have one planned with some denim and suede that I think I really want to make reversible and with the welt pockets.  I didn't do them on these ones, and I really wish I would have at least put them on my Willa because I became the pack mule at the Fall Festival and had nowhere to stuff the kids' trinkets after they played every game...where every kid wins something.

The kids wore theirs to go playing when we went out to our friends' property, and it was the perfect coverup for the not quite cold but not quite hot weather here in Oklahoma.  I put my son in two different ones for the photo shoot, and he stopped long enough to let me zip it before he was back out and running about.  They were both the perfect fit.  My son is definitely super tiny (he's almost 6 and was in the 4T) so I'm really glad that's his favorite thing about himself.  I just had to make sure that I didn't bring up that he was wearing a 4T top or he would have taken it off.  HA!  They were plenty roomy for some layering but not so roomy that the kids were swallowed up in them.   My Willa was so comfy and again, not too loose but definitely loose enough to keep up with the kids and their prizes at the festival!

With the option to add batting between the main and lining fabric, this vest is perfectly adaptable to colder weather and will give an extra layer of warm between me and the cold!  I can't wait for the weather to start cooling down so that I can put these to use!  I've been staring at them for the past week now that the weather has shot back up to mid to high 80's.  Boo.  I just hope I remember that I complained about the heat when I have icicles hanging off my ears in the middle of winter!

Now, if you've read to this point, let's find out how you can get your copies of these patterns!  The Billie vest can be purchased here, and right now it's on sale for $5.  The Willa is available here, and you can get your copy for $6.50.  Now, if you want both, the bundle package is available for the sale price of $10.  Don't miss out on these perfectly for fall patterns because the sale ends at 1159PM on Friday, 21 October.  After that, you'll have to pay the full price to get in on the outdoorsy goodness! So, go grab your copy and sew yourself and your munchkins some vests!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

Romper revisited (Sasha Collection from Laela Jeyne Patterns)

I have a love hate relationship with rompers.  I love them because they are comfortable and an all in one outfit, but I hate them because I have to completely strip to use the restroom.  However, when Marisa said she is adding some options (particularly the pants option) to her Sasha Easy Fit and creating a collection from it, I was absolutely in for testing.  I really do love this pattern for so many reasons.  Let’s do a quick run down of what this pattern includes:

- Large size range: XS-XXL

- Two bodice types: faux wrap or mandarin collar button down

- Bottom styles: blouse, mini skirt, knee length skirt, maxi skirt, shorts, pants

- Three sleeve lengths: sleeveless, short, long

- Two waist options: drawstring or elastic

- No trim pages which makes for easy pattern assembly

- Layered printing so you print only the size(s) you need

- And, as always, clear concise directions with illustrations for each step

So really, with these many options, you could make something for each day of the week and no two would look the same!  I opted for a button down, sleeveless pantsuit for the test, and I had some erally soft drapey rayon challis that I had picked up from JoAnn’s that I decided to use. 

Construction took a bit of time on the bodice only because of the placket and the collar.  They aren’t hard to do, but it does take a little bit of working and slow going to make sure that all of the edges were lined up properly.  Due to those two pieces of the bodice, I would definitely recommend some experience with collars and plackets.

The fit for the romper is extremely forgiving.  It has a loose flowing, retro feel to them, and I felt like I had stepped back into yesteryear a little when I put it on!  I did add a belt, though, because I did the elastic waist and wanted something to break up the pattern of the fabric.  I literally want to live in this romper!!  I don't even mind that I had to strip down to my undies to go to the bathroom! 

It really didn’t take me too long to make this romper.  In all, it was about a three hour project, and once you have the bodice put together, you can zip right through the bottoms and waist.  I did take a little extra off the bottom to accommodate my short stature.  The pattern is drafted for a woman about 5’5”, and I’m 5’1” so I shortened the pants 1.25”, and it was the perfect length.

Okay, so if you’ve read this far along, let’s get some info about how you can get your own copy of the Sasha Collection!  It was released yesterday and is available for purchase at Laela Jeyne Patterns. It's available right now for the special release price of $6.50, BUT, until tomorrow night (28 Sept) you can get it for $5.50 by picking up the coupon code that Marisa has available for Laela Jeyne group members.  Head on to the Facebook group and grab the code OR join the group and grab the code!  The pattern will be available for the special release price until Saturday (1 Oct)!  Now, go get yourself a copy of the pattern and make yourself a Sasha!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,

Kim

For the honor of the Petal!! (Lilly's Petal Skirt from Snuggle My Baby Patterns)

My daughter is a tree climbing, bug catching, no skirts kind of girl.  I can't say it's entirely her fault because I kind of don't wear skirts very often so I guess she learned that from me.  Well, Jennifer Gunn from Snuggle My Baby Patterns, posted a photo of a skirt she made her daughter and asked for an interest level.  I decided to go ahead and apply for it because my neighbor's granddaughter loves skirts and really does TWIRL ALL THE THINGS!!!  I was pretty excited when Jenn sent me the "Congratulations, you've been selected to be on the test team" email!  Enter the Lilly Petal Skirt...and I was in love.

One of the few standing still moments I could get from her!

THEN, she added a costume contest aspect to the test, and I had to figure out how to get my bug catcher to WANT to wear this skirt because I needed her to need this skirt.  Now, the kids have been watching the original He-Man cartoons the past few weeks (shout out to the 80's!) and she said, "Momb, can I be her!?!"  The "her" she was referring to was She-Ra.  I tried to play it cool and calmly replied that I THINK I have something I can do for this (fist pump, I'm going to make this for my daughter, too!!)  So, I made the costume, even got a headdress made, and she said, "Um, I think I want to be a horse instead."  I think I could have doubled for Grumpy Cat when I told her no.

The start of our photo shoot.  I wanted to punch myself in the face at this point.

So this skirt is amazingly simple to make, but it is also amazingly beautiful when done...let's get some basics out here so you know what you're getting with this pattern:

- Large size range: 2T-16
- Button closure on the side (so no zipper)
- Elasticized waist for a more comfortable fit
- Bias binding along the edges of the skirt for a really unique finishing look
- Clear, concise directions and photos with each step

Can She Ra fly?  She can't?  That's lame.

I made two skirts for testing.  The first was a size 3T with a 4T length, and it was amazingly easy to just modify and mesh sizes as needed to get the skirt to fit right on my little model.  I used a wondermous ombre feather quilting cotton that I got from Ozark Fabrics on Facebook, and I bought the bias tape.  You CAN make your own but when it said I needed 9 yards of it, my ambition took a major nosedive.  I purchased some from JoAnn's.  Some of the testers had greater persistence and "stick to it" ness than me and made their own...it turned out amazing, by the way.  My little model was over the moon excited about her dress, and it was a fight to get some good standing still pictures of her because she just wanted to twirl until she couldn't stand.  The petal construction of the skirt makes this an amazing twirl skirt.

The twirl made She Ra cool again...

Soo, when it came to my daughter and modeling this for me, there was no love.  She didn't want it because she wanted to be a horse.  However, once we got She-Ra fully outfitted, she was pretty excited.  She asked if She-Ra can fly, and when I told her that she couldn't, She-Ra was lame again. Until...the twirl.  Then, She-Ra was "the bomb.com, Mom!"  Seriously, I don't even know where she gets this stuff.  We spent a good hour just spinning in circles.  Well, by "we" I mean "she".  I get motion sick on the teacups at Disneyland so I wasn't spinning with her.  Her entire outfit was satin and chiffon, and it was pretty awesome.  I did her skirt in a size 6 with a size 7 length.  Again, really easy to mod as needed.  I kinda want to be She-Ra for our Fall Festival this year. The satin was actually pretty easy to work with, and it did drape differently than the quilting cotton. However, both skirts were still beautiful, and I really do think that this skirt is perfect with pretty much any woven material.

My daughter loves this skirt so much that she actually has asked for another one.  This time, however, she asked to be a lettuce.  Her school has Spirit Week coming up and one of the days is, well, um, Salad Dressing Day.   The elementary grades are dressing up as pieces of a salad while the middle school and high school will dress up as salad dressing types (Italian, Ranch, Thousand Island...).  I just can't wrap my brain around where that came from, but my daughter said this skirt is perfect because "when I twirl, I'll look like a blooming lettuce!"  I do believe we will be going with satin again for the material just because I loved how it draped.  I might even add some chiffon to the lettuce one...not really sure yet on that, but I do know that we will have another skirt, it will be green, and it will be twirlarrific!

I really do love this skirt, and I absolutely plan to make one for myself when Jennifer gets around to designing a big kid version of this skirt.  And I will twirl in it just like my daughter did in hers. Maybe not as long, though.  I did mention me and the teacups, right?  Construction was so simple, and it took me maybe an hour to finish each skirt.  The unique placement of the petal circles gives this skirt a beautifully different look, and the simplicity of it is what gives it its elegance.

Okay, so here we are at the part where I tell you how to get your own copy of this amazing skirt pattern!!  This released on the 14th of September and is available for a special release price of $5.  It will be available at this price only until the 24th of September so don't miss your chance to get in on this deal!  You can get the pattern here at Jennifer's Snuggle My Baby webstore or here on Jennifer's Etsy store.  You can also join the Snuggle My Baby community on Facebook to keep up to date on Jennifer's happenings or to ask questions if you hit a head scratch while sewing up your own SMB creations!  Now, go grab your copy of the pattern, head over to join the FB group, and I'm going to go see a girl about some lettuce!  Thanks so much for reading along.  I really do appreciate you all so very much!

Happy Sewing and Blessings,
Kim

Are you a krill?

Photo source: www.nextnature.net

Last night, the kids decided they wanted to watch Happy Feet 2...again.  I was sitting there watching the movie, and for those who haven't seen the movie, let me ruin it for you.  Essentially, the Emperor penguin nation is at risk of complete annihilation due to a freak incident.  The main character, Mumble, and three little penguin chicks are the only ones left on the surface, and it falls on them to save the Emperor nation.

The penguins face starvation, hawk attacks, and death.  Mumble goes to the ends of the Earth to enlist help.  He calls on penguin friends and elephant seals to try to make a way for the trapped penguins, including his wife, to get back to the surface.  We're talking powerhouses in their world.  If you've never seen an elephant seal, those suckers are HUGE!

Now, there is a side story about Will and Bill Krill.  They're best friends.  Will, I think?, is called to a life outside the hive (sorry, I don't know much about krill so that might not even be what they are called).   He has a calling to be more than just another krill waiting to be whale food. So, he sets out to find his destiny, and Bill follows because that's what friends do.

Well, if you've ever seen Happy Feet, Mumble had taught the entire colony how to dance, and that carries on through the second movie.  Bill ends up in the middle of the trapped colony during part of the movie, and he witnesses this dancing thing.

Photo soure: www.surfersvillage.com

Okay, so fast forward to the end of the movie, and there is a dancing/singing number where the powerhouses are at the surface dancing to get the ice to drop and create a path for the trapped penguins to climb up.  At this point, Will, the prodigal son, has returned to the rest of the collective and hears the dancing above them.  He starts to dance on the ice under the water, telling  Bill that it "brings out his happy".  SOOO, the rest of the krill join him in dancing.  It's a pretty neat little scene, to be honest...probably my favorite part of the movie.  As the dance ends, Will stomps his foot and his one little stomp cracks the ice in just the right way that it travels the distance of the iceberg and cracks it, causing the ice to break and come crashing down to create this path that the penguins can climb up.

So, as I'm watching this, I think to myself that just one tiny, seemingly insignificant step saved a nation.  It was an act that nobody on the surface knew about.  In fact, they didn't even know that this little krill even existed.  However, his one little step saved a nation.  Think about that!!!

Every day, we go through life and live out our days.  We meet people, we do things, and we affect people in small, seemingly insignificant ways.  To us, most of the stuff we do is just stuff .  We never know how our actions can impact others, and oftentimes, we don't even see the results of our actions. What would happen if YOU, a tiny little krill, touched someone's life so deeply that they then take up the cross and save a nation.  What if your one little act changes something so significantly that you save a nation without even knowing it?  We hear that small voice speaking to us:

"The Lord said, "Go out.  Stand on the mountain in front of me. I am going to pass by.  As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart.  It broke up the rocks.  But the Lord wasn't in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake.  But the Lord wasn't in the earthquake.  After the earthquake a fire came.  But the Lord wasn't in the fire. And after the fire there was only a gentle whisper." (1 Kings 19:11-12, NIrV).

What if we stopped, listened, and heeded that still, small voice urging us to action?  That still, small voice that is the foundation of our very being.  What if we obeyed the words whispered in our ears?  Could we then save a nation?  So, tell me, are you a krill?

Back to School, Bugs! (Lulu & Celeste, Sprouting Jube Jube Back to School Tour)

My kids don't get excited about back to school clothes because they wear uniforms, and there is NOTHING exciting about going to the uniform store to pick out khaki slacks and embroidered polos. However, this year, as part of the Lulu and Celeste, Sprouting Jube Jube productions "Back to School" blog tour, I made them clothes for those few casual clothes days they have so there was a tiny spark on the excitement train. I'm just glad that they are still willing to wear the things that I make for them...most of the time!

So, for my stop on the tour, I knew that the newly released Emmy t-shirt from Laela Jeyne Patterns was perfect for both of my kids, and my daughter also got a pair of  Little Birdy pants to go with one of her tops, also a Laela Jeyne Pattern!  One of my favorite parts about this pattern is that it can also be made for boys up to size 6.  The pattern itself goes up to a size 14, and it's unisex through size 6 so my son got a new shirt as well.  I feel so bad that my little guy kind of gets left out a lot so he was over the moon trying to pick out his fabric from "Momb's store".  I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry that he thinks my fabric collection qualifies as a store...I probably do have more fabric than Jo-Ann's, though.

The top is designed to be a fitted t-shirt so it's not quite as loose as a standard tee, which my daughter loved!  She won't wear about two-thirds of the tee shirts in her dresser because they're "too flowy".  I also opted for a hood with two of their shirts because the weather does get nippy here in Oklahoma, but there are options for a standard neck and a cowl neck (which might not be a bad idea either since it covers the neck...another project maybe?).  I also made my girl a top with a standard neckline.

The Emmy comes with a lot of options so you can make a ton of these and no two would look the same.  You have three different neck options, three elbow patch templates, four sleeve cuff options to include thumb holes, an optional accent triangle on the side...endless combinations.  I personally like that because my daughter will find something she likes and request 10 of them in different colors. With this pattern I can have a little different twist on each top. 

My son, Ash, is crazy about all things boy.  He likes superheroes, cars, construction vehicles, getting dirty, breaking things...He is, however, very particular about his clothes so I let him pick out his own fabric.  He opted for a hood with folded over sleeves.   He did ask for pockets so that might be a future hack!  He landed on a two way race car knit that I got from Ozark Fabrics and some black and white checkered fabric that I bought from Sincerely Rylee.  It fit like a glove and was spot on for a size 5 ready to wear.

For my daughter's first shirt, I went with a Like A Girl panel from Zenith and Quasar.  It wasn't quite big enough so I did some blocking on it to make it the right size.  I also made her a pair of Little Birdy pants to go with the top.  The loose flared fit of the pants were a perfect match.  My daughter also doesn't like jeans so we decided on these as her comfy pants to wear with her new shirt.  For this top, she chose a standard neck and regular sleeves.  She's pretty tall so I had to extend the armscye to a size up (common problem with her shirts) but everything else was a standard size 7 which is her ready to wear size.  Again, spot on only better because we could fit the armscye for her frame.

The hooded shirt I made her was from a Liverpool that I got at Hancock's.  She shares my obsession with florals so this was going to happen as soon as she saw the fabric.  I wasn't sure on the Liverpool because it tends to have a little less give, but this was perfect for this tee...we also did thumb cuffs, and she now wants them on every tee she has so that's a win in my book!  I love thumb cuffs and these are so easy to make that I might just add them to all of our tee shirts!!  The instructions are extremely easy to follow along and even with the hood, gathered sleeves, and thumb cuffs, I was able to crank it out in about an hour.  The others were even quicker than that to make!

Nini and Ash were so completely ready to start their new adventures as first and second graders. They have adventurous spirits and a love for discovery, and I am so excited for what this year holds for them...even if they don't want me to walk them to class anymore.

So, as I was saying, I am just one of the stops on the Lulu & Celeste/Sprouting Jube Jube productions back to school tour.  There have been a lot of wonderful giveaways throughout the tour from our lovely sponsors and a lot of posts from fellow sewists who have been sharing their creations this week:

Check out this post from Lulu & Celeste to see what special sales are available during this tour! You can also head here to find out more about who is sharing their creations today!  Don't forget that you can also enter TODAY'S GIVEAWAY through this rafflecopter link.  Enter by August 29th at 11:59PM EDT, and you could win 1 PDF pattern from Big Little Patterns and 1 PDF pattern from Sofilantjes Patterns (*excludes bundles).

If you sewed up any back to school projects between the 1st of August through the 4th of September (when the link up closes) you can link them up and be eligible to win a pretty amazing grand prize package.  Just make sure you leave your email address so that you can be contacted if you win!  Here are the grand prize details:

3 yards of fabric from Mabel Madison

1 Tie Die Wire Headband, custome made to your size from 421 Myers Design Studio

1 PDF pattern of choice* from SisBoom

Nana's insulated totes PDF pattern from Sew Happily Ever After

1 PDF pattern of choice* from E+M Patterns

$15 gift card to BLAVERRY

(*excludes bundles)

Remember, don't miss out on the rest of today's tour stops:

Sewing By Ti * Adventures with Bubba and Bug * The Simple Life Pattern Co * Inspinration * Moon Star

If you would like to stop by the other stops on the tour, please follow the links below:

Day 1:  Call Ajaire * The Wholesome Mama * Sew and Tell Project * DIY Crush * Blaverry
Day 2: Phat Quarters * Mahlica Designs * Handmade Boy * Kaleidothought * The Berry Bunch
Day 3: Filles A Maman * Tales of a Tester * Sew Happily Ever After * 5 out of 4 Patterns * The Crafting Fiend * Lulu & Celeste
Day 4:  Create 3.5 * Sew Sophie Lyn * Sweeter Than Cupcakes * The Eli Monster * Paisley Roots
Day 5:  Cindy Parrett Blog * Sew Starly * Sew and Tell Project * Elegantine * Gracious Threads

And the complete tour of blogs here:

Call Ajaire * The Wholesome Mama * Sew and Tell Project * BLAVERRY * DIY Crush * Phat Quarters * Mahlica Designs * Handmade Boy * Kaleidothought * The Berry Bunch * Filles A Maman * Sprouting JubeJube * Sew Happily Ever After * Tales of a Tester * 5 out of 4 Patterns * The Crafting Fiend * Create 3.5 * Sew Sophie Lyn * Sweeter than Cupcakes * Wining Wife * Paisley Roots * The Eli Monster * Cindy Parrett Blog * Sew Starly * Elegantine! * Gracious Threads * Lulu & Celeste * Sewing by Ti * Amazing Adventures with Bubba and Bug * Simple Life Pattern Co. Blog * Inspinration * Mama You Can Make It For Me * Moon Star