Just Emmy and me (Emmy Tee Shirt from Laela Jeyne Patterns

A few months ago, my daughter saw a top I had tested for Laela Jeyne Patterns.  Ever since then, she has been begging me to make one for her so when Marisa announced that the Emmy was ready for testing, SHE decided that I needed to apply to test so I was very excited that Marisa chose me to be part of her Emmy pattern testing team...I think the boo was maybe a little more excited, though!  She loves this shirt and wants one for every day of the week...or month.

Let's go over some pattern details real quick so you can see some specifics:

- Wide range of sizes: 6M-14 and unisex up to size 6
- Three neck options: standard, cowl, hood
- Two sleeve cap options: standard, gathered
- Three elbow patch templates
- Three cuff options: hemmed, banded, thumb cuff
- Three sleeve options: short, elbow, long
- Optional side seam triangle accent
- Layered printing
- Clear concised instructions with illustrations for those of us who like the visual references

So, really, this shirt is a great pattern that covers all types of style preferences!  My kids don't get excited about school clothes at the beginning of the year because their school has uniforms, but when they do get to wear "real" clothes, they always ask me to make something for them.  It was perfect timing that the Emmy is being released.  We're starting to see some cooler weather here, in the mornings at least, so I definitely see fall coming on soon for us!

I made my daughter two different tops for the test.  The first one was with a standard neck, standard sleeve.  I used a panel from the "Like a Girl" series that Lily Himrod ran at Zenith and Quasar.  It was just a teeny bit small for the size 7 so I colorblocked some black knit with it to make it big enough, and I kind of loved how it turned out.  Nini is pretty tall and sits in the 97th percentile for height so I used a size 8 armscye to give some extra ease in the armpits, but the rest of the shirt was spot on for a size 7 which is her ready to wear size.

My son, however, is in the 17th percentile for height so he's a short stack like me.  Thankfully, being super tiny is one of his favorite things about himself!  I was a little worried that the shirt would be a little long on him, but it was actually perfect length!  He's a size 5 in store bought clothes, and this fit perfectly on him!  I did cut this one straight across because I wasn't paying attention and cut into the bottom curve so this was my "salvage my mistake" mod.  He was so excited about getting a new shirt that he agonized over the fabric he wanted.  He finally settled on a race car knit that I got from Ozark Fabrics and a checkered flag knit from Sincerely Rylee.

Nini's second shirt HAD to have a hood.  AND it needed gathered sleeves and thumb holes.  AND, it HAD to be flowery.  She shares my obsession for florals...I had some liverpool that a friend picked up for me from Hancock's (so sad that I can't get more of this awesomeness), and when she saw it, that was the one she got stuck on.  The instructions are so easy to follow for the thumb cuffs that I seriously want to put thumb cuffs on EVERY shirt from now on!  These were all long sleeve shirts but I do intend to make some more of these in the other sleeve versions when the temperature starts climbing back up in the spring and summer...

Now, let's get you some info on how to get your copy of the Emmy T-shirt pattern and, if you want to make some Mommy and Me shirts, the Emily T-shirt pattern!  The Emmy is available right now at Marisa's webstore, and it is on sale right now for $6 (all single patterns are on sale for 30% as part of the last storewide sale that Marisa will be doing with a pattern release!).  This sale is good until the 29th of August.  There is also and Emily and Emmy bundle that you can get for $10.50 as part of the sale going on!!  There is also a Laela Jeyne Patterns Group on Facebook where you can keep up to date on Marisa's happenings and see what others have created using Laela Jeyne patterns.  It's also a great place to ask for help if you hit a bump!

This pattern really is perfect for every season, and with so many options, the possibilities are endless! So, don't miss out on the release sale and go grab your copy of this and the Emily today!!  Thanks so much for reading along!

We were a little done with photos by this point!  HA!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

A Very Sporty Summer (V-Neck Sports Jersey by Snuggle My Baby Patterns)

 

This was the summer of great adventures for my two littles.  They learned to ride their bikes without training wheels, learned to roller skate, made friends with the neighborhood kids, and learned what it means to paddle through the water and "not even touch the bottom!".  They climbed trees and came home with skinned knees.  They learned what it means when I say, if the street lamp is on, you're in the front yard...I grew up racing the setting sun so that I could make sure at least one toe was on the front yard by the time the street lamp came on or I have no idea what would have happened because I was too chicken to test it!  They both lived in athletic shorts, and my daughter decided she needed a matching shirt right about the time that Jenn Gunn from Snuggle My Baby Patterns announced her testing call for the V-Neck Sports Jersey.  Hello?!?  It was a sign from the sewing fairies that I was all in for this test, and I was so excited when I was chosen to be part of the test team.

Okay, so before I get too far into the summer recap, let's do some pattern specifics:

- Large size range to include teens (2T-16)
- Two shirt styles: color blocked or solid
- Two sleeve options: sleeveless or short sleeve
- Can be unlined, partially lined, or fully lined
- Unique v-neck finishing method (this made for a really crisp v on the neck when it was done!)
- Your usual concise pattern instructions and photos for those of us who use them for reference

We made two different types of shirts for the test.  My first run was with some performance knit that I got from JoAnn's, and it was a little tricky to work with the fabric.  Just had to move slow and focus. People used to call me magpie because I was easily distracted by shiny objects so focus and me...ehhh.  HOWEVER, the kids love these shirts and usually beeline it to them right after they come out of the wash.  I went a couple weeks where I didn't realize they were taking them from the basket as soon as they were coming out of the dryer so I thought they had fed them to the monsters under their bed...

My daughter is all about anything that has pink so her first top had hot pink and yellow.  It really is very hot pink, too!  I'm fairly certain that you would see this shirt from space.  She opted for the sleeveless on the first one.  My son prefers sleeveless shirts and actually asks me to butcher the sleeves off his all of his t-shirts so he can have a drawer full of tank tops so a sleeveless top was a no-brainer for him.  He went with a bright blue and red for his first top...again very bright.  Both tops fit the kids like a glove, and they weren't happy about taking them off at the end of the night.  My kids wear sizes 5 and 7 in ready to wear clothes, and these were spot on for RTW clothing.

For the second shirt, I actually ordered in athletic mesh from Denver Fabrics.  My daughter is a little more conservative so she asked that I line hers while my son opted to "let his muscles and chi chi's breathe" ...I don't ask anymore. It saves me stress if I don't ask...so his was unlined.  For these, I used mesh for everything to include the neck binding.  My son calls it his holey shirt and loves it because "the wind goes right through it, Momb"; a fact which happens to be pretty key here in OK during the summer months.

The v-neck seems a lot harder than it actually is.  I made this so tough for myself and ended up almost in tears when my machine ate the fabric and wouldn't cough it up.  Jenn made a video for us that shows us how she did it, and really. just. really.  It was so simple to do.  It just requires that you go slowly which isn't really my strong suit, but if you go slowly and take it easy, the process really does work. The final product really is a clean, crisp v-neck.  I even had a lady at Hobby Lobby ask me where I got the shirts because her daughter really needs some.  Hmm, I happen to know a lady who can make her some...

Now, if you've read this far, I sure do appreciate you for following along!  Let's get you some info on how you can get your copy of the V-Neck Sports Jersey!  The pattern was released this week and is available here at Jenn's webstore!  As an added bonus, Jenn also has some back to school bundles on sale, AND if you go to the Snuggle My Baby Patterns Facebook group she has a code you can use to get an additional 25% all patterns, including this one and the bundles!  Yeah, it's a pretty sweet deal...so head on over and join the group to get your sale code, then go to the webstore and stock up on this and the other really great patterns that Jenn has available!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

I love Boston (boatneck dress pattern from Peek A Boo Pattern Shop)

Oh, how I love Boston!  I went to college about 2 hours from there, and I spent a lot of time in that city!  When Amy posted a preliminary photo of this dress in her pattern group, I loved the simplicity of it, and it was called the Boston Boatneck so I started feeling nostalgic for my college days. HA!  I know, it's kind of silly, but I did.  I signed up to test the dress, and I was so excited about how fast it was to sew up and how well it fit me when I tried it on!

Alright, let's get to some details about the pattern first so you know what you are getting with this pattern:

- Large pattern range: XXS - XXXL (sizes 00 - 24)
- Two length options: dress or top
- Two sleeve lengths: short or 3/4 length
- Faux or functional drawstring options
- Optional triangle accent on the neck
- Optional side pockets
- Your usual clear, concise directions with photos for those of us who need a visual reference

Okay, so this pattern calls for knits with at least 30% stretch so you can use jersey, interlock, french terry...pretty much any knit with 30% stretch.  It was so comfortable to wear, and it stood up to all day kid chasing!  Definite bonus in my book...

I personally love that this has a boatneck collar.  I have this "thing" about stuff that sits too close to my neck, and this collar gave me a lot of ease at the neck so I didn't feel like I was constantly tugging at it to get it off my neck.  I did pull my fabric a bit when I was sewing mine so that part does require some careful attention as you sew along the collar.  Nothing difficult at all, but it will require you to slow down just a little at the top.

I originally tried the top of the dress on before adding the skirt to check for fit, and I loved how it felts as a shirt.  It didn't come up too high so I felt like it would cover my belly if I had to raise my arms over my head.  I added the skirt, but I plan to make a couple of tops to wear with jeans when the weather starts to cool down here in Oklahoma.

I forgot to put the drawstring in at the end, but I went back and added it after the fact so my photos don't have the drawstring.  I also managed to somehow flip my skirt sideways when I did the button holes for the drawstring, so I have two little button holes on the side of mine.  I haven't figure out what I want to do to cover them yet so they're just kind of chilling out on the side of my dress.  My husband told me to leave it and use it as a pen holder.  He was trying to be helpful. HA!  So word of advice, check the skirt pieces before doing the button holes.  You'll have a slight curve at the top of the skirt to tell you which way is the top.

I loved that the waistline was a little lower on this dress because it helped me with my mommy belly.  A lot of the dresses of this same style that I've tried on have a higher waist so I was a little uncomfortable in them.   I am also a little bit short statured at 5'1", and I loved that I didn't need to mod the length any at the bottom.  I paired with some boots, and we were off on date night!

The dress is also a really quick sew.  I think this one came together in about an hour from start to finish.  With little helpers hanging around during the summer, I was thankful that I was able to finish this during their mommy mandated quiet time!

Okay, so if you've read this far, I appreciate you greatly!  Let's get some information on how you can pick up your copy!  The pattern is on sale today (11 August) at Amy's webstore for a special release price of $8.50!  Amy also has a Facebook group you can join and ask questions about any of her patterns or to see other people's creations using her patterns!  You can also see what some of the other testers created at the pattern listing!  Thanks so much for reading along!  Now go grab your copy and sew yourself up some love!!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

Rocking the dog days with the Talia from Laela Jeyne Patterns

  

The dog days of summer have started here in Oklahoma, and anything with no sleeves is at the top of my wardrobe list right now.  When Marisa from Laela Jeyne Patterns released the technicals for her new Talia and Tula dresses, I was right there.  Using light weight, drapey fabrics, these patterns are perfect for the heat we are feeling here right now!  I made the Talia during testing so I’ll give you a quick review of the Talia!

Alright, before I get too far into what is so awesome about this pattern, let's go over some details about the dress:

- Covers a large range of sizes: 00-26

- Two neckline options: rounded or v-neck

- 8 (yes, 8!) skirt/bottom options: tunic, shark bite tunic, mini, knee, sharkbite knee, midi, maxi, faux wrap maxi

- Can be used with a wide variety of lightweight fabrics.  I used charmeuse and chiffon for my Tala, but you could also use rayon challis, double gauze, lace…pretty much anything with a good drape to it

- Fitted bodice for a more streamlined silhouette

- Full breast adjustment instructions for those who need them

- Your usual concise, detailed directions and illustrations that come with every Laela Jeyne pattern

This dress looks so much more complicated to make than it really is.  I was surprised at how quickly it came together.  There is a zipper on the side but I promise, that is really not as scary as everyone thinks when they see a zipper. I am the queen of zipper avoidance tactics when it comes to clothing, but I took the leap on this dress and was so excited that it was so easy to do. Marisa walks through the zipper installation step by step and makes it very easy to understand.

So for my dress, I used a charmeuse for the outer bodice and the skirt lining.  The outer skirt is made with a butterfly printed chiffon that I found at my local JoAnn Fabrics.  Chiffon was a little tricky to work with but lots and lots of clips.  If you think you have too many clips, just clip some more.  Once I figured out that more is more with this fabric, I had no issues at all with it!

 

The wind snuck up on me just as my photographer snapped the photo

Now, I’m not usually a fitted bodice type of girl, but this one slipped on like a glove when I was done!  There are darts along the front and side to help get the perfect fitted look.  I love the way it makes me look, and the soft drapey skirt was so comfortable around my legs.  The day that we did our photo shoot, it was over 100 degrees out, and I was scared it would be clinging to me by the time we walked to the lake.  It held up so well, and I actually had to hold down the skirt when the wind picked up.  Oh, yes, we have crazy wind here in Oklahoma, too!

I chose the faux wrap maxi for the bottom, and being 5’1” on a good day, I was a little worried about the length.  However, it was the perfect length on my frame with no modifications.  I think I looked a little taller in it, to be honest.  I seriously love any pattern that requires little or no modification, and Marisa goes to great lengths to make sure that her patterns work with every body type.  Having a pretty low waist and short legs, I sure do appreciate that she does that!

Okay so if you've read this far and stuck with me, I appreciate you greatly!  The great news is that the Talia is available now and is on sale $7 (full price will be $9.95)!  You can snag your copy here at at Marisa’s Laela Jeyne Patterns webstore.  You can also get the Talia and Tula bundle here for $12 (full price will be $15).  Marisa also has a FB group where we can share our LJ creations and ask questions if we hit a head scratch when we're sewing!  You can find her group here. Everyone in the group is really supportive and helpful if you ever have any questions, and Marisa is very responsive to messages if you need to contact her directly!

If you're wondering if you need this pattern, my vote would be absolutely, you do!  It’s perfect for special occasions (Marisa made a little black dress with the Talia that turned out ahh-mazing!) or for casual every day wear.  Sometimes, it's just nice for us to have a go-to pattern that we can use for when we need to do some self care sewing!  Don't forget, it's available right now on sale so go grab it today!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,

Kim

Summer vacation in Barcelona (Barcelona Blouse from Peek A Boo Pattern Shop)

Boy, do I wish I really were vacationing in Barcelona.  I spent a large part of my childhood in Spain, and I've been pining away for Spain lately.  That might be why I love this top so much! ;)!  Seriously, though, I was recently fortunate enough to test the second round for the Barcelona Blouse, and I have 4 of them (3 of them I made for testing) already with a few more planned for the future.  This top is right up my alley!

Alright, before I get too far into what is so awesome about this pattern, let's go over some details about the pattern/top:

- Covers a large range of sizes: XXS-XXXL
- Two sleeve options: sleeveless or tulip sleeve
- Unique design to allow for a roomier fit
- Can be used with a wide variety of fabric types. I used linen, bottomweight, and cotton woven for the top and a variety of knits for the bottoms.
- Roomier through the hips for a flowy fit (and perfect for kid chasing)
- Your usual concise, detailed directions and photos that come with every PAB pattern

This top looks so much harder to make than it really is.  I whipped up one top in 45 minutes, and with this being summer vacation, that was a major bonus.  The kids usually have nothing to do with me until the hear the familiar zzzz, click, click of my sewing machine starting up so just a few minutes really did mean just a few minutes with this top.  I was so stoked with my pattern matching on the one pictured below, but my husband didn't seem to get why I was so excited when I showed him.  I still did the Snoopy dance even if he didn't get it.

So, for my tops, I did one in a silky knit and a cotton woven top that looked almost like leather.  I'm 5'1" on a good day, and I chose to do this one with no modifications.  Turned out I didn't need any! The length hit right about the bottom of the zipper on the front and swooped down in the just enough to hit the bottom of, well, my bottom.  I usually get really worried about making shirts for me because the armscye is often too tight, but this one was really comfortable for me.   I wore this one to the zoo, and it was so perfect for the 100+ weather on the day we went (I didn't quite think through the whole "let's go to the zoo, kids!" when we headed out for the day).

The second one I made was with a cotton woven green fairy frost from MM and a very lightweight, drapey knit that I got from an estate sale.  It wasn't slinky at all, and I really wish I knew the content of it so I could tell you what it is, but all I know is that it has about 40% stretch and is very light.  I went with the sleeveless option on this one as well so that I could wear it here in Oklahoma with the summer heat.  The front and back have some really small, slight gathers that really add some femininity to the top, not that it needs a feminine touch because it's already very flattering on any shape body.

I also made a third shirt from some Muddy Girl knit that I scored from JoAnn Fabrics a couple of years ago and a bottom weight, almost denim weight, cotton.   The top half of the blouse is fully lined, and the sleeveless version is finished with bias tape around the armholes.  This was a new method for me, and I love the way it turned out for these tops.

Okay so if you've read this far and stuck with me, I appreciate you greatly!  The great news is that this top is available now and is on sale today (15 July) for $8.50!  You can snag your copy here at Amy's Peek A Boo Pattern Shop webstore.  Amy also has a FB group where we can share our PAB creations and ask questions if we hit a head scratch when we're sewing!  You can find her group here. Everyone in the group is really supportive and helpful if you ever have any questions, and Amy is very responsive to messages if you need to contact her directly!

If you're wondering if you need this pattern, my vote would be absolutely, you do!  Sometimes, it's just nice for us to have a great pattern that we can use for some self care sewing, and this one is a really quick, easy sew!  Don't forget, it's available today on sale so go grab it today!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

To Jogger or not to Jogger...Dani's Woven Joggers from Laela Jeyne

I love joggers.  I love the look of them and how comfy they look in all of those pictures...but when I go to the store two things happen. First, the knit material and me...just no.  Second, I take a look at the price and my heart stops beating for a few seconds.  Seriously, some of those prices are just wow. When Marisa asked what we would think of woven joggers, I am not going to lie, I kinda cringed a little.  My friend, Indu, was super excited about it and couldn't wait.  I was kind of hesitant to even consider testing them, but man, I am so so glad I did.  I currently own 6 pairs of them.  Seriously, 6 prs, and I literally just grab the next pair in the stack every morning.  I do need to make one more pair so I have one for every day of the week.  These pants are ah-mazing!

Alright, before I get to excited on their awesomeness, let's go over some details:

- Sizes range from XXS-3X (and pretty much every single tester ROCKED these)
- Elastic waistband and optional drawstrings
- 3 length options: short, capri, and ankle
- Optional pockets
- Maternity waistband instructions included
- Detailed instructions for rise adjustments and "mommy belly" adjustments
- No trim pages (sheer bliss)
- Layered pattern sizing so you only print what you need

Now, for my pants, I did the capri length because it is blistering here in Oklahoma, and I'm just a little too pale for the shorts just yet.  I do have plans to make several pairs of the shorts because they look so comfortable.  I had to shorten about 1 1/4" on the length because I'm 5' and the pattern was drafted for a 5'5"-ish woman.  Not a big deal at all.  Marisa included instructions on how to shorten or lengthen so it was easy peasy.   Just remember if you do shorten you're not going to go inch for inch.  I did that the first time, and they were pretty short.  I did about 25% of the difference, and the length was perfect.

I did a 1/4" adjustment for the "mommy belly" (again, there are directions on how to do this!) and that was perfect for me.  That's one of my biggest areas of disenchantment with pants so I was pretty much over the moon when these ones fit so well.

I think one of my favorite parts of these pants has to be the slim fit on the legs.  They are really relaxed fitting, but the legs are a little slimmer so it streamlines your silhouette.

These pants are also a really quick sew, even with the pockets.  I think it took me about an hour to make each pair from cutting to sewing in the leg elastics.  With a 5 year old and a 6 year old wanting to help me out, it was really nice to be able to sit down and have a new pair of pants an hour later.

Okay, so if you've followed along this far, let's get to some info about where you can get your pattern for Dani's Joggers!  Marisa has the pattern on sale for $7 until the 5th of July, AND she's doing a Fourth of July sale and putting the rest of her patterns on sale for 30%!  You can snag your copy here! You can also join the Laela Jeyne Patterns Group here on Facebook so you can keep up with everything going on over at Laela Jeyne!  It's also a great place to ask questions if you hit a bump while sewing up your LJ creations!

Thanks again for following along so far!  Now go get your copy of Dani's and sew yourself up some jogger love!

Blessings and Happy Sewing,
Kim

It's time to potty (training undies from Snuggle My Baby)

Photo found on Etsy

Who remembers Underoos?  I remember having Big Bird and Shazam underoos that I LOVED.  I lived in those things, and I was so sad when they got too small!  The new training undies from Snuggle My Baby made me think of underoos for little roos!  We are well past the potty training phase in our house, but we have a LOT of friends who are just now entering that phase of life with littles.  Originally, I had passed on the pattern because pfft, I won't need those (secretly happy about that)...then, someone asked me if I can make her kiddo some trainers.  It was almost as if the sewing fairies were granting me the green light to get this pattern, and well, I can't ignore my sewing fairies or they turn into gremlins and make bad things happen to my sewing machine.  Go with it, it's the story I'm telling my husband.

Okay, so some basics about the pattern:

- Sizes 2T-4T to cover a few years of the potty training adventure
- Uses Zorb for the two layers of absorbency (Jennifer has a link to a place on Etsy that sells if for$8/yd)
- Doesn't use a lot of fabric so perfect for scrap busting!
- Very clear step by step directions and photos for those of us who use those for reference

Alright, so I made two of these to get a gauge for fit.  Both of mine were in size 2T, and they were a perfect fit!  I wish I could post photos of them, but I promised my friend there would be no photos of her little one in just undies!

I think from start to finish, it took me about 45 minutes to make both sets of undies!  This includes cut time, and I think the toughest part for me was lining stuff up so not a hard sew at all!  My favorite thing is that there are no side seams.  Construction is essentially three pieces that wrap around so there aren't any niggly seams on the sides.   You do want to make sure that you pick a fabric with really good stretch recovery, though.  These are meant to sit pretty snug against the child's body so you don't want something that will end up sagging and bagging as the day wears on or you'll lose the hold in wetness factor.  When I asked Jennifer for some ideas on good fabrics to use, she advised that the higher the cotton content the better they work for these.

Now, while I'm glad that we are no longer going through potty training, I will admit that these will get some really good mileage as we have a lot of little ones in our world who are getting ready to start their potty training journey!

Okay, so here's the great news...the pattern is still on sale for a bit longer, and you can get your copy for the release price of $3!  Regular price will be $5.  Head over to Jennifer's Etsy shop to grab your copy today to get your copy of the pattern, AND there's a Memorial Day sale going on until May 31st.  Use the code MEMORIAL16 to take 35% off your entire purchase and Shazam!! :)!

I appreciate you following along if you're still here reading this.  Now go grab yourself some awesome patterns and Happy Sewing!

Blessings,
Kim