BLAVERRY and P4P Projects in the Works!

So I don't have anything to officially post, but I've been busy! I tested 2 patterns for BLAVERRY patterns, but can't share anything until they are officially updated and released. This company has some very trendy patterns, perfect for small and tween girls! I can't wait to share my test projects with you! The designer is currently improving some existing patterns, as well as coming out with new patterns as well. I can tell you...because of testing for BLAVERRY, I've learned how to use a twin needle, although I'm still working out the kinks of it! They are finicky things aren't they? Normally, I just use a zig zag stitch when sewing with knits, but I wanted to follow the patterns to a "T," and boy did I learn a lot about that needle. Now hoping the walking foot makes it a little easier.

In the meantime, go check out their site to see their amazing and wide range of girls' patterns. If you're new to BLAVERRY, the ZOZO Dress is one of their very simple and currently inexpensive patterns to get your feet wet and give these patterns a try! I can honestly say I haven't made this dress because it's not a staple we would wear in our home, but it's a great place to start and check out the designer's style!

What else can I tell you? Oh! I got bronchitis, but thanks to my Prednisone medicine, I'm completely wired and starting to breathe better again. That medicine sure messes up my sleep habits! But I definitely owe a lot to the steroid, because tonight I finished my P4P Pencil Skirt I started last week! As soon as I get pictures, I'll post them on a separate post. I purposely made my first one out of crummy knit material (imagine the worst case rayon to use), because I was so afraid of making anything for my lower half! But I did it, and now feel more confident making one out of great fabric!

Boxwood Joggers by Sew Like My Mom

It's time for another new pattern by Sew Like My Mom! And guess what? I absolutely love it! The designer's patterns are always very simple to follow, but having great design details that
make them amazing. I can honestly tell you I felt so accomplished when I finished these. I've sewn many garments, blankets, quilts, etc... but when I saw my finished pockets looking so great, I felt like a million bucks! However, the fact that I totally screwed up the back seam took some of that excitement away.

The Boxwood Joggers pattern comes in sizes 12m-8, and 6-16. These are unisex joggers, come in 3 lengths, and the pattern has been thoroughly tested and undergone revisions for the little sizes and the tween sizes; the middle sizes were pretty on target. It comes with the layering feature, making it easy to print just what you need. The best way to make sure these fit perfectly is to go off height, and adjust the elastic waist down if needed. I tested these on my 5 year old, who has a 22" waist, 26" hips, and 44" height. I ended up using a size 6 with a 5 elastic, since size 5 height only goes to 43.5". And as you can tell from the pictures, they fit her perfectly.

This pattern is meant to be used with french terry or sweatshirt material for added stability, but other testers used fleece and knit, and they turned out great as well. For me, the flower fabric is french terry, and the green is knit. I look forward to making many more of these. She has already worn these 2 times, and wants me to wash them again tonight so she can wear them to school again tomorrow. And yes, I just finished sewing these up late Thursday night! That's how much she loves these. You will also need 2" elastic.

Of course, to get some fun pictures, she wanted to go to the park and play in them. She has played so much in these, and the fit is wonderful and they are holding up wonderfully.

 She's done the splits, climbed every playground equipment imaginable, rolled down hills, and even fell off the monkey bars to a perfect crouch...and they are still so comfortable. :)

 These will be releasing in the next few days at the etsy page, and I strongly suggest you make them. They are trendy, versatile, and very comfortable!

Sew Like My Mom facebook page can be found here.

COMPLETE OUTFIT DETAILS

Late Thursday night, I finished the Boxwood Joggers capris up, and couldn't wait for my girl to see them the next day. Then I remembered, her only plain white shirt was dirty and in the wash. So what did I do? While I waited for laundry to finish up, I decided to make her a shirt to match. I didn't have time to try a new pattern, even though I really want to try one of Sew Like My Mom's knit shirt patterns. So I resorted to my trusty Jolly Roger Raglan by Patterns For Pirates, and made her a fun shirt pretty quickly.

I've made this shirt many times, but the fit isn't always consistent. I don't blame P4P though; I'm pretty sure I don't pay enough attention to measurements or seam allowances. But this time, I was very on target and the shirt fits her perfectly and looks great! Wouldn't you agree? And the best part? There is no pink anywhere in this outfit! Anyone else have this problem? :)

Updated to add: Green solid and orange stripe fabric are from Purpleseamstress Fabric found on facebook. She has such a great selection and quality of fabric, with incredibly fast shipping. I can't wait until my next shipment comes in. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I got the flowers. :)

Darling Daisy by Sew Like My Mom

Part 3 of the summer testing! I had the chance to test the Darling Daisy pattern for Sew Like My Mom. This was one of her first patterns, so this test was a redo test. She updated the pattern a bit, added some options, and added layers. I don't know what this pattern was like originally, but I love the redo!

This pattern is for woven fabrics, and is fun and twirly. This dress comes in different options; knee length includes solid fabric dress and 1/2/3 tiered dress choices, and maxi length includes a 3 tiered option. I chose the 3 tiered maxi version, because my girl doesn't sit very lady like, and loves to twirl and spin! It has an elastic neckline and is easy to get on and off. This dress comes in sizes 12m-8.


I've been holding onto this bird fabric for the last 3 years until I found the best pattern to use it for, and it was perfect for this dress! It's also a great pattern to use those coordinating fabrics.

Once again, you start with the height on this dress and adjust the width from the height if necessary. I used my 5 year old again so I wouldn't need to remeasure, and because I knew the maxi length would be perfect for her height. I tested size 5.

The dress was very easy to assemble. I was nervous doing the bias tape around the sleeves, but it went very smoothly. I chose to use store bought bias tape because I don't have the patience to make bias tape myself, and I haven't purchased a bias tape maker yet.

I have to tell you, there was so much fabric on the last tier! I can't even imagine doing all that fabric on a bigger size! But the final product was so worth it. I also have to say, I love that you start sewing the bottom tiers together first, then move up towards the bodice. I'm sure that's the best way to do it, but I loved it because I don't think I would have ever finished the last tier if I'd worked my way down. Yes, I know, it's all in the head! But knowing that I had less to do on each consecutive tier made it easier to go on.

When the dress was done, my girl started twirling around and had a blast. Then my toddler saw the dress, looked down at her shorts and shirt, held her shirt, and started spinning around like big sister. So I knew I needed to make her a matching one. But since we don't often wear sleeveless, and this dress has a lot of shoulder exposure, I had to make a few modifications before making one for little miss.

So here's the final product on both girls! Not the greatest picture of my girls since it was very sunny on that Sunday morning, but you get the idea. I added a strip of fabric to each side to add a little sleeve to the dress. I added this fabric before attaching the neckline to the dress and slid the rectangle inside the neckline, and made the width the same size as the gap between front and back bodice pieces. The length is personal preference. It worked out wonderfully and added just enough coverage to wear these to church.

You can find Sew Like My Mom on facebook and on etsy. I can see many more of these dresses in the future. Can't you just picture a dress made out of western fabric for a rodeo? That's what I'm picturing at least!

Posey Tunic and Peony Leggings by Sew Like My Mom

This summer, a designer I love, Sew Like My Mom, came out with a couple new patterns, and I couldn't resist testing for her. I'd tested for her before and love the fit of the pattern I had tried. Now, all 5 kids were with me all summer, so I wasn't sure I could actually test, but I made it happen, and I'm so glad I did!

So my first posts of finished items are going to be the 3 patterns I tested over the summer. So first off, the Posey Tunic and Peony Leggings. I tested this for my twin girl, using a size 3. Her measurements were spot on with the chart, so it was super easy to construct.

The tunic and leggings are very well constructed and the pattern is very easy to follow. One of my favorite things about Sew Like My Mom is the many choices she offers with her patterns! She is currently updating her older patterns to include layers and better instructions, and she always has great options! These patterns call for knits with good recovery. Sizes 12m-8.

So let's start with the Posey Tunic! The tunic comes in 4 different sleeve lengths, sleeveless, short sleeve, elbow sleeve, and long sleeve, all with cuffs as you can see in my picture. The pattern instructions are great and easy to follow. It has plenty of pictures and great tips to help with sewing with knits.

I tested the short sleeve version. We are a sleeve wearing family, so I'll rarely make things that are sleeveless! But I may still test them, and alter them later. We also live in beautiful Arizona, so it is always hot, especially during the summer, so who knows?

My only dislike on the pattern is that the back piece to the tunic is actually 2 pieces, but the designer did this to save on fabric. In the future I might just adjust the pattern pieces so I only need to cut out one piece, but it's still great regardless!

Now, on to the Peony Leggings. These are wonderful, and can be made in a variety of ways and styles. The pattern includes full-length leggings, capri length, and biker short length. The leggings have a contrast panel down the side, which can be regular or ruched. I chose the regular contrast band because I didn't have enough of the pink/white polka dots to do the ruching method. I've also never done that, so I might be a tad bit intimidated. :) I'm fairly confident with my sewing machine and serger, but I'm still intimidated by things I haven't done before.

These come together very quickly and fit great! My little miss is in disposable diapers, and they fit great over it. My little miss sure loves posing for the camera and loves saying "Gees!" So she's my little ham right now and you'll be seeing many more pictures like this one on the right!

I am going to tell you right now, I have NO idea what is considered correct technique when sewing, so please don't hold that against me. Most everything I have learned has been from pdf patterns or blogs, so I'm still learning proper techniques.

You can check out Sew Like My Mom on facebook, or at her etsy page.

Hope you enjoy these patterns as much as I do!

Updated to add: ice cream/summer fabric is from Purpleseamstress Fabric on facebook. Mel has such a great selection of fabric choices, and I love her quality!