December 2016 – SewSophieLynn

Slouchy Cardi from Heidi and Finn

My girls closets are overflowing but they always seem to be in need of something. This time of year it’s sweaters and layers!

This Christmas break my goal is to fill that whole in their wardrobe. The Slouchy Cardigan from Heidi and Finn is just perfect to do that.

It’s such a quick sew and comes together so well. The shape is so on trend and adorable on too!

This picky girl loves this cozy sweater! I used this fun double sweater knit from Cali Fabrics. It is a fantastic weight- not too heavy to sew but still warm and thick. I grabbed the brown colorway for myself!

I grabbed this girl right in the door from school and she was thrilled to throw on her new sweater. She’s been going like crazy and I’m excited to relax with her this Christmas break. She’s been hanging in my sewing room with me and designing a few of her own tops that we are excited to sew up together. I love this age and this girl really is a gem!

Are you sewing over the holidays? Fried from all the Christmas sewing and taking a break? I’m looking forward to a little sewing and a lot of relaxing!

Ugly Sweater Party with Petite Stitchery

I love a good party so I was all on board when Petite Stitchery said they were hosting an Ugly Sweater Party. Who doesn’t love a fun ugly sweater?!!

I’ve loved the Rosemary Cowl Crop since the very first preview I saw and knew it would be perfect for this tour.

I think an ugly sweater is all about upcycling so for my version I grabbed a cozy blanket from good ol’ Wal-mart. It worked perfect and I loved being able to use the blanket edge for the bottom hem too!

I did a little tricky hacking to make the sweater just one layer. This fleece is so thick and cozy that I didn’t want to add too much bulk. I used a scuba knit stripe for the cowl and cuffs. I sewed the cowl on like a neckband. The sleeve cuffs kinda stumped me. They are sewn like a lining about 7 inches up the sleeve and rolled up for a nice, thick contrast cuff.

She’s ready to party!

What? There’s more fun sweaters coming your way! Make sure to head over to the other stops on the tour:

Tuesday 12/20

Rebel & Malice and Sew Sophie Lynn

Wednesday 12/21

Inspinration and Petite Stitchery & Co

Thursday 12/22

Sprouting Jube Jube and Phat Quarters

Make sure you add your holiday ugly sweaters to the link up for a fun giveaway!

Holiday Freebies with Made for Mermaids and Petite Stitchery

Anyone doing any last minute holiday sewing?!!

I’ve got a few holiday freebies from you from some of my favorite ladies.

The ladies at Made for Mermaids generously continued their 12 days of Christmas this year with 12 super fun and easy patterns and tutorials.

I sewed up the Annie Apron for my buddy in the kitchen. It’s a quick sew and so easy to customize. It can be made with a couple of fat quarters and some fabric scraps for the waistband. Such a great stash buster!

My littlest got an Earwarmer in his favorite fabric scrap. There are sizes for the whole family and I know I’ll be sewing myself one real soon!

The bowties complete any holiday outfit for the boys in your life. You can even make dad one to match. Seriously fast and oh so cute!

The girls on your list could all use a cute lace Dress and Top Extender. I love a hint of lace and these extenders are so great! I know my girls have a few tops that I’d love to last through the winter and this extender is just perfect to add a couple inches to the length.

Make sure to check out all of the Made for Mermaids freebies! There’s something for everyone on your list!

Petite Stitchery has also been rolling out some quick holiday freebies and my kids are obsessed with the Tinsel Cowl.

There are three options- button, fringe, and simple. My kids have been making them themselves and loving it! My daughter did her first buttonholes and loved picking out trim for her button version.

It’s another great use for all those fabric scraps you’ve got lying around. Those precious pieces of velvet will be scarves in no time!

What’s on your Christmas sewing list still? I’m dying to dig into some American Girl doll sewing for my girls. My scrap hoarding will pay off for matching duds from some of my favorite makes this year. Stay tuned for a post on that goodness!

Made for Mermaids Joy and Mama Joy

Made for Mermaids newest pattern in their Dreamy Collection is here. The Joy and Mama Joy are classic knit dresses that will be perfect for every occasion.

The Joy features a fitted bodice and a full pleated skirt with multiple skirt and sleeve lengths.

It mashes perfectly with the other dresses is the Dreamy Collection. I mashed the Noelle top with the pleated peplum of the Joy and love this top!

It looks fantastic in a variety of knits. I used stretch velvet for my maxi version and also for the Noelle mash. The floral is a fun scuba knit that really showcases the pleats.

We’re really struggling with pictures lately as it’s been so gloomy and it gets dark so early these days. I’m afraid blog pics for the next few months are going to be less than stellar- already looking forward to spring and sunny days!

We headed to the mountains for this shoot and my oldest took the pics. It was fun but freeeeezing! The snow falling is a little help from Photoshop but we missed the real snowfall by just a few minutes. My girls have gotten to be such troopers with their crazy mom. Since November, I’ve been paying them for shoots under the condition that they use the money for Christmas presents. They’ve been more eager and it’s been fun to see them spend their earnings on their siblings and other family. I’m hoping that after Christmas they’ll go back to being happy with a chocolate or other special treat- wish me luck!

I could see this being my go-to dress for this one. It fits perfectly, has pockets, and she will die if I make her a maxi version. This dress and that fabric really just make me so happy! It was one of those projects that when I finished I was totally tempted to check her out of school just to see it on her… tell me I’m not the only one that gets that excited.

I knew this blue velvet was meant for this little lady. She’s worn this top to school and it just suits her so well. I love that hi-low peplum and that collar is so timeless.

I want to love my dress, I really do. It’s about as comfy as it gets but it really doesn’t flatter me. It’s not the dress design so much as my indulging in a little too much holiday cheer and not enough hitting the gym. It’s also the fabric choice for sure. Velvet shows every little bump and works well in a looser silhouette for me.

It’s a little better styled with a scarf or a belt.

I also made a peplum top in ponte but will definitely size up next time. This top was my first version in my normal size and the maxi is one size above what I normally wear in M4M.

I will for sure make more though. I think Liverpool would be a great fabric choice or even a thicker ponte with a bit more stretch. I placed a big order for fabric all with this pattern in mind!