Sewing for Girls – Page 11

Hello Sweetheart from Riley Blake Designs

Hello Sweetheart from Riley Blake Designs is here and it’ll have your heart swooning! We love the darling retro feel and it has us gearing up for Valentine’s. It’s such a sweet collection full of bright colors and playful prints.

The Gradient Heart is black was such a great choice for my oldest. It’s got a modern edge to it that was so well suited for one of our favorite dress patterns.

I love the clean lines of the Blake Dress from Mingo and Grace (you can see our other versions here, here, and here). Those big box pleats and hidden inseam pockets are the stuff that makes me giddy!

Can you even stand those ombre hearts?!! The colors are just so fun!

For this dress, I made a size 8 width with a 12 length in the skirt. She actually measures into a 7 width but I was hoping by sizing up it’d fit a bit longer. The problem is this girly keeps growing up and not out so I’m pretty sure it’ll be too short the next time I blink! Little sister is already patiently waiting for her to outgrow it 😉

Speaking of litttle sis- she got a Samantha Skirt from Made for Mermaids paired with an Ocotillo Leotard from Honeydew Kisses with handmade suspenders.

This floral print is just too cute! It reminds me so much of some of my favorite art when I was growing up. Definitely brings me back to the early 90’s with fond memories! Paired with Riley Blake black and white striped knit gives it a fun, contemporary twist. This combo is just so adorable!

She loves anything with pockets and thanked me profusely the minute she tried on this skirt. Both patterns were new to me and I really liked them both. The Samantha skirt pattern uses the same fabric for suspenders but I left them off this version. It features an elastic back waistband so hopefully she’ll get to wear this awhile too. I had to do some grading for the leo using a size 8 width and a 10 length. It worked out really well and both girls have requested more (a sure sign of a great pattern!).

We picked the warmest day we could for pics and it was a balmy 40 degrees when we did our shoot. The sodas were both props and bribes for these two troopers! The things these girls put up with for their dear old mum!

Thanks for joining us today on our stop on the Hello Sweetheart Blog Tour. Riley Blake provided us the fabric to sew up but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Coffee and Thread Kids Lana Dress Tour

The Coffee + Thread Lana Pattern Tour is winding down and I hope that you’ve found it just as inspiring as I have. So many pretty Lana’s for both women and girls have been sewn up! I sharing a pair of holiday perfect Lana Kids Dresses with a little twist.

These dresses are comfortable and so festive, making them great options for school and family gatherings. They can fancy them up for special occasions but I also think they’ll wear them all season long with leggings, sweaters, or boots as everyday wear. I love pieces that can be dressed up or down! We picked up these beautiful velvets from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. Velvet is my favorite for comfy looks that really shine.

My little miss sass definitely needed a red dress to match her bold personality. For her version I altered the bodice slightly, curving it up in the center front and angling it down to the center back, creating a slight hi-lo effect.

I used the classic gathered skirt option and short ruffle sleeve. It’s such a sweet dress!

For big sister’s dress I used the slash and spread method to add width to the front and back from the armpit seam to the hem, creating a fun swing dress. We used the newly added long sleeves for a cozy and cute dress.

I used a gorgeous Olive Green Velvet because I knew it would match her eyes and boy was I right!

(This color is currently sold out. It photographs more emerald but is really a vibrant olive in real life. The listing pics for these fabrics are spot on. My camera just really didn’t want to capture it’s gloriousness!)

As the winter sets in, we are loosing our precious daylight. This night was a fast photo shoot, picking them up from school and heading straight to another location with slightly better lighting and background. The temperatures were in the mid-30’s and again, they were troopers! I had to laugh while editing pics that my youngest’s arms were covered in goose bumps, all with the biggest smile on her face! I’m so grateful for these cute girlies of mine! I always get a pic or two each shoot of my goofball with a grin the size of Texas- totally captures her in one picture.

This photo captures my sweet Sophie so well too! What a treasure this girl is!

Thanks for joining me on my stop today. Make sure to head over to Instagram to see all the other beautiful Lana’s. Use #lanatopanddresstour to be blown away!

Simple Life Pattern Co. Holiday Blog Tour

Have you been following the Simple Life Pattern Co. Holiday Blog Tour? I’ve been blown away by my tour mates and loving all the stunning dresses all week. We’re beyond excited to be sharing our looks today. Stay tuned to the end of the post for a giveaway, tour links, and sale info!

For our dresses this year, we let the fabric inspire us. We were lucky enough to have our post sponsored by Art Gallery Fabrics (can you say dream post? Gorgeous dress patterns in luscious fabric- count us in!). Katarina Roccella’s newest line, Decadence, just screamed holiday glamour to me. We picked the holiday perfect Houndstooth XIV Onyx and the dramatic Paon Plumes Rayon to coordinate. These fabrics can be dressed up for a concert performance or worn on Sunday to church services. Art Gallery Fabrics are amazing quality and I always feel like I’m spoiling my kids a little when I make something with them.

Little sis is wearing Helena’s Button Back Dress with the buttons moved to the front. I really wanted to let those gold buttons shine and there’s a little tip in the tutorial to make this dress reversible. Easy peasy and I love the glam those buttons add to the front.

I can’t wait for her to wear this all season long. She loves it and I can’t get enough of her in it! That sass really shines when she loves what she’s wearing 😉

I did the 3/4 sleeve and modest back options. This is a size 8 with added length for reference (her chest is 26″ and she is 55″ tall).

My tween loves anything sophisticated and trendy and the Patricia’s Boho Dress was just meant for her. The hi-lo hem and soft ruffles add such a sweet touch. This dreamy rayon just floats in this dress.

I love that this dress has no closure so it not only comes together quickly (even with all those ruffles!) but it’s just as glorious to wear. No zippers or buttons bugging her back!

I wish I was as elegant and charming as this sweet girl. Major love for this whole look on her!

This is the dramatic hi-lo hem with bell sleeve version. This is also a size 8 bodice with added length. She also has a 26″ chest and is 60″ tall (funny that they have such similar measurements still but she’s just crazy tall for her age!).

Sewing up these dresses has me itching for the holidays to come! Nothing like a little sewing to get you in the spirit. Make sure to check out all the other stops on the tour for some serious inspiration. Are you sewing dresses for your sweethearts this season? Can you stop at just one? The other ladies this week have me wanting to sew another dress or two before the year is over!

November 5 – Kutti Couture – SLPCO Team

November 6 – Wonderfully Handmade – Ammon Lane

November 7 – Kainara Stitches – Idle Sunshine – Pearberry Lane

November 8 – Sew Twirly – Sew Sophie Lynn – Bonnie and Blithe

November 9 – It’s Liesel – Candice Ayala

Make sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a $30 gift certificate to Hart’s Fabric and a $50 gift card to Simple Life Pattern Co.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can use the code ‘fallintoslpco’ for 30% off all patterns (excludes the newly released Betty) through November 19th. It’s the perfect push to pick up all those beautiful patterns you’ve been eyeing.

Thanks for joining us on our stop on the tour! Happy holiday sewing to you!

MadeIt Strip Tee Challenge

We are so excited to be part of the MadeIt Patterns Stripe Tee Challenge this week. The premise is so fun. We got to sew up the Strip Tee Adult and teen pattern and put our own little twist on them. We will be competing against 7 other mother/daughter teams to see who made it best. The girls had to sew their tops on their own but the mom’s were able to guide and help them along the way. Super cool, right?!

It was such a great excuse to get my girly behind the machines and to spend a fun afternoon together. My daughter is still a beginner sewist but loves the chance to create. She took a sewing class two summers ago that taught her the basics. I wanted her to learn the correct principles and I knew having someone else teach her would give her a foundation that would serve her well into the future. She made bags, pillows, and pajama pants that summer. Since then she’s made a hoodie, leggings, and a few other things. We struggle to find the time to sew together so this challenge was a great push to get us together in the sewing room.

We started with a trip to our favorite shop, Raspberry Creek Fabrics. She fell in love with this pretty burgundy windowpane sweater knit and I knew it’d be a great choice for her. I love the vibrant color and immediately thought of the faux leather in my stash as an accent for the strip in back. She loved the idea! This fabric is also fairly stable and easy to sew which I wanted for her (I steered her clear of all the lovely rayon spandex for this first one!).

For my version, I kept going back to this ‘boring’ medium grey french terry. I wanted to add sleeves to mine and the weight and drape of this blend is so good! I wear grey too much I know but I think you can never have enough of it. It’s a great basic that provides the perfect backdrop to add accessories or in this case a little bling!

I love that these tops are all business in the front. Just your classic tee and sweatshirt, right?

But there’s a little party in the back! The leather adds such an edge and those sequins are brilliant.

The sequins are a remnant from one of my favorite Project Run and Play looks for my daughter and it was super sentimental using them for this piece. We shot that weeks look in this same location too, bringing us full circle.

I added long sleeves to my top to be able to wear it as we head into our cold season. I measured the sleeve opening, my wrist, and my arm length. I used those measurement to make an angled rectangle. It’s very basic and probably not the ‘correct’ way but I’m very happy with how it turned out.

It’s such a cozy top and I love the little extra pop that back strip brings.

For my daughters look, she sewed up the smallest teen size although her chest is still a couple of inches shy of the charts (teeny girl!). At eleven she has a 26″ chest and is 60″ tall putting her in an XXS chest and S height so we went with an XXS and then added 2 inches to the length.

She did all of the work and sewing on this herself and I’m super proud of how it turned out. I gave her a little plaid matching lesson on the side seams but apparently forgot to check the back, oops! Design element?! She’s such a pro at topstitching though. Like so good I should hire her out to do all mine, lol! I showed her how to use soft and stretch hem tape for the hems and that sure helped make that step a breeze.

This top is just five pieces (four pattern pieces) which makes it a great beginner project. It took my daughter about two hours from print to hemming (mine was done in under an hour if you’re more experienced). I love that it’s such a blank canvas that she can now use to customize tees to her liking. I think she’ll be able to sew them on her own from now on and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with. We may need to add a sleeve piece to her pattern so she can wear them all winter long too. She’s requested a long sleeve black tee or turtleneck to layer with this one so she can get more wear out of it as our days get chillier. Don’t you just love that happy face?!

Make sure you head over to Instagram to see all the competitors this week. You can vote for our look by simply liking our post (easy peasy). Follow the hashtag #stripteeteamchallenge to see all the other looks this week. I have a feeling we’ll be in great company! So many amazing seamstresses and their daughter are participating!

Make sure to head over to Madeit Patterns to pick up your Strip Tee patterns for 20% off this week! I’m sure you’ll love them as much as we do!

Rose Garden Fabrics Tour for Riley Blake Designs

I’m sharing another gorgeous fabric collection today from Riley Blake Designs, Rose Garden by Gerri Robinson. The subtle pinks, greys, taupes, and creams of this line are just beautiful!

I immediately envisioned a sweet spring brother/sister look the minute I saw this fabric. The Rose Garden Main in cream really shines on big sis and the Rose Garden Paisley pink is the perfect compliment.

My little guy really loves to wear a tie each week to church and usually reaches for one of his floral ties. This paisley and floral print is an upgrade to his collection. I used the free Totally Terrific Tie tutorial from Hem Me In. It was a fun, quick sew and I know I’ll turn to it often.

I used the Georgia Dress pattern from Violette Fields Threads for this classic dress. The simple silhouette and ruffle neck and sleeves just let this fabric shine. It’s such a beautiful pattern that I’m anxious to sew up again too!

These prints are just so, so pretty! I’m thinking I can be WAY ahead of the game and call these their Easter looks, right?! They’re too precious not to.

Abbie from Riley Blake Designs

I feel so incredibly lucky to have gotten my hands on the newest line from Sue Daley for Riley Blake Designs, Abbie. The soft colors, dusty blue, coral, pinks and greys, are so pretty together and made it so hard to choose which fabrics to work with.

I immediately knew I needed the Text print for my book loving daughter. I went with the Cream background for a sophisticated, classic look. My younger daughter looks darling in blues and pinks and I really had a hard time deciding what to pick for her. The main print in this collection features a darling girl and her pup and was really tempting- it’s so darn cute! I just couldn’t get this pretty large floral out of my head though and knew it’d pair so perfectly with the smaller scale Garden print. They’re such a great combo!

I knew I wanted to do a simple style dress to really highlight this fabric. I turned to one of my favorite patterns, the Hey June Larkspur. It’s a simple shift dress that always looks so chic and classic. I added sleeve ruffles to the elbow sleeve for a little sass. Paired with tights and booties this is a look I’d love to wear myself!

Of course, I did an exposed metal zipper to give it a little edge. Statement sleeves and exposed zippers just might be my ‘thing’ right now.

This picture suddenly had me flash forwarding five years and seeing her sweet sixteen and headed off to her first dance. Can we please slow things down?!! She did bring me back to reality by sitting in church the next day trying to read the script on this print and giggling like the little girl that she is. I’ll take all those moments I can get!

Little sis got a Violette Fields Threads Pixie Dress, one of my favorite dress patterns to use for quilting cottons. The bodice is also a great place to use those cute trims you’ve been hoarding (this lace is from Hobby Lobby, my go-to for trims).

The evening of this photo shoot was one of the first real fall days we’d had and temperatures were hovering around 40 degrees. These kiddos were such troopers! I love this shot because she nailed the pose but I see the clenched teeth “Mom, can we please be done already?!” frozen look on her face. True pro right there!

Make sure you check out ALL the cute prints and colorways with this darling line. I think this line would make the cutest nursery or little girl bedding and decor, spring dresses, and gorgeous quilts.

Thanks for stopping by my little stop on the Abbie Blog tour. Thanks to Riley Blake Designs and Sue Daley for the chance to share this darling fabric will you all!

Raspberry Creek Fabrics Christmas Line 2018

Am I the only one that’s missing the lazy days of summer? It seems to me like once school starts it’s full speed ahead! Halloween comes quickly, then Thanksgiving, and BAM! It’s Christmas! I’m grateful to have a little headstart on my holiday sewing thanks to Raspberry Creek Fabrics.

The new CLUB Christmas prints hit the shop last week and are on sale for $1 off per yard through tomorrow, Friday October 19th. These 12 prints are available on our favorite 95/5 cotton lycra jersey and french terry knits. My kids are spoiled and having grown up in CLUB knits they reach for their CLUB makes over and over again.

I loved playing with these gorgeous blue and grey french terry prints. My sister and I sewed up coordinating looks for these cute cousins. Little Edie got a Skiff Tee from Jennuine Designs (a great pattern for scraps and color blocking!). My Charlie is sporting a Constance Sweater from Sew A Little Seam and his best smolder and big sis is also wearing a Constance.

How cool is it to be able to use the same pattern for two different looks for both a boy and a girl?! I sure love this pattern!

For this girl look I used this Snowflake French Terry. I did the puff sleeve, hood, and kangaroo pocket all at her request. It’s so fun to sit down with this pattern and let them choose exactly the look they want. She’d been dying to recreate her favorite rtw hoodie and this one totally fit the bill.

I added a little premade vinyl I picked up at Michael’s for the perfect little bling!

How bout this plaid?! It’s pretty cute, right?! I paired it with the light grey jersey for bands and it’s love!

I love that this print is great for the holidays but will also work well into spring too. I love it layered over a chambray button-up and just might have to copy this look for myself.

My favorite thing to make with CLUB jersey is pajamas. They are the ultimate in comfort- soft, breathable, and they hold up so well to multiple washings each week. They’re the first pj’s my kids reach for and the perfect use of all those fun prints they love. These Christmas pj’s will be an instant favorite for sure (she may or may not be going on wearing these two days in a row ;))

I love to use tried and true patterns to create pajamas. I used our beloved Camden Raglan from Hey June Handmade paired with our favorite Love Notions Leggins for an easy, quick outfit. This darling Christmas Dot paired with the basic green stripe and red jersey made such a cute combo.

I’m so excited that Raspberry Creek is adding new base options to their CLUB line. These three prints are available on double brushed polyester and poly rayon spandex french terry.

The double brushed polyester Deer Buffalo Plaid was perfect for these girls. My oldest daughter has a severe obsession with all things buffalo plaid and immediately requested this print as soon as she saw it. She was thrilled to match her little cousin.

My daughter is also sporting Love Notions Leggins. They fit her perfect and worked great for this fabric. The negative ease in this pattern isn’t as much as other patterns I’ve tried meaning that this fabric doesn’t get stretched super thin across her hips. The drape of this base is also perfect for flowy dresses like the Groove Dress from MadeIt Patterns.

The hi-low option of this dress is just too cute! And your girls will just love the twirl factor!

Lastly, I got to sew up this gorgeous floral print in double brushed poly. It’s so pretty and was perfect for a Li’l LDT Dress for Sophie. I love this colorway on her! We did the bishop sleeve, cowl neck options of this pattern and think it’s the perfect seasonal transition look.

Isn’t that subtle lace background divine?!

Are you already sewing for Christmas? Are you one of those crazy ladies that frantically sews EVERYONE matching pj’s (yep, I’ve been there!)? Make sure you grab your fabrics on sale through Friday. Excited to see all your holiday makes!

A Mini Capsule for Tweens

As we were preparing for the cooler weather we found a few holes in this girls closet. She loves to wear tunics and leggings and needed more to work into her wardrobe. We loved this mustard dot (surprise, surprise) french terry from Knitpop and built a mini capsule around it.

While back to school shopping she fell in love with these GapKids leggings. We know that rtw leggings rarely fit so we set to find fabric to recreate them. This wildflower print (also from Knitpop) was perfect!

She got two more leggings out of fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. This tropical floral print made a cute pair of capris.

I used two tried and true patterns for these looks. The Sloane Sweater from Love Notions is so full of options that she can have a closet full and no one will know they’re all the same pattern! This is the simple classic tunic version but we love the yoke version too. Our go-to leggings pattern is the FREE Love Notions Leggins’. With a yoga waistband these sew up in a flash!

We love these classic, everyday looks and know they’re going to get worn all fall and winter!

Love Notions Girls Classic Tee

*This post contains affiliate links*

The Love Notions Classic Tee quickly became my favorite pattern of the summer. I’m so excited to have the same cute relaxed fitting tee for my girls now!

The Classic Tee for girls is full of options and will be a great staple year-round. It comes in sizes 2t- 16, such a huge size range that makes this momma happy. It’s a cute relaxed fit that looks great with jeans and will layer great come cool weather too! There are two neckline choices, round or v-neck, and multiple sleeve options; short, 3/4, and long. There’s even more fun sleeve options available on the Love Notions Blog.

This version is done in a lightweight sweater knit. She is a 7 width with a 10 height- she’s growing taller way faster than she’s filling out and keeping me on my toes when I sew for her. I’m constantly measuring my kids and they seem to just keep shooting up! I added length to the bodice but will need to remember to lengthen the sleeves a bit more too. These are the long length but look more 3/4 length on her long arms.

Big sister got a short sleeve version with the flounce option available on the blog . I used an ITY for this version and I love the drape of those sleeves in it.

I’m so excited for plaid season! This will be darling for the holidays and will look great dressed up for parties too.

We snuck in these pictures in between an afternoon of activities and this little miss thought it’d be hilarious to prank her mom. We did all of her individual pictures only for me to see she’d hidden a plastic spider in her hair! She thought she was so sneaky! She is my goofball and definitely makes me giggle every day.

Make sure to grab your copy for a steal at only $5! This classic pattern will be a great addition to your pattern stash.

Jubilee Fabric Tour with Riley Blake Designs

It’s my stop on the Riley Blake Jubilee Blog Tour today! This fabric collection is absolutely darling and I’m excited to be sharing it will you guys.

I always let my girls help pick fabric for their makes but they struggled this time because they seriously wanted them all. You know my oldest will always pick red if given the choice and she was crushing on the main prints in this line bad. I was surprised when she settled on the navy colorway but secretly thrilled to be adding a little different color to her wardrobe. My younger daughter looks darling in blues and loved the dainty print of this ditzy floral. Together they coordinate but aren’t too matchy for these sisters.

If I could pick my favorite color combinations of the moment these would be it. I love navy, yellow, seafoam, and pink together. They are perfect colors for fall but also work really well for this weird warm transition season we’re in too.

The floral prints work so well with this season too. The hint of summer brights and warm fall colors make these fabrics something I think they’ll wear year-round.

Let’s talk about these dresses. My oldest daughter is quickly sizing out of many of our favorite patterns. I’m grateful for companies like Violette Fields Threads and Hey June Handmade who are now branching into tween pattern size lines. This is the Zoey Dress from Violette Fields Threads. My daughter still isn’t quite in a 10 width but she’s at least a 12 or 14 height so I struggle choosing between the tween and child patterns. In this case, the extra ease in the bodice works with this style and the tween sizing looks great on her.

I love the boho-feel of this pattern and think it’s perfect for this print. The cute puff sleeve, elastic cuff and bias bound neckline are pretty features that add to the free spirit look of this dress.

Little sister got a Sutton Dress from Made for Mermaids. I wanted something that had a similar vibe as her sister’s and the Sutton was a great choice. I wanted this print to really shine but knew it needed a little trim and buttons to make it pop.

I absolutely adore those sleeves! Such a sweet touch. I did modify this pattern to use a gathered rectangle skirt (the width of the fabric) instead of the gathered circle skirt the pattern calls for. This was not really a style choice as it was a lack of fabric choice (that’s what I get for changing my plan for this fabric at the last minute!).