Sewing for Girls – Page 12

Retro Tees with the Cricut Easy Press 2

This post is sponsored by Cricut. I received the Cricut Easy Press 2 in exchange for promotion. All thoughts in this post are my own.

It’s no secret that we’re huge Cricut fans in our house. We’ve all gotten spoiled and love to create looks that we dream up ourselves. As a seamstress, I love to create clothes and pick out pattern and fabric combos that suit both me and my children. The Cricut Maker, Easy Press 2, and sewing products help us take our handmade wardrobe to the next level.

I’ve been absolutely loving all the rainbow and vintage vibe tees and sweatshirts that are everywhere these days. It was so much fun to come up with our own sayings and designs and use our handy Cricut tools to create looks that fit their personalities.

The Cricut EasyPress 2 makes ironing on your vinyl designs such a breeze. I’m loving the new vibrant color and three different sizes that will suit all your needs. The small 6″x7″ size works great for baby clothes and little projects. The medium 9″x9″ size is super versatile and a great all-purpose machine. The large 12″x10” has been fantastic for our family. It’s great for youth and adult clothing and has been getting a work out at our house.

The EasyPress 2 is easy to use and is so quick and handy. It heats up so fast and the ceramic coated plate produces smooth, even heating (something my iron sure lacked!). I use mine on my kitchen table and I know that it’s protected from the heat by the insulated safety base and the EasyPress Mat. It gets up to 400 degrees and irons on your designs in no time. The easy to read digital display makes it easy to set the temperature and timer to suit your iron-on material and fabric. And I love that it’s easy to store on my shelf and is light and portable. Phew! So many great qualities! I honestly don’t know how I lived without mine.

When creating these looks I turned to Cricut Design Space and the loads of fonts at my finger tips! You can create this look for yourself here. I used the Playroom Sampler pack, with Kelly, Orange, and Sky but I think it’d look amazing in an array of Glitter Iron-On as well.

I’m a Cricut Iron-On convert. After using different brands I’ve been thrilled with how well our Cricut brand makes have held up. Cricut has introduced the StrongBond guarantee that will give you the confidence and peace of mind that your iron-on projects will last and last. The StrongBond guarantee means that if your Cricut iron-on products are used as directed and you’re not completely satisfied, Cricut will replace it for free. Cricut Iron-on products are made to last 50+ wash and dry cycles and I’m here to testify that ours have taken a beating and still look amazing. That’s a big deal with kids- their favorites can stick around until they’re outgrown!

I used the Samson Sweater from Love Notions sized up one and with an extra wide bottom band to give it that oversized look. This french terry from Raspberry Creek is one of my favorite fabrics for fall. (I love it so much I used it for my little guys joggers too!) It’s nice and thick and worked wonderfully with the iron-on.

This Legendary tee was another fun design. This kiddo has certainly reached ‘legend’ status at our house so this tee was just too perfect for him. I used the Boho Sampler pack of Everyday Iron-On for this look. I used the #121 Ringer Raglan pattern from Thread Faction- I can’t get enough of that slim fit!

I used the Lexi and Lou Loungers from Made for Mermaids for his pants. I added a long vinyl stripe down the side and in the pocket for a touch of color. The large EasyPress made ironing on the stripe simple and easy! One bonus of making a garment is that you can iron things on flat, before they get completely sewn together. I sewed up the pockets and side seam, EasyPressed the stripes on, then continued with the construction.

This design is a trial and error look. I’m always trying to come up with new ways to use my Iron-On materials and this one was a fun one. I took strips of each color and taped them together using transfer tape on the plastic backing. I cut the design out in white iron-on and applied it to the sweatshirt. I then cut the design out of my rainbow piece and applied it directly on top of the white lettering. It’s far from perfect but that just means I get to keep trying it until I get it just right! I love the look and used the same technique here too. You can get this design in Design Space here.

Her top was made using the Striped Swallow Designs Apres Ski. Those big full sleeves take this sweatshirt from boring to brilliant.

I’m thrilled with this whole Retro Rainbow collection and love how quick and easy it was to make with our Cricut products.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Sewing for my favorite season

The kids are back in school AND Raspberry Creek Fabrics released their new fall line. You know what that means, right?! Let the fall sewing begin!

I started off my sewing binge with a little something for me. The Greenstyle Brassie Joggers are a staple in my wardrobe. I wear them any chance I get. I have a handful now and whether I know my day will be filled with running errands or spent at my sewing machines, my Brassies are what I reach for. Comfort in all things. This pair was made using this floral french terry (I love the prints on the grey base in the new line!). I paired it with a teal Panama Tee, my favorite pattern for more stable fabrics like cotton lycra.

Another staple in our house is the Camden Tee. Do I sound like a broken record here? If you can believe it I’d never done the sleeve stripes before and I knew they’d be perfect for this version. This retro stripe is just perfect for fall.

This Windowpane Plaid is such a great transitional fabric. I love the bright colors and it’s so cute with jeans. I used the Willow Raglan from Striped Swallow Designs. I love all the options with this pattern. I hacked it just a bit into a hi-low peplum (a straight peplum top is included in the pattern). I used the 10 top length for the front peplum piece and then blended the back piece from the top to the dress length.

The keyhole back neckline is super fun. I love playing with plaids and stripes on the bias and this bodice just makes me happy!

My little guy got a couple new tees too! This one is the Helter Skelter Tee from Shwin Designs. I love colorblocked tees and especially love when a pattern does all the work for me. And how cute are these little buddies?! He loves when photo shoots include friends (the one on the left is my darling nephew and on the right is the amazing Anna from Kainara Stiches son).

The Skiff Tee from Jennuine Designs is another fun color blocked tee. It has the cutest hidden pocket in the bodice seam too. He was a super fan of that pocket!

I’m dying over this amazing quilted knit! It’s so cozy and that color is just stunning in real life. I love it paired with the blush and burgundy floral (my secret favorite from the whole fall line, shhhh, don’t tell the other fabrics!). I used the Ebony Sweater from Shwin Designs. The relaxed fit just makes it so much cozier don’t you think!

The leggings are Love Notions free Leggins’ pattern. It’s the leggings pattern I use the most for my girls. I love the yoga waistband and the slim fit just works so well on my girls. I’m going to need to sew a big batch of them for fall.

One last look to get our fall sewing started. The Hey Juniors line from Hey June Handmade is something I couldn’t live without. I used the Morrison Tee here and it was great to break out a pattern I hadn’t sewn in awhile and realize I’d been missing out. We were hoping for a boxy sweatshirt look and this pattern was just what we wanted.

This Floral French Terry just needed to shine on it’s own and I think this simple silhouette really helps it out. It’s bright and bold and paired so well with her new jeggings.

It felt so good to churn out some much needed fall wardrobe pieces. I love sewing with CLUB knits and the quick cute projects I can do with them!

Modkid Sage Dress and Top

I love when pattern designers read my mind. My daughter and I have been doing lots of back to school shopping and we both fell in love with this style of dress. It was one of those styles that just kept popping up in every store we looked in and on strangers and friends too! Dresses are one of the hardest things to buy this girly because they never fit properly so we were just waiting for the perfect pattern to appear. Imagine our excitement when we saw the newest design from the gals at ModKid. I jumped in to test this darling dress and top without a second thought!

The Sage Dress and Top is a button-front dress, jumper, peplum, or top with options for a bottom flounce and either straight or cross back straps in tween and teen sizes 10-18. The bodice is straight and features princess seams as well. AND there’s pockets! It wouldn’t be complete without them. The tutorial is thorough and I’m a huge fan of the ModKid methods of construction and patterns. If you’re looking for quality, you’ll love ModKid.

I used a tencel chambray I picked up in LA ages. The pattern calls for anything from quilting cotton to linen and corduroy. I love having options and this style looks great in all of them! To finish it off I used brushed gold buttons I picked up at the CaliFabrics brick and mortar shop in San Francisco. The fact that the materials for this dress all came from California vacations adds so much sentimental value to it.

This sweet girly is so hard to fit. For this dress as a tester, I sewed it up per the pattern and her measurements. She is a size 10 chest with a 12 height. She’s at the bottom end of the sizing and I was actually worried she was too small still for it. The measurement chart is for the finished garment which is nice to see how much ease you will have but had me a little concerned since she measures 1.5″-2″ smaller in parts. Patty recommends 1″ of ease so keep that in mind when looking at the fit of this dress. I love this on her and like that she has a little growing room too!

Most of my summer sewing is quick and easy and can be finished in a short afternoon. This project did take several days of sporadic sewing but was well worth it. It felt so good to sew on that last button! It wasn’t a difficult sew by any means but a more thoughtful one with great finishing techniques and a beautiful result. I love these kind of projects and can’t wait to do more of them now that school is about to start!

One of my favorite things about sewing with pdf patterns is how on trend designers can be. They follow fashion and streetwear style and stay so up to date on the latest trends. If it’s selling in your favorite clothing store whether it’s Target or a trendy boutique, you can probably find a pdf pattern for it. It’s pretty amazing if you ask me!

I am so thrilled with how this dress turned out and know you’ll love this pattern too! You can grab your copy and any other patterns that just might hop into your cart for 40% off during ModKid’s Back to School Sale, now through Sunday August 19th with coupon code BTS2018.

Personalizing our wardrobes with Cricut

This post is sponsored by Cricut. I received all Cricut products in exchange for promotion. All thoughts and projects in this post are my own. I’m thrilled to introduce you to some fantastic new Cricut products!

I’ve got an addiction folks. I can’t stop vinyling ALL. THE. THINGS! I’m excited to be sharing a couple of our recent designs that are now available on Cricut Design Space! You can also check them out over on the Cricut blog.

I designed these files using Design Space and Cricut Access. There were so many fun graphics to choose from and the hardest part was narrowing it down to these three. This Vacation Mode design is a nod to my favorite vacation destination- a sunny beach with palm trees, sand, and a beautiful ocean view.

This Paradise Tee was made for my flamingo loving daughter. Flamingos just symbolize the chill, relaxed life. They’ve got it made hanging out in the water and just soaking it all in.

The Summertime Vibes tee was the first design I did as we ushered in summer and said goodbye to the cool spring days. Summertime means lazy days, family time, and lots of sunshine.

For this design I was anxious to try out the new Cricut SportFlex Iron-On. I made this rash guard for my kiddo and used my Cricut EasyPress to adhere this to the front. To get the right settings for SportFlex and swim fabric I turned to my Cricut expert and pal Paisley Roots.

This is what she found and it’s worked perfectly:

EASYPRESS: Heat up your Easy Press to 305 Degrees and make sure to warm your garment for 10-15 seconds before laying the vinyl on top. Using medium pressure, press on top of the vinyl for 30 seconds, then turn the garment over and press the back for 15 seconds.

It’s also recommended to warm peel.

REGULAR IRON: it’s recommended to put it on Wool setting. Warm up your garment for 10-15 seconds before laying your vinyl then press the front of the garment for 50 seconds and the back for 15 seconds. Cold Peel.

He’s worn this rash guard constantly and it’s been in chlorine, splash pads, and sun. It’s held up so well and still looks brand new! Hooray for SportFlex!

I’m so excited to introduce to you all my favorite Cricut products EVER! The original EasyPress changed my crafting life and the new EasyPress 2 machines are even better!

They now come in three different sizes- 6″x7″, 9″x9″, and 12″x10″ for all your iron-on needs. The EasyPress is simple to use, heats up in just 60 seconds, and is a great alternative to a standard heat press.

I love how convenient it is. I never considered a conventional heat press for safety and storage reasons and my regular household iron was not consistent. My EasyPress addressed all those issues. It’s easy to store and the insulated resting base protects surfaces. I often let my kids use the EasyPress (with my supervision of course!) because it’s so easy to use and the hot surface stays away from your body. Use the EasyPress Mat or a thick, folded towel under you project to protect your surface and to absorb the heat. You can find all the recommended settings here. It couldn’t be easier!

I’m loving the cute mini version. This one is going to live in my sewing space because it is absolutely perfect for little projects like adding iron-on size tags to all my handmade garments (you can see a whole post about how I make them here). I was blown away by how quickly this little guy heated up! It was ready in no time at all.

The new 12″x10″ EasyPress is such a great addition to the line up too! It was so nice to be able to iron-on a wide design in one pass. Since I make a ton of personalized tees and sweatshirts for my family, this one will be heaven-sent.

I couldn’t wait to try out the new machines and whipped up some back to school tees in no time.

Whether you’re still in summer mode or planning for fall, Cricut has you covered!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Project Run and Play Pattern Shop

There’s a new pattern shop in town and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I hold a special place in my heart for all things Project Run and Play and now you can get patterns inspired by past contestant entries in one place- The Project Run and Play Pattern Shop!

As designers on Project Run and Play you pour your whole heart into each week’s creations. The level of creativity and craftmanship is amazing. And don’t forget the HUGE amount of blood, sweat, and tears that goes into each look. It’s only fitting that these looks get turned into patterns by so many of the designers. All that hard work needs to be shared with the world!

This week’s featured patterns are the accessories. I sewed up The Tie pattern created by Shannon of Little Kids Grow for season 6. This pattern has kids and adult sizes and is on sale right now!

I was so excited to see some of my other favorite patterns in the shop! The Janie Dress is a staple in our house. It’s the perfect skater dress pattern with loads of options.

The Sydney Pinafore is so unique and beyond cute! These little shorties were worn constantly last summer by this girly and reluctantly were passed on to little sister this summer. Lil sis has loved them just as much! Such a fun pattern!

Dressage Leggings are another staple in our house. I love the color blocking option so much! It’s so fun to mix prints and they fit my girls so well.

There are so many patterns in the shop on my to-sew list too! I’m ashamed to admit I’ve had a Thyme Vest cut and ready to sew since last fall (it’s top of my list once my kiddos head back to school!). My little guy needs a Puffin Vest paired with some sk8 Skinnies for back to school too!

What’s catching your eye?! Make sure to check out all the past contestants who sewed up all the amazing patterns in the shop.

Make sure to enter the Rafflecopter too!

Monterey Romper in Floral Hues by Riley Blake

This project was a fun one! It combined so many of my favorite things: This girl, great fabric, a new pattern, and a totally fun photo shoot.

This project started with the fabric. Riley Blake let us pick fabric from the new Floral Hues collection. This girl has such a huge love of all things red and immediately loved the simplicity of this print. We paired the Floral Hues Daisies in Red with a tiny bit of the Dots in Red. It’s such a sweet combo and the whole Floral Hues line has a great classic vintage vibe.

This is a lovely cotton lawn and it feels amazing! I love the softness of Riley Blake’s lawn and think it’s perfect for so many apparel projects. This picture just shows the weight and lightness of this fabric so well. It’s so breezy and light but I wouldn’t hesitate to wear this without a lining either. The lighting hit her just right and you get just a peek of her silhouette.

We used the Little Lizard King Monterey Romper to really highlight this fabric. This girl absolutely loves rompers and I love to make them for her. She loves all the options with this pattern but has been wanting the split sleeve version since it released. I’m known to ask my girls if they like a pattern when it releases and then sit on it for months and months until they finally break down and beg me to sew it up! I guess I’m a tease like that 😉

I was able to easily blend sizes to make it work perfectly for my tall slim girly. The construction was actually really quick and I’d highly recommend this pattern. It’s easy to get on and off which is a big deal with rompers. Overall, I’m sure we’ll make more of these cute one pieces.

Very little sewing this summer has meant very few photo shoots as well. I MISS being behind the camera so much! This shoot and the time I got to spend editing it were actually my favorite parts of the whole process. We hit a little trail just a couple of miles from our house and loved just wandering and exploring. It was a gorgeous summer evening and I couldn’t get enough of this sweet girl.

I just love these little moments I get to squeeze in with my kiddos. Being able to capture them as they grow and mature is something I’m so grateful for. Lucky you that you get to see it right along with me, lol!

Thank you Riley Blake for the pretty fabric and the push it gave us to create these great memories!

Swimsuit Sewing 2018

I’ve been holding out on you guys! I can’t believe I haven’t shared all the swim goodness that’s been happening at our house. I’d like to thank Raspberry Creek Fabrics for giving me the push I needed to sew a million swimsuits this year- ok, maybe not a million but we’ve been busy for sure.

This little man has gotten three swimsuits so far this year. You know me, once I start it’s hard for me to stop sewing swim. It’s so quick and rewarding and they get worn constantly. This suit is a Jolly Roger Raglan turned rashguard. I was dying to try the new Cricut Sportflex vinyl on swim knit and I’m happy to say it’s held up so well. The rash guards in this post have been to the pool multiple times and washed in the machine as well and the vinyl looks brand new. I’m happy to have a fun, easy, quality way to personalize our swimsuits.

The shorts are the Peek-a-Boo Patterns School’s Out Shorts. I used the girl cut line and love the length on him. It’s very retro and just like the big boys are wearing.

This suit is made with the Linden Shorts pattern and add-on pack from Sew A Little Seam. This palm print from Raspberry Creek’s newest swim line was one of my favorites and I just knew this little guy needed a suit from it.

Is this just not the picture of a happy kid, living the dream summer life?!

His last suit, so far, is the Sew Like My Mom Palm Euro suit. I love the fit of this pattern and that it’s a little looser around the front area, if you know what I mean. I think it’s cute and not too snug and so easy to play in.

This sweet tween just keeps shooting up and growing out of her suits. I’m currently making her a 7/8 width and a 12 length which makes store bought suits something we just can’t do. She’s loving this darling red suit we just made and she’s rocking these two as well.

This is the Made for Mermaids Calypso suit (I can’t sing the praises of the M4M Mermaid Shores suits enough!). I love this fabric combo and this particular suit really comes together so quick. Those flutters don’t need to be hemmed or gathered- hallelujah! The RCF swim is nice and thick and not nearly as slippery as some of the other swim I’ve encountered. It makes sewing through all those layers pretty painless. I just make sure to clip more than with normal knits and my serger is my bff when it comes to swim knit.

Can we talk about that booty coverage for a minute?! That’s one of my favorite things about all the Mermaid Shores patterns. I hate seeing my kids with wedgies the whole time their swimming and these bottoms just stay where they’re supposed to. Those M4M girls know what this mama likes!

Her other suit is a combo of my sons’ looks too. I just had to try the Palm Euro pattern on her. She loves boy short bottoms and I think this pattern was so perfect for her! I love the little extra length they have over normal girl patterns. This top is our trusty Camden Raglan from Hey June. The only alteration I did to make it a rash guard was to do a self lining on the front, essentially it’s just two layers of the white swim knit. It worked lovely and isn’t a bit see through. I used my Cricut again for her graphic and love this cute little set.

I’ve got a couple more suits lined up before summer’s end. I really love being able to sew suits to not only fit their personalities and personal style but also fit their unique body types. This is the main reason I sew for these kiddos and one of those things that brings my pure joy!

Sew Americana Tour 2018

The Sew Americana Tour by Katy from Wild and Wanderful is always a favorite of ours. It’s just the perfect kickoff to all our summer fun and we love capturing these cute girl cousins together. It’s also a great reminder, even in these troubling times, of just how lucky we are to live in this country.

It’s been fun to see how much these girls have grown. We loved our first year of dresses and last year we did easy to wear playtime looks. A palate of red, white, and blue is just so classic and lends itself to so many different interpretations. We’ll never grow tired of it!

We were so lucky to get to pick from some amazing Sly Fox Fabrics for this post. I’m always up for sewing swimsuits and these swim knits were the perfect place to start. Those polka dots just screamed to be made into a cute retro swimsuit and my red loving daughter needed a sophisticated solid suit that feels more 70’S swimwear model and less Baywatch, if you know what I mean. These fabrics were just what I had in mind.

We combined these fabrics with a couple from Raspberry Creek Fabrics- the navy gingham and navy solid. My sister sewed up these two darling suits and I love how they coordinate with my girls.

Can I talk about this look for a minute?!! When did my little girl get so old?! She’s always had a bit more mature taste in everything from clothes to books to how she spends her free time (crafting or organizing things usually). This suit is such a great reflection of that while still being modest and girly.

The Camila Swimsuit from Made for Mermaids has solidified it’s spot at the top of my swimsuit pattern list. It’s quick, easy to alter for her slim frame, and so cute on! I love the coverage on the bottom and the different options with the flounce (either over the shoulder or under the shoulder like on the gingham suit). I am dying to make me another version too!

This little cutie is rocking her Camila as well. With the flounce under her arms she’s ready to play! There are multiple strap options too so she can swim to her heart’s content.

I knew I had to do the new Catalina Swimsuit from Violette Fields Threads with this fabric. It’s just such a sweet throwback look and too perfect for this tour. I love, love the ruffles and that front tie!

I’ve got to be honest and say I struggled with this suit. I think to get a properly fitting suit you need lots of measurements in the pattern especially trunk measurements and that’s missing from this pattern. I graded the pattern according to her measurements and matching the pattern then added an extra inch in the trunk just to be safe (I was thinking I could do a side gather similar to the Camila if it ended up too long). It actually turned out too short and she’s constantly pulling it up in the front. I also think it’s hard to sew the straps in place before it can be tried on and they turned out a little too long exacerbating the low neck problem. I think part of sewing our own swimsuits is getting a better fit than you can buy and that just isn’t the case with this one. It really did turn out darling though and I know she’ll still get plenty of wear out of it.

Now this little miss has stolen our hearts and is rocking a Mairin Swimsuit from Sew A Little Seam. This is the halter neck boyshort option with leg ruffles- a combo I need to try for myself!

Isn’t it just sweet and classic? The options with the Mairin are endless and a little daunting at first. A quick look on Instagram and you’ll be wanting to sew ALL the variations and may be like me- paralyzed with fear of picking the wrong one! This has convinced me that there is no wrong one. Must. Sew. All. The. Mairins.

Thanks so much for stopping by our little stop on the tour. Make sure you check out all the other fantastic bloggers this year. There is always so much inspiration and I love all the stories everyone shares.

Monday, June 25:
Wild + Wanderful | Marvelous Auntie M | Handmade Boy
Phat Quarters | Call Ajaire

Tuesday, June 26:
Musings of a Seamstress | Sea of Estrogen | Sew and Tell Project
5 out of 4 Patterns | Little Heart Threads

Wednesday, June 27:
Middle River Studio | Elli & Nels | SewSophieLynn
Pear Berry Lane | The Eli Monster

Thursday, June 28:
Auschick Sews | EYMM | Mama & Leia
Seams Sew Lo | Stitched by Jennie

Friday, June 29:
Stylin’ Stacy | Rebel & Malice | On Wednesdays We Sew
FairyTale BT | That’s-Sew-Kari | Very Blissful

LOL Swing Top and Expansion Pack

Our weather has gone from spring to blazing hot summer this week! It was the perfect time to sew up the new LOL Swing Expansion pack for the LOL Swing Top from Jennuine Designs. The fact that this pattern can be sewn up in both knits AND wovens meant the sky was the limit!

The first version I made was an easy knit version using this darling Lemonade Stand print from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. It was the perfect pairing to create the essential summertime top!

We used the new pinafore option available in the expansion pack for a darling open back look. She loves the breeziness and didn’t want to take it off after our shoot on this 90+ degree day.

I think this will get worn mostly on pool days or lazy days around the house. It’s not up to school dress codes and knowing this little lady we’ll have to be careful because she’s always cartwheeling and flipping any chance she gets! This top is definitely not ‘tumbling’ proof 😉 I do think the pinafore options looks especially adorable on babies and toddlers! All that cute baby chub is too darling in this top!

I did skip the neck gathering on this version (not necessarily a design choice but trying to get it done quicker) and it still turned out so nicely in front. I seriously love the volume and swing this top has!

The second version I did was using the dress expansion. Again, the swing of this pattern is everything!

I used a large scale buffalo plaid I got from CaliFabrics last year and played with the direction of the print a bit. I love the bold black and white print with the pop of color from the bias binding. The pattern calls for narrow bias binding but I really wanted it to pop so I used 1/2″ bias for this version.

I’m always nervous sewing up tank patterns that the underarm coverage may be lacking. I love how this pattern fits though! The racerback style and thick straps keep everything where it should be.

The knit version can easily slip over the head but the woven version calls for a simple shoulder button. This makes it easy on and off and keeps the construction clean.

The dress version includes pockets and I had a hard time deciding whether or not to add them here. We LOVE pockets but this fabric is slightly sheer so I chose not to do them this go round.

You can get your copy of the LOL Top here, the Expansion Pack here for just $2 if you already own the LOL Top pattern, or get the bundle here on sale through Sunday June 10th.

Violette Fields Pixie Dress

Last post I mentioned we had the pleasure of doing a fashion show as part of UQSM. Since it was sponsored by Cotton + Steel I decided to sew up a dress so my oldest could join in the fun. (My youngest daughter wore this dress and was in heaven walking the ‘runway’!) I picked out this Amalfi Herb Garden cotton from Fat Quarter Shop with more Project Run and Play winnings and knew I wanted to make this sweet girl a dress. The fashion show was just the deadline I needed to actually get it done! I have such a love/hate relationship with deadlines- I hate the pressure of HAVING to sew something but I LOVE actually getting a project done.

I used the Pixie Dress from Violette Field Threads (another PRP prize) and love, love the result.

The dress came together so quickly and I love the simple style. The bodice features dolman sleeves and a center panel. The panel seams are the perfect place to add lace or trims and I just had to add this pretty crochet trim from Hobby Lobby to the bodice. I love little details like that!

The back has a v-shape with shoulder ties to keep it in place. The fact that there are no zippers or buttons makes for a quick sew.

We both just love this sweet style and she’s already requested another one. We both absolutely love the stripe versions on the patterns cover and I can’t wait to recreate it. I think this style is such a great one for tweens. It’s not too young-looking and it’s so comfortable. She was so eager to wear this to church after our first photos.

I love that sweet smile from my girly! She feels happy and confident and that’s worth it all!

Category: Sewing for Girls