Sewing for Women – Page 16

Tabitha Top by Love Notions

(This post contains affiliate links. I became a Love Notions affiliate AFTER trying her patterns and loving the high quality, amazing results I got from them.)

I’ve been dying over all the ready-to-wear tops with fun shirt-tail, lace, or other trim hems. They seem to be everywhere these days.

I can always count on Tami at Love Notions to fill my closet with the latest trends and classic pieces.

The Tabitha Top is a classic semi-fitted knit top with multiple sleeve and hem options.

My first shirt I made with the cute shirttail hem. It’s such a darling detail and adds so much charm.

My second tee is more casual with a contrast yoke and split hem.

There’s also a fun lace hem option that I can’t wait to make. I want to fill my wardrobe with these tees- they take my mom-i-form up a notch for sure!

Like the Tessa Dress, the Tabitha has multiple sleeve choices (sleeveless, short, elbow, 3/4, and long) and an optional front and back yoke.

I love the turned bias neckline- such a clean finish!

I love being able to use a bright, fun fabric for the yoke. I always fall in love with pretty prints but tend to gravitate towards solids or stripes in my everyday wear. This is the perfect solution! This fun print is part of the next Club Fabrics line from Raspberry Creek Fabrics (join the Facebook group to see more sneak peeks!)

The stripe version is 3/4 sleeves. The stripe fabric came from a Girl Charlee knitfix trade and is the same I used for my little miss here. The floral has been in my stash forever but I think it came from Denver Fabrics– they have a great selection of floral shirtings.

You can pick up the Tabitha Top on sale through Sunday. You can get it bundled with the Tessa dress for a great deal and the perfect jumpstart to your spring wardrobe. You can read my Tessa review here.

Dive into Dolmans Week One-P4P Pumpkin Spice

Dive-Into-Dolmans-3

I’ve got big things coming your way! Today is the first day on our Dive into Dolmans Blog Tour! I’m thrilled to join along with some amazing bloggers to help you sort through the dozens of dolman pdf’s out there.

Each week, the four main bloggers- Sewing By Ti, Made by Melli, Creative Counselor, and myself, will sew up and review one of the many dolman patterns out there on the market. We have some fantastic guest bloggers that will be joining in the fun too. The greatest part is that you will get to see these patterns on real women with all kinds of different body types. Are you an hourglass? Katie from Creative Counselor is your gal. Ti is representing all the inverted triangles out there. All you apples can look to cute Mellisa and I’m here to help out all the rectangles.

PSD5

My first review is of the ever popular Pumpkin Spice Dolman (or PSD for short) from Patterns for Pirates. The PSD is a loose fitting top with fitted sleeves and multiple hem options. The pattern features no trim pages and the layers option that makes assembly a breeze.

Sizes	XXS-3X
Printable pattern pages/copy shop version	19/no
Skill Level	Beginner
Measurements for Rectangle Pieces	Yes
Line Drawings	Yes
Size made	Small
Options chosen	Long Sleeve, banded hem
Fabric Requirement for your size	1 5/8 yards
Measurement Chart	Bust, Waist, Hips
Cutting Instructions	No
Pattern Printing Layout	No
Cutting Layout	No
Suggested Fabrics	knit with at least 20% stretch, drapier knits recommended
Layer Printing Option	Yes
Neck Line Options	No but neckband options
Sleeve Options	Short, 3/4, long
Hem Options	Straight, curved, small banded and tall banded hem
Color Blocking	No
Seam Allowance	1/2″
Hem Allowance	1/2″
Separate add-on pack	No
Fit	Loose
Easy to read instructions	Yes
Drawing or photograph instructions	Photos

PSD2

I’ve made my share of dolmans before but never a pattern with ‘batwings’. I really like the fit of this top. I’m very small up top and the extra fullness there is great. I really like the looseness over my belly area. I like that I can pull the band down to wear with leggings or push it up to add a little fullness there too. There are two bottom band options- a short waistband (7″ tall) and a tall waistband (ranges between 15″-20″ depending on size). My band is 12″ only because I was short on fabric for the tall waistband.

PSD3

The seam where the long sleeve attaches to the body hits just above my elbow. This pattern has optional short sleeves with bands and 3/4 sleeves also. Elbow patches are a fun little pattern detail you can add too.

PSD4

I chose to do the t-shirt neckband option but there is a turned facing choice too.

PSD6

My fabric for this top came from a Girl Charlee knitfix. It’s super drapey and worked perfect for this pattern. I think the more flowy the better when it comes to this tee.

PSD8

It came together so quickly- you know how I love my naptime sews. I think that’s true of most dolmans and why they are such a favorite among sewers- we all love our almost instant gratification.

PSD1

Make sure to check out the other stops on the tour today-

Sewing By Ti is sewing up the Sew Much Ado Seafarer top. This pattern was one of my very first pdf’s and first ever knit sew. It’s perfect for beginners and so cute too!

Creative Counselor whipped up The Tee by Cake Patterns. The best part is it’s FREE!

Made By Melli made the newest dolman by P4P, the Sweet Tee. It’s super popular right now so I need to check it out too!

Guest blogger: Rebel and Malice is joining us to review the Jalie Dolman.

I can’t wait to see what they’ve sewn up too! Stay tuned each Thursday for more dolman love and reviews!

Love Notions Tessa Dress

Yikes! Me in a dress…AGAIN!! That’s what happens when your favorite designers both come out with AMAZING dress patterns.

The (affl. link) Tessa Dress by Love Notions is such a fantastic pattern!

It’s your classic sheath dress with tons of options.

It features a contrast yoke that makes mixing and matching fabric so fun.

Multiple sleeve lengths means you can use this pattern all year round.

My teal version is made out of teal ponte from Cali Fabrics.

I did the elbow sleeve, bateau neckline, and added a bit of length to the knee length version to accommodate my height (I’m 5’7″).

I love the simplicity of this version and how versatile it will be to wear. It was perfect for Easter Sunday!

My second version is a bit more casual. I did the contrast yoke and sleeves, bateau neck and short sleeves.

The dots are Club Fabrics from Raspberry Creek Fabrics and the floral is one I picked up from two different online sources since I loved it so much (unfortunately it is out of stock both places)! I used it here too. This pic is a great detail of the back which is two pieces to really shape it and bring it in.

I love this version and will totally be sporting it just like this on the countless Saturday’s spent at the soccer fields.

As a bonus you can use this pattern with the Sybil Skirt (affl. link) to create countless new looks! You can read about my love for the Sybil here.

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Tami also released a top version called the Tabitha (you can read about mine soon)! You can pick up the bundle here or the single patterns here and here (all affl. links) on sale through Sunday!

Charleston Dress by Hey June

Have I told you how much I love Hey June Patterns? What? Only about a million times, right?

Well, now you have one more reason to love Adrianna even more-

The Charleston Dress is here and you’re going to just adore it!

This pattern features two views- one has a full skirt with pockets and the view I did has a slim body hugging skirt both with princess seamed bodice.

There are a million (or 7) sleeve options too!

I love that you can get a sleek evening dress or a fun everyday dress out of one pattern.

Like all Hey June patterns, the tutorial is superb and anyone from a beginner on can tackle it. The dress has a fun back zipper that can be left off to make this a super quick sew.

Catch the pattern on sale now through Monday and all other Hey June patterns are 20% off with code BlizzardSale! Run and #buyallthepatterns!

There’s a New Lane in Town

You can stop your search for the perfect raglan right here…

I’ve shared my Lane love before. Love really doesn’t even cut it. You can see my OBSESSION here and here not to mention the handful that are unphotographed because they are constantly in the laundry.

Well, my old favorite has gotten an upgrade! Adrianna has worked her little bum off to make an already fantastic pattern fit even better!

I seriously can’t get over how much I love the fit of this tee!

This was my Valentine Lane made before the upgrade…I was already loving the fit although others in the pdf world weren’t so sure.

The original was roomier up top with a wide sleeve angle. Not a terrible fit by any means.

New Lane on the left, old Lane on the right. Fantastic, right?!!!

The new angle of the sleeves is absolutely perfect! I love how it slims my shoulders and highlights my curves while gliding over what I want to hide.

The new pattern comes with a full bust adjustment front pattern piece for those blessed with a bigger chest. There’s also the hood, chest pocket, and thumbhole cuff options too!

If you’ve previously bought the Lane the new version is yours- just redownload from your account. I love that you don’t need to buy a separate upgrade!

My versions were sewn up with my favorite cotton/lycra solids from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I love, love the solid white in the shop- not sheer but not too heavy, just perfect for this pattern. The floral is from Girl Charlee. My only modification to the pattern is to make a cuff on the elbow length sleeve- I will band everything I can! With bands this whole top can be made on a serger in no time at all.

Pick yours up here today while it’s on sale!

For the Love of Dresses and Tunics Tour

I’m thrilled to be a stop on the Love Notions For the Love of Dresses and Tunics tour! Stay tuned til the end for your chance to enter the fabulous giveaway!

I sewed up a La Bella Donna Top in a yummy sweater knit that’s just perfect for our traditional family Valentine movie night.

Paired with my jegging knit Sabrina Slims I’m ready for a cozy night in.

Before I cut into my planned fabric I made a tester version in a bargain find sweater knit. I did the slimmer shirt version and added height to the band to make it tunic length. I loved it right away and decided this will be my date night out top! It’s so easy to glam it up for a quick dinner at our favorite little Thai place.

I made a few tweaks to my planned version after sewing this to get exactly the look I was after.

I added height and width to my cowl to really make it pop! I love this floral sweater knit and really wanted to showcase it against the graphic stripes. I can never get enough stripes and florals together!

I added an inch to the arm length and also brought the front neckline down about an inch and a half. I kept the doubled height of the bottom band from my tester.

A comfy, cute top that will get worn way beyond Valentine’s Day.

We’ve had pizza and movie night every Friday night for as long as I can remember. With five kids our weeks are so crazy that come Friday night we just want to snuggle up and be together!

We always have pizza- by Friday this mom is done thinking about dinner! Sometimes we order in, some days we make our own but every Valentine’s we’ve got to get a heart shaped take and bake from Papa Murphy’s.

It was an ‘artistic’ heart this year…

The kids all settle in on our ‘pizza blanket’ while mom and dad get comfy on the couches. We’ve been loving introducing our kids to some of our favorite childhood flicks. This night though we had a handful of extra boys and they picked ‘Here Comes the Boom’- totally blew my Valentine’s theme!

Throw in a little popcorn and treats and who needs to go to the real theater!

We’ve always got a little snuggler or two who join us. The perfect start to our weekends!

(On a side note- my hubby is in a play and has to grow his hair out and can’t shave for a few months. He was super embarrassed to make his blog debut as my homeless husband! I love the change though but we’ll keep that our little secret!)

I hope you’ve enjoyed your glimpse into our little Friday night ritual with a Valentine’s twist. Make sure you catch all the other stops on this fun tour to see more gorgeous takes on some amazing Love Notions patterns.

Feb. 8th Pear Berry Lane Rebel and Malice Craft Blizzard

Feb. 9th Friends Stitched Together Bunch o Berries HattieLu Handmade

Feb. 10th Beri Bee Designs The Wholesome Mama Handcrafted by RED

Feb. 11th Phat Quarters Blog Sew Sophie Lynn Sew Starly

Feb. 12th Boutique Birdie Pen Seb & Rox Creative Counselor

Feb. 13th All Things Katy! Sprouting JubeJube Lulu and Celeste

Now the part you’ve been waiting for! Enter the giveaway for your chance to win your choice of 5 Love Notions patterns (you can check out some of my favorite Love Notions makes here, here, and here) and $50 to spend at Girl Charlee.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Floral Cropped Hudsons

The Hudson Pants from True Bias are one of those things I could make in my sleep. Between me and my little ones, I’ve made too many to count. I needed some quick comfy traveling pants before our trip so I instinctively grabbed my Hudson pattern.

Now, while I’m thrilled with the final pants, that fateful Friday-the day before we left, was the sewing day from down under. I usually share all my butterfly and rainbow sewing tales but this was just an awful day.

I whipped through these pants and almost two raglans all on my serger when I realized my serger tension was off. Like way off… looking great coming off the machine but a little stretch and it would unravel. In my five years of sewing with my serger I’ve rarely had tension issues. My good ol’ Brother 1034D just is that amazing!

So, instead of being done with my projects in an hour, I spent three fiddling with tension, tearing everything apart and RE-SEWING everything! AND, I was silly and didn’t interface my grommets so one came off while threading the drawstring and while I thought I could be tricky and put a grommet in with the waistband attached I managed to punch a hole clear through the other side of the waistband. Somedays are just like that… even in Australia (to quote our favorite book of the moment 😉

So these pants are fabulous though! I can’t wait for warmer spring weather to wear these ALL THE TIME! This Club french terry is so soft and delicious!

I finally fiddled with the pocket size on the Hudsons and love them! My phone fits perfectly and it’s not too bulky- win-win-win!!

Do you ever have days like that? What’s been your worst sewing disaster? I’ve had patterns not work out for me but I think this was especially bad because it felt like an old friend, my trusty serger, had turned on me. With a little work we’ve gotten back together and will have many more rainbow and butterfly stories to share with you!

Sabrina Slims by Love Notions

I feel like these posts praising Tami at Love Notions might get a little repetitive but ladies…Do…you…see…these…pants?!!!

The Sabrina Slims are THE perfect pants. With a change of fabric these can be worn for practically any occasion.

These pants went into testing the day before we went on our trip. I was crazy excited about them and didn’t want to miss out so I quickly (like under an hour quickly) sewed up this pair in a stretch bottomweight from Joann’s that I’ve had in my stash forever.

I sewed up the basic pant- no bells and whistles. They are sleek and fit like a glove.

They are made to hug your thighs then are straight from the knee to the hem. The high waist is flattering (more on that in a bit) and comfortable.

So while I was thrilled with this pattern from the start, other testers struggled to get the perfect fit. I got to watch the rest of the testing process from afar and I was absolutely blown away by the hard work and determination Tami showed to get these pants perfect for every body type!

She went through almost a dozen revisions as tester feedback came in and the fit just kept getting better. She’s included a detailed tutorial walking you through various fixes for common fit issues. I learned so much while testing these pants and you will get the same information right in the pattern tutorial. It’s worth buying the pattern just for the fit tips!

As soon as I got home I was dying to whip up another pair using the final pattern. I was not disappointed.

I used a knit jegging material from Joann’s and added the front seams and back welt pockets to this pair.

These were my first welt pockets and the instructions were fabulous! (gotta love the hand stamp 😉

I love how versatile this pair is. Paired with boots and some jewelry it’s perfect for going out.

Or with a tee and sneakers they’re perfect for running errands.

I love that they look a bit more pulled together than leggings but still are oh so comfortable.

Now for the flattering part. Everyone has their body issues and mine will forever be my belly. This is a comparison of my ready-to-wear leggings on the right and the high waisted Sabrina’s on the left. I love, love what these pants do for my gut!

The Sabrina’s are on sale through 1/30. Make sure to pick them up here (affiliate link). I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do!

Lucy’s for two

You know I’m on a major plaid kick. These plaid Lucy tops from Shwin Designs are pure perfection!

My lil Payton got hers before Christmas and I could hardly wait to make my own!

I used plaid flannel from Joann’s for my outer and lined it with a cozy cream microfleece. We took these shots in freezing temps and we’ve done some award worthy acting to hide our shivering 😉

The top features a crossover front with buttons at the shoulders. It’s fully lined so you can make it reversible!

I added a fun little leather detail to the hem of mine that gives it a little more ready-to-wear vibe.

Payton’s is made out of Joann’s flannel and a light chambray from LA. I added the extra buttons to hers to make hers reversible (I didn’t add the extra buttons to mine because I don’t forsee me wearing the fleece on the outside).

The fit on her is spot on and so, so cute!

I made us both size 6’s. I’m sad it only goes to 6 in girls. I’ll be adding length and tweaking the pattern so I can make many more of these for my girls in the future!

The ladies version features bust darts that add to the flattering fit. I added two inches to my length (per pattern instructions) since I am 5’7″.

The Ladies pattern offers the suggestion of wearing it open or even adding a button at the waist to wear the collar down while bringing in the waist.

I love this fall/winter version but I’m also excited to make a flowy light version for spring too.

You can pick up the girls Lucy here and the Ladies version here.

I am a Brand Ambassador for Shwin and have been provided the patterns for free but my thoughts and opinions are purely my own. I have a true love of all things Shwin!

Club Sloane Sweater

I have been so excited for the new Club line buffalo check. I have a serious plaid crush right now and this new print is just perfection!

I used the french terry version with the Club dots in cotton/lycra to make me a Love Notions Sloane Sweater (affl. link).

I love the color blocking option with this pattern. I used a simple coral french terry but I have a solid version with a woven plaid contrast I can’t get out of my head!

I was inspired by this pin. What are your thoughts on the boxy sweater/sweatshirt trend? I honestly can’t decide if I like this silhouette on me. I love that it’s different from my other sweatshirts and it is beyond comfortable! I think paired with skinny jeans it’s flattering and cute but hey, I totally want to wear it with my favorite joggers and I’m afraid I’ll look like I stepped out of the retirement home in my sweatsuit.

This pattern comes with a slimmer view and high-low shirttail hem option also. It really is a versatile pattern. There are some amazing sweater knit versions out there.

This new Club french terry sews like a dream and is so soft! I can’t wait to pair this buffalo check with a floral for my girls. And those dots! Possibly my favorite fabric ever! It’s buttery and coordinates with EVERYTHING!

I’m going to leave you with my late night sassy pants pose! Make sure you pick up the new Club Line from Raspberry Creek Fabrics and the Sloane Sweater for some serious comfy perfection!

Category: Sewing for Women