SewSophieLynn

Itch to Stitch Time to Sew Blog Tour

I love a good blog tour and the ITS Time to Sew Itch to Stitch Blog Tour promises to be pretty spectacular. It’s five days full of amazing inspiration from 26 bloggers and incredible sponsors and prizes. I just HAD to get in on this party!

For my stop, I knew I wanted to sew up the Anza Jumpsuit and Dress. If you’ve been eyeing this pattern too you can grab it today only on sale! Make sure to check out the other posts today to see what else you can get for a steal today only.

I’ve had my eye on this pattern since it was released. All of the tester versions had me drooling and then seeing Nicole’s version in person just had me wanting it even more. I’ve never worn a jumpsuit before and was hesitant if the style would suit me. I’m pretty conservative and am definitely not as hip and cool as my cute sewing pal so here it is a year and a half later and I finally pulled the trigger. Let me just tell you, it’s LOVE!

My cute husband met me to take pictures and hadn’t seen this before I stepped out of the car. His reaction was priceless! He said, “Whoa! That’s really cute. You said ‘jumper’ and I was picturing something the girls would wear but this is really pretty!” That’s a winner in my book!

Can we talk about this fabric for a minute?! My go-to fabric shop Raspberry Creek Fabrics is a generous sponsor of this tour and I had my eye on a couple different fabrics for this look. I finally settled on this dreamy Navy Blue Tencel Twill. I knew I wanted a solid and scoured the shop for something suitable. There were a ton of pretty rayon challis’s and chambray’s to choose from but I settled on this amazing fabric for multiple reasons. This tencel is so soft and the weight was perfect for this. It’s also a little heavier weight than a rayon challis which will make it a great transition piece. The navy color is so versatile and can be worn everyday with sandals or dressed up with pretty jewelry for a night out.

I’m excited to be able to wear this jumpsuit year-round. It’s perfect for fall with a sweater and booties!

I sewed a size 4 and made a few adjustments to the pattern. I eliminated the drawstring casing and did a simple waist casing for the elastic. I used 1/2″ elastic and a faux drawstring that I just safety pinned in place. I love that I can remove it and wear it belted too! I left off the chest pockets as well, mostly for simplicity and to speed up the sewing process. I added an inch to the bodice for my height but next time will add in extra height to the rise as well. I added an extra button to the placket to add a little more detail to the bodice. Lastly, I turned up the sleeve cuff and tacked it in place.

Are you ready for the good stuff?! Make sure to check out all the other stops this week. You’re going to be ‘itching’ to sew it all up for yourself too!

Make sure to enter the giveaway too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Summer Day Top by Made

All summer long I’ve been dying to make me a few new woven tops. As soon as I saw the Summer Day top from Made Everyday, I knew it’d be perfect! Stay tuned to the end of this post to see how you can win your own copy, too. You know you totally want to be twinners 😉

I love all the options with this top. I struggled picking which option to do and actually think it took me more time to decide than it did to sew up. Anyone else get paralyzed with indecision when given so many cute choices?! Lucky for all of us, these sew up so quick we can make them all!

I’m lucky enough to get my hands on the newest Raspberry Creek Fabrics goodies and this pretty rayon challis print just needed to be this top. I think woven tees are the best to really let a print shine and this pattern just sings. Can you hear it?!!

I chose the cuff sleeve version because I can’t get enough of this look. I really love a good cuff and this one is super cute.

I did a size 4 and didn’t make any other adjustments. I sometimes like to add length since I’m 5’7″ with a longer torso but I’m really happy with were this hits.

One small thing to note, I found the armhole to be a tad low and wore a cap sleeve half shirt under just for my own comfort. It’s tricky to try to play with an armscyce because you want to keep the arm mobility. I think the comfort and ease wins out here and I’ll probably just keep making these without modifications.

I really love how this top pairs with jeans but think it’ll be cute dressed up with a pencil skirt too. I’m all about versatility and this pattern has it in spades.

Ready to win your own copy? I’m going to make it super easy on you. Just leave a comment on this post and tell me what version you’d make up first and I’ll pick a winner on Friday August 17th. Make sure to check out the Summer Day Top on Instagram to be blown away with inspiration. I can’t decide if I do a peplum version or a simple short sleeve version next (I may be counting down the days til my kids start school simply so I can whip up another one of these!).

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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Made For Mermaids Mama Camila

I’ve been sewing swimsuits for my kiddos this summer and I’m finally sharing one for ME! Let’s be honest though, I’d much rather be posting pics of my kids than of me, especially in swimwear, yikes! This swimsuit has been in my head since last summer and I’m so excited to have it done, it just has to be shared with the world!

The Mama Camila suit is one of my favorites (I also have a healthy obsession with the girls version as well). I wore last year’s Camila so much throughout the year that I knew another one would be a welcome addition.

When I snagged this lemon print from CaliFabrics last year I knew I selfishly wanted it for myself. I loved it so much when it arrived that I had to order more just in case my girls needed a suit or two too. I love that CaliFabrics gets designer ends so their selection is always great quality. For better or worse, their selection is constantly changing so check back often and make sure to grab your favorite prints before they disappear.

Let’s talk about this pattern. I love how incredibly versatile it is. The main bodice is a simple one piece with elastic ruching through the tummy area. There are options to sew the flounce like this or over the arms. I like to do the off shoulder view because you can still slip it off your shoulders and wear it like this easily. You can do shoulder ties, a halter tie, or skip the ties altogether. This is my first time doing the double ties and I love them! If you choose to skip the ties the top of the suit feels super secure with the elastic.

When I’m chasing kiddos at the pool, I tend to tuck the ruffle under my arms. It’s a little more freeing, lol!

Off the shoulders feel so chic though! This is my vacation with the hubby look. Cute but a little sexy too 😉

I like to add all the inner options to my suits. This one has foam cups, a shelf bra, power mesh and a full lining. The pattern walks you through adding everything to get a suit that’s flattering and supportive. I love being able to make something that makes me feel as comfortable as possible strutting around the pool.

Are you new to sewing swim? Looking for swim tips? I’m over on the CaliFabrics Blog too sharing some of the things I’ve learned throughout the years. Swimsuits are so much fun to sew and I look forward to sewing a new batch each season. This Camila is at the top of my list of favorites for sure!

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!

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