Jennuine Designs – SewSophieLynn

Pajama Time with Designer Flannel from Riley Blake Designs

As the seasons change, one of my favorite things to sew up is fresh new pajamas for my kids. As we roll into the holiday season, my kids will be getting a few new pajamas and I can’t wait! For their newest sets, we used Riley Blake Designs newest Designer Flannel.

There are so many new prints to choose from and it was fun for my kids to pick their favorites. I was seriously tempted to sew some up for myself because their were so many prints I loved too!

This little guy is in that perfect in between stage. He loves to be big and wants to do everything his teenage brother does. But get him in pj’s and he’s my little snuggle buddy! He still loves to sleep with his favorite stuffed animals and would wear pj’s 24/7 if he could so this new set will get lived in for sure. This simple navy star print is classic and ageless. I used the Northern Lights pattern from Little Lizard King for his bottoms. This pattern is so full of both boy, girl, and unisex options making it a great pattern to have in your collection. It’s designed for knit fabrics but the pants can be made in woven. I love the slightly slimmer cut of this pattern compared to other pajama pant patterns that I have. His tee is from Wal-Mart with a cute iron-on design found in Cricut Design Space.

Big sis got a pair of Limone Loungers from Jennuine Designs in mint stars. The Limone Lounge set is another workhorse of a pattern. It comes in sizes newborn-14 and has pant, crop, and shorts options as well as multiple skirt choices too. It’s great for year-round wear and the elastic waist means that it’s so comfy too! I sewed up a size 14 for this girly and added 3 inches to the length but sadly it wasn’t quite enough so these are already a tad too short. Good thing they’re just pj’s but I think it’s finally time for me to move on to sewing her only women’s patterns. I’m trying desperately to hold on to my little girl but boy is it fun watching her grow up!

“Rise and Shine” is what I say to my kids every morning when I wake them up and it’s one of those phrases that means so much to me. I want my kiddos to greet everyday with potential and shine like the amazing little humans that they are! This graphic is from Cricut Design Space as well.

This little rainbow print was my personal favorite and I’m thrilled this girl loved it too! I used the Gracie Tween Pajamas from Violette Fields Threads for this set. It was a simple set to sew up and I love the option to add piping too. Just a note that I did have a hard time easing in the sleeve cap and have found that on a few VFT patterns that I’ve sewn up. Not sure if it’s just me but I will try to reduce the sleeve head a bit in the future.

I purchased buttons to go with this fabric but pulled out my KAM snaps at the last minute. We couldn’t decide what color to use so we went with all four and she said the snaps are her very favorite part!

I love sewing with flannel! You almost don’t need to use pins or clips because your pieces stick together (anyone else remember using flannel story boards? same concept!) and make sewing a breeze. This fabric isn’t too thick and was easy to iron. The best part? It’s soft and mid-weight making these pj’s a dream to sleep in! Make sure to check your local fabric shop for these cute prints and more.

*The fabric in this post was provided to me by Riley Blake Designs in exchange for this post. All opinions are our own!

Suit Up for Summer 2021 Day Four- Tween Girl Fashion

We’re almost to the end of our week ‘o fun! I’m pretty sure I’ll go into swimsuit withdrawals when the tour ends. Good thing for you, you can still pick up Raspberry Creek Fabrics swim fabrics at 15% off with code SWIMTOUR.

Every year my girls and I go swimsuit shopping and every year we leave empty handed. We struggle so much trying to find suits that both fit their personalities and just plain FIT! My oldest daughter is now in junior sizing and somehow that means that their are even less options that work for her. It makes me so happy that I can sew both of my girls suits that really work for them.

This year I tried a few new to us patterns. The first is the Hibiscus pattern from Honeydew Kisses.

I think my girls have been a part of the design process for so long that when I asked for swimsuit ideas this year, I should not have been surprised to get this drawing from Payton. She really wanted the cutouts on the side and a fun strappy back. She was thrilled when I pulled up the Hibiscus pattern and it matched up with her vision!

I sewed up view B in a 9/10 with added length. We skipped all the ruffles to get as close to her inspiration as possible.

When I was her age, I had a very similar suit that I thought was THE COOLEST! My mom loved it because it was a one-piece and I loved it because the little cutouts seemed so grown up to me. This tie dye print just ups the rad factor!

For her second suit I used the Little Lizard King Sanibel. She loves all the little tie front tops in the shops and the Sanibel is absolutely adorable! I love all of the Little Lizard King swim line and plan to work our way through them all.

We used another fun tie dye and paired it with the light blue and yellow swim solids. The colors are just so cheerful and scream summer to me!

I sewed up a size 10 classic neck tankini length top with tie and the gathered side panel bottoms. This pattern had multiple options for the top and you can add lots of little extras like flutters and ruffles too. It’s no surprise that we skipped most of those. I love that this suit feels sporty but also a little feminine with the side gathers on the bottoms and tie on the top.

Big sis picked out fabrics and had ideas too but I steered her towards the Xfactor top after sewing my own. She was super easy to persuade and picked out the long sleeves for her version.

I added the same bra cups and shelf bra lining to hers that I did to mine and it gives just the right support for her.

She picked out this Dash Dot Abstract print and then we struggled with what to pair it with. It looked great with the black and white micro stripe as well as the bright yellow solid we had too. We settled on this vibrant lipstick pink and I love the pop of color it brings. We used the Calypso bottoms (they’re her most worn from previous years) and I did the same modification from the past, cutting them at the non-banded line but still adding the band. This gives them a little more height and she likes that her top and bottoms just meet.

Sophie has had this inspiration pic saved and wanted to recreate it. The Viridian from Jennuine Design was perfect with it’s separate panel pieces.

She loved this bold leopard print and then pairing it with black really made it suitable for her. She loves fashion but doesn’t like to draw too much attention to herself so this is the perfect way to wear a bold print like this.

For her top, I lined it in a lightweight techno scuba fabric instead of adding cups. This added a bit of smoothness and was a great solution. I sewed up a straight size 12 with the racer-back and she has a teeny bit of growing room so hopefully this will last all summer.

While getting ideas this year we came across this unique top from Albion Fit. She loved it and I immediately started looking for ways to recreate it. It’s a simple peasant style and searched my pattern stash to no luck. I asked in our swim tour group and they were so helpful and I landed on the Gypsy Top from Striped Swallow Designs.

I sewed up a size 12 crop length with short sleeves. We made it so she can wear her Viridian top underneath so this is just like a little coverup top. I made casings instead of following the pattern instructions since she wanted it to look more like the inspiration.

I like the higher neckline but could see her wanting a wider, lower neck in the future. This was a fun, creative make that isn’t your typical swim top and that’s what we love about sewing our own swimwear! It allows you to dream big and try new things.

My girls are loving their new suits and we’re dying for warm weather to break them in! Sewing for tweens and teens can be tricky but I love the collaborative process with my girls. It’s so fun to bring an idea to live and to create suits that fit them so perfectly!

Make sure to check out the other amazing blogger this week! Today’s sewists are bringing it big time!

Sew Mary Mac Merritts Makes Wild + Wanderful Call Ajaire

Made by Kates Violet and Jewels Sweet Mama Life All Things Katy!

Intensely Distracted Pins & Pinot My Heart Will Sew On The Petite Sewist

All My Spare Time Kara Metta Handcrafted by RED Sincerely, Shantelle

Replicate Then Deviate That’s Sew Kari Desert Blooms Boo + Lu

A huge thank you to our sponsors and don’t forget to check out today’s giveaway!!
Again, you can find the tour on Instagram with the hashtag: #suitupforsummer2021

Titchy Threads Sew A Little Seam Simple Life Pattern Co. Pattern for Pirates Ellie and Mac

Lowland Kids Gingham Hive Striped Swallow Designs Honeydew Kisses Little Lizard King

Jennuine Designs Greenstyle Creations Made for Mermaids Call Ajaire Hey June Boo Designs!

Sofiona Designs Love Notions Lil Luxe Collection Jalie Sweet Red Poppy

Suit Up for Summer 2021 Blog Tour Day Two- Adding Graphics to Your Swimwear

It’s day two of the Suit Up tour and I hope you’ve already been thoroughly inspired. Today I’m sharing my tips for adding graphics to your swimwear and a happy little discovery!

The techniques I share work great for embellishing rash guards but they’ll also work well for the front of a swimsuit or wherever you’d love a little something extra. For my kids tops, I turned to two of our go-to patterns: the Hey June Camden Raglan and the Titchy Threads Rowan Tee. I use these patterns often in their everyday wardrobe and they work great for swim tops too. Both of these patterns are slimmer fitting making them perfect for the pool.

I sew up my boys rashguards exactly like I would a tee shirt but for my girls I make a couple of simple alterations. I like to line the front of theirs with an extra layer of swim fabric for a little more coverage. When cutting this lining piece, cut it slightly shorter than your outer piece so you aren’t folding it up in the hem. I also cropped this top 2 inches to better suit wearing it with all of their high waisted swim bottoms. If you’d like even more chest coverage you can follow Nicole’s easy tutorial to add a shelf bra or head to my post from last year to add swim cups as well.

I love any chance I get to pull out my Cricut and adding a little personality and pizzazz to their pieces. For these tops I used stretch vinyl and Cricut Infusible Ink. In the past I’ve used Cricut SportFlex HTV and I’ve been thrilled with the results. I use my Cricut EasyPress and their swim tops have held up year after year (until they’ve outgrown them but they still look brand new when we pass them on!). I swear by Teflon sheets when using iron-on vinyl. They add a layer of protection to your garment and also seem to help the vinyl melt into the fabric better. When pressing SportFlex on to swim fabric I set my EasyPress to 305 degrees and do 30 seconds on the right side then flip it and do 15 seconds on the back.

This year I headed to my local vinyl shop, Vinyl Outlet, and picked up these three stretch vinyl sheets. You want to look for stretch vinyl since knits, especially swim, will be stretched when worn. I’ve heard great things about this stretch vinyl so I’m hopeful it will hold up as well as the SportFlex. There were so many colors to choose from that I’d love to be able to match all of the RCF swim fabrics! I designed this digital design and it’s available in the Project Run and Play shop.

For this one, I was dying to try Cricut Infusible Ink. Cricut recommends only using their blanks but that is so limiting. With a little research I found that many had had great results using synthetic fabrics, perfect for this poly spandex swim knit! I did a couple of test swatches and then went for it. I recommend doing all of your embellishing PRIOR to sewing up your pieces. 1- it’s easier to lay our your fabric and 2- it’s not quite as heartbreaking if you mess up!

For this design, I used a graphic available in Design Space and Bright Teal Infusible Ink. I followed the instructions for cutting and fusing the ink (using the Heat Guide here) and it worked beautifully! I love seeing that ink just melt right into the fabrics. I talked to Diana of Raspberry Creek Fabrics and she said the infusible ink process and setting temperature is similar to what they use in their shop when printing swim fabrics so the result should be easy and long lasting.

These both have their pros and cons. The infusible ink will only work on white, possibly light colors, while the vinyl will work on any solid or print. The infusible ink melts into the fabric making it a great choice if you want to add sizing labels to garments without the itchy tag or vinyl. Vinyl is fun to layer and you can create more complicated designs with it. I’m just excited to have options when it comes to creating unique looks for my family!

My little guy got two new suits this year. And I promise he wasn’t as miserable during this shoot as his pictures look! This studio looks out over a busy street and this boy is so car obsessed he hated missing watching them, even for the few minutes it took to take these photos.

His first suit is a Lowland Kids Swim Brief. This pattern is unique because it uses swim knit making is especially soft and great for kids with sensory issues (there’s instructions to fully enclose seams too!). I used this teal tie dye print that I think is perfect for the whole family.

His second suit is Jennuine Designs Cobalt Boardshorts. I like the clean flat front and elastic back. He likes the pockets! I used this Teal Wave Print, another classic print that I think all of my boys would wear.

This is his “I’m not trouble, you’re trouble” look!

And this one is his “What?! I’m smiling, I promise” reaction.

I hope you’ll follow along all week as these incredible bloggers show off their new swimwear! I promise you’ll be in love!

And make sure to pick up your swim fabrics this week at 15% off with code SWIMTOUR.

Sew Mary Mac Merritts Makes Wild + Wanderful Call Ajaire

Made by Kates Violet and Jewels Sweet Mama Life All Things Katy!

Intensely Distracted Pins & Pinot My Heart Will Sew On The Petite Sewist

All My Spare Time Kara Metta Handcrafted by RED Sincerely, Shantelle

Replicate Then Deviate That’s Sew Kari Desert Blooms Boo + Lu

Titchy Threads Sew A Little Seam Simple Life Pattern Co. Pattern for Pirates Ellie and Mac

Lowland Kids Gingham Hive Striped Swallow Designs Honeydew Kisses Little Lizard King

Jennuine Designs Greenstyle Creations Made for Mermaids Call Ajaire Hey June Boo Designs!

Sofiona Designs Love Notions Lil Luxe Collection Jalie Sweet Red Poppy

Watercolor Beach Designer Capsule from Project Run and Play

Project Run and Play’s latest capsule designer collection is here and we are head over heels for it! Project Watercolor Beach includes ten children’s patterns that are perfect as we head into warm and sunny weather.

This post is sponsored by Project Run and Play and Raspberry Creek Fabrics. All opinions are my own.

I had the opportunity to sew up six of the ten patterns for the LookBook and I’m loving the variety. If you haven’t had a chance to browse through the LookBook I highly recommend grabbing a beverage and kicking up your feet while you peruse the amazing inspiration. There are so many incredible makes from the designers, other past PRP participants, and testers. Audrey does such a fantastic job putting these together.

I sewed up the Coral Wrap Dress, Viridian Swimsuit, Cobalt Board Shorts, Chromium Cropped Hoodie, Golden Dress, and Lemon Tee. I can’t wait to get my hands on the other patterns in the collection too!

Let’s start with the swimsuits! Summer is here and we can’t wait to hit the water. I sewed up two version of the Viridian Swimsuit and this pattern rocked our world. I’m always reaching for my RCF CLUB swim prints but went simple this time with RCF solid swim fabric. For this suit I used deep licac, light blue, and blossom pink solids. Big sister got a classic dusty olive. I love the weight and quality of RCF swim fabrics and these solids are no exception. The matte finish is my favorite and really ups the look of quality and design. There are so many colors to choose from too!

As we browsed our favorite clothing sites this spring, there were so many that could be recreated using this adorable pattern. One piece maillot- check. Two piece color-blocked- check. Ruffles- check and check. Racerback OR scoopback- of course. So many options and looks can be created with this one incredible pattern.

It comes in sizes newborn- 12 years- can you just imagine the tiny baby rolls in this suit?!

My cute little tweens were so happy with their suits. One wanted sweet and feminine and one wanted sassy and sporty. I love that this one pattern gave us both!

For this suit I used pieced front top and bottoms and scoop back. I also used the optional bands and found that adding 3/4″ elastic to them helped keep them in place.

Sophie got a pieced front top with optional ruffles and racerback and solid bottoms. She’s particularly hard to fit and we were both so happy to have an age appropriate suit that looks fantastic on her growing body.

Charlie loves his new Cobalt Board Shorts. They have a grown-up look to them and finishes that we both love. This tonal teal grey and white stripe fabric gives these shorts a ready-to-wear look. It was fun to play with the stripe placement and he loves teal so we made sure to get as much teal as we could showing.

The Cobalts are a unisex pattern in sizes newborn-12 featuring multiple front closure options, pockets, and two length options. I did the flat front, elastic back Bermuda length. I’ve sewn my share of boy swimsuit patterns and this one is up there near the top as far as fit and construction.

The Chromium Cropped Hoodie was just perfect paired with board shorts. Now let’s talk about a pattern with options…this pattern has got them! It’s a unisex pattern and comes in sizes newborn to 16. You can do a hoodie (with ears if you want!), funnel neck, cowl or crew, and either cropped or full length as well as short or long sleeved.

I think there’s nothing better than slipping on a cozy hoodie after a day at the pool so we went with a long sleeve, full length (with rolled hem), and a hood. Cozy perfection in this light grey french terry.

The Coral Wrap Dress is another pattern that is full of choices. You can sew up a top, skirt, or knee, midi, or maxi dress. It fits sizes 1-14 and can be dressed up or down. We love it as a swim cover-up that also doubles as the perfect casual dress too!

This tie dye double brushed poly print was the starting point for our looks and I just can’t get enough of it. I want a whole wardrobe out of it! The subtle pastel colors are so so pretty and it was just meant for this dress pattern.

The Golden Dress is such a classic silhouette. It features dolman sleeves, elastic waist and a-line skirt. In sizes 12 months- 14 years, it’s a simple dress that can be worn as a swim cover-up or an easy-to-wear everyday dress.

The first time I saw this challis print I knew it needed to be a swim coverup of some kind. It’s so light and breezy and was perfect for this pattern. I lends a little maturity to this pattern and will be something she can wear for years as she grows.

Make sure you pick up these patterns and support the Project Run and Play shop! These designers have worked so hard to get these patterns out there and I’m thrilled to be able to be associated with them.

Project Run and Play: Project Street Style

Project Run and Play’s latest collaboration is here. Project Street Style is a collection of patterns for kids with a cool downtown vibe. I was thrilled to get to work with Lisa of Mabey She Made It again on a photoshoot for the latest lookbook. These fun photoshoots are really my absolute favorite. Cute kids, cool clothes, good friends- yes, please!

Project Street Style includes 7 new patterns from past PRP designers. I love that they all have multiple options to them making this a super versatile bundle. There are three unisex patterns, the Senpai Bomber Jacket, the Easy Street Tee, and the City Lights Cape. Then there are two bottoms patterns; the Stoplight Skirt and the Metro Pants and Shorts. Rounding out the collection is two girl patterns with loads of options, the Via Top, Tunic and Dress, and the Indigo Dress and Romper.

The Via pattern by Sofilantjes is a showstopper. It’s a color-blocked tee, tunic, or dress with loads of sleeve options as well. I chose the dress with long sleeves since we’re moving into cooler weather here. I used scuba knit paired with faux leather accent pieces. This pattern is perfect for using up all those fabric scraps.

My tween was thrilled with the theme of this collection. She’s a huge trend follower and is loving all things 90’s right now. For her birthday, she saved her money and splurged on a pair of boots. They were absolutely perfect for this look and were the jumping-off point to picking fabrics and pattern options. She is wearing patterns by Audrey, the amazing woman behind Project Run and Play. The Stoplight Skirt has three options; a pencil skirt, midi, and maxi all with unique details. I sewed up the pencil skirt in faux leather and ponte for a great structured look. I love how quickly it sewed up and the color-blocked sides give you lots of choices to spice things up a bit.

The top is the Easy Street Tee, a relaxed dolman style tee with cuffs and a long-sleeve option too. I used a fun ribbed velvet for a little texture and color. I made her size according to her chest measurements and like that I can size up or down for different looks.

The final pattern I sewed up from this collection was the Senpai Bomber jacket from Sew Chibi Designs. I love Kat’s playful style and it was fun to take her pattern and make it our own. The jacket is a boxier style, slightly cropped and comes with loads of extras. There are fun numbers and letter templates for a true letterman style jacket. You can add a lining, pockets, and go with a collar or hood neckline. My little man wanted an easy to wear hoodie that he could keep on all day. I used a french terry/sweatshirt fleece combo for a light layer that he has worn constantly since it came off my machine. He wanted a tiger graphic for the back (thank you Cricut Design Space) and picked his favorite number for the front. I used a flocked vinyl to really up the cool factor.

This collection was so fun to work on. It brought back so many memories from my own childhood of exploring new cities and the excitement that was in the air. There’s just something about heading downtown. The food, the sights, the people… the energy is so invigorating!

What pattern will you sew up first? With so many to choose from, the sweet kiddos in your lives will be set and will be the coolest kids around!

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!

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!

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.

A Christmas Naples with Hawthorne Threads

The Naples Dress from Jennuine Design (affliliate link) is one of my favorite patterns and I’ve been wanting to sew another version for awhile now. As a member of the new Certified Jennuine Design team I knew this should be my first project. I know I can happily scream from the rooftops my love for this pattern!

I fell in love with the newest Indy Bloom Christmas line from Hawthorne Threads and was so happy to partner with them to showcase this pretty print on this project. This is printed on rayon and perfect for this pattern. The drape and weight are lovely and those sleeves were just made for this fabric type. This floral is just so beautiful and unique- a holiday print that she can wear all winter.

This pattern is a quick sew and so original. There are mulitple sleeve options and you can pick to do a gathered or a-line skirt. I picked the butterfly sleeves for this dress. I think it’s my sleeve of choice right now and anytime it’s an option I go for it! I love the drama it brings but without all the work of ruffles.

I’ve made a couple in the past but this is my first gathered skirt version. I love the extra fullness it gives the dress. Perfect for a little twirling! My version is a bit of a hi-low hem. I’m calling it a happy accident as I gathered the straight bottom hem instead of the curved top of the skirt. I love the little bit of edge it gives the dress.

My favorite detail of this pattern is the big bow tie option. I love the retro-cool look it gives the dress but it’s so sweet at the same time. Every time I make this pattern I giggle at the images of 70’s supermodels it reminds me of. It has such a vintage vibe but in a modern classic way.

We had to do our favorite bow hairdo for this look. Too perfect for the holidays and to imitate the front tie too!

Oh how we love this dress!!! I’m so excited to be able to share my favorite Jennuine Designs makes with you and know you will love them too.

A huge thank you to Hawthorne Threads for sponsoring this post. Make sure to check our their incredible selection and all their house-printed lines. They have fast shipping so you can get your holiday prints in time too!

Project Run and Play:Week One Pokemon Ispired

I’m ecstatic to be here sharing my first look for Project Run and Play. It’s truly a dream come true to be competing in Season 12. The other competitors are so talented and I’m excited to join them for this ride.

The theme for week 1 is Pokemon Inspired. Did you all catch Pokemon fever this summer? We got a tiny taste of it but it was quickly forgotten for days at the pool and afternoons with cousins. When the theme was announced I knew I was in trouble! After hitting the internet and talking with my kids we decided to go with the quintessential Pokemon icons- Pikachu and the all important Pokeball.

Pikachu is such a cute little character. That bright yellow was so fun to work with. I used the Blake Pattern from Mingo and Grace for the base of our look. It’s such a classic pattern that I turn to again and again.

I used this fabric from Joann’s. It was pretty thin but the texture and color were just what I was looking for. I lined everything and it worked wonderfully. Joann’s had this amazing zipper that totally changed the direction I was going for on this look. It matched the fabric perfectly and is reminiscent of Pikachu’s little stripes on its back. I couldn’t pass it up!

I added a detachable collar using the free Tiffany Collar from Made For Mermaids. Lace leggings (this fabric was a perfect match!) complete the outfit. Such a bright, fun look that will get worn often!

My little Poke Ball was actually a real challenge for me. I used the Sloane Skinny Jeans pattern from Violette Fields Threads for her super fun tuxedo stripe pants. This is as close to sewing jeans as I’ve gotten and I think I may be ready to tackle the real deal soon…baby steps 😉

I used a white denim and black sequin fabric for the pants. I topstitched my heart out and love the great finish it adds. The top is a take on the Calla Lily Crop Top. This shirt was almost scrapped after my original plan for it was a huge disaster. Let’s just say this gabardine and I got really friendly with the seam ripper. I’m grateful for my ever growing stash of trims because this ball fringe was absolutely meant to be! I love little happy accidents! Bonus points- Black and red are her new school colors so I know this top will get worn again and again!

I modified the top to use a facing since this fabric was so thick to begin with. I added length and straightened out the hi-low a bit. I love the boxiness of this top while still being fitted at the shoulders. My little miss felt like such a rock star in this look!

We headed to downtown Salt Lake for this shoot. It’s just a short fifteen minutes from us and I wish we went more often. These pics were all taken in a one block radius! Man, I love the city!

Thanks for joining me on this adventure! Make sure you head over to Project Run and Play to vote for your favorite look.

Tag: Jennuine Designs