Exciting News from Hey June Handmade

I’m so excited the day is finally here to share yet another great Hey June Handmade pattern. The Camden Tee is the tween/teen version of my favorite pattern, the Lane Raglan.

All that snow in the background means I’ve been waiting a LONG time to share this exciting news!

This will be the first pattern in Adrianna’s new teen line, Hey Juniors- YES!!!

My girls are quickly outgrowing many designers patterns and I think there is such a need out there to fill the gap between little girls and women’s patterns. I’m so happy one of my favorite designers is up for the challenge!

The fit of this tee is so great on my tall, skinny little miss. This is a size 8, long sleeve version in Raspberry Creek‘s first Club line.

All my versions so far have been basic tees but there is a hoodie option as well as thumb hole cuffs and kangaroo pocket. Sleeve stripes add to the sporty vibe too.

A pocket pattern piece is included too but I’m so lazy that I can’t pass up the pre-made iron-on ones from Jo-Ann’s or Hobby Lobby. In silver sequins it was just perfect to bring out the silver sparkles in the sleeves. (Btw- these pockets have washed up beautifully!)

This pattern is perfect for all those iron-on decals out there too!

Make sure you pick up your copy here on sale for $6.50 through Sunday. And keep an eye out for more good things coming from Hey June!

Kids Clothes Week Part Two

Another Kids Clothes Week has come and gone-phew!

I finished the weekend off with a few quick sews.

The weather is warming up so I wanted to add to my girl’s spring wardrobes with some comfy french terry Mini Hudsons.

My french terry is from Raspberry Creek Fabrics (it’s currently out of stock but new french terry arrives almost weekly!).

I did the pink pair calf length and the purple pair I cropped a couple inches higher to be bermuda length.

I think they’ll be perfect for playing come spring and summer.

I squeezed in one more Pistachio Tee from Sew Like My Mom.

I did an elbow sleeve hack with a peplum skirt.

The floral fabric was from Hancock’s ages ago and the stripe is from a Girl Charlee knitfix about a year ago. They had little stretch but worked great for this semi-fitted tee.

She loves a good peplum so much!!

I’m kicking myself for not sewing this pattern sooner. It just has so many options and is perfect for all my littles.

To finish things up, I finally sewed up the stack of undies waiting for Charlie. I use Mo’s Comfy Fit Unders. They are made for children with sensory issues which makes them super comfortable for all kids. The coverage is great and they totally stay put! I love to cut them out from scraps and sew them up in between projects.

I’ll leave you with this super cool pic my hubby edited. He’s always been the photographer in the family and I’m slowly trying to learn everything I can from him. He loves a good artsy edit and it’s always fun when I find a gem like this that he’s been playing with.

I hope your KCW was a fun and productive one! Anyone else ready for a break?! I think I better clean my house now 😉

Bella Sunshine Adaline

It’s Bella Sunshine’s Birthday! I’m here to celebrate with a couple takes on the Adaline dress and tunic.

The Adaline is a versatile dress pattern with multiple sleeve options and cute color blocking detail. I loved the simplicity of the pattern and my mind went crazy with all the possibilities.

The theme of the tour is pattern hacks and I couldn’t wait to put my own spin on it.

First I sewed up an all knit nightgown version in yummy Club stripes from Raspberry Creek Fabrics with a touch of Girl Charlee Knitfix floral.

I did a maxi length for drama and ultimate comfort!

I love the cute ruffly sleeve detail of this pattern.

I lined up the back pieces with my front pieces to determine width and cut on the fold instead of doing a button placket.

I skipped the lining and added a neckband.

She’s all girl and loves nightgowns and this is by far her favorite EVER!

My oldest daughter loves clean lines and fun details.

For her version, I skipped the color blocking and used a breezy polka dot gauze I got in LA.

I modified the sleeve to be a sweet cap sleeve.

We added a faux leather pre-made pocket from Jo-ann’s (I need to stock up on these because they are AWESOME!).

I did a bold exposed zipper up the back- another detail I just can’t get enough of!

The bodice is fully lined and I love the clean finishing of the pattern.

This is such a cool shirt that just suits her style so well!

This was my first Bella Sunshine pattern and I am beyond thrilled with my experience. The pattern came together well and the tutorial was well written.

I think the possibilities with this pattern are so fun. It’d make a gorgeous Easter dress out of satin or linen or a fun everyday dress in cute quilting cotton. Payton has requested another play dress in knit too!

Hope you guys had as much fun as we did on this blog tour!! Make sure to check out the other stops along the way and enter the fabulous giveaway! Head over to Bella Sunshine for more birthday fun!

Bella Sunshine Designs Birthday Blog Tour

Featured Bloggers:

Sponsors:

Prize Number 1:

Bella Sunshine Designs – 2 Patterns of Choice
Once Upon A Yard / Sew It Seams Facebook Group – Grab Bag of 7 yards of fabric

Prize Number 2 (Just for the USA):

Bella Sunshine Designs – 2 Pattern of Choice
Bethany Lane – 3 Sets of “Cute as a Button” wooden buttons (30 buttons total)

Prize Number 3:

Bella Sunshine Designs – 2 Patterns of Choice
Sofilantjes Patterns – 2 Patterns of Choice
Knot Sew Normal – 1 Pattern of Choice
Muffin Head Patterns – Any 1 pattern up to $12.00
Itch To Stitch – 1 Pattern of Choice
Rachel Rossi – Squared Fashion Wrap Sewing Pattern
FABulous Home Sewn – 1 Pattern of choice
Seaside Notions – 1 pattern of choice
Laela Jeyne Patterns – Pattern of choice (excludes bundles)
Pickle Toes Patterns – 1 Pattern of choice.

Enter the giveaway:

Hurry, the giveaway ends on Sunday, February 28th at midnight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebration Sales:

Mabel Madison – 10% off their website with coupon code BELLABIRTHDAY until February 29th.
Sew It Seams – 15% off their website with coupon code BELLASUN until February 29th.

And of course, you can get 40% off all Bella Sunshine Designs patterns on our website until February 29th. No coupon code needed!

Ready for one more surprise? Check the Bella Sunshine Designs’s website on Friday for a new release or two!

Recess Rash Guard Swimsuit

Little sister’s swimsuit was so perfect for the beach. The rashguard proved invaluable against the sun and wind and those colors just popped against the turquoise waters.

I used the Santa Monica Tankini from Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop for the bottoms. I add a bit to the back rise and always fully line them. It is the same pattern I used here for Charlie.

We both love the coverage and fit of boy shorts. Plus they look dang cute!

Her top is a slightly modified Recess Raglan. It’s lined in the front and taken in under the arms.

I ordered a bargain lot of swim knits from Girl Charlee last spring. There was enough yardage for suits for the next five years! Lots of fun prints including this daisy and the light blue polka dots. A great deal and so fun to experiment with.

I could take picture of my kids on the beach all day long! You can’t beat the backdrop and lighting 😉

They can mix and match their suits which is a huge bonus being the same size. Hopefully they’ll always love sharing clothes because it sure makes it easier on this mom.

She always has to throw in some sweet moves! She just cracks me up!

Finn by Blaverry

I love a good basic, simple pattern. I’m not usually into ruffles and frills so when I had the chance to work with Christie at Blaverry I jumped at the opportunity. Her style just fits with ours perfectly!

I sewed up the Finn top but extended the peplum to make it dress length. I love the neck binding. Such a nice, clean finish.

I used gorgeous Club Feathers from Raspberry Creek.

I think she likes it, wouldn’t you say?!!!

It’s got that comfy, twirliness that she loves but the cute curve of the peplum skirt adds a hipness that I adore.

We layered it with a jacket, boots, and scarf to wear while it’s cooler. The pattern comes with a long sleeve option but I’m dreaming of Spring here.

Such a versatile dress!

I love that we can accessorize this fabric with any color to really make it pop.

It’s amazing what a little Taylor Swift can do to pump up a photo shoot! I got a ton of wiggly, blurry picks cuz’ this girl likes to shake it, shake it off!

Make sure you head on over to Blaverry to check out all the chic, adorable patterns from dresses to pants to stylish jackets- so much cuteness in one shop!

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!

Sew Straight and Gather’s Metro Pullover

Terri at Sew Straight and Gather has got another brilliant pattern for you. I have an addiction to making sweatshirts and consider myself quite the hoodie connoisseur so when I say you need this pattern you better hop right on that!

There are two patterns- one for kids and one for women/men. A pattern for the whole family is always going to get a lot of use in my house.

Each pattern comes with a hooded version or a cowl neck. I made a couple of each just because I couldn’t stop. Seriously, I want to see you make just one…

This cutie got the first one off the sewing machine. I just adore his little face peeking out of that hood. I love the unique hood and the fit of this sweatshirt.

I used Raspberry Creek Fabrics french terry in solid charcoal and oatmeal. The combo is neutral and the charcoal stripe hood lining just ties is all together.

Payton’s was next and sewed up in a flash. She picked out this anti-pill fleece from Joann’s and it worked just lovely for this pattern.

She got the cross-over cowl version. It’s nice and big which makes it so cozy and cute!

The girls and ladies version have this darling pleat detail in the back. It gives it a little more flow and adds just that little something extra.

There is a curved hem or a banded bottom option. Payton got the curved hem. I loved her version so much I headed to the fabric store the next day so that I could make one in my size!

I wasn’t signed up to test Sophie’s size but just loved this pattern so much I knew she needed her own too! She got a cowl with a banded bottom out of Joann’s fleece.

My first version was a beautiful eggplant french terry (from Raspberry Creek) hoodie version.

I’ve had this lightweight mustard/cream stripe in my stash and it was absolutely perfect with this eggplant. I used it to line both the hood and the pocket.

I love the slim fit of this sweatshirt- not too baggy, not too tight!

I whipped up my cowl microfleece version in about a half hour after making the others. Seriously, the cutest, quickest sew ever. It is so cozy and I dreaded taking it off!

I think we’ve found a new favorite pattern. The big boys are feeling left out so we might need to whip up a few more real soon!

Terri’s patterns are so clearly written and I love her clean, crisp layout. She offers lots of tips and her tutorials make sewing a breeze even if you’re just a beginner to sewing.

Terri has graciously offered both patterns for $4 each or $8 (CAD, so us Americans will save even more!) for the bundle for a limited time. Are you doing last minute Christmas sewing? Or finished up and need a little selfish sew? I’d waste no time and grab this pattern TODAY! Pick up the kids version here or the ladies/mens here but really you should just get them both– you won’t regret it!

Angelic Li’l LDT

This little girl had her winter dance recital the day we took these pics. She wore an angel costume for her recital and I spent the day thinking how appropriate that was.

For this version of the Li’l LDT I used a cream sparkle ponte from Joann’s. I had originally gotten it for a cardigan but it was really meant to be this dress- I heard it calling to me 😉

As I sewed this up in the wee hours of the morning, I was nervous it would either be fabulous or look like a fancy nightgown. With every project I cut out it’s so nerve-wracking hoping it turns out like the vision in my head.

This one was exactly as I’d hoped. Once she got it on and styled I fell even more in love with it.

I did the cowl neck, bishop sleeves and high low dress version. The front of the high low has been lowered a bit in the final version.

The cowl and bishop sleeves together just make such a classic, sweet combination.

This pattern will be such a go-to pattern in our house. The girls love all their versions and I love how quick and easy they are to whip up. It’s so fun to think of all the possibilities and how it will work for every season.

Have you picked up your copy yet? Head over here and use code ‘forthegirls’ to get 20% off until 12/19.

That scrunchy nose smile gets me every time!

Sisters are the BEST!

Growing up I was nine years older than my one and only sister. I sure loved to mother and treat her like my own little baby but it wasn’t until we’d grown that she became one of my best friends. I love that my girls are only 21 months apart and share that special bond already.

They couldn’t be more different personality wise but I think that helps them get along even better.

If you can’t tell, Sophie is more serious and reserved and Payton has some serious spunk!

Sophie is 8 going on 16 and Payton is happily 6 and still into dolls, playing pretend, and anything sweet and girly.

They had so much fun doing this shoot- our first real one with props and everything. I know my indoor photos need a lot of work but it’s sure fun experimenting and learning along the way. It’s a family affair as my husband helps jimmy-rig the backdrop up and is teaching me the ins and outs of the camera. I really love being able to capture the kids personalities and share my latest creations.

My little super models are getting used to all the pics and for the right price ($1 a shoot as they save for Christmas) I think we all have fun in the process!

Those smiles!!!

I’m pretty sure Sophie is doing her best “Blue Steel” look here!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Mad for Plaid Cocoon Dress

Dress number two for little sister has been in my head since I made these dresses. I snatched up this super rad plaid corduroy last Christmas and it sat waiting- destined to become a cool retro Heidi and Finn Cocoon Dress.

The shape of this dress gets me every time! It’s just so dang cute!

I used a size 6 graded out to an 8 length and I love where it hits.

And you’ve got to have pockets! These are done out of houndstooth for a bit of contrast.

This dress just screams Cindy Brady to me but we added some moto boots to make it a bit more modern.

Don’t tell anyone but as much as I love my non-traditional dresses this one is my favorite by far. When I made my last batch I vowed to make only Cocoon Dresses from here on out. It is such a quick, satisfying sew that I really would make them ALL DAY LONG! Such a darling dress in a quick amount of time. I dare you to make just one!

I’ve got one more dress post for you tomorrow. These cute sisters had a blast doing this shoot and I can’t wait to show you! Are you sewing Christmas dresses? Are you all about the pouf and pizazz or do you do simple and sweet? Red and green or do you mix it up? I’m loving seeing everyone’s dresses around the blog world!

Tag: Payton