Sew A Little Seam – SewSophieLynn

Suit Up for Summer with Raspberry Creek Fabrics Day Two- Boy Swimwear PDF Comparison

It’s Day Two and I’m feeling so uplifted already. Yesterday’s posts were so enlightening and relatable. I loved the creativity and it’s so heartwarming knowing that we’re all in this crazy situation together. Sending you all lots of love from my little corner of the internet.

For today’s post I’m doing my own ‘comparison’ post of four different boy swimsuit patterns. The comparison is in quotes because these are not all sewn straight per the pattern. I shortened two of the patterns and did a different waistband elastic on one as well. These were personal preference but shouldn’t affect the overall fit of each suit. I sewed up the Sew A Little Seam Linden Shorts with the liner-added, 5 out of 4 Boys Kids Swim Trunks, Peek A Boo Patterns School’s Out Shorts, and the new Lowland Kids Swim Briefs. For reference his waist and hip measurements are 23.5″ and 26.5″ and he’s 52 inches tall.

He picked all of these fabrics. My kids are lucky to get to see the previews and they all end up with lists of their favorite prints. This guy was adamant that he get Sharks, Surfboards, Pirates, and Checkers (to match big brother of course!). I’m always happy to sew up as much swim as possible!

This is the Linden Shorts. This is a size 8 cut at the skirt ruffle hemline and I used the full elastic waistband and added the swimsuit liner from the add-on pack. I used 1-inch elastic in the waistband although it calls for 1.5″ (I highly recommend sticking with the 1.5″). The fit on these is good. The rise is a little shorter than the others so if your little one tend to need more room I would recommend adding a bit of height to the rise. I like that these are a little slimmer through the leg too.

These are the 5 out of 4 Kids Swim Trunks. This is a straight size 8 shorter length with inseam pockets. His biggest complaint with these is that the hole for the pocket opening is so small he can’t fit his hand in. I’m also not a big fan of the 2″ elastic waistband, I think it’s a bit too wide for his size and he complained about it too but that’s an easy thing to switch out next time. Overall, the fit of these is good. The rise is better on him than the Linden’s and with those little tweaks this will be a great pattern for his body.

These are the Peek-A-Boo School’s Out Shorts. For these I sewed a size 7 and cut them at the 6 mos. knee length line (it’s about an inch longer than the short cut line). I sewed up the Lowland Kids Swim Boardies last year for him and just love this style. He said the Boardies were too short so I wanted to give the PAB pattern a try again (he had this pair from two years ago). These might be my favorite! I think this style in the Surfboard print is just perfection! They sew up super quick (no hemming, yay!) and I love the look of the bias trim. He did complain that the elastic around the thighs of the liner was too tight but that’s something I can fix in the future as well.

The Lowland Kids Swim Briefs are different from the other patterns in that it uses regular stretch swim fabric. I’ve always loved the Sew Like My Mom Palm Euros and this pattern is a great alternative as he gets older and has a strong opinion on what he wears (no tight suits for him!). The pattern comes with a regular (slim) option and a wider option for sizes 6/7-9/10. This is a 7/8 in the wider option. I did a pocket band instead of binding and skipped the drawstring holes in the waistband. I love this pattern but did really struggle with the waistband- like unpicking it a million times and setting it in time out so I could pour me a stiff drink (Coke on the rocks with a little Coconut creamer for good measure). It was a lot of slippery layers and it was tricky to stretch the elastic to fit but not impossible and it does leave a nice clean finish at the waist. He declared this suit his favorite and definitely the most comfortable. The soft swim fabric I’m sure is so much softer against the skin than board short fabric and that’s a huge plus for this kid that lives in sweatpants everyday.

Are you sewing for boys? Is there any other patterns we should test out? I’m pretty sure we found some keepers with this group and I’m sure he’ll be asking for more come summer time.

Today’s other bloggers are sure to inspire you. Head over to the Raspberry Creek blog for the latest post and don’t forget to hit up IG for today’s giveaway!

Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Hosted by: Sew Sophie Lynn and Paisley Roots

Sincerely, Shantelle Merritts Makes Sew Mary Mac

Phat Quarters Sewing Sew Haute Blog My Sew Bliss Kainara Stitches

Made By Kates Sewing and Things Desert Blooms Sweet Mama

Margarita on the Ross Auschick Sews Hazelnut Handmade Call Ajaire

It’s Liesel House of Curves Stitching and Making Replicate then Deviate

A HUGE thank you to all our pattern sponsors!!!

Simple Life Pattern Company Love Notions Hey June Handmade New Horizons Designs

Sew A Little Seam Jilly Atlanta Ensemble Patterns Petit A Petit & Family

Striped Swallow Designs Jennuine Designs Jalie Ellie & Mac Sew Like My Mom Lowland Kids Phat Quarters

Greenstyle Creations Chalk & Notch Made For Mermaids Lil Luxe Collection Violette Field Threads Patterns For Pirates

Rebecca Page Shwin Designs Sinclair Patterns Call Ajaire Boo Designs Tadah Patterns

And again! Remember for this week you can use the code: SWIMTOUR for 15% off swim fabrics only over at Raspberry Creek Fabrics.

Raspberry Creek Fabrics Spring 2020 CLUB line

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I absolutely LOVE this time of year. February, you ask?! No, I am so over winter BUT February means new CLUB prints from Raspberry Creek Fabrics! Spring sewing is just what I need to beat these winter blues!

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Part of my job at Raspberry Creek Fabrics is that I get to work with our strike team. As soon as we preview each new line, I sit down with my kiddos and they ooh and aah over all the new prints. They always have a handful of favorites that they want immediately in their closets. It usually goes something like this, “I want a hoodie out of that, a t-shirt in that, pj’s in those, and a dress in that print!” Sometimes their wish lists are a mile long!

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I’m usually happy to oblige! CLUB knits are my favorites to sew with. They are stable and my serger LOVES them. Most of these projects are quick and easy sews, usually taking under an hour per garment. That’s my kind of project- especially when I have three eager kiddos awaiting each finished piece. I’m excited to share what I’ve sewn up so far from the new spring collection.

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This look was one I debated making for myself. My tween and I are usually on the same page fashion-wise and if it’s something I’m crushing on I can pretty much guarantee she wants it too. Chest stripe sweatshirts keep cropping up everywhere and I knew I wanted to recreate one- this time she was the lucky recipient. I used the Flora Stripe in french terry, paired with the light heather grey french terry and deep sage and dusty rose jersey. I sewed up the Hatteras Hoodie from Hey June Handmade and did my own color blocking with the stripes. An easy hack for such a cute result! I threw in a pair of lounge shorts using the Lexi and Lou Loungers from Made for Mermaids. She’s already worn the sweatshirt to school with jeans in this cold weather and I think come summer this will be a cute outfit to throw on after a day at the pool.

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This girl is all about the girly prints and fun details. I’ve been wanting to sew up another Striped Swallow Designs Apres Ski top for her and this pretty floral was just perfect for it. I’ve sewn up the Apres Ski plenty of times before in lighter-weight fabrics but I think this jersey just might be my favorite. I love how full the sleeves look in it!

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This little guy was the proud recipient of a handful of new clothes this past week. He’s growing so fast and I’m desperately trying to keep him clothed so this was perfect timing. I’m a sucker for stripes and the spring line is full of so many good ones. I used the Fauna stripes in french terry paired with the grey heather ft and teal jersey this time. I sewed up a classic Sew A Little Seam Constance Sweater using the stripes. For the pants I used True Bias Mini Hudson Pants and sewed a racing stripe to the side seam using the Fauna stripes. I simply cut the stripe leaving the white stripe on either side and folded that under. I sewed the first side down right on the side seam then sewed the other side down on the back of the pants. Another easy hack that takes these pants up a notch!

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This kid loves his hoodies and was smitten with this Knight and Dragon fabric too. This time I used jersey fabric for a lighter weight top that will work well through spring. I turned to the Rowan tee from Titchy Threads (it’s a good one if you haven’t tried it!). It’s got a slim fit that fits my little guy so well. I love that arm stripe detail!

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This last piece for Charlie is quite possibly my favorite thing in his wardrobe. It was such a fun make and I love how it came out. I used the Ellie and Mac Be Creative Hoodie. It was my first Ellie and Mac make and I have to admit I’m always apprehensive trying out new designers. I was so impressed with this pattern and all the little details it includes. Those are faux drawstrings which I love considering they ALWAYS come out in the wash. The color blocking options with this pattern are so fun too. I used this amazing City Map print in french terry paired with black french terry and hunter jersey for a sweatshirt that is our high school colors. He’s already excited to wear this to his big brother’s soccer games!

Fun fact about this kiddo: He wore these fake glasses all last week and convinced all his friends they were his reading glasses. He made sure to include that he was getting contacts this weekend so he wasn’t stuck wearing them forever! Yes, we did have a little chat about it but man, did he crack me up! I love that I got these pictures to remember this funny little man!

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Have you filled up your cart yet? What prints are you getting? Remember that release week pricing of $1 off per yard ends Monday February 17th so make sure you check out soon! I think we all need a little spring sewing!

Personalized Christmas Jammies with Cricut Maker, EasyPress 2, and EasyPress Mini

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

How many of you have the tradition of fresh new pajamas for Christmas morning? It was a tradition in my home growing up and one that I’ve loved carrying on with my own kids. Some years we all sport matching sets, sometimes they’re a mix of store-bought and handmade, and sometimes the littles get cozy footie pajamas while the rest of us are happy with new flannel pj pants. This year I’m excited to be ahead of the game and my kids are thrilled with their new jammies that match their personalities to a tee. This post is sponsored by both Cricut and Raspberry Creek Fabrics to really bring their visions to life.

We broke out all things Cricut for this post and I can’t wait to share all about them. We used the new Infusible Ink products, some fun Iron-On Designs, Everyday Iron-On with my Cricut Maker, EasyPress 2, and EasyPress Mini. Having the right products and materials made it so easy to create looks that this crew really loves.

The first thing we did was head to Raspberry Creek to pick their fabric. My younger three are all about the CLUB fabrics. I try to keep them in CLUB pajamas for every season. The CLUB fabric bases are so soft and comfortable and are their absolute favorites. I loved that they immediately found prints they loved and that they went for three different base fabrics- the famous cotton lycra, double brushed polyester, and the new sweatshirt fleece. My big boys wanted flannel bottoms and you can’t go wrong with any of the Robert Kaufman flannels in the shop. They are so soft and fluffy and wash up better and softer with each wash. I have a pair from many years ago that still look brand new even after constant washing during the colder months.

With their fabrics picked, we found the perfect matches for their personalized tops. My big boys wanted simple designs so we tried out a couple of Infusible Ink papers. My oldest daughter loves buffalo plaid and we just had to do the matching Infusible Ink. My spunky younger daughter fell for the perfect Iron-On Design and my little man went with easy Everyday Iron-On.

My littlest was very insistent he needed this adorable Christmas Cactus print for his pj’s. He sat on my lap and scrolled through DesignSpace with me and just cracked up at this design he picked. Boy, does it suit him! He’s sweet to the bone but his curiosity can get the best of him. We used Kelly Green Everyday Iron-On for a simple tee that we both love! I used the Titchy Threads Rowan tee for his top and Sew A Little Seam (free) Movie Night Pj’s for his bottoms.

This little miss loved this bright and fun Iron-On Design. I let her cut it all out and place it on her tee how she wanted. We used our favorite raglan pattern, Hey June’s Camden, and leggings pattern, Love Notions free Leggins’ to create an easy set. I wouldn’t be surprised if these pieces made their way into her everyday wardrobe too. This striped double brushed polyester is one of my favorites from the fall collection and I can always count on my go-to mustard dots to coordinate with just about everything.

It’s no surprise that this daughter of mine picked something I totally want for myself! I would live in those cozy fleece joggers! We used this buffalo plaid sweatshirt fleece for a pair of Made for Mermaids Lexi and Lou Loungers (with added elastic in the waist) that I’m sure she’ll wear every chance she gets. How fun is it that this Infusible Ink matches so good?!! Perfection! She picked this darling deer head from DesignSpace for a look that is so on trend. We used a Cricut blank tee as the base and we were both in awe as we watched the Infusible Ink melt into it. It was shocking to see how bright and smooth it came out! We were both mesmerized by it and are already planning more projects with it so we can see the magic again.

This kid is the ultimate sports fan. His room is decorated floor to ceiling with all things Broncos, Jazz, Yankees, and soccer. It was no surprise he wanted a simple Utah Jazz note on his tee. We used Infusible Ink and a Cricut blank tee paired with his cozy Patterns for Pirates Walk the Plank pj pants (another free pattern!).

My oldest is a senior this year and spends all his free time playing soccer. We found this cool silhouette in Design Space that looks soooo much like him- it was perfect! I added his school name and graduation year to really personalize it. He also got a pair of Walk the Plank bottoms.

For the front designs, I used my big EasyPress 2. I love the even, smooth results I get every time! I couldn’t live without my EasyPress! I was so excited to get the EasyPress Mini. I used iron-on size tags in almost all our handmades (it makes hand-me-downs easier and also helps my kiddos find the back, lol!). The EasyPress Mini is going to live in my sewing space and makes adding those little tags so.dang.easy. It heats up fast and is the perfect size to get in the neckline. My mind was blown!

A HUGE thank you to Cricut and Raspberry Creek Fabrics for providing all the supplies for this post. I love that we were able to spend time together creating the perfect jammies for each of my kiddos. The memories of that day are just as special as the pj’s! That’s what the holidays are all about!

Suit Up For Summer Day 5

Can you believe we made it to the last day of the Suit Up For Summer Blog Tour?! Not gonna lie, I’m going to sleep well tonight! I’ve so enjoyed sewing swimwear and the sensational seamstresses on the tour have continued to impress me day after day. My jaw hits the floor with each new suit I’ve seen. It’s been a week of incredible ingenuity and I’ve found so many prints and patterns to add to my sewing queue.

Make sure you read to the end of the post to take advantage of the great discounts and to follow the links to all the other stops on the tour. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and settle in for some awesome inspiration.

Today I’m sharing a trio of suits and their matching cover-ups. This fabric combo right here has been taunting me in my dreams ever since I laid eyes on them. I saved them to sew up very last as my incentive to get everything else done! All that blush pink makes my heart burst!

For the swimsuit I used the Blush Floral swim knit paired with Mauve Polka Dot Mesh.

This fabric combo is so sweet and precious. I used the Lainey Swimsuit from Made for Mermaids. I knew I wanted a little ruffle for the mesh and the Lainey includes a ruffle option. I used the double ruffle hack on the M4M blog to really highlight that pretty mesh.

I adore this pattern and I think she’s gotten one every year since it released. I think that’s a tradition I can get behind. I love the bum coverage and that one shoulder look is just so adorbs!

If you are new to sewing swimsuits I highly recommend the Made for Mermaids patterns for great step by step instructions (Boo! Designs is another pattern company that is fantastic for swimwear beginners). The construction of the suits is pretty ingenious to give you hidden seams whether you do a full or partial lining. For this suit I fully lined the bottoms and just lined the front of the top. This fabric is surprisingly thick and opaque for having so much white background. In general, Raspberry Creek Fabrics base is a little thicker than what you might be used to and I never worry about it being sheer.

I used another Made for Mermaids pattern to create this perfect cover-up. The Spencer Robe is a great unisex pattern that can be used for so many things. In this gorgeous french terry it makes the ideal thing to throw on before or after a swim. It’s not too thick but is still nice and cozy.

Made for Mermaids is celebrating a huge milestone in their Facebook Group with a discount code through tonight March 15th at midnight CST. Now’s your chance to grab these patterns for a steal!

This girl has been wanting a real one-piece swimsuit forever! I always have to gear up for lots of size blending and a couple of muslins to get something that will fit her lean long torso. The Mairin Swimsuit from Sew A Little Seam was such a good pattern to work with and we’re loving this classic suit. Paired with some Swim and Surf Shorts from Gracious Threads it’s a look that we both are crazy about.

I think you can never go wrong with gingham and I’m thrilled that Raspberry Creek is offering it in red this year. This navy floral board short fabric was one of our most loved prints this collection. Together they make the most adorable pairing!

I love that she can wear this outfit from the pool to the picnic afterwards. Board shorts are my go-to swim cover-up and I’ll happily ~~brainwash~~ convert this little miss to them too 😉

This little man got one more suit too! The Palm Euros from Sew Like My Mom are just about the cutest thing on little boys. I used this stripe for a preppy look that we both can get behind. I sized up one size for him to give him a bit more wiggle room. These are jammers length shortened a couple of inches.

Lowland Kids released this cute Racerback Hoodie this week and I knew it’d be a great top to throw on with his suits. In a cozy heathered french terry, it will be just warm enough after swimming.

You can also grab a code to get the hoodie for just $4 in the Lowland Kids Facebook Group that is good through midnight tonight as well.

These suits were some of my favorites ever! I love the vibrant cute fabrics and I’m glad I turned to some tried and true patterns for them. As I was sewing swimwear all week I took a few notes on things I couldn’t live without.

You can find my swim fabric tips here but these are all my favorite tools to have handy. When it comes to cutting slinky swim knit pattern weights, a rotary cutter, and a cutting mat are your best friends. When trying to keep your seams lined up, you can never have enough clips. Glue sticks are also super helpful for bindings, hems, or even stripe matching seams. I use sharp pins when attaching elastic though so that I can guarantee the elastic won’t pull the clips off. Swimwear elastic is key! Most patterns will call for it and the stretch and width of the elastic are all vital. When sewing on my regular machine, I like to use Eloflex stretch thread in my bobbin. It gives your seams a little more stretch and stability than a regular thread will.

For hems, I swear by Heat n Bond Soft Stretch. It will hold your hem in place and makes it super easy to fold the slippery fabric up into place. When actually hemming a stretch twin needle has always worked well for me. I will use a zig zag stitch for elastic but love a good double stitch hem on a rashguard or tankini top.

Phew! Did you make it to the end?! Thanks so much for joining us this week. It’s been a privilege to work with so many fantastic designers and so many creative and gifted bloggers.

Make sure to check out the other bloggers on the tour today!

Hosted By: Sew Sophie Lynn & Paisley Roots

Monday: Merritts Makes / The Petite Sewist / 5 Out of 4

Tuesday: Kainara Stitches / Sincerely Shantelle / We Sew Got This / Lily Shine Creates

Wednesday: Mabey She Made It / Little Fish Apparel / Pear Berry Lane / Heather Handmade

Thursday: Made By Kates / Margarita on the Ross / That’s Sew Kari / Auschick Sews

Friday: Its Liesel / Amber Lauren Boutique / Violette Field Threads / Confetti Unicorn

For this week, March 11-15, 2019, our readers can enjoy 20% off SWIM ONLY from these sponsors!

Wardrobe By Me code: Raspberry Creek

Simple Life Pattern Company code: SLPCO-RCSWIM

Violette Field Threads code: RCSwim

Titchy Threads code: SUITUP19

5oo4 code: RCFSWIM

and 15% off SWIM ONLY from Jalie code: SWIMTOUR15OFF

A huge thank you to all of our sponsors!

Boo Designs / Sew A Little Seam / Titchy Threads / Simple Life Pattern Co. / Jalie

Little Lizard King / Made for Mermaids / Love Notions / Striped Swallow Designs

Patterns for Priates / Violette Field Threads / Wardrobe By Me / 5oo4 / Sew Like My Mom

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!

Movie Night Pj’s and a Lesson Learned

Is there anything better than new pajamas?!! I don’t think so! I love my kids in fresh pj’s but chances are you’ll catch them sleeping in old tees and thread bare bottoms (if they even manage to change out of their clothes they wore that day). New pajamas are almost irresistible and I can guarantee they’ll reach for them any chance they’re clean.

This kiddo was especially in need of summer sleepwear as he’s had a major growth spurt and none of his fit from last year. The free Movie Night Pajamas from Sew A Little Seam (grab the code in the Facebook Group) were exactly what I was looking for. I decided to sew up a batch all at once and knew I could count on Kelly’s pattern to come together great. Here’s where I learned my lesson…

I have been sewing PDF patterns for about 5 years now and it’s about time I made this mistake. As the school year was coming close to an end I wanted to pack in as many projects as I could into my last few afternoons alone. I printed off about 8 patterns and assembled a handful to be ready for some serious sewing time. I cut and sewed two sets of pajamas and couldn’t figure out why they were so big! He tried on the yoga waistband mid-sew and it was huge. I naively thought it was just his little waist and took in the band a couple of inches. I completed both sets and just thought the pattern must run a little on the loose side.

It wasn’t until a day later as I was assembling another pattern from a different designer that it dawned on me how unusual the pattern had printed, leaving almost nothing to trim off the edges. I FINALLY got my ruler out to see that everything I’d printed had been printed to fit the page, not actual size like they should be. Duh!!! I rarely check to make sure the correct settings are selected because I’m the primary user of our printer. You better believe I’ll do it every time now. My 1 inch square was just 1/16th off, not a big deal, right?!! Well, now I know exactly how much that 1/16th can affect the body of a pattern piece.

I just had to go back and do another set so I could get a true sense for how it was supposed to fit and to see just how much it had affected the final product. I’m super happy I caught it before I had assembled the rest of the stack of patterns I’d printed and so glad I made the mistake on pajamas, a garment that is still totally wearable even if it’s a little big. You will see in this post the difference in fit between the planes and bears, the ‘bad’ versions, and the mustard stripes, the correct fit.

You can see that the fit of the planes isn’t terrible just looser and wider than expected. The stripe pj’s fit him like his favorite ready-to-wear ones, close but not too snug.

Don’t you just love them though! These fabrics from Raspberry Creek and Riley Blake are just so soft, they make the perfect pajamas! My kids reach for their RCF pj’s over and over and I feel like they never get worn out. I also love that they can pick cute novelty prints for them that I might not be drawn to for everyday clothes. This little guy has been wanting that bear fabric ever since it released so he’s one happy camper!

Please tell me I’m not alone in getting all the way through constructing a garment before figuring out my error. What has been your biggest “Doh” moment while sewing? I know we all make mistakes (What would we do without out our handy seam rippers?) and I’d love to hear your stories. I love that through our mistakes we can learn and turn those ‘What was I thinking?’ instances into ‘I’ll never do that again!’ lessons.

Project Run and Play- Week Three:On Safari

Wow! I can’t believe I’m here on week three! This competition has been so fun and I’m so lucky to be doing it with such amazing, fun ladies. They’ve been knocking it out of the park and keeping me on my toes.

This weeks theme is Halloween Costumes. I have a confession- I HATE sewing costumes! So much work for something that gets worn once or twice. I’m far too practical for that. In the past my handmade costumes have been quick, easy projects. This competition pushed me to spend a lot more time on their looks BUT I also stayed true to myself and made pieces that can be worn long after the last piece of Halloween candy has been eaten.

Their costumes this year are a little tribute to their Grandma and Grandpa who are serving a humanitarian mission in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Some of us were lucky enough to get to visit them and a highlight of our trip was an amazing three-day safari. We thought it would be a special homage to them to plan our Halloween costumes around an African theme. (Little brother will also be wearing his favorite RTW lion costume-roar!)

Sophie’s outfit is one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever done. I used the Cafe Romper from Sew Straight and Gather. This girl loves rompers but can never find one that fits her tall, skinny body. I added two inches to both the bodice and pants to get the perfect fit for her. We skipped the hidden button placket in order to showcase these brushed gold buttons. I added cargo pockets to the bodice and also to the pants. She loves ALL the pockets!

A faux button sleeve tab and leather pocket tab are little details that really elevate this outfit. I used a faux suede from Joann’s for this romper. I love the look and she loves how soft and comfortable it is.

For those chilly Halloween nights she can throw on her cozy quilted knit bomber jacket, made using the Ollie Bomber Jacket from Sew A Little Seam. The quilted knit is from Hobby Lobby. It’s such a great jacket- chic and so on trend. She will get lots and lots of wear out of this piece.

This girl is ready to hit the savanna!

Payton is comfy and cute in her leopard costume. I went simple and easy and made pieces that will mix and match into her wardrobe when Halloween is over. I used this fabric from CaliFabrics and it was perfect! My original plan was to make a one-piece skinsuit with a built-in tail. Then the practical side of me kicked in 😉 This is much easier to wear and going to the bathroom will actually be doable, haha!

Her top is a slimmed down Flashback Skinny Tee modified to have a mock-neck and thumb-hole cuffs.

Her leggings are our favorite pattern- the Love Notions free Leggins’. They fit my girls like a glove!

Her tail is a simple belt that can easily be taken on and off.

To keep her warm on Halloween night I did a self drafted scarf-neck cardigan using sleeves from the Hatteras Hoodie from Hey June. I used a cheap blanket from Wal-Mart that is both comfy and warm. I added pockets to keep her treasures too!

We had such a blast shooting these looks. We headed to our little slice of savanna and it was just amazing!

We’ve had such a blast sharing our creations with you during this competition. It’s really been a dream come true and I’ve had so much fun working with my kids on these looks. I hope to stick around for next week so we can show you our ‘Signature Looks’. Take a quick minute to head over and vote over at Project Run and Play. Thanks for stopping by!

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Sew A Little Seam Hadley Top

Oh! How I adore this top!

The newest pattern from Kelly at Sew A Little Seam is the sweet Hadley Top.

With multiple sleeve options in sizes 12 months to 12 years, this is sure to be a warm weather favorite for everyone!

There is an option to add trim to the bodice and I choose to continue that trim on the cap sleeve.

The back has an elastic casing to keep it snug and modest.

The finishing on this top is superb! The inside looks just as pretty as the outside with no exposed seams and bias trimmed armholes. Even with the beautiful finishes this top is a quick, simple sew- perfect for confident beginners.

My little sassy pants approves!

Make sure to pick up your copy and join the Facebook Group for an amazing coupon code to grab it for a steal!

Tag: Sew A Little Seam