Shwin Designs – SewSophieLynn

Teen Style with RCF Back to School Line

As my girls are getting older, their love of clothes is getting RIDICULOUS! They love fashion and work hard and save their money to spend on the latest ready-to-wear trends. I love being able to sew things for them still and it is an even bigger thrill when they reach for their handmade wardrobes over their RTW goods!

This little miss is spending her summer dancing and it was so fun to sew up a new mini capsule for those long dance days.

The Raspberry Creek Fabrics Back to School collection just dropped and is on sale through today. I honestly thought my girls would be over Back to School prints but Kim Henrie’s School is Cool line works way beyond the classroom! I used the Mix Tape print in cozy french terry and the Checkers in rib knit for a cute mix and match look.

I used the Made for Mermaids Nicky Top and Bonny Leggings for the rib knit set. The Nicky top is our go-to boxy crop tee. We both love the fit so much. The Bonny Leggings is a free pattern and sooo easy to sew up that she sewed them up herself! It was a fun sewing day with my girly sewing up these pieces.

For the french terry pieces I used the Ellie and Mac Oversized Tee and Shwin Designs Starr Joggers. For the crop sweatshirt I used scraps of ribbing I had in my stash (from RCF as well). The Starr Joggers are modified slightly by cutting them into shorts. She loves this jogger pattern because it is a little roomier and relaxed than most.

Man, outfitting this cute teen is just too fun!

Woven Hoodie with Riley Blake Destinations

It’s been awhile since this kiddo was on the blog and I’m excited to share this fun project with you! The Riley Blake Destinations line is a travel based collection and we had to jump in on the tour. This whole COVID thing has definitely put a damper on our travel plans but we’re doing our best to keep positive and keep exploring any way we can. This line has us itching to hit the road again!

When looking through the prints in this line, my little guy picked out a few that he loved. The Destinations Map print is subtle and so fun. He went with blue but there are 6 different colorways of this print so you have plenty to choose from!

For a contrast, he picked the United States Destinations in black. We loved looking at all the places and seeing just how many he’s visited. So many iconic destinations added to his must see list and it was fun to see that in his few short years he’s already seen so many too. There’s a World Destinations print too that’s full of all those bucket list places you’ve been dying to visit.

For his hoodie I used the Shwin Designs Submarine Pullover. I made it once before and it was such a hit. For this version, I let him dictate all of the details. I slimmed the sleeves slightly and then had him try on the shell to see how he wanted it finished. He picked to skip the elastic hem and buttons on the placket. I’m always game when their preferences mean less work for me! I love that this looks like a mini Vero top! This is the biggest size and I’m sad he won’t be able to have a closet full as he grows.

Make sure you head to Riley Blake to check out the amazing panels available with this line. I’ve never been so tempted to start quilting! From San Francisco to New York and London, so many of my favorite destinations to choose from.

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!

Raspberry Creek Fabrics Patriotic CLUB Line

Summer is coming which means it’s time to start sewing all the red, white, and blue! I don’t know about you but my kids wear their patriotic stuff constantly between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Summer is just the time of year that makes you so proud of the country we live in. Raspberry Creek Fabrics newest CLUB line is perfect for all summer long!

Corinne of Corinne Wells Design did a great job designing this line. There are six prints on the CLUB base jersey and french terry. CLUB base fabrics are comparable to expensive knits like Art Gallery but at a fraction of the price. They are my kids absolute favorite!

There are also two prints on dreamy rayon challis. I just had to have that cute red bandanna print so stay tuned for a little something for me!

My sister and I were excited to sew up these prints for our girls! They love cousin photo shoots almost as much as we do.

This cutie is wearing the Navy Stars on White paired with the CLUB red stripes. My sister used the Issie Top and Dress from SewPony for this darling dress. Those ruffles are so darn cute!

My Payton loves comfy clothes with a little sass and the Studio Top from Shwin Designs is so very her! I combined the two views, adding the sleeves from to the bodice flounce version. I had a lot of fun playing with the direction of the gingham for each pattern piece and since this knit is a four-way stretch it worked out just lovely. This big red plaid just screams summer to me!

This tiny miss was absolutely adorable during our shoot. She just loves her big cousins and they love her so much too! She’s wearing a modified Alley Cat Romper from Lil Luxe Collection. My sister made the bodice per the pattern and then chopped the bottom to be a cute handkerchief hem peplum.

Finally, my oldest is wearing the Cora Culottes from Made for Mermaids. They are such a quick sew and so comfortable. I’ll need to make her a bunch more for summer since she’s not much of a skirt girl but these are great compromise.

Are you itching for long summer days, bar-b-ques, and lots of family time? Just looking at these pics again has me so ready for school to be out and for all things summer! Make sure to head over to Raspberry Creek Fabrics this week to grab these fun prints for a dollar off per yard during the release week sale. Bring on the sun!!

Fiesta Fun Fabric Tour

Guys, I got an email from THE Dana. The one that I started following when these girls were just babies. The one that lit the fire in me to get my sewing machine out after years of neglect. The same Dana that introduced me to pdf patterns and KID Shorts. Is it weird that I already felt like we were buddies? I don’t think I could have jumped on board this tour any faster. Throw in gorgeous fabric celebrating one of my favorite places in the world and I was all over this one!

I got my girls on board and let them pick what fabrics they wanted and boy was that a tough decisions. The colors are so vibrant and the patterns are unique and so happy.

My oldest settled on the Zocalo Lemon and Mexican Dress Morning prints. I picked the later in canvas to use as a bottom-weight. It was my first go with Art Gallery canvas and I will definitely be using it again. It was the perfect weight for these shorts and I’d love a cute bag out of it too!

My sassy girl made up her mind in no time. She saw the vibrant Desert Flor Summer and knew she just NEEDED a dress out of it. I love, love how bright and fun this pattern is.

When picking patterns to really highlight this fabric I wanted something different and a little bit out of the safe silhouettes I usually gravitate to. Shwin Designs newest collection came out just in time! The Oh Darling Top and Dress is ready to party. For my oldest’s outfit I went with the Pensacola Beach Petal Top from Seaside Notions paired with the Emilya’s Skinny Pants from Simple Life Pattern Co.

Tell me this fabric and pattern combo weren’t meant for each other. This print actually called to me in the middle of the night and told me it needed to be a shoulder flounce dress. And these yellow pom poms in my stash had been dreaming of the day when they would grace this little girls’ arms. I couldn’t let them down…

I love the that this dress has the fun flounce but also covers her shoulders. It makes it church appropriate which is THE place to wear a fun fiesta dress.

I altered the pattern just a bit. I added an extra inch to the width of the ruffle making it even more dramatic. I then added elastic at the waist to bring it in. Simple modifications that really make this dress extra delightful.

This growing girl needed new shorts and the Emilya’s were perfect. She likes bermuda length which is fortunate because that’s what her school dress code suggests too 😉 The pattern comes with a cargo pocket option and shorts cuff but we kept it simple with just the addition of piping in the side seam.

Now that top is so cool, right? The scoop back is darling and the layered, curved skirt pieces really make it stand out. You know big sister needed poms too, can’t let lil’ sis have all the fun.

That square neckline makes me happy! So do those sweet, innocent eyes.

The girls were feeling so playful in these outfits. They just crack me up!

I am so glad I got to join in on the Fiesta Fun. This southern California girl-at-heart is always ready for a fiesta. Now I’m craving a frozen limeade on a sunny beach- maybe it’s not the fiesta I’m wanting but a ‘siesta’ that this mama needs 😉

Thanks so much for letting me in on the party Dana!

Monaluna Simple Life Tour

Gorgeous fabric gets me EVERY TIME! When Gemia from Phat Quarters Fabric and Kelly from Handmade Boy mentioned a tour featuring Monaluna’s newest fabric line, Simple Life, I jumped on board in no time! Throw in a chance to sew for this kiddo and I was in heaven!

I sewed up a Submarine Pullover from Shwin Designs for my man. I used this incredibly soft poplin (available in the Phat Quarters Shop) for the main. This fabric is quite possibly the softest cotton on the planet. I would love a whole wardrobe for myself made out of it. It drapes beautifully but still has a bit of weight making it great for so many projects!

The hood is lined in the cutest bear fabric- Nature Walk, also available at Phat Quarters. This color combo is so cute and stylish. I really love that this line is so ideal for boys without being over-the-top. It’s perfect for those of us eager to please our little guys without giving in to characters and crazy themed clothing.

I’m anxiously awaiting spring and warmer weather and this hoodie is the perfect transition piece! It works great layered over long sleeves for now but I also think it’ll be the ideal swim cover-up come summer too.

The sleeves feature a button-tab detail that makes it easy (and stinkin’ cute!) to roll up the sleeves come warm weather.

I made one small change to the pattern. I used the pocket piece on the fold and cut two of them (it’s lined in the blue fabric). I centered the pocket on the front and sewed the top and sides. The bottom is caught in the hem band. An easy hack and one my little buddy appreciates.

There’s just something about a little boy in a hoodie! The way it frames his cute face is just about all my mommy heart can handle 😉

Make sure you head over to all the other blogs for tons of cute boy inspiration!

Monday: Wild and Wanderful

Tuesday: Phat Quarters SewSophieLynn

Wednesday: Handmade Boy Crafty Like a Rox

Thursday: Ruby Rue Creations

Friday: Paisley Roots Sprouting JuJube

For your chance to win one of three great prize packages make sure to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here Comes the Fun Tour

Let’s Par-tay!!! I’m so excited to be joining in on Sew Caroline’s Here Comes the Fun Blog Hop.

I had a blast sewing up these looks and they were the perfect way to brighten up our dreary winter days.

From the moment I saw the previews for this line I knew I needed Tripixels Loud in my life- really I’ve been waiting months to get my hands on it! I love all of the bright colors and how cheerful all the prints are.

I was giddy when my package arrived! Fiskars is a generous sponsor of the tour and each blogger got an amazing set of new snips and scissors- a seamstresses dream!

I knew right away that this little miss needed an Eleanor Dress from Shwin Designs. I feel like this fabric was made just for my little girl. She’s our bundle of fun and this fabric combo is just perfect for her bubbly personality.

This dress is so sweet and so ideal for school days. She loves her knit dresses and Art Gallery knit is the cream of the crop.

I let her pick from our button stash but in the end she fell in love with these bright KAM snaps that look like candy trim. I love seeing what choices my kids make and usually end up loving them as much as they do.

For my top I struggled with finding a pattern. I don’t wear or sew woven tops for myself very often and it’s definitely a void in my closet that needs to be filled. I settled on Made by Rae’s Beatrix Top and I’m over the moon with how it turned out.

It has full back plackets and sewed up in no time, especially since I used KAM snaps for the closures. They make it much easier to get on and off too! You know me, a quick cute project is my kind of sew.

We had a blast doing our photo shoot. After days of gloom and snow I knew we needed to do an indoor shoot. We decided to throw our own little party!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We discovered confetti cannons this New Years and we have been dying to do them again. Apparently I get really excited over them, haha!

Make sure to check out all the other awesome projects that will surely brighten your day:

Aubrey Plays
A Jennuine Life
Izzy and Ivy Designs
Holly and Company
Elle Lee and Me
Lilly Shine Boutique
Simple Life Pattern Co
Happiness in the Making
MADE Everyday
Little Bit Funky
Sew and Tell Project

No blog tour would be complete without a super fun giveaway. Head on over to Sew Caroline for a chance to win your own Fiskars scissors and a Here Comes the Fun Fabric Bundle.

Thanks for stopping by our little party!

Back to School with Heartland Fabrics

This post is sponsored by Art Gallery Fabrics.

This post contains massive amounts of my favorite things: beautiful fabric, cute kiddos, and great friends! I’m elated to be joining in on Heartland Fabrics Blog Tour put together by the fabulous Karly from Paisley Roots.

I love all things Art Gallery and this line is absolutely to die for! The patterns and colors are just right up my alley. Soft pinks and blues, vibrant mustard and greys… all the choicest colors in one line!

They are perfect for year round wear but especially fun for back to school!

For our back to school looks I used patterns from Shwin Designs. I used the Stella Tunic for my daughters top. I’m crushing hard on that high-low peplum! It’s such a beautifully classic top with just the right amount of flair. My little man is sporting a Maxwell Top. I adore all the details on this shirt that make it so cool!

His top is made using Trekant Rows Breeze. I love the modern geometric print! Big brother asked if I could make him the same exact shirt, he loves the fabric so much. This is a quilting cotton and is so soft and lovely. If you’ve never worked with Art Gallery cottons I suggest you get on that! They are my favorite for my kids clothes.

Wait! OK- maybe not my favorite. I forgot how AMAZING this voile is! It’s incredibly soft and luxurious and I want to sew with it forever! I’ll be making my own top out of this as soon as possible. Do you think people will notice if our whole family is sporting this fabric daily? This is the Blomma Garden Pastiche print just so you can get your own stat!

Pair it with knit in Unn Cross Pine and it’s an outfit she couldn’t wait to wear to school!

We had so much fun joining our friends Paisley Roots, Made by Melli, and Sew A Straight Line for a super fun photo shoot. The kids had so much fun together after they warmed up a bit.

My Charlie sure thought Sabra’s Jonas was the coolest kid on the planet.

He helped him start an acorn collection (mom’s favorite) and they bonded over their love of football- especially the Denver Broncos.

These two together were the funniest! So sweet, shy and awkward but so darn cute!

And these boys have all the heart eyes from me!

I loved watching the kids interact with each other and seeing how all the fabrics coordinated so well. It will really take all my willpower not to hoard every single print!

I’ll leave you with a little dab from the four-year-old 😉 Make sure to check out the other amazing bloggers sharing their gorgeous makes this week!

Aug 19 – Paisley Roots / Coffee & Thread

Aug 20 – Made For Mermaids / Sweeter Than Cupcakes

Aug 21 – Made By Melli / Hello Holli

Aug 22 – Little Lizard King / Sew Sophie Lynn

Aug 23 – Sew A Straight Line / Needle & Ted

Project Run and Play: Week Two-I’m an Autumn

Fall in Utah is my absolute favorite! The vibrant leaves, cooler weather and trips to our favorite pumpkin patch are things I look forward to all year.

It was so fun sewing for this week’s Project Run and Play challenge- I’m an Autumn: using the warm colors of Autumn for your primary color palette (red, orange, yellow, and brown). Now admittedly, I’m NOT an autumn and I’m drawn to much cooler colors so this was initially a bit of a challenge for me. I had nothing at all in my stash in those colors so we took a trip to the fabric store (five fabric stores to be exact!).

I had a vision for this dress right from the start and finding the perfect fabric proved to be harder than I thought it would. With our short time frame I knew I had to find it locally and I finally settled on this gorgeous charmeuse from Joann. It has such beautiful drape and worked so well for this maxi.

I used the Lil Luxe Dress from Lil Luxe Collection as the base for this dress. I added the long sleeves and pockets from the Starlight City Dress, also by Lil Luxe Collection. I cinched the sleeves with elastic to create a bit of volume in them. I used the width of the fabric for the skirt portion adding to the drama of this dress.

I raised the back curve a couple of inches. This dress will get worn to church ALOT and I wanted her to feel comfortable in it. And boy does she! She absolutely loves it! She’s all about the maxi dresses and this is her new favorite!

To complete her look I made a luxurious faux fur vest. She’s always wanted one and this was the perfect outfit for it!

I used my go-to t shirt pattern the City Park Tee from Hey June Handmade to start with. I drafted the vest using the bodice pieces with only slight modifications. It’s fully lined in a super soft tweed and closes with a hook and eye at the chest. She’s anxious to wear it with her favorite skinny jeans and boots once the weather stays cooler.

I was so excited to sew for this little guy too! He’s not the easiest to photograph but he’s always a super grateful recipient.

The highlight of his outfit is a vest made using the BBC Vest from Shwin Designs. Flannel and leather are such an amazing combo for fall.

It’s so soft and cozy and will make a great layering piece in his wardrobe. I lined it in cream stretch denim to make it a bit more structured.

The leather details elevate it and I was a little nostalgic digging through my great-grandma’s buttons for this project. These were exactly what I was looking for to finish off this vest.

His pants are Moto Maxx bottoms from Love Notions. I love the details on these and they were so fun to play with.

In my endless fabric search I was trying to find soft, comfortable khaki twill. Everything I found was stiff and not what I had in mind so I headed to my hubby’s closet. I stole his beloved well worn khakis and they worked like a dream! I did diamond quilting on the knees and lined them with flannel from the vest. Comfortable, warm pants will be well loved this fall.

I did triple stitching on the waistband and slightly cropped them to be more like the joggers his big brothers are so fond of. This little man wants to be exactly like them so he loves his new cool pants!

His tee is an ode to another fall staple- long days at the soccer fields! This little guy is so excited to be on his first soccer team after spending much of his life watching all his siblings play. He’s definitely got the soccer thing down and this tee is a winner.

I used the Made for Mermaids Rowan Raglan and slimmed it down to fit better under his vest. I love this pattern and all the options it comes with. He loves hoods so I’ll be adding them whenever I can.

These two are just loving their new looks!

Make sure to head over to Project Run and Play to see the other competitors looks and to vote for your favorite! We hope you like our Autumn look as much as we do!

Save

Dive into Dolmans Round-up Review

Can you believe the end is here? I’ve had such a blast with my co-bloggers and have learned so much. Did you pick a favorite pattern? Maybe find a couple you just HAD to have?

Here’s a little run-down of what we reviewed:

Diving Into Dolmans Week 1

Sewing By Ti- Sew Much Ado Seafarer
Creative Counselor- Sewing Cake’s The Tee
Sew Sophie Lynn- Patterns for Pirates Pumpkin Spice
Made By Melli- Patterns for Pirates Sweet Tee

Guest blogger: Rebel and Malice- Jalie Dolman #3352

Diving Into Dolmans Week 2

Sewing By Ti- Create Kids Couture Donna’s Dolman
Creative Counselor- Blue Dot Patterns Georgia
Sew Sophie Lynn- EYMM Kymy’s Dolman

Guest bloggers: Rebel and Malice- Kzjo Poppy
Adventures with Bubba and Bug- Little Kiwi’s Closet Take Flight Dolman

Diving Into Dolmans Week 3

Sewing By Ti- Peekaboo Sunkissed Tee
Creative Counselor- Seamwork Aberdeen
SewSophieLynn– Hey June Aurora
Made by Melli-Peekaboo Sunkissed Tee

Guest Bloggers: Sew Far North – EYMM Assymetrical Top
Adventures with Bubba and Bug- Seamingly Smitten Dolman Sleeve Sweater with Assymmetrical Collar
Dos Natural Sistas- Hey June Aurora

Diving Into Dolmans Week 4

Sewing by Ti: Jalie #3352 Dolman
Creative Counselor: Maria Denmark Olivia Oversized Tee
SewSophieLynn- Itch to Stitch Carey
Made by Melli – Shwin Day Tripper

Guest Blogger: Sew Far North – Seamingly Smitten Women’s Dolman Sleeve Sweater
Mahlica Designs: Fancy Tiger One Hour Top

Diving Into Dolmans Week 5

Sewing By Ti: Patterns for Pirates Pumpkin Spice
Creative Counselor: EYMM Natasha
SewSophieLynn- Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee

Guest bloggers: Sew Far North – Nap Time Creations Easy Breezy Summer Tee
Lulu & Celeste: Shwin Day Tripper

Diving Into Dolmans Round Up

Sewing By Ti
Creative Counselor
Sew Sophie Lynn

Guest Bloggers: Bubba and Bug

I love seeing them all together- what a variety of fits and features! All dolmans are definetely not created equal.

To check out my other beloved dolmans you can head here.

Ready to see my picks? Drumroll please….

My surprise favorite is …

The Itch to Stitch Carey Top! I love, love this top! It’s not super versatile (like, I think people will catch on if I were to sew up a dozen and wear them everyday) BUT I will make more for sure. I really want a light woven version for summer. The gathered arms are just so fantastic and unique and really elevate this pattern.

Most comfortable goes to…

The Mandy Boat Tee from Tessuti. It’s such a cute, comfy silhouette and very easy to wear. Not the most flattering but most days I don’t really care 😉

The one I’m most anxious to sew up again is…

The Hey June Aurora Tee. I love the side colorblock option with this pattern and definitely need to try it. I also want an easy-breezy short sleeve version for summer. Adrianna recently posted the cutest slouchy Aurora tee hack here that I’m dying to try too.

Most flattering goes to…

EYMM Kymy’s Dolman. My poor little chest and lack of waist gets camouflaged great in this silhouette. I’d love to try the side rouching option for even more belly hiding. I think in a drapier fabric it will be even better!

My cool weather staple will be…

the Pumpkin Spice Dolman from Patterns for Pirates. I love the silhouette of this tee with the long sleeves. The volume up top with a fitted sleeve and waist works wonders on my frame too. I will definitely be making more of these when the weather cools down.

My go-to staples will remain the same…

Sew Much Ado’s Seafarer Top is so quick and I love the slim fit of it. It’s the perfect basic top for me.

Shwin’s Daytripper Top is another go-to that I can’t give up- pockets in a top are genius! I’ve even hacked this one into my favorite loose-fitting maxi dress. It’s just so good!

The Love Notions La Bella Donna Top is so super flattering and could potentially dethrone my other got-to’s. I need to make a short sleeve version stat but I absolutely adore my long sleeve ones.

K- are you feeling overwhelmed? That’s a lot of dolmans, right there! The great thing about the pdf world is that there is something for everybody. I certainly loved following my co-bloggers on this adventure and even with my abundance of dolman patterns I think I may pick up a couple of their favorites too. Dolmans are so versatile and each pattern has it’s own unique fit and options that I hope you found the perfect pattern (or two…or ten!).

A HUGE thank you to the designers who so willingly gave patterns for this series and to the other bloggers who worked so hard each week. Thanks Ti for letting me join in the fun.

And thank ya’ll for following along! I hope to see you around here again soon!

Tag: Shwin Designs