Simple Life Pattern Co. Cora

There’s just something magical about a floaty, floral maxi dress!

The Cora Top, Dress and Maxi from Simple Life Pattern Co. is simple summer perfection. Sewn up in a gorgeous Art Gallery Fabrics rayon challis, I don’t think it gets any better.

The Cottage Favorite print from Sharon Holland’s Willow line immediately jumped out at us. We both love that deep emerald/teal color and the floral print is simple and sweet. Art Gallery rayon challis is so soft and dreamy to wear and sews up easily too!

The strappy back of the Cora is definitely a show stopper! The elastic back casings create a perfect fit too!

I sewed up a size 12 with a little bit of added length to the skirt (using every inch of my three yards of fabric for this!). I’m in denial that my girls are growing out of SLPCo patterns. Hopefully, we can get one more year with this girl!

I really love that it’s both grown-up but not too ‘adult’. She wore this the next day with a little white tee underneath and it was the cutest! I love when she takes my makes and really makes them her own.

We met up with cute little Inara for some pics and these girls couldn’t be more adorable! Aren’t the backs of these dresses to die for?!

These patterns are on sale for the month of June as part of the SLPCo monthly challenge. Don’t you just love any excuse to sew up an adorable new look?!

Simple Life Pattern Co. Newport

The Newport Dress pattern is part of the April Simple Life Pattern Co. Monthly Challenge. Each month a new collection of patterns is highlighted at SLPCo and you can enter to win store credit when you sew them up and share! Bonus, all of the patterns are on sale for the month of April!

As part of the SLPCo Promo team, I got to sew up this pattern in pretty Art Gallery Fabrics. I had made this pattern once before in a pretty floral that unfortunately didn’t get worn a ton. She loved the style but it was a little too young feeling for her so I knew fabric would make all the difference.

We went with a bright fun pink solid, Dragon Fruit, with a simple graphic print for the pockets, Seedmap from the Pollinate collection from Jessica Swift.

The bold bright color is so happy and I love it on her. It matches her sunny personality!

I sewed up a size 10 with added length. I love the simple design but those big fun pockets are the highlight of this pattern.

She said she was feeling very Audrey Hepburn in this (she’s forever our ideal of classic style!).

Make sure you head over to the SLPCo Fan FB group for details on the Monthly Challenge and for all the girly inspiration!

Simple Life Pattern Co. Holiday Tour 2020

The holiday season is upon us and I’m excited it’s time for one of my favorite blog tours of the year, the Simple Life Pattern Co. Holiday Blog Tour. This is our fourth year on the tour (crazy, huh?!) and you can see our past years here, here, and here. We love SLPCo for their darling dress patterns and I know you will too! Bonus, it’s their last sale of the year and you can save 25% off all patterns with the code HappyHolidays. Perfect timing to sew up your own holiday dresses!

I’m so grateful Sophie is just barely able to fit in a size 12 width so I could do one more year of sister dresses. These photos are the real treasure from this project!

We were able to get together with Anna and sweet Inara again this year and these girls just love any chance they get to see each other. I love how each of their dresses just suits them to a tee!

Art Gallery Fabrics was a generous sponsor of this tour and we were able to pick just the right fabrics for our looks. Anna used a super soft knit print and solid for Inara’s dress while we went with their amazing rayon prints. I adore Art Gallery rayons and always think it’s a treat to work with them. They are so soft and a dream to sew with. The prints are incredible and always give me such professional looking garments.

Sophie’s been growing like crazy and her maxi dresses are suddenly no longer maxi length. For her look we knew we wanted a comfortable but dramatic piece. She picked Magnolia Study Silkroad a vibrant red print that is the perfect floral for this anti-floral girly. It’s refined and subtle and just right for this picky girl.

It was only suiting that I sewed my Sophie the Sophie Dress. We love the pretty scoop back and multiple sleeve options. The ruffle neckline is extra cute too!

For her dress, I sewed up a size 12 bodice and added length to the skirt to make it extra long. I love the dramatic look of the puddle maxi right now and know it’s only a matter of time before it’s ankle length, lol! She’s just barely shorter than me so I’m thinking by next Christmas we’ll be eye to eye!

For Payton’s dress, she picked Plaid of My Dreams (is that the most suiting fabric name or what?!). I used the Aspen dress and love the finished look!

Don’t you love that bodice?! It was perfect for using the fabric on the bias and is such a cute feature.

And that back keyhole is both easy to get on and off and simple to sew. I used a faux leather ribbon to up the urban look of this dress.

I sewed up a size 8 bodice with a size 10 dress length. We both love the loose relaxed fit- it’s so comfy and totally adorable!

Make sure to check out the other stops on this tour. These ladies are some of the most talented sewists and always inspire me with their makes. I know if they sew something up, my girls would love it too!

A huge thank you to our sponsors!!

Follow along the Simple Life Pattern Company Holiday Blog Tour 2020

❅ Monday (11/9) That’s-Sew-Kari

❄ Tuesday (11/10) It’s Liesel

❅ Wednesday (11/11) Kainara Stitches

❄ Thursday (11/12) SewSophieLynn

❅ Friday (11/13) Kutti Couture

I’ll leave you with our Christmas card photo for this year. Just kidding! I think they look like angelic little models in this pic and it makes me giggle. If only you could see the hilarious behind the scenes of these silly girls!

Simple Life Pattern Co. Patricia in Art Gallery Rayon

The Simple Life Pattern Company’s September to Remember Challenge is happening now! Sew up one of the selected patterns for your chance to win SLPCo credit, all the details at the end of this post. I sewed up the Patricia Dress and Top and it’s one you’ll want to add to your to-do list!

The Patricia is a beginner friendly pattern that comes in sizes 2t-12. It features multiple sleeve styles and a dramatic or subtle high low hem. You can make a top or dress length and it works for either knit or woven fabric. With no closures, it’s a quick sew and so easy to wear.

I sewed up a size 10 with a 12 length for this girl. I did the dramatic high low skirt and the bell sleeves. I think this dress is a great year-round pattern. It works well with sandals and will look so cute with tights and boots too!

Art Gallery Fabrics sponsored this post and it was too fun shopping for just the right fabric for this project. I love this pattern in a nice flowy fabric and AGF rayon is some of my favorite to work with. Going into fall, I’m always excited for all things plaid and this pretty grid print, Grid Negative in Rayon by Katarina Roccella, really caught my eye. This girl is moving away from crazy prints and prefers subtle patterns and solids and this plaid was perfect for her.

This cute girl turned the big 1-3 this week! I can’t believe she’s officially a teenager. In so many ways, she’s been a teenager for years. She has such a mature attitude and is so wise beyond her years. She’s so thoughtful and creative and kind and it’s been my pleasure to be a witness to the beautiful young woman she’s become. Taking pictures of my kiddos so often gives me a chance to really connect with them and see them for who they are. It’s amazing to watch them grow and find themselves. This girl really is amazing and a great example to me. I’m excited for the coming years with her as we become more and more equals and it gets so fun to share so many interests and similarities. What a girl!

This photo shoot was a quick one, during my little man’s soccer practice so we were on a tight schedule. We headed to my favorite little Main Street in a sketchy part of town. We go here often for shoots but usually try to go in the afternoon and avoid it at night. On this day, we got here just as the sun was setting. The streets were busier than normal and I had to move the beer bottles and other garbage from our shots. This girly was such a pro- smiling like there was no one around and posing like a super model. She’s my sweet, shy girl and I was so proud of how well she pulled it off. We had a good laugh when we realized she had one boot unzipped the whole time. For my perfectionist daughter, it could have meant tears but instead we just giggled and knew it meant these pics would be ‘real’, not perfect but still good enough.

To enter the SLPCo Challenge this month, you can sew up any of the following patterns: Shelley, Eden, Georgia, Ava, Lydia, Patricia, Mattie, Autumn, and Roxy (many are available in Baby sizes too!). These patterns are all on sale this month too! Take a photo of your make and post it in the Simple Life Facebook group or on your Instagram and tag #slpcochallenge for your chance to win a $20 shop credit to SLPCo.

Excited to see what September brings!

Simple Life Pattern Co. Molly Maxi Dress in Art Gallery Fabrics

It’s Maxi Month at Simple Life Pattern Company and I’m thrilled to be sharing our latest maxi dress. I’ve always wanted an excuse to sew up the Molly Dress and this was the perfect opportunity. All month long you can enter to win a $20 SLPco shop credit by sewing up one of their maxi dress patterns and posting a photo of your make in their Facebook group or on Instagram. Use #SLPcoChallenge to enter your makes. You can grab all of the details here.

This post is sponsored by Simple Life Pattern Company and Art Gallery Fabrics. All opinions are my own.

My girly and I perused the many amazing fabrics from Art Gallery Fabrics and kept coming back to this gorgeous rayon from Bonnie Christine’s latest line, Her and History. I knew the colors would be stunning on her and she loved the beautiful floral print. Working with AGF rayon is such a joy and it was heavenly to sew up.

The Molly pattern is a scoop back top, dress, or maxi and features optional front bodice pleating and collar. It comes in sizes 2t-12. I sewed up a size 10 to hopefully get a little more wear out of it because she was between size 8 and 10. It ended up a tad big but I adjusted the buttons in the back and can move them as she grows as well. The simplicity of the pattern makes it easy to sew up. I love the gorgeous back and classic front bodice. Such a perfect pattern to really highlight this amazing fabric.

I love this amazing combination of pattern and fabric. The lightweight rayon just floats as a maxi dress and it’s so nice in the warm summer weather.

Make sure to enter your own SLPco makes this month! I can’t wait to see all of the maxi pretties you all sew up!

Abbie’s Garden from Riley Blake Designs

I’m excited to be back here on the blog today. Sewing time is scarce these days and blogging time seems even scarcer. The sun is shining and I’ve got a house full of kids these days so we are spending as much time outside as possible. I do love spending a morning at my sewing machines though and this fun fabric from Riley Blake was a perfect excuse to sew!

I always love Sue Daley’s designs and Abbie’s Garden is no exception. The pinks and blues are just the perfect shades and I love the pop of black with them. I always get sucked in by the florals but the darling main prints are so sweet too.

My girls and I picked two simple prints from the collection. My younger daughter went with Abbie’s Garden Floral in Black while my older daughter wanted something more subtle and non-floral and picked the Garden Lattice in Charcoal. There are so many great coordinating prints with this collection!

For this dress I turned to a free pattern from Simple Life Pattern Co., the Catalina Dress. I always love finding great free patterns that I can recommend and this one is fantastic! It’s a classic sundress that comes in sizes 2-12. The elastic back means no closures so it’s a quick sew too! It’s perfect for highlighting those special fabrics and a great base to really play around with. I’m already envisioning a pretty stripe version or playing with the straps a little for fun.

When she put this on and requested a ponytail, I got all kinds of 50’s school girl vibes. I had to teach her about Sandra Dee and she loved her style!

My oldest wanted something other than a dress and the search was on for just the right pattern. Little Lizard King released the Cannes pattern just last week and the moment I saw it I knew it’d be perfect! This pattern comes in sizes 12 mos.-14 and features top and dress options. With a v-neckline in the front and back, it’s another no closure pattern. It’s finished with bias around the neckline and arms instead of another layer or facing which makes it nice and lightweight.

While it works great in quilting cotton, I think it’d be lovely in a rayon challis or gauze too! Bonus points moms, there’s a ladies version as well!

It was so fun to head to one of our favorite walking trails for these pictures. Summertime is in the air and I can’t wait for more days like this. We had to stop for our first snow cones of the season after this shoot and for a moment all was right with the world!

A huge thank you to Riley Blake for sponsoring the fabric for this post. Make sure you check out Abbie’s Garden at your local quilt shop!

Simple Life Pattern Co. Piper Dress

Simple Life Pattern Co. is a favorite for my girls, especially for dresses. As part of the promo group I had the opportunity to pick this gorgeous Art Gallery fabric and sew up a pretty Piper dress. Fabric and pattern were gifted to us but all opinions are my own.

My oldest is quickly growing out of most children’s patterns so I was happy when she was still able to fit into Simple Life patterns. She’s a good 5-6″ off the chart height-wise but that’s an easy adjustment to make. The Piper pattern comes in sizes 2-12, features multiple lengths and a ruffled or plain bodice. When shopping the Art Gallery site, I steered her towards the rayon knowing that they produce a little more grown-up look than a quilting cotton would. This pretty print is just stunning and we went with the maxi length skirt to really up the drama.

Between the ruffled bodice, wide tank style, and elastic waist, this dress is tween approved! She loved how comfortable it is and that the wide straps hid her bra too.

She’s really looking forward to warm summer days when she can wear this to church. She was a trooper this day and took these pics when it was just 40 degrees! I tried to be as quick as I could and she’s hiding jeans under the dress too, lol! I’m not THAT mean! We had to catch the little bit of sunshine between snowstorms.

The Piper is part of Simple Life Pattern Co’s April challenge Garden Party. The other featured patterns are Newport (you can see ours here), Maggie, Kyra, and Jamiesyn. All of these patterns are 20% through the whole month. To join the challenge, sew up your own versions for a chance to win one of three $20 gift cards to SLPCo.

Sewing one of these pretty dresses is just the right cure for a gloomy day at home!

Liberty Flower Show Spring for Riley Blake Fabrics

I’ve been a lover of Liberty fabrics since I started sewing regularly almost ten years ago. I dragged my husband to the Liberty flagship store many years ago on a trip to London and I wandered the store for far too long for someone as cheap as I am! I left with a few small trinkets (fabric buttons, a handkerchief, and some gorgeous bias tape) and vowed to one day splurge on actual yardage when I felt confident in my sewing abilities. When I saw that Liberty has partnered with Riley Blake to offer affordable quilting cottons, my thrifty little heart rejoiced! You get the same iconic prints and Riley Blake’s quality cottons.

I’m excited to introduce you to the Liberty Flower Show Spring line. There’s an amazing variety of prints- from the vibrant and bright spring florals to the subtle tone on tone prints. I requested a few different prints that I fell in love with. I knew I needed something for myself and was torn between which children deserved this goodness.

Payton needed a dress in this happy floral print. I’ve been wanting to make a Simple Life Pattern Co. Newport Dress since it released and I knew this print would be great for it. I love the simple lines of this pattern and those pockets are the coolest thing EVER! The construction is unexpected but the look really adds so much to this dress. I sewed up a straight size 10 (she’s right in between an 8 and a 10 size-wise but I want her to be able to wear this through the summer too) with added length that I ended up taking out by doing an extra wide hem. I always think I want dresses to hit below the knee so she can wear them longer but in the end I decided that I like the look of slightly above the knee so much better. With a wide hem, I can just let it down when she grows! The joy of sewing your own clothes!I paired the Malvern Meadow print with the Wiltshire Shadow Collection Custard for the lining and pockets lining. The colors in the Malvern Meadow print are so fun and cheery. They bring a bit of sunshine to our gloomy winter days. I made a warm weather dress for an upcoming vacation and know she’ll be happy to wear this come spring too!

This print, Yorkshire Meadow, had me so torn. First, it was going to be a tie for one of my boys. The subtle print and muted colors make it a floral that works great for anyone. I finally settled on shorts for my oldest daughter because it was the most practical. As we get ready for our trip I noticed she’s grown about a foot and her shorts are a little extra short now. These will be perfect for throwing on with a swimsuit and wearing while we do a little sight seeing too.

I used the Free Purl Soho City Gym Shorts pattern. I love this free pattern! It’s quick and the racer styling never goes out of style. She’s in the largest kid size for her waist and I added an extra inch to the inseam length. I used store bought bias tape and 1.5″ elastic instead of the 1″ the pattern called for. They offer this pattern in children’s sizes 2-11 and women’s waist sizes 33-46″. It’s such a great lounging pattern and works well with lots of different fabric types. It’s fantastic for beginners too!

For my top, I used the Arley Gardens print (not available on the website but it should hit your favorite quilt shop soon!). These colors are divine! The rosey-pinks and dusty blues- c’mon! It feels a little more grown-up and not so flashy. It’s just so darn pretty!

I used the Melody Top from Love Notions (affiliate link). It’s the perfect beginner friendly button-up. No finicky plackets to mess with and great, detailed instructions. I sized down to an XS this time as I was afraid it would look too boxy in this heavier weight cotton. I love that the Melody looks amazing in so many different fabric types. I made one slight change to the pattern and cut the back piece straight across instead of the shirt tail hem. I plan on tying the front whenever I wear it and I found with my last Melody that my back hem just naturally bunched up in the back. Cutting the shirt tail curve off will reduce the bulk back there.

Are you itching to get your hands on some of this line now?! If you’re looking for the Liberty lawn feel, this isn’t going to work for you. It has the same feel and weight as a high-quality quilting cotton. It will be great for lots of home and apparel projects as well as nice on your bank account too! If you’re like me that means you can just buy ALL the prints then!

SLPco Holiday Blog Tour 2019

The SLPco Holiday Blog Tour has turned into one of my favorite traditions each year! This is our third year joining the fun (you can see our past looks here and here). It always pushes me to get our holiday dresses done a little earlier and my girls get to wear them through the whole season and beyond.

This post is sponsored by SLPco, Sly Fox Fabrics, and Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I’m so grateful for their generosity in helping make these looks a reality.

These looks started with this amazing scuba knit from Sly Fox. The floral is flocked onto the most vibrant red scuba knit. I’ve always loved scuba for it’s thick, soft and squishy texture. Throw on the velvety goodness of the floral print and I’m smitten! This fabric was destined to be a holiday dress and so perfect for this spitfire.

I turned to a tried and true pattern- the Adelyn. I’ve lost count of how many of these I’ve made. That big bow back just makes such a statement!

The pretty puff sleeves and twirly circle skirt are details this girly loves! I love how quickly it comes together. The bodice is lined (I used a cotton lycra to reduce bulk) and there are no closures. I skipped hemming on the skirt (I couldn’t get the scuba to give me a crisp press and I’m always game for anything that makes my life easier, lol). I did an 8 with a 12 length on the skirt according to her measurements and think the fit is spot on. I can always count on SLPco to fit just right!

My older daughter wanted something a little more sophisticated. We used a classic black velvet from Raspberry Creek Fabrics to create a timeless look. I used Autumn’s Shift Dress with the shoulder ruffles for a simple dress with so much class.

She’s off the charts for height now but this pattern was easy to add length to. I did the bodice lined version to skip the neckband. This is the 3/4 sleeve length as well.

It was so fun to get together with Inara and her mom for this shoot. Anna shot all of these group pics and I’m dying over how cute they are! These girls love any chance they get to see darling Inara.

Make sure to stop by all of the other stops on the tour!

11/11 Boo + Lu — Idle Sunshine

11/12 Kutti Couture — Pear Berry Lane

11/13 Candice Ayala.com — It’s Liesel

11/14 Kainara Stitches — SewSophieLynn

11/15 Sunflower Seams — Sew and Tell Project

Now’s your chance to grab the Simple Life patterns you’ve been crushing on. Use code slpcorocks to save 40% off all patterns now through November 25th.

Today’s giveaway is right up my alley! Enter to win a fun iron-on bundle.

Day 4 Giveaway (11/14)

Enter to win Cricut Vinyl and SVG Cut Files

Simple Life Pattern Co. Holiday Blog Tour

Have you been following the Simple Life Pattern Co. Holiday Blog Tour? I’ve been blown away by my tour mates and loving all the stunning dresses all week. We’re beyond excited to be sharing our looks today. Stay tuned to the end of the post for a giveaway, tour links, and sale info!

For our dresses this year, we let the fabric inspire us. We were lucky enough to have our post sponsored by Art Gallery Fabrics (can you say dream post? Gorgeous dress patterns in luscious fabric- count us in!). Katarina Roccella’s newest line, Decadence, just screamed holiday glamour to me. We picked the holiday perfect Houndstooth XIV Onyx and the dramatic Paon Plumes Rayon to coordinate. These fabrics can be dressed up for a concert performance or worn on Sunday to church services. Art Gallery Fabrics are amazing quality and I always feel like I’m spoiling my kids a little when I make something with them.

Little sis is wearing Helena’s Button Back Dress with the buttons moved to the front. I really wanted to let those gold buttons shine and there’s a little tip in the tutorial to make this dress reversible. Easy peasy and I love the glam those buttons add to the front.

I can’t wait for her to wear this all season long. She loves it and I can’t get enough of her in it! That sass really shines when she loves what she’s wearing 😉

I did the 3/4 sleeve and modest back options. This is a size 8 with added length for reference (her chest is 26″ and she is 55″ tall).

My tween loves anything sophisticated and trendy and the Patricia’s Boho Dress was just meant for her. The hi-lo hem and soft ruffles add such a sweet touch. This dreamy rayon just floats in this dress.

I love that this dress has no closure so it not only comes together quickly (even with all those ruffles!) but it’s just as glorious to wear. No zippers or buttons bugging her back!

I wish I was as elegant and charming as this sweet girl. Major love for this whole look on her!

This is the dramatic hi-lo hem with bell sleeve version. This is also a size 8 bodice with added length. She also has a 26″ chest and is 60″ tall (funny that they have such similar measurements still but she’s just crazy tall for her age!).

Sewing up these dresses has me itching for the holidays to come! Nothing like a little sewing to get you in the spirit. Make sure to check out all the other stops on the tour for some serious inspiration. Are you sewing dresses for your sweethearts this season? Can you stop at just one? The other ladies this week have me wanting to sew another dress or two before the year is over!

November 5 – Kutti Couture – SLPCO Team

November 6 – Wonderfully Handmade – Ammon Lane

November 7 – Kainara Stitches – Idle Sunshine – Pearberry Lane

November 8 – Sew Twirly – Sew Sophie Lynn – Bonnie and Blithe

November 9 – It’s Liesel – Candice Ayala

Make sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a $30 gift certificate to Hart’s Fabric and a $50 gift card to Simple Life Pattern Co.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can use the code ‘fallintoslpco’ for 30% off all patterns (excludes the newly released Betty) through November 19th. It’s the perfect push to pick up all those beautiful patterns you’ve been eyeing.