I love Sew Together bags!

I’ve only made two so far, but I absolutely LOVE making these bags!

I mean, just look at how cool they are.

The pattern is by Sew Demented and can be bought on Craftsy. It’s a great pattern. If you’re afraid of zippers I would say try this pattern, the zipper ends are hidden by the sides! (Don’t jusdge the TP in the background… I ran out of tissues and my allergies have been kicking lately.)

There are lots and lots of photos in the pattern, and lots of options for the exterior so you can really make it personal.

And, since both of these bags were given away, so clearly I must make more!!!

Tuileries Dress Pattern Review

Oh HOly Cuteness Batman!

I had the pleasure of sewing up a dress for my #4 cutie pie this last week. Oh, and what a dress it is!

The pattern is the brand new Tuileries Dress Pattern (edited to add link to pattern) by the ever inspiring Kelly at Sewing In No Mans Land.

I am so honored to test out this pattern!!

If you have a little person that is of the dress wearing nature, you need to make this dress.

I choose to add pockets, and I did lengthen the hem just a tad (all my kids are pretty tall).

Best part is: She loves it!

The pattern is great, and the pleats make is simply adorable. I would say it’s at a beginner level, and the instructions are easy to follow. The pleats are easier because of where they are located. To whip one up you need to be able to copy a pattern, finish seams, hem, and install a zipper. Seriously, it is that easy.

I chose a very colorful & flow-y fabric for this dress, but definitely plan to make one in a linen, and maybe even a baby corduroy. There will be more of these made for sure!

Oh, Emmaline

Have you seen the Emmaline apron??

This has got to be one of the absolute cutest aprons out there!

I joined a holiday apron swap, so of course I had to get a new apron pattern. Well, I actually ended up with 2 new patterns. I bought the Emmaline and the Gathering aprons from Sew Liberated.

There was so much lovely Christmas fabric to choose from, I had a very hard time picking only 2 prints, so I ended up making 2 Emmaline aprons.

I already have a fabric picked out to make myself a Gathering apron this spring. I’m quite excited!

The best part about the Emmaline apron was that the pattern was printed on regular paper, none of that lightweight tissue yuck! I was a little sad to discover that the gathering apron was printed on tissue type paper, super sad face.

The two Emmaline’s worked up really quickly. The worst part was all the pressing of the washed fabric, I’m not a fan of ironing (kinda funny that I love to sew/quilt but really don’t like ironing).

I’m really loving all these quick projects that I’ve been getting done this year in between the quilts I’ve been working on. Makes me feel all productive 😉

Honestly, I’m a little gaga over the Clara Dress. Maybe I just need one of those too….

What’s your favorite apron pattern?

Mini-Tent Success

There have been just a few small sewing projects that I’ve started and actually completed in the last month. Oh it feels great!!

My little nephew’s quilt & bib, a new boxie (that I love), and this mini-tent have all been great distractions to quilting my big projects lately. Is it just me (having 5 kids home) or is it more difficult to have the gumption to quilt in the summer?

I found the pattern while schmoozing Pinterest, well I find a lot that way, but this was a project I just knew I had to make! Feel free to follow me, I pins tons of stuff (I think I have about 77 boards now… uhh yea).

The lovely Kerry at Kid Giddy shared this pattern for the Mini-Tent. So, go check it out and make some! The pattern was super easy, and lots of pictures!

This one was given to a family friend, and both of my older boys asked me at least 3 times if I was making it for them. I’m thinking I already have some Christmas presents figured out! (score!)

The only thing I did differently was that I did not cover the faucet connector with duct tape, I just used nail polish remover to get the ink off, then washed it like 5 times so it wouldn’t smell. I liked the look of it without the tape.

And just incase you were wondering, a Build A Bear does fit inside. (not pictured)

Pattern Review: Simplicity 5382

When looking for a pattern for a girls nightgown I came across Simplicity 5382. I really wanted a somewhat old fashioned nightgown for the girls, and I absolutely love the options for this one.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Surprisingly, it did. I don’t say that because my things turn out horrible or anything, but most of the time the drawings on the front don’t seem very realistic to me (maybe I have issues with the artwork of it…).

Written Instructions:
Everything was very clear. There were also plenty of picture throughout each portion.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  
First of all, I only paid one dollar for it, so it’s fantastic just for that. But really, the best part about this pattern for me is that it has short or long sleeves and separates options. The pattern pieces are the same with just different cutting lines for the sleeve/pant lengths, which means I only have to transfer the piece once to thicker paper and can use it for a few seasons. There will be some summery nightgowns this year for sure!

Fabric Used:  
I decided to use flannel backed satin since for some reason I had some, and 2 yards of 2 prints is quite a lot of some. I can guarantee that I will not be making nightgowns with flannel backed satin again. Maybe pajama pants, but that’s about it. It was not fun to work with: didn’t ruffle well and didn’t stay lined up well even with pinning.

Level Of Difficulty:  

Beginner to Intermediate (depends on how much details you’re adding).
 
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: 

I hemmed the bottom about an inch shorter for my 2 1/2 year old since I made a size 3 for her, I wanted to be sure she wouldn’t trip up the stairs. Also, instead of making a loop for the button at the end, on the second one I used some elastic cord (like the kind that holds shoes in pairs when you buy them). Tie a knot, them sew it in on the step when you’re sewing the ends of the yoke together.

 
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?   

Yes, I would sew it again. I love how it turned out and both my girls really like them. The next ones I plan to make will definitely be with either some linen or eyelet that I was gifted this last summer. Can’t wait. Definitely recommend this pattern.

Conclusion:

This pattern is good for a beginner, not very complicate and you can omit all trims to make it more simple. The nightgown itself is very comfortable (from what I’ve been told), and keeps the girls nice and warm with the fabric I used. It is also loose enough for them to play in and not rip it.

Simplicity Pattern B5301 Review

A very good friend of mine just became a nurse. Yahoo!! No It’s kinda funny, this was the friend of mine who couldn’t stand blood back in the day.

Yea, she’s a nurse, and a kick-a one at that. (I am pretty sure she’s over the blood thing by now…)

What do you get for a new/just graduated nurse?? Well, you don’t get them anything, you make them some hot-to-trot scrub tops!

Now, I am not one to just pull something like scrubs out of my butt without a pattern the first go round, or second, or third, for that matter. Thankfully there is a sale on patterns at almost all times at Joann’s.

$1.99 for the Simplicity B5301.

(Photo courtesy of Butterick.com)

So, of course I had to go buy some fabric for this… heaven forbid I use my stash… hehe.

I used butcher paper to transfer the pattern onto this time. I usually just use tissue paper for wrapping presents, but I knew I was going to make a couple of these. I stacked the fabric on the fold to cut out the fronts and backs, then just rearranged what was left to cut out the pockets, sleeves, and collar.


On to the actual review:

Pattern Description: This description is from the pattern envelope:

The V-neck scrub top features comfortable t-shirt ease, shirt sleeves, and styled pockets. The specially fitted sleeves allow more arm movement for a full-figured woman. The elastic waist pants with side seam pockets have been specially drafted to fit the correct waistline slant of a full-figured woman. Directions for a drawstring waistline are also included.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yea, it was a drawing, so it wasn’t all cartoon-y (hehe), but it did look a lot like the drawing, the top doesn’t have waist definition like the drawing though.

Written Instructions: The written instructions are very clear, easy to follow, and have ample amounts of photos.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like how the pattern chose to instruct sewing the sleeves on. I like sewing a sleeve on before sewing the side seams.

Fabric Used: I just used woven cotton, the fabric that the pattern recommends.

Level Of Difficulty: I would say that this is a good beginner pattern. The collar is a little tricky, but it’s more maneuvering of fabric than the actual pattern itself.  
 
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: The only tip I have for the pattern is to sew the bottom pockets on about 1/2 inch above where it is marked on the pattern. I suggest this because the first one I assembled, the hem would have been sewn about 1/2 inch up into the actual pocket, no good.
 
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yup, I would sew it again. I am making 3 of them. I would recommend this pattern.

Conclusion: This pattern is very well written, and even has instructions in it to alter it for common body shapes that the basic pattern was not drafted for, like a fuller bust, petite or tall sizes, and even pear shapes.


On a final note, I would just like to apologize to all nurses, you do some of the most important work and yet you wear clothing that makes you look very blob-ish. I am truly sorry, not that my typical jeans & t-shirt wardrobe is that much better…

Pattern Review: Simplicity 2908 Baby Bonnet

I am on a hunt for a summer sun hat for my one year old Baby Girl.

This is the bonnet I started with, the C option, and I changed a lot, maybe even more than 1/2 the hat. I was completely in love with it while I was picking out all the fabric and notions, and even more so while I was sewing it.

I put it on her and, no love, the love was gone… Next pattern.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a beautiful bonnet, and I adore the detailing. I just think I need something that fits her personality a little more.

On to the actual pattern review. 

Click on the picture to the left to view the pattern at the Simplicity Website. 

Pattern Description: This pattern had no description, so I”ll overview. The pattern is for 6 different hat/bonnet styles for little girls from birth to about 2, depending on head measurement. The sizing goes from a 17″ to 20″, and sizes are on the inch in between those measurements.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

The hat itself did look like bonnet style I chose to make (option C), I did make lots of alterations, so there is no appliqued piece inside the brim of the bonnet. But, the overall shape of the hat was the same.

Written Instructions: The written instructions were very easy to follow; specific, easy to follow along with, and lots of pictures.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like how there are several different styles to chose from within one pattern. I also like that it’s easy to alter.

Fabric Used: I used cotton eyelet that has a decorative trim instead of selvage on one side.

Level Of Difficulty: I would say Beginner Intermediate, maybe even Beginner if you don’t do any alterations.
 
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I did not do the applique in the front of the brim, instead I used eyelet and made my fabric fit the piece so I could utilize the border from the eyelet fabric. I made fabric ties instead of using ribbon. And, I added 3 trims to the top of the hat (my favorite part).

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes I would sew it again, and plan to make a different style next.

Conclusion: Good pattern, doesn’t require any crazy amounts of anything (fabric, trim, etc.). Very clear instructions with plenty of pictures. Very cute!